AMY’S POV
I was not disappointed nor hurt by Richard’s action.
I was furious.
I stormed out of Richard’s room, slamming the door behind me with enough force to rattle the walls.
My blood was boiling, my hands trembling with barely suppressed rage.
How dare he?
He had kissed me.
He had carried me to his bed.
He had touched me, made me want him, made me beg for him.
And then he just stopped and walked away without a single explanation.
‘Is he playing with our emotions?’ Lexie whispered, feeling rejected.
I didn’t respond.
I couldn’t.
I was too angry to form words.
I stormed into my room and threw myself onto the bed, pulling the quilt over my head.
I lay there, my body rigid, my mind replaying every moment of humiliation.
He had made me feel wanted and then he had pulled away like I meant nothing.
I squeezed my eyes shut, willing myself to sleep.
I didn’t want to think anymore.
I didn’t want to feel anymore.
Eventually, exhaustion won, and I drifted off into a restless, dreamless sleep.
**************
The next morning, I woke up with a hollow ache in my chest.
But I pushed it aside, forcing myself to get out of bed.
I wasn’t going to let Richard see me broken.
I wasn’t going to give him that satisfaction.
I showered quickly, dressed in a simple but elegant outfit, and headed downstairs.
I had decided I was going to visit my mother at her house.
The nurse has been taking care of her and I didn’t have much time to take care of her because of the wedding preparations, so I intended to make it up to her.
When I reached the bottom of the stairs, I saw Richard sitting on the couch, sipping coffee while scrolling through his phone.
My jaw tightened.
The memory of last night came flooding back.
“Good morning, Amy. You’re up early.”
I forced myself to stay calm.
“I thought you’d be at work by now.”
He set his coffee down and stood, walking toward me.
“I was waiting for you. I thought we could have breakfast together.”
He reached for my hand, his fingers intertwining with mine.
His touch was warm, familiar, and it made my skin prickle with a confusing mix of anger and longing.
I let him lead me to the dining room, my emotions a tangled mess.
Part of me wanted to yank my hand away and demand answers.
Another part of me just wanted to pretend last night never happened.
We sat down to breakfast.
The table was laden with food, fresh fruit, pastries, eggs, bacon.
But I had no appetite.
Richard seemed unfazed by my silence.
He ate calmly, occasionally glancing at me with an unreadable expression.
“What are your plans for today?” he asked casually.
I kept my eyes on my plate.
“I’m going to see my mother.”
“Good. I’ll drop you off. I want to check on her as well.”
I nodded stiffly, not trusting myself to speak.
Richard motioned to his butler, who approached with a leather folder in his hands.
Richard took it and slid it across the table toward me.
“I have something for you,” he said.
“Open it.”
I frowned, setting down my fork.
I opened the folder and my breath caught in my throat.
It was a university enrollment packet.
Three different schools, all with detailed information about their programs, their campuses, their admissions requirements.
And at the top of each page, in bold letters, was a note: “Congratulations. You have been invited to interview for admission.”
My hands trembled as I flipped through the pages.
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
These weren’t just any schools, they were the best in New York City.
Prestigious universities I had only ever dreamed of attending.
But it was the third school that made my heart stop.
New York Art and ScienceInstitute.
My dream school.
The one I had always wanted to attend, the one I had given up on when Derek’s family had forbidden me from pursuing higher education.
“How did you—”
“I made some calls,” he said, his voice casual.
“Your transcripts were good enough to get you interviews. I just had to pull a few strings to get them to look at you.”
I stared at him, my anger momentarily forgotten.
“Richard, I… I don’t know what to say.”
He smiled.
“You don’t need to say anything. Just do well in your interview. The New York Automotive Institute would be my top pick for you. They have the strongest automobile engineering program in the state. And they’re one of the best schools in the entire city.”
I nodded, my heart racing.
“Yes, that’s been my dream school since middle school. I really want to get accepted there.”
He nodded, then his expression grew serious.
“But there is one more thing you need to consider before making your decision.”
I looked up, my stomach tightening.
“What?”
Richard met my gaze, his voice carefully neutral.
“Derek will be attending the New York Art and Science Institute this year. He’s pursuing another degree.”
My blood went cold.
Derek.
At my dream school.
I stared at Richard, my mind reeling.
Was this a test?
Was he trying to see if I was strong enough to face him?
Or was he warning me that no matter where I went, Derek would always be there?
“Why are you telling me this?” I asked, my voice flat.
“Because you deserve to know,” Richard said simply.
“I won’t make this decision for you. You need to choose what’s best for yourself. If being in the same school as Derek is too much, there are other options.”
I looked down at the folder in my hands, my mind racing.
My dream school.
My dream career.
And the man who had broken my heart, lurking in the shadows.
Was i really going to let Derek stop me from pursuing my dream?
I took a deep breath, my fingers gripping the edges of the folder.
“I’ll think about it,” I said finally.
“Thank you for being honest with me.”
Richard nodded, his expression unreadable.
“Take your time, Amy. You don’t have to decide today.”
He reached across the table, his hand covering mine.
The touch was warm, reassuring, and for a moment, the anger I’d been carrying began to fade.
But I wasn’t ready to forgive him.
Not after what he did last night.
I pulled my hand back, focusing on my breakfast.