"Mom, I have better things to do than play chaperone and chauffeur for Hazel." He complained over the phone when his mother called him at his workplace, insisting that he accompany his childhood friend, who had just returned home.
Although he and Hazel grew up in the same social circle, they were never truly close friends. He was aware that Hazel had always liked him, but he never felt the same way.
In truth, he only tolerated her presence because of their mother's friendship. But the last thing he wanted was the way his mother was obviously setting him up with her.
"Please, darling. For me." His mother, Dianne, pleaded with him. "Just pick her up at the airport and treat her to a nice dinner. That's all I ask."
Unfortunately, he couldn't say no to his mother. Therefore, despite his protest, he still ended up picking her up and driving her to her favorite restaurant.
"Come on, Hazel. Hurry up!" He turned off the engine and jumped out of the car in a rush. But she was taking so much time to fix her eyeshadows and apply a new coat of lipstick.
Suddenly, he could not help but compare her and girls like her to Amelia. Unlike them, Amelia could go all day without bothering to put on any makeup on her face. But still look beautiful.
Amelia could go out of the house without spending three hours picking her clothes and getting ready. And she would still stand out in his eyes.
To him, it was her simplicity that made her shine. It was the smile on her face that brightened up his day. It was the way she helped others without expecting anything in return that made him love her more.
"I don't have all day." Again, he impatiently waited for her.
Checking his watch, he knew he was already running late. If not for his mother, he would rather be somewhere else than with this woman who could only think about herself.
"You know I can't just go out there unless I'm absolutely perfect." She finally stood by his side and held on to his arm.
He wanted to swipe her hand off, but that would only cause more commotion. The last thing he wanted was to attract more attention.
But as they entered the restaurant, his phone suddenly buzzed in his pocket.
"Amelia?" He wasn't surprised that she called, but he wasn't ready to explain this situation to her over the phone.
"Hi, Oliver." She answered, but he could hear the edge in her tone. "Where are you?"
Something was wrong. He could tell. He had already memorized all her little telltale signs when she was upset about something.
"Ahm! I'm actually still in the office." He hated lying to her. "My boss wants me to finish my report, so I might be late tonight." Promising that this was the last time.
Of course, he remembered it was their anniversary. He had planned a surprise for her tonight. That was the reason he was in a hurry to go home.
"Do you need something?"
After tonight, he also planned to tell her the truth. Every secret he had kept from her. Then, he touched the pocket of his coat, feeling the hard object inside.
"No, nothing." She said. "I was just checking if you'll be home early."
Tonight, he would make sure to make it up to her.
A few minutes later, after ending the call, he sat across from Hazel. But all he thought about was Amelia, waiting for him back home.
"Oliver, look. Isn't that Jacob?" Hazel snapped him back from his trance.
At the entrance, he saw his bestfriend walking towards them. Suddenly, an idea flickered inside his head.
"Jacob," He greeted his friend. "Isn't this a surprise?" Honestly, it had been weeks since he had seen him. "Why don't you join us?" He welcomed his company, pointing to the extra chair.
But not even a minute had elapsed, and he suddenly stood up. "I'm sorry, but I just remembered that I have something urgent to go to." He knew it was a lame alibi, but he couldn't care less about what Hazel thought. "It's an emergency. I really need to go. Jacob, would you mind taking Hazel home?"
His friend tried to protest. Then, Hazel tried to stop him. But he didn't give them a chance.
At that moment, there was only one thing on his mind.
"Amelia..."
***
It had been a long day. It was late. She was exhausted. Physically, mentally, and emotionally.
At least, her father was finally back home again. Her mother had finally calmed down. They were safe.
However, her ordeal was far from over as she stood outside her apartment door.
Breathing heavily, she squared her shoulders, bracing herself for the pain that was to come.
Behind that door, she knew it was the end of her forever.
It was the other shoe that she had been waiting for to drop since she entered this relationship.
"Where have you been?" He asked as soon as she stepped inside the apartment and closed the door.
Her eyes immediately spotted him, sitting in his favorite chair across the room, with a wine in his hand. It was the wine that she had picked specifically for tonight's dinner.
But the dinner was already ruined.
Anyway, there he was, looking damn perfect as always. Even with his disheveled hair, unbuttoned shirt, and loose tie, he still looked amazing.
Again, why would a man like him settle for a girl like her?
"I was at my parents' house. Dad was not feeling well, so I came to see him." It was not a complete lie, but not the entire truth either.
Then, she noticed that he seemed uncharacteristically quiet. Usually, he would tease her or say something funny if he noticed that she was down. He would even offer to rub her shoulders if she looked tired.
But tonight, he seemed different.
"Oh... I hope Edward's feeling better." He said, but he still acted strangely. "Well, is there something else you want to say?" The tone in his voice was cold and aloof.
Now, she was alert.
Of course, she wanted to tell him everything.
Her meeting with his father, Mr. Morton. Her father's embezzlement case. The contract that she signed with his father. About that money.
Most of all, she wished she could tell him that he was about to become a father.
But she couldn't.
"Nothing." Remembering that she couldn't discuss her meeting with his father, or any of it, if she wanted to keep her father out of jail.
She couldn't say anything if she wanted their child to stay alive.
But what if—
Debating whether to trust him and ask for his help.
No! She stopped herself before she developed some false hope.
Oliver could not help her.
Why would he? Remembering that he already had a fiancée.
A woman more suitable to be his wife. Nothing like her.
Why would he care about her and her child?
"Actually, I think we should..." She knew she had to do this now before she lost her nerve. But it was harder than she had imagined.
She had practiced it a hundred times on her way home, but she still could not say it.
She loved him too much to leave him just like that.
"We should end this." But he beat her to it. Again, that cold look, as if she meant nothing to him.
Surprised, or was it shocked?
Her jaw dropped, her lips trembled, her knees shook, and her eyes welled with tears.
She had imagined his reaction once she finally ended things with them, but she never saw this coming.
"Why?" Although it made perfect sense that he would want to break up with her. After all, he was going to be married to someone else soon.
She still hadn't anticipated its impact on her.
It felt like a wall had collapsed on her, and she couldn't breathe.
"What do you think?" This time, his face changed. The cool, impassive look was suddenly replaced by a burning rage directed at her. "I've given you the chance to come clean, but now, I know that you're nothing but a liar, a gold digger, a selfish bitch."
Wait! Where did that come from?
"Come clean with what?" She didn't understand what he was talking about. "What did I do?" Finally, he leaned forward and grabbed a folder from the coffee table that she hadn't noticed earlier.
Oddly, it looked peculiarly familiar.
Then, he threw it in the air. The papers inside started flying everywhere until some of their pages landed on her feet.
With cold, unsteady hands, her fingers picked up some of the documents. As she scanned its contents, it finally dawned on her what it was.
"Oh no!" He didn't.
Oh God! She hoped he didn't see it or read it. But that ship had sailed as his eyes burned through her. It was too late to correct her mistake.
"Damn it, Amelia. I..." Standing up, he walked menacingly toward her. But immediately stopped once his face was just inches from hers. "How could you?" Then, he walked away, pacing the floor.
"How could you sell your own daughter?" His hand ran across his face, looking completely frustrated, angry, and confused, all at the same time.
"Twenty million." He shook his head as if he could not stand to look at her. "Is money all that is important to you?"
"Damn, I thought you were different." The accusation in his voice was enough to send her to the cliff to her death.
Completely unexpecting this sudden turn of events, she was left speechless.
"I..." She wanted to defend herself. But how? She had signed those documents.
Stupid!
She had fallen into the trap of Mr. Morton.
"It's over. I don't want to see you ever again." His eyes looked dead, as if she had sucked all the life in him. "But expect to hear from my lawyers because you don't deserve to be the mother of my child."
With his last words, her whole world shattered.
Without looking back, he was gone.
It was really over.