Chapter 54
“… Zachary stared at his own hands in shock, horrified by what he’d just done. He quickly moved to help Sandra up. “Sandra, I didn’t mean to do that.”
Sandra’s tears… Hell cares about her.
As she felt utterly humiliated, she thought, ‘Zachary did that on purpose. He’s only acting this way because Amelia’s pregnant. He still…’
But Sandra knew better than to say any of that out loud. Some things were better left buried–like Zachary’s ongoing affair with Elizabeth. Dwelling on it would only make things worse, like twisting the knife already lodged in her heart.
The fear that Zachary might suddenly stop loving her, that he might leave her, was paralyzing. It squeezed her heart in a vice-like grip.
“Zachary, you... You could have hurt our baby,” Sandra whimpered through her tears, too afraid to say anything more.
“Shh, don’t cry. Let’s go home,” Zachary said softly, carefully helping Sandra into the car. But as he did, a sinister thought began to form in his mind.
“Sandra’s only three months along, and she’s already so delicate,” Zachary thought. "And Amelia’s pregnancy is even riskier. If she were to take a tumble…"
For once, Sandra kept her word and stayed away. Zachary had vanished from her life, too. Without their disturbance, Amelia found herself breathing easier, her days notably brighter.
Her life fell into a simple routine–just home and work, nothing else. At the office, Amelia threw herself into her projects with renewed energy, and at home, she devoted herself to taking care of Landon.
The painful memories of her past life were finally beginning to fade, like waking from a bad dream to find none of it had been real.
Everything seemed salvageable now and, better yet, firmly under her control. Things were falling into place exactly as she’d planned. Her only complaint was the constant backache from crashing on the couch every night.
Amelia came up with a solution–buy another bed. After all, now that she was “pregnant“, it would make perfect sense for her not to share a bed with Landon.
After work that day, Amelia headed to the furniture market to look for a new bed.
“Get out of my way!” a familiar voice suddenly barked from behind her. Before Amelia could react, a forceful shove sent her tumbling to the ground.
“Dot,” Amelia cried out. The fall had knocked the wind out of her, and she stayed sprawled on the floor, gasping for breath.
“Who the hell dares to block my–Oh shit. Amelia? Is that you?” Henry exclaimed, quickly reaching out to help her up.
Amelia tensed the moment she saw him. “Henry?! What are you doing here?”
“Just got back in town. Thought I'd browse for a new table,” Henry replied smoothly, but his eyes held a predatory gleam as they lingered on her stomach. “And what brings you here, Amelia?”
“Shopping for a bed.” Amelia struggled to her feet, steadying herself against a nearby piece of furniture.
A calculating look crossed Henry’s face as he thought, ‘Gloria agreed to them sleeping in separate rooms–that has to be proof of the pregnancy!’
Henry silently thanked Zachary for the heads-up that had brought him home early. There was no chance in hell he’d let Amelia carry Landon’s baby to term.
“No,” Henry thought viciously. “Landon doesn’t get to have an heir. Not now, not ever.”
“You took quite a tumble there,” Henry said, his voice honeyed with artificial concern. “Sure you’re okay?”
Chapter 54
Caught the way his eyes kept darting to her midsection, understanding dawned on her. Amelia opened her mouth to brush off his concern but instinctively wrapped an arm around her stomach and said, “Actually, I hit the ground pretty hard. My abdomen’s really hurting.”
“Let me take you to the hospital,” Henry insisted, reaching for her arm without waiting for her response.
Amelia recoiled in horror, violently yanking her arm away from his grasp. “No need. Brooke will take…”
“Brooke’s here?” Henry jerked his hand back, fear flashing across his face.
“Hmm?” Amelia pulled out her phone and made a call. “Brooke, what’s taking you so long? I’m ready to head home. Yeah, I’m in Section D, on the third floor, by all the bedroom stuff.”
Her acting was convincing enough that Henry bought it completely. “Well, if Brooke’s with you, I’ll leave then,” he said hurriedly before making a quick exit.
Once he was gone, Amelia collapsed onto one of the display beds, wiping sweat from her forehead. Her heart was still racing–from both the pain and the close call.
That was close, Amelia thought, feeling relief wash over her. ‘If I hadn’t managed to fool Henry and he’d taken me to the hospital, my fake pregnancy would have been exposed!’
She shuddered at an even darker thought, “He might have even followed Zachary’s example and used a misdiagnosis as an excuse to remove my uterus –to resolve their problem permanently.”
The memory of her misdiagnosed hysterectomy sent waves of fear through Amelia, leaving her thoughts in turmoil. ‘Even with this second chance at life, I may have escaped the Edwards and Fosters, but am I really in control of my own life now!’ she wondered with a heavy heart.
She had once believed so, but now her confidence was shaken. The world would show no mercy, and she’d have to watch her back more carefully than ever.
“Mrs. Kingsley.” Brooke came running up, her expression grave. Seeing Amelia sitting alone, she visibly relaxed. “Mrs. Kingsley, are you alright?” she asked with genuine concern.
“I’m okay,” Amelia said, her eyes swelling up with tears at the sight of Brooke. Seeing her felt like finding a life raft in a storm. “Henry just pushed me down.”
Brooke, a few years older, spoke softly, “Henry came back early… I’m afraid news of your pregnancy might have leaked. He won’t let this go easily. From now on, I’m going with you everywhere.”
“But wouldn’t that be too much trouble?" Amelia felt awkward about the suggestion. Brooke was already so dedicated to protecting her at work, it didn’t seem right to impose on her personal time after hours.
“It’s no trouble at all," Brooke assured her, carefully helping her stand. "Mrs. Kingsley, let me take you to the hospital.”
“No, really, I’m fine,” Amelia mumbled, looking down at her feet. She felt a pang of guilt. Brooke was so kind to her, and here she was, keeping this huge secret from her.
“I’m taking you home,” Brooke said firmly.
“Thank you.” Amelia nodded, not refusing the offer this time.
It was rush hour, and the bustling city streets were packed with cars and hurried pedestrians. Amelia leaned against the car window, watching the scene outside as she gradually calmed down.
“Don’t be scared, Amelia," she told herself. "The more you back down, the more vulnerable you become. You need to find a solution."
Henry had Donna’s protection, so Amelia couldn’t do anything to him. But Landon could help.
As soon as she got home, Amelia told Landon everything that had happened that day.
Chapter 54
“He’s back already?” Landon’s eyes turned cold. According to the plan, Henry wasn’t supposed to return until the end of April. Yet here he is, barely into the month, he thought.
“Landon, you need to figure something out quickly. If my fake pregnancy gets exposed, your mother will be furious," Amelia said, her voice laced with anxiety.
“Are you alright?” Landon asked from his position against the headboard, studying her carefully. She looked terrible. Her face was as pale as a sheet.
“Thank goodness I wasn’t actually pregnant,” Amelia sighed. “A real baby wouldn’t have survived that fall.” She finally understood why Landon had kept that pregnant woman hidden away. Anyone carrying Landon’s child would inevitably become Henry’s target.
“I’ll have Wesley come take a look at you,” Landon said as he began typing out a message on his phone.
Amelia waved her hand dismissively. “It’s pointless. You need to figure out how to deal with Henry.”
“Soon enough. His days of running free are numbered," Landon said softly. By then, he had finished sending his message. His left hand was becoming more dexterous with each passing day, and his mind was as sharp as ever. Unfortunately, the rest of his body remained paralyzed.
‘When will I finally make a full recovery?' Landon wondered silently. It pained him deeply to see her being bullied while he was in this condition.
Amelia felt a deep sense of melancholy. The Kingsley family was nothing but a mess. As long as she remained Landon’s wife, she would never escape this precarious situation. Divorce seemed like the best solution.
Yet, as Amelia gazed at Landon, doubt crept in. “If I leave now, how can he possibly handle Kingsley Group in this state?’ she thought.
“Scared?” Landon looked up, his eyes soft with a hint of tenderness.
Amelia nodded, letting her vulnerability show. “How could I not be? I’m so scared that I’ve even considered divorcing you.”