His Greatest Regret

Chapter Four:The Beginning Of Comparison

Amelia sat across from Dr. Miller and tried to focus as he explained treatment plans, options, processes, and schedules, but her mind kept straying back to Adrian, back to their anniversary, back to the incomplete dinner.

"Mrs. Knight?" Dr miller said.

Amelia blinked. "Sorry."

Dr. Miller gave a pleasant smile. "I asked if you'd like to begin treatment immediately."

Amelia paused. "Will it work?"

The doctor paused. "I can't make promises." Not very encouraging.

Amelia glanced at her hands. "What would you do if you were me?"

Dr. Miller leaned back. "I'd fight for what I want."

Sadly, Amelia grinned. If only it were that simple.

Adrian was working in his study as usual that night when Amelia came home carrying a folder full of material. "Can we talk?" she asked.

He replied without looking up. "Of course."

The way he responded before paying attention was something Amelia detested. He was seated across from her. "The doctor wants us to start treatment." she said

Adrian continued typing. "Okay." he said

She gripped the folder more tightly. "Okay?"

This time he looked up. "What?" he asked.

"The treatment." she responded .

"Do you want to do it?" Adrian asked.

Amelia stared. "It affects both of us."

If you want to, we should try it. She waited, but all she got was a businesslike comment that sounded like they were discussing a contract, their future family, or their marriage, without any love or encouragement.

"I created a list,” she said, moving the folder in his direction.

Adrian stared at it, then at his laptop, and said, "I'll read it later." His disappointment was sudden, acute, and excruciating.

"Oh." Amelia replied.

A moment passed, then another, and finally Amelia stood. "Never mind."

"Amelia." he said.

"It's fine." There was that word again. Fine. The biggest lie in her vocabulary.

Victoria threw another party three days later, this time at a charity banquet. Adrian detested these gatherings, but sadly, he had to go, especially when his mother was present. The moment he entered the ballroom, Victoria appeared.

"You made it." he said

"I said I would." Victoria replied

She smiled. "And Vanessa is here."

Adrian immediately frowned. "Mother."

"What?" Victoria responded .

"You need to stop." He said.

"Stop what?" she asked

Victoria appeared to be innocent as he looked at her, a gesture she had mastered years earlier. Adrian was interrupted before he could respond by another voice.

"Adrian." Vanessa came over, graceful as always, self-assured, and calm. "Good evening."

Adrian nodded politely. "Vanessa."

She smiled. "Your mother was just telling me about the hospital project." she said

Victoria looked delighted. "See? You already have something in common." Victoria said.

Vanessa saw that Adrian was pinching the bridge of his nose and to her credit, she appeared uneasy.

“Mrs. Knight exaggerates”. Vanessa replied

Victoria laughed. "Nonsense."

Unfortunately, Amelia arrived at that very time, and her smile vanished instantly. She had witnessed enough, though not everything, but enough. Victoria was standing between Adrian and Vanessa, Vanessa smiling, everyone looking pleased. The familiar ache settled in her chest.

"Amelia." Adrian saw her right away and moved to approach her, but Victoria got there before him.

"You're late." Victoria said

Amelia forced a smile. "Traffic."

After giving a nod, Victoria turned to face Vanessa. "Vanessa, you remember Amelia."

Amelia nearly burst out laughing. Do you remember?

As if they hadn't been together for years, as if avoiding them wasn't getting harder and harder.

"Of course," Vanessa replied courteously. It's good to see you once more."

"You too." Amelia replied.

The only people who could see the tension in the exchange were the women. Vanessa didn't act impolitely or flirtatiously; in fact, she seemed wary, which made things worse because Amelia couldn't find an excuse for her bitterness.

Later that night, Amelia was alone on the balcony, the sounds from the ballroom fading behind her. For the first time, she was able to breathe throughout the entire night.

Do you mind if I join you?" Vanessa asked as she turned.

Amelia forced a smile. "Go ahead."

Vanessa stepped beside her, and for several moments neither spoke. Then Vanessa sighed. "This is awkward."

Amelia laughed softly. "A little."

"I don't want you to misunderstand." Vanessa replied.

Amelia looked at her. "Misunderstand what?"

Vanessa hesitated, then surprised her. "Your mother-in-law."

Amelia blinked. "She's not my mother-in-law."

Vanessa smiled. "You know what I mean." For the first time, Amelia found herself liking her, just a little.

"She can be difficult." she said.

"That's one word for it." Amelia replied. The situation seemed oddly natural as they both laughed, until Vanessa remarked, "For what it's worth, I think she crosses boundaries."

Amelia looked surprised. "You do?"

"Absolutely." Vanessa replied.

For a brief period, Amelia wondered if she had judged Vanessa too harshly because the answer came right away, without doubt or calculation. Perhaps Victoria didn't have her in mind. Maybe she was trapped in them too. Unfortunately, someone else was watching. Victoria and she looked furious.

The following Monday, Adrian arrived at work to find Vanessa waiting outside his office. He stopped. "Everything okay?"

Vanessa stood. "Actually, no."

That got his attention. "What happened?" he asked

She sighed. "Your mother happened."

Adrian immediately groaned, and Vanessa laughed. "Exactly."

"What did she do now?" he asked

"She invited me to dinner." she said

"That's not unusual." he replied

"She invited me to dinner with your grandparents." She said.

Adrian closed his eyes. Of course she did. "And then she spent an hour talking about grandchildren."

His eyes opened. "I'm sorry."

Vanessa crossed her arms. "Why are you apologizing?"

"Because I know my mother."he said

Vanessa studied him, then asked quietly, "Do you ever tell her no?" she asked.

The question caught him off guard. "What?"

"You always look annoyed." She shrugged. "But you never actually stop her." she said.

Adrian wasn't sure he could respond, so he didn't.

Vanessa slowly nodded; the silence told her everything. A moment later she smiled. "Anyway, I should get back to work."

As she walked away, Adrian remained where he was, thinking about how two different women had essentially stated the same thing. Amelia. Vanessa. They both thought he gave in too much. They both thought he never confronted Victoria. The notion lasted longer than he had anticipated.

Once more, Amelia sat by herself at the dinner table that evening. She looked at the time. Nine thirty. No call, no message. Her heart sank as she finally picked up her phone and tried to reach Adrian, but the call ended up in voicemail.

After a short while, she discovered the solution she wasn't searching for on social media: a single, straightforward photo that would destroy her evening.

The Knight Foundation has posted pictures from a charity strategy meeting. Adrian was present. So was Vanessa. Comments such as "What a gorgeous couple, Mr. Knight and Miss Sinclair look amazing together, power couple energy" were already coming in as they stood side by side and smiled at the camera.

After staring at the screen for some time, Amelia locked then unlocked her phone. Perhaps she was exaggerating. Maybe she was overthinking things. Her gut knotted when a fresh message from an unidentified number emerged. She opened it slowly. A closer picture of Adrian and Vanessa chatting and laughing was attached. “You should get used to seeing this”, the statement said underneath. Everyone else has already done so.

Amelia turned pale. She read it repeatedly. The vacant chair across from her caught her attention. She wondered for the first time if she was losing her husband already.