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It was clear the truth was far from what they believed so why did everyone turn their wrath upon her?
She was a victim too, her innocence was stolen!
Why wouldn't they hear her out?
Amelia Collin raised her tear-stained eyes, gazing unwaveringly at Thomas Blake.
Wasn't all this premeditated by him?
"Amelia, I never want to see you again in this lifetime!" His words were harsh, spoken with finality before everyone, with not a hint of hesitation.
Thomas Blake, I thought you understood me better than anyone. In the end, I discovered that all of this was just my naïveté.
Thomas Blake, I should never have approached you in the first place; then I wouldn't have been pulled into this abyss.
Thomas Blake, what did I ever do to make you hate me so?
Was it that time I locked you out in a moment of willfulness, causing you to fall ill with a fever?
Or was I, in your eyes, someone utterly dispensable all along?
Had I known this was the outcome, I would have preferred never to have met you.
That way, my heart would have remained intact.
Even if I never found someone to love, at least I would have kept a pure heart to share with another, to build a family and grow old hand in hand.
But all of it everything can never be undone...
Standing at the entrance of her neighborhood, Amelia took out her phone, carefully examining her eyes for any hint of redness.
She left her original residence and came to a faraway strange city alone. There was no special reason, just because she wanted to be away from her original residence.
By a stroke of chance, she joined a small, unremarkable newspaper, where she became a field reporter, braving the elements each day.
Perhaps it was fate, or maybe it was her lack of education, but even in such a place, she was looked down upon.
In all these years, her family never once sought her out; she'd nearly forgotten she even had one.
She once tried to explain everything to her father, but he refused to see her, ending up in the hospital in his anger.
She could never forget the day she saw him in that hospital-a thug with bleached hair pointed at her with a smug grin, saying, "Yes, she bought the drugs from me and told me to keep it quiet."
In that moment, Amelia finally understood-it was a ploy, all of it, meticulously crafted by that woman and her son to drive her away.
Her father's slap, swift and fierce, haunted her for three years, keeping her from ever returning to that city, that home.
Last night, to meet a pressing deadline, Amelia had no choice but to leave her daughter with her friend for the night.
When work consumed her, she would lose track of everything- even forgetting to pick up her own daughter.
Her friend, truthfully, was her lifesaver.
Three years ago, she had fled with no regard for consequences. A life of luxury had left her ill-equipped for the simplest of tasks.
It was at that moment she discovered she was pregnant-bearing Thomas Blake's child.
Amelia felt her world go black; this child could not have come at a worse time-or perhaps she herself was the mistake.
She had long decided she should have aborted the child-after all, this was Thomas's child, the man who took everything from her, who ruined her life.
Her enemy!
Yet, when the time came, she couldn't bring herself to do it. This little life was innocent.
What she didn't realize was that keeping this child would bind her and Thomas inescapably...
"Mama, Mama-"
The moment Amelia stepped through the door, her daughter, dressed in all pink, ran toward her, the two little pigtails on her head bouncing wildly with her movements.
"Emily, be careful, slow down."
Seeing her daughter wobble, Amelia's heart leaped to her throat as she rushed to catch her.
That soft little body crashed into her embrace, exuding a warm, milky scent that was wonderfully comforting.
Her daughter's temperament who knows from whom she inherited it was such that, at just two years old, she already knew how to argue and cheer Amelia up.
"Mama, you didn't keep your promise. Your nose will grow!" Emily clung tightly around Amelia's neck, snuggling closer with a pout, her rosy lips adorably feigning displeasure.
Amelia's face flushed slightly; she had indeed promised to pick Emily up at precisely nine.
An unexpected incident had delayed her by just a few minutes.
But her little girl, stubborn as she was, seized on the tiniest fault and wouldn't let go.
"Alright, Mama was wrong. Can you forgive me this time?"
Amelia smiled, lifting her daughter into her arms.
It was her own fault for teaching Emily principles, and with Emily being as bright as she was, it only took one lesson for her to remember.
"Fine, I'll forgive you just this once!" Emily said, snuggling into her mother's chest and murmuring, "Mama, when you work, can you not leave me at Godmother's? I want to stay with you."
Compared to children her age, Emily had started speaking early, though there were still words she struggled with.
Amelia felt a pang in her heart, nodding in response, trying to hold back her own feelings.
She, too, longed to be with Emily, but feared exposing her to hardship.
Upon hearing her mother's promise, Emily beamed, her face lighting up with two delicate dimples.
"You two look so sweet together. Anyone who didn't know would think I was a child trafficker trying to keep you apart."
The words rang out from the kitchen, light-hearted but edged with humor.
Amelia walked into the kitchen with Emily in her arms, where she found Olivia, her hair pinned up high, clad in a nightgown, holding a milk bottle in her hand, clearly preparing to make Emily's bottle.
"Olivia, how can I ever thank you enough?"
"Look at you, so beautiful and kind; everyone must love you!"
"Oh, hush-" Olivia cut herself off, turning to pop the bottle into Emily's mouth, her movements rough but practiced, never causing the child discomfort.
Emily opened her mouth, drinking happily, used to Olivia's briskness.
"No more flattery!" Olivia teased, crossing her arms with a grin, radiating the confidence of a formidable woman.
"Be serious-how will you thank me?" With a sly smile, Olivia extended her hand.
Amelia was stunned, stammering, caught off guard.
But before she could respond, Emily, still clutching her bottle, glanced between the adults, her sparkling eyes darting with mischief. Without a moment's hesitation, she wrapped her arms around Olivia, planting a sloppy kiss on her cheeks.
"Godmother, Emily says thanks for Mama!"
The little girl's innocence was unmistakably charming.
Amelia and Olivia exchanged a look, then burst out laughing together.
"Alright!" Olivia chuckled, gently pinching Emily's chubby cheek. "Your Godmother gladly accepts this precious gift."
Then, she turned to Amelia, "Since you're off today, I have a side gig for you.
Interested?"
Amelia's interest piqued instantly —how could she refuse a job when money was involved?
In this city, Olivia had made a name for herself as a fashion designer, often supporting Amelia and Emily over the years, and Amelia was grateful.
"T'd love to, but..." Her voice trailed off as she remembered promising to spend the day with Emily. Another broken promise, and Emily might soon lose all faith in her.
Noticing the worry clouding Amelia's face, Olivia smiled knowingly. "Oh, don't look so gloomy. I know exactly what's on your mind."
- Writer
