From Jailbird to Queen: The Day Her Ex, Family, and Foes All Bowed Free Preview

The heavy iron gate of the detention center swung open.

Amelia Sullivan blinked, her mind still hazy. Three months had passed, but it somehow felt like a lifetime ago.

A guard called out to her, "Once you walk out that door, remember to stay out of trouble. Follow the law and don’t come back, got it?"

Amelia turned her head and nodded obediently. "Yeah, I got it."

Seeing the empty road ahead, the guard frowned. "No one’s coming to pick you up? It’s a three-hour drive to the city from here, and it’s not easy to catch a ride."

A mix of sarcasm and sadness flickered in Amelia’s eyes. She forced a smile and said, "It's fine. I'll get back on my own."

Watching her thin, fragile figure walk away, the guard sighed quietly, a trace of sympathy flashing in his eyes. She was the daughter of the Sullivan family. How had things gotten so bad?

Three months ago, Amelia had been driving down the street when her brakes suddenly gave out. The car sped up without warning. Just as she was about to hit a pedestrian, she yanked the steering wheel with all her strength, crashing into a flowerbed instead.

The front of the car was totaled, but thankfully, no one was hurt. It could have been much worse.

Shaken and terrified, she waited alone for the investigation results. But out of nowhere, she got arrested — accused of drunk driving.

She had tried her best to explain, to defend herself. The cops told her she could either find someone to bail her out or sit in lockup for three months.

Panicked and desperate, she called her family — called the people she loved — begging them to help her.

But all she got in return were insults.

"Amelia, can you stop calling me all the time? You're such a pain in the ass. Honestly, it'd be better if they just kept you locked up so you'd quit bothering me!"

"Drunk driving? Amelia, once you're out, don't you dare tell people you're related to me. You're a disgrace!"

"Quit calling and bugging us. Mom, Dad, and James already agreed — you need to stay in there and think about what you’ve done. Maybe then you’ll finally stop being such a screw-up."

Amelia cried until her voice was hoarse, begging them over and over to come save her. In the end, they either blocked her number or refused to pick up.

That moment crushed her. She had never felt so alone.

Inside, she spent those three months crying herself to sleep, living each day in a haze.

And now? Amelia opened Facebook and tapped on her cousin Lucy Spencer's latest post.

It was a birthday party — her parents and two brothers were there, smiling and laughing with Lucy. The house was decorated in Lucy’s favorite colors, the table piled high with her favorite foods, and even the cake was exactly what Lucy loved.

Amelia’s chest tightened painfully, like something invisible was crushing her heart.

It hurt so bad she could barely breathe.

She was the real daughter of the Sullivan family. And today... today was her birthday too.

Every year when they forgot, she used to brush it off with a smile, telling herself it didn’t matter. After all, Lucy didn’t have parents. It made sense they spoiled her a little more.

But they knew she was getting out today. They knew she had nothing, not even bus fare.

They could’ve at least sent someone to pick her up.

Amelia suddenly remembered something Lucy often said to her. Amelia, in this family, you’re basically invisible.

A bitter smile pulled at her lips. Lucy had been right all along. In this family, she wasn’t even worth as much as a stray dog.

…

At nine o'clock that night, Amelia finally made it home.

It had taken her seven full hours of walking from the outskirts to the city center.

Biting back the pain from the blisters on her feet, she stepped inside.

The decorations were still up, but the dining table had already been cleared.

"Took you long enough to show up." Amelia turned her head and saw her mother, Evelyn Parker, rising from the couch, her face twisted with anger as she stormed toward her.

"No one came to get me," Amelia said quietly. "I had to walk back."

Evelyn's face hardened. "Are you blaming us for not picking you up?"

"No," Amelia said.

The word had barely left her mouth when Evelyn slapped her across the face. "Three months locked up, and you haven't learned a damn thing! We didn’t send anyone for you because you needed to think about what you’ve done! Keep acting like this, and next time, don’t bother coming back! You think you're tough, huh? Throwing a tantrum and showing up late! Do you even realize today was Lucy’s birthday? She waited two hours hoping to cut the cake with you! If I'd known what kind of kid you'd turn out to be, I would’ve left you at the hospital the day you were born."

Amelia’s cheek stung from the slap, but it was nothing compared to the pain in her chest.

She swallowed hard, forcing the tears down.

She and Lucy were born on the same day.

But because of a grudge her father had with someone, the enemy had mistakenly taken Lucy from the hospital. Amelia's aunt, Ella Parker, had been so devastated by the loss that she took her own life. At Ella’s grave, Evelyn had sworn she would find Lucy and love her like her own daughter.

And when Lucy came home, she became the Sullivan family's golden girl — spoiled, adored, untouchable.

All these years, Amelia had carried the blame — for Ella’s death, for Lucy’s disappearance.

Amelia had heard it so often she started to believe it herself. She accepted the unfairness, the favoritism, and the constant sidelining, thinking she deserved it.

But tonight, she finally saw the truth.

Her father’s enemies had ruined everything. They were the ones who stole the wrong baby. So why did she — someone who had done nothing wrong — have to pay for their mistakes?

Amelia lifted her head and said, "Maybe you should get a DNA test. Maybe I’m not even yours."

Because deep down, she didn’t want to believe any mother could treat her real child like this.

If they weren’t truly related... at least it would make sense.

Hearing that, Evelyn’s face twisted in fury. "Amelia, you think you’re some kind of big shot now, huh?"

She raised her hand again — but this time, Amelia grabbed her wrist firmly. For the first time, she looked her mother straight in the eye.

She said coldly, "Even the maids you pay get treated better than me. You smile at them. You’re polite to them. So why do you look at me like I’m trash? I called you. I texted you. I told you I was getting out at two this afternoon. Now it's nine o'clock at night. Seven hours. You didn’t even bother to call and check if I was okay. And the second I walk through the door, all you can do is slap me."

Evelyn froze.

She hadn’t expected Amelia to ever talk back to her. For a moment, she was too stunned to react.

When she came to her senses, she started yelling again. "You think you’re the victim? You waste your life chasing after men, blowing through the family's money! If you had half of Lucy’s sense, everyone here might actually give a damn about you. But no, you're lazy, selfish, and jealous of your own sister." She pressed her fingers to her temple and pointed at Amelia, shaking with rage. "You think I actually wanted a daughter like you?"

Amelia’s heart ached with every beat.

Back then, she had done everything she could, just hoping for a smile or a little bit of approval.

She learned to cook, bake, make tea, play chess, and even paint, just hoping they’d notice her. Most of the time, she didn’t even get any real recognition — just a forced smile. And even that was enough to make her happy for days.

Most of the time, she got nothing. And she still convinced herself it was enough.

She was so stupid. They had poured all their love into Lucy and tossed her aside without a second thought. They had given up on her a long time ago.

She was the fool — the one chasing after something that had never been hers.

Taking a deep breath, Amelia made up her mind. "Fine. I’ll move out," she said. "That way, I won’t get in your way anymore."

Without waiting for a response, she turned and headed upstairs.

Hearing that, Evelyn actually let out a cold laugh. "Move out? Sure, Amelia. Go ahead! You really think threatening to leave is going to scare me? Let me make this clear — from now on, you’re not getting a single cent from the Sullivan family. And don’t come crawling back crying after two days when you realize how hard the real world is. Once you walk out that door, don’t bother coming back!"

As Amelia packed the few sad belongings she had in her tiny room, she could still hear Evelyn downstairs, shouting and cursing.

Tears welled up, no matter how hard she tried to hold them back.

She wiped them away again and again.

When she finally came downstairs, Evelyn was gone.

Only a housekeeper stood waiting for her. "Ms. Sullivan," she said, "Madam Evelyn said you need to leave behind the house keys and all the credit cards before you leave."

Amelia didn’t flinch. Without a word, she handed everything over, grabbed her suitcase, and walked out the door without looking back.

But just as she stepped outside, she saw a car parked right at the front gate — Noah Sullivan’s car.

Her second brother.

Lucy hopped out of the passenger seat, her face lighting up with a bright smile. "Amelia, you're finally back! Were you just about to come find us? What perfect timing — Noah drove me home to grab something, and we're going out for a party tonight, come join us!"

Noah shot her a look of pure disgust. "Why would we bring her? She just got out of jail — she’s nothing but trouble."

Lucy pretended to scold him lightly. "Noah! You can’t say things like that. Amelia knows she made mistakes. I believe she’ll do better. She’s our sister."

Noah snorted. "Having a sister like her is nothing but embarrassing. You're the only one worth something, Lucy. Her? Total joke."

Lucy could barely hide her smug grin.

She opened her mouth to fake another defense, but Amelia cut her off coldly. "Go ahead. Keep showing her off. Seems like that's all you're good at."

Noah frowned.

Lucy’s smile froze on her face. Since when did Amelia talk back like that?

Amelia caught their expressions and almost laughed.

Noah wasn’t wrong. Back then, she used to beg and plead, doing everything she could just to get her brothers to take her out — just for a chance to feel included. But wherever they went, they bragged about Lucy and acted like Amelia was nothing but an embarrassment.

It didn’t take long before their friends started looking down on her too. And after a while, the comparisons never stopped. She was never good enough next to Lucy.

She would never forget the things they said.

"Lucy’s perfect. Amelia? She’s not even close."

Noah's face darkened. "Looks like spending three months locked up didn’t knock any sense into you — just made you even worse."

Lucy quickly stepped forward, grabbing for Amelia’s hand. "Amelia, don’t say stuff like that. Mom and the boys still care about you deep down, you know?"

But Amelia stepped back before Lucy could touch her.

Noah thought she was about to hit Lucy and immediately shoved her.

Caught off guard, Amelia fell hard onto the ground.

Noah pointed down at her and barked, "You really think I won’t lay a hand on you? Lucy keeps standing up for you, and you still try to attack her?"

Lucy, secretly pleased to see Noah defending her, still put on a show of trying to stop him.

"Noah, it’s not what you think. Amelia wasn’t trying to hit me. You must’ve misunderstood."

Noah wasn’t buying it. "I saw it with my own eyes! Don’t waste your time defending her. She’s nothing but an ungrateful brat who’ll never appreciate anything you’ve done." He pulled out his phone. "I’m telling James about this. She should’ve stayed locked up!"

Lying there, Amelia stared at the torn skin on her left hand, feeling nothing at all.

It wasn’t the first time something like this had happened.

In their eyes, she had always been the villain — the cruel sister who bullied sweet, perfect Lucy.

Amelia’s mind was made up. She was done with this family — for good.

Pushing herself up off the ground, she grabbed the handle of her suitcase and looked straight at Noah, her voice cold and sharp. "Don't bother calling James. I’ll leave on my own."

Only then did Noah notice the suitcase in her hand. He froze for a second, thrown off.

Amelia turned her gaze to Lucy, giving her a cold, mocking smile. "They really love you," she said. "You can have it all. You’re the only daughter they need."

Lucy’s eyes widened, surprise flickering across her face — and underneath it, clear delight. She rushed after Amelia, her voice dripping with fake concern. "Amelia, where are you even going at this hour? It’s not safe to be dragging a suitcase around this late. Don’t say stuff like that. Let me apologize for Noah, okay?"

Amelia shot her a sideways glance. "Isn’t this exactly what you wanted?"

Without another word, she turned and walked away, not looking back.

Lucy stood there, watching her leave, feeling a rush of satisfaction she could barely hide.

After all these years of clinging to them, Amelia was finally leaving.

Noah walked over, still scowling. "Is she crazy? Dragging a suitcase around in the middle of the night?"

Lucy put on a worried face. "She said she’s never coming back, Noah. What should we do? She’s really mad this time."

Noah clenched his teeth. "Let her go. Good riddance. If she leaves, she better stay gone for good."

…

The early autumn wind was chilly. Dragging her suitcase behind her, Amelia wandered aimlessly down the sidewalk.

Suddenly, her phone buzzed.

She pulled it out. It was a text from a familiar number: “Happy Birthday.”

That number had sent her the same message, year after year, for the past ten years. At first, she had tried to track down who it was, but there was no way to trace it. Eventually, she got used to it — even added the number into her contacts.

This year was no different. She still replied, “Thank you.”

Even though she knew she wouldn’t get a reply.

Just then, her phone lit up again — an incoming call.

Seeing the caller ID, Amelia’s throat tightened, and before she could stop herself, tears streamed down her face.

She answered, and a cheerful voice burst through the line. "Happy twenty-fifth birthday to my sweet Amelia, my favorite girl! Now that I’ve said happy birthday, let me apologize too. Why didn’t I text you right at midnight? Because, sweetheart, I had finals the last two days — terrible timing, right? But you’re not mad at me, are you?"

Amelia’s shoulders shook with sobs. It took everything she had to choke out the words. "Hannah... can you... can you send me some money?"

Half an hour later, Amelia pulled up to Hannah’s apartment in a cab.

Hannah Ellis had stayed on the line the whole ride, not hanging up even once. She didn’t say a word until she heard the beep of Amelia punching in the door code.

Then her voice snapped sharp and serious. "They didn’t pick you up. They didn’t even bother celebrating your birthday. And now they’re throwing you out?"

During that call, Amelia found out that Hannah had tried to get her parents to bail her out — but her father had shut it down.

Amelia sat there now, feeling numb. She didn’t even know what she was to the Sullivan family anymore.

Sitting on the couch, Amelia quickly filled Hannah in on everything — getting out of lockup, going home, and being kicked out.

The moment she finished, Hannah exploded. "I swear to God, you need that DNA test! Amelia, forget them. Don’t even think about going back. From now on, my parents are your parents. You know they love you — always going on about how talented, sweet, and smart you are. Anyone would be lucky to have a daughter like you."

Amelia gave a laugh, feeling a little lighter. "Aren’t you worried Mr. William and Ms. Grace will end up liking me more than you?"

"Come on," Hannah scoffed. "You think I’m Lucy? Please. Forget that drama. Let’s talk about something important. Since you’re free now, why not come work at Willowbrook Health Institute?"

"I want to... but—"

"If you want it, it’s done," Hannah said confidently. "Don’t forget—you’re Mr. Mitchell’s star student. You had offers pouring in when you graduated. If you hadn’t thrown it all away for the Sullivan family and that loser you were in love with, you’d already be at the top of the medical world."

At the mention of it, Amelia felt a wave of regret — and deep guilt toward her mentor, Michael Mitchell.

If she hadn’t stubbornly abandoned her career for love, maybe Michael wouldn’t have cut ties with her completely.

"You’re still young," Hannah said, smiling warmly. "You’ve still got time to turn everything around. Leave it to me. As soon as I finish my finals, I’m flying back and standing with you."

Amelia knew Hannah truly cared about her. But Willowbrook Health Institute wasn’t just any hospital — you couldn’t just pull a few strings and land a job there.

She was about to text Hannah not to worry when she realized Hannah had already hung up.

On the other end, Hannah immediately dialed another number. The second it connected, she slipped into her sweet voice. "Aaron, did I wake you up? Were you still working?"

A deep, steady voice came through the line. "Get to the point."

Meanwhile, Amelia stayed at Hannah’s apartment, feeling grateful but not too hopeful.

She got up to head for the shower when her phone buzzed.

Frowning, she glanced down — and her heart skipped a beat.

It was a text from that familiar number — the one that had been sending her birthday messages for ten years without a single reply.

“Sure.”

Just one simple word.

Her heart stirred with curiosity again.

She quickly typed a reply: “Can I know who you are?”

She hit send. But no reply came.

…

The next morning.

Taking Hannah’s advice, Amelia showed up at Willowbrook Health Institute on time.

Before long, she was being led straight into the vice president’s office.

The vice president sat behind his desk, flipping through her resume. "You’ll officially report to Cardiothoracic Surgery tomorrow. Is that okay?"

"Yes."

"Any questions about your salary?"

"No."

"Good. Tomorrow at eight a.m., find Dr. Leo in Cardiothoracic. Dr. Sullivan, welcome to Willowbrook Health Institute."

Walking out of the office, Amelia felt dazed.

She hadn’t expected Hannah to actually pull it off — let alone make it so easy for her to get a job. Happiness filled her chest... but so did worry.

Getting into Willowbrook wasn’t easy. What strings had Hannah pulled to make this happen?

Had she asked Mr. William for help? And if she had, how was I ever going to pay her back?

Riding the elevator down, she texted Hannah to ask how she pulled it off.

The elevator doors slid open.

Amelia was still focused on her phone, stepping out without looking up.

Suddenly, a rough hand yanked her to the side. "You’re out, and you’re already stalking me again, Amelia? Don’t you have anything better to do? Didn’t your parents ever teach you not to embarrass yourself?"

Amelia stumbled before she caught her balance, then looked up.

It was Ethan Lambert — the man she had loved for ten years, the man who now looked at her with pure disgust.

He stood there, holding a bright bouquet of roses, his cold, hateful gaze locked on her.

"Can’t you just stay away?" he snapped, loud enough for people passing by to turn and stare.

A few people started whispering.

"Isn’t that the Sullivan family heiress who got arrested for drunk driving a few months ago?"

"Yeah, that’s her. And now she’s out here throwing herself at guys again?"

"She’s pathetic. Can’t she see he wants nothing to do with her?"

Ethan stood right in front of her, his brows drawn tight, his eyes filled with pure disgust.

"Amelia, this is your last warning. Stop following me around."

Pretending it didn’t hurt would’ve been a lie. After all, she had spent ten years running after him with everything she had.

Thinking about it now — it wasn’t just her heart she had poured into him. She had poured her money and energy into him too.

Every day, she bent over backward not just for her family but for Ethan as well. She spent her allowance, her savings, and even took part-time jobs — all for him.

Every expensive gift she bought him, Ethan had accepted without a second thought. But not once had he ever given her a genuine smile in return.

And she had been stupid enough to convince herself that if he accepted her gifts, maybe deep down, he liked her too.

The night of the car accident three months ago, she had been on her way to deliver his birthday gift.

250,000 dollars lighter. Money she had scraped together over a year — through pocket money, part-time jobs, and even loans.

And yet, even back then, Ethan had already warned her. He had told her straight out that his first love was coming back into town — and that she should stay away.

But she hadn't listened. She had convinced herself that if she just showed enough sincerity, he would finally see her differently.

Pathetic. After ten years of loving him, she was still nobody in his eyes.

Amelia cursed herself inside. Her face blank, she said flatly, "Yeah, I get it. I won’t show up in front of you again. And for the record, I wasn’t here following you today. If you don’t believe me, check the security cameras. I got to the hospital half an hour before you."

With that, she turned to leave.

For a moment, Ethan froze.

The Amelia he remembered — the one who used to tear up and apologize every time he snapped at her —was gone. No, he thought, scowling. This had to be one of her new tricks.

His face darkened, and he stepped forward, grabbing her by the wrist and yanking her back.

"This your new move?" he sneered. "Playing hard to get? Is that the best you can come up with, Amelia? Always thinking of pathetic little ways to get my attention. Don’t you get it? The harder you try, the more I can’t stand you."

Ethan’s grip on her wrist was painful.

Around them, people were starting to whisper and point, watching the scene unfold.

Ethan stood over her, his dark eyes full of mockery. "What’s wrong? Hit a nerve? Feeling guilty?"

Amelia’s face stayed cold, a flicker of irritation flashing across her eyes. "Ethan, how did I never realize how full of yourself you are? I must’ve been blind all these years. If you’re that desperate for attention, find someone else to mess with. Don’t waste my time. You make me sick."

Make her sick? Ethan actually let out a cold laugh, furious.

He was convinced this was just another one of her tricks. Still, he had to admit — she had gotten under his skin. Lowering his voice, he said darkly, "Who was it that spent all these years clinging to me, huh? Amelia, quit the act. Keep it up, and you’ll regret it."

In that moment, Amelia finally saw the truth. She had been wrong about everything.

She hadn’t even really known Ethan.

She was never even part of his plan. He hadn’t even seen her as someone worth keeping around. To him, she was nothing more than a walking wallet — someone desperate enough to throw herself at him.

Amelia laughed coldly and took two steps back, her voice filled with disgust. "Don’t get so close. I don’t want anyone thinking there’s something shady going on between us."

For a moment, Ethan was too stunned to respond. He stared at her as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

"You—" He wanted to say she had lost her mind. The same Amelia who had followed me around for ten years... now acting like she couldn’t care less?

Amelia smiled — a perfect, fake smile. "Didn’t you say your beloved first love is coming back soon? You should behave yourself. Wouldn’t want any messy rumors floating around, right? Anyway, best of luck. Hope you two live happily ever after. And I hope we never cross paths again. Goodbye."

She gave a careless wave and walked away without a backward glance.

Ethan stood there, unable to calm himself.

No way. He didn’t believe for a second that Amelia had really changed. Three months ago, she was still throwing herself at him, babbling about some “surprise birthday gift” she was preparing.

He let out a low scoff. He saw right through her little game. She’d come crawling back, crying and begging — just like always.

He just had to wait.

…

After a quick lunch, Amelia headed to the supermarket to stock up on basic supplies and groceries.

By the time she got back to the apartment, her phone buzzed with a notification —

a formal onboarding email from Willowbrook Health Institute.

She sat down and started reading through Willowbrook’s background.

That’s when she saw a name that made her pause. Aaron Holland.

Of course she knew him. The name was familiar. Aaron wasn’t just anyone — he was the heir to the Holland family empire, one of the most powerful families in Solara. And he had been her senior back in med school.

Aaron had left during his junior year, switching his major to study abroad. Two years later, he returned to take over the family business — and shocked everyone by announcing he was moving into the medical industry.

Back then, no one took it seriously. The Holland family had their hands in everything — but never medicine. And even though Aaron had studied medicine for a few years, people thought he was just another reckless rich kid chasing a fantasy.

No one expected what happened next.

In just two years, Aaron built one of the most powerful medical empires in the country.

Willowbrook Health Institute and the Medical Research Institute — both were his successes.

Amelia remembered running into Aaron a few times during her early days at medical school.

The last time was six months ago, when Ethan’s so-called friends had tried to humiliate her.

Aaron had happened to pass by, and he had stepped in to help her out.

After that, they had gone their separate ways.

She wasn’t sure if Aaron would even remember her now. All she knew was one thing. If she ever got the chance to work in his research institute, she wasn’t going to miss it.

While she was lost in thought, her phone buzzed again. It was a message from Lucy.

It was a photo. In it, Ethan sat casually on a white chair, dressed in golf clothes, a smug smile on his face.

Amelia’s stomach twisted.

She used to think Lucy actually cared about her — sending updates about where Ethan was and what he was doing. Back then, she’d even been touched by it. Now she saw the truth.

She had been feeding Amelia those updates on purpose — just to push her to go looking for Ethan. Over time, it made her look like she was stalking him, watching his every move. Before long, Ethan and all his friends had started calling her a psycho.

Amelia wasn’t falling for it again.

She was about to block Lucy’s number for good —but then she spotted something in the photo that made her freeze.

On the side table next to Ethan —something very familiar.

Amelia zoomed in. Her heart dropped.

She rushed straight into her bedroom and pulled out the small pen case she had carefully stored away. When she opened it —it was empty.

Mr. Michael’s graduation gift to her — gone. How could it end up sitting next to Ethan?

Her hands shook. She didn’t stop to think — she grabbed her things and raced to the golf club. But when she got there, security stopped her at the entrance.

"Ms. Sullivan, our system shows you’re no longer a member of the club. I’m sorry, but you can’t enter," the security guard said firmly.

Amelia froze. She hadn’t expected it — Evelyn had even gone as far as canceling her club membership

Memberships allowed you to bring guests. Ethan loved playing golf, and in the past, Amelia had gotten her own membership just so she could tag along — because Ethan had refused to let her come otherwise.

Taking a slow breath, Amelia tried to reason with him. "Could you make an exception? I just need to grab something. I won’t stay."

The guard gave her a look full of disdain, like he already knew exactly what she was trying to do. "Please don’t make things difficult. If you really want in, you’ll have to renew your membership."

One renewal cost 70,000 dollars.

She barely had 2,800 dollars in cash — there was no way.

Even if she had the money, she wouldn't waste another dime trying to stay close to Ethan ever again.

Realizing she wouldn’t get anywhere with the security staff, Amelia turned away without another word, thinking quickly about another way in.

Behind her, she caught the guards muttering.

"Didn’t she only get a membership just to hang around Mr. Ethan? Guess she’s out of money now, huh?"

"Isn’t she supposed to be the Sullivan family heiress? What, they finally cut her off?"

"Please. With the way she threw money at him, even a fortune wouldn’t last."

"Tch, if she were my daughter, I’d have kicked her out a long time ago."

Amelia pressed her lips into a tight line.

In the past, she would have fought back, tried to explain, and tried to insist that Ethan cared about her deep down. Not anymore. She was done humiliating herself.

Calmly, she glanced around. If she couldn’t get in through the front gate, she’d find another way.

"Well, if it isn’t Puppy Crush," a familiar mocking voice drawled.

Amelia turned toward it. It was one of Ethan’s buddies — the same ones who had given her that humiliating nickname years ago.

"Back to throwing yourself at Ethan again?" the man sneered.

"Can you get me inside?" she asked, ignoring the ridicule in his voice.

The man’s lip curled. "What happened? I thought you said you were done with him. Couldn’t stay away, huh?"

Amelia didn’t flinch. "Can you get me inside?" she repeated calmly.

The man looked down on her even more now, but he was eager to see just how far Amelia would humiliate herself this time trying to beg his buddy for forgiveness. "Sure," he said. "I’ll take you in."

Amelia didn’t care what he thought. Right now, all that mattered was getting inside and retrieving her pen.

The moment she stepped inside, she moved fast, heading straight for where Ethan had been sitting.

Behind her, the man shouted loudly enough for everyone to hear. "Hey Ethan, look! Your Puppy Crush couldn’t wait another second to come running back and apologize!"

Ethan had just finished a round and was sitting down to have some tea when he glanced over and spotted Amelia running toward him. He smirked, a look of smug satisfaction on his face.

He knew it. Everything that woman said earlier had been a lie. There was no way she would actually leave him alone.

"Amelia, weren’t you running your mouth this morning? What’s wrong? Only a few hours and you're already crawling back? Let me tell you something— even if you get down on your knees and beg, I won’t even look at you. You're pathetic."

Amelia didn’t even hear a word he said. Her eyes were locked on the fountain pen.

She picked it up, carefully checking it over again and again. Only after making sure there was no damage did she breathe a sigh of relief and tuck it into a small gift box.

Seeing her stay silent, Ethan narrowed his eyes. He suddenly got angry, stood up, and snatched the box she was about to slip into her bag. His voice was sharp with fury. "Amelia, have I been too easy on you? You think you can just grab my stuff whenever you feel like it?"

"That’s my pen!"

"Your pen? Ha!" Ethan sneered. "What is this, another one of your pathetic tricks? Amelia, you seriously never think things through, do you, when you’re trying to get my attention?"

The guy next to him burst out laughing. "Puppy crush! That’s honestly pretty sad. You'd be better off just getting down on your knees and apologizing."

Ethan scoffed. "Even if she dropped to her knees, I still wouldn’t forgive her."

Amelia clenched her fists tight, her eyes reddening, but her whole body felt icy cold.

She thought back to all the times she had upset Ethan before—how many humiliating ways she had apologized, even dropping to her knees.

I was so damn stupid.

And this was the guy she'd wasted ten years of her life loving? Calling him trash would be giving him too much credit.

Amelia slowly lifted her eyes, her voice sharp and clear. "In your dreams."

Her words stunned not just Ethan, but even his friend looked shocked.

"Whoa?" the man exclaimed.

Ethan ground his teeth, furious, and growled, "Amelia, are you looking for trouble?"

"I don’t want to waste another second talking to you." Amelia held out her hand. "There’s an initial engraved on the top of that pen. It proves it’s mine. I don’t care how it ended up with you. Hand it over. Now."

Ethan slammed the gift box down onto the coffee table. "You’ve got a lot of nerve, coming here to snatch things from me."

Seeing how roughly he handled it, Amelia’s heart sank. She knew Ethan had a bad habit of smashing things when he got angry. If she pushed him too far, he might really destroy the pen.

She lowered her posture and asked, "What do you want me to do to get the pen back?"

The guy threw an arm around Ethan’s shoulder, teasing, "Honestly, Ethan, that’s a new move to get your attention."

The more his friend joked, the prouder Ethan felt. He tapped his fingers on the box and said arrogantly, "So you finally realize you were wrong?"

Amelia bit down the words she wanted to say, but the fire burning in her eyes said it all.

Ethan, thinking she had admitted defeat, grinned smugly. "Fine. I’ll be generous and give you a chance. Drop to your knees and say it loud: 'I know I was wrong. I’ll never dare again.' Keep saying it until I’m satisfied, and maybe, just maybe, I’ll forgive you."

"Drop to my knees here?" Amelia asked in a low, menacing voice.

"What, scared now? Amelia, didn’t you say you loved me so much you’d die for me?" Ethan bent down, meeting her eyes with a mocking grin. "Where’s all that love now? Gone?"

Ethan wanted to humiliate her, to teach her a lesson she wouldn't forget. She had no right to think she could grab his attention, no right to think she could test his patience. A clingy girl like her? She was just a pathetic lapdog he could toy with at will.

Amelia stared down at the gift box. "Ethan, what do you think your first love would say if she knew you turned out to be such a psycho?"

The moment the words left her mouth, Ethan’s face twisted with rage. He grabbed Amelia by the arm and shoved her hard. "You really want to die, don’t you!"

Amelia hit the ground with a wince. Her left arm, already injured from the night before, throbbed with fresh pain.

Before she could even react, Ethan grabbed her by the collar.

She instinctively clutched at his wrist as he yanked her up, making it hard for her to breathe.

Ethan’s face contorted with fury as he growled darkly, "You think you're even worthy of mentioning her name?"

Amelia brought it up on purpose.

Years ago, she had overheard Ethan’s friends talking about his first love. She had played it cool, smiling as she asked what her name was—only for Ethan to explode in fury. He had nearly strangled her on the spot.

Afterward, Amelia had spent a lot of time, effort, and money just to calm him down. She never dared mention that first love again.

Until three months ago, when Ethan himself told her his first love was coming back— and ordered her to get lost.

Now, she wasn’t just bringing it up—she was throwing it right in his face.

"Solara’s not that big. It won’t take long before she hears about the woman who’s been hanging around you for ten years. Oh wait, she probably already knows. I bet she’s got friends in Solara. She probably heard everything while she was still overseas. So tell me, Ethan—" Amelia smiled coldly. "You think she’s wondering, if you didn’t like me, why you let me stick around for so long? What if she’s starting to think you don’t love her anymore? Then what?"

"Amelia!" Ethan roared, veins bulging in his neck.

His friend, stunned for a moment, rushed to say, "Amelia, are you out of your mind?"

Amelia could feel the air squeezing out of her lungs, but she didn’t flinch. She smiled even wider and added, "Hey, Ethan, maybe I should go find her. You know, clear things up. Tell her there’s nothing between us."

"You’re asking for it!" Ethan snapped, slamming her down onto the coffee table.

Porcelain cups crashed and shattered everywhere.

The loud noise instantly drew everyone’s attention.

In that moment, Amelia’s expression changed. She looked terrified, tears slipping from the corners of her eyes and soaking into her hair. "Please... don’t hit me... please."

Ethan’s fist was already pulled back, ready to strike—but his friend grabbed him just in time. "Ethan, chill! Calm down!"

Out of the corner of his eye, Ethan noticed the stares from all around the room.

The stares made him stiffen. He shoved down his rage and let go, his voice low and deadly. "I’ll make you pay for this."

Amelia clutched her throat and sat frozen on the ground for a few seconds before slowly pulling herself up.

Her eyes were icy cold, but her face looked pale and shaken, like someone who’d just been through hell.

"Ethan," she said, her voice trembling, "don’t worry. I’ll never bother you again. Goodbye."