When Amelia opened the door, she almost thought she had walked into the wrong place. The house, which once held the memories of her five-year marriage, had completely changed. It broke her heart.

She had already packed most of her personal belongings before she left last time, but now it was clear that Victoria had taken advantage of her absence to remove even more of her things.

Amelia walked slowly toward the master bedroom bathroom.

On Damien’s washstand, there was a pair of red and blue toothbrushes. She looked around and saw that the entire house was filled with matching items in pairs. Couple cups, couple slippers and couple pillows were there.

Anyone who didn’t know the truth would think this was the home of a couple deeply in love.

Amelia then remembered that when she first got married, she had excitedly bought a set of couple mugs.

At the time, Damien had only glanced at them coldly and said, "What's the point of these childish things?"

After that, she never brought up the idea again.

Amelia took a deep breath, ignored everything and went to her room to pack the last of her personal belongings. She had already gotten used to being treated differently by Damien. After so many disappointments, she no longer felt anything.

She finished packing the remaining clothes and books and sent them to the Heartford Family by courier.

That evening, both Amelia and Damien received invitations to a dinner party from mutual friends. Since the invitations were sent separately. One in the name of the Heartford Family and the other in the name of the Charleston Family. Both of them arrived at the event separately.

When Amelia reached the winery, she saw Damien getting out of the car with Victoria.

Damien noticed her and, looking a bit uncomfortable, stepped forward.

"Sorry, I should have sent a driver to pick you up."

"It’s fine," Amelia replied with a polite smile.

"Besides, I have a driver too."

As more guests arrived, someone asked curiously, "When did Mr. Charleston and Miss Heartford become so close?"

Damien hesitated. He had promised Victoria that he would make their relationship public on an official occasion. But when he glanced at the petite woman beside him, he couldn’t bring himself to say it.

Amelia smiled brightly as she remarked, "Have you forgotten? Mr. Charleston is my boss now. Of course, I know him well."

Someone laughed as they said, "The eldest daughter of the Heartford Family working as a secretary? Isn’t that a waste of such a talented woman?"

Another person joked, "You still haven’t given up? Mr. Charleston is already married!"

The people around them chuckled.

Almost everyone in their social circle knew that Amelia had once had feelings for Damien. Everyone except Damien himself. Hearing this, Damien froze.

Before he could react, Amelia spoke lightly, "That was a long time ago. But I’ve been working with Mr. Charleston for a while now, so I got used to it. Now that you mention it, maybe I should find a more challenging job."

With just a few words, Amelia had steered the conversation in another direction and the atmosphere became lively again.

Hearing her mention leaving, Damien suddenly felt uneasy.

He forced a smile as he said, "Miss Heartford is very capable. I’d hate to lose her."

Someone else asked, "Why didn’t Mr. Charleston bring his wife tonight? Your wedding was so low-key … "

Damien responded vaguely, "She’s busy."

The guests wisely changed the topic. No one questioned why Victoria, who had no connection to the Charleston Family, was there. While Damien was caught up in drinking with friends, Victoria suddenly approached Amelia.

She smiled innocently and asked, "Sister-in-law … Oh, I-I mean, Amelia. I heard from my brother that you and Damien already agreed to divorce, right?"

Amelia looked at the woman pretending to be innocent and calmly replied, "Yes."

Victoria let out a relieved sigh, her smile growing more natural. "That’s good ... I thought you really liked my brother."

As soon as Victoria finished speaking, she acted as if she had said something wrong. She shook her head, waving her hands in panic.

"I-I didn’t mean anything bad! It’s just ... I’m just not used to my brother being someone’s husband … "

She lowered her head, nervously twisting the hem of her dress like a shy little girl.

But Amelia could see the hidden satisfaction in her eyes.

"Really?" Amelia asked and set down her glass, a faint smile forming on her lips.

"It sure took you a long time to feel that way."

Victoria hadn’t expected Amelia to react so calmly. A flicker of surprise crossed her eyes. Slowly, she began to believe that maybe Amelia truly no longer had feelings for Damien.

Her hostility faded slightly and she took Amelia’s arm affectionately, pretending to be naive.

"Amelia, you don’t know how much I rely on my brother … "

Her voice was soft, but there was an unmistakable sense of pride in it.

"This time, my brother helped me handle my divorce. My ex-husband’s family caused trouble and even blocked the entrance of my hotel."

"But my brother hired a lawyer and had them driven away overnight. When it came to the property settlement, he used the Charleston Family’s connections to ensure I got the best deal. Even my most difficult mother-in-law didn’t dare challenge him."

Victoria’s eyes shone with admiration.

Then, she lowered her voice shyly, "To be honest ... I never married my ex-husband for love. I had no choice. But now that I think about it, fate really works in mysterious ways ... My brother and I aren’t biologically related, nor are we legally siblings … "

Her meaning was obvious.

Victoria had only married someone else because of family ethics and now that nothing stood in the way, she and Damien could be together.

Amelia swirled the champagne in her glass and asked lightly, "So, what you’re saying is … you like your brother?"

Victoria’s face flushed instantly.

She lowered her head and whispered, "I … I don’t know. I’ve just always depended on him."

Her voice took on a nostalgic tone as she continued, "When I was sick as a child, my brother stayed by my bedside all night. When I was bullied at school, he personally went to confront my classmates’ families. Even when I got my first period, my brother ran out to buy me some tamponss ..."

Amelia listened, feeling an emptiness grow inside her. She suddenly realized that even though she and Damien had grown up together, she could never compare to the "familial bond" that he and Victoria shared.

The Damien who had always been distant, cold and professional with her … had been endlessly loving and indulgent toward Victoria. Amelia had been blind to it for too long. Only after getting hurt over and over again had she finally learned to let go.

Victoria suddenly raised her head, her gaze cautious.

"Amelia … do you think the way I look at my brother is… strange?"

Amelia remained silent, studying her.

Victoria’s possessiveness over Damien was so blatant, her schemes so shallow, that she had even dared to say this to Damien’s wife.

But instead of reacting, Amelia simply smiled as she calmly responded, "It’s not strange. I think … your brother likes you very much."

Victoria’s voice dropped to a whisper as she said, "Then, Amelia ... will you give my brother to me?"

Amelia met her expectant gaze and answered lightly, "Maybe."

She didn’t say outright that she was ready for a divorce. There was no need to hand Victoria a victory so easily.

Still, Victoria seemed satisfied with the ambiguous answer. A triumphant smile spread across her face, as if Damien was already hers. On the way home, Victoria dozed off in the back seat.

Damien glanced at Amelia through the rearview mirror and spoke in a low voice.

"Baby, next time … I promise I’ll make our relationship public."

Amelia smiled gently as she said calmly, "It’s okay. Our marriage was just an agreement. I understand."

Her calm response made Damien uneasy.

He hurriedly reassured her, "At the earliest, in a week, I’ll-"

"We’re here," Amelia cut him off, looking out the window.

The car had already stopped at her door.

One day became a week. A week became a month. A month became a year.

Amelia had learned not to wait for promises that would never be kept. Five years of marriage. She would treat it as nothing more than a dream. And now, after waking from that dream, it was time to pack up and move on.

The city lights flickered outside, just like the hope she had clung to for the past five years, always igniting, only to be extinguished again and again. Now, she had finally learned. There was no point chasing a light that would never shine on her.

It was dark when Damien hugged Amelia from behind, his warm breath brushing against her ear.

"Baby, I’ll accompany you home to see your parents in a few days, okay?"

Amelia stiffened at his words, confusion clouding her expression and asked, "Why do you want to go home suddenly?"

Damien’s fingers gently traced the curve of her shoulder as he answered, "You’ve seemed down lately. I thought maybe going home would lift your spirits."

Amelia’s thoughts drifted to the villa area in her hometown, St. Paul, a place filled with memories of her and Damien. Every blade of grass, every tree, held fragments of their shared past.

Lost in these memories, she heard Damien then added, "By the way, I heard your father isn’t feeling well. It’s a good time to go check on him."

"Dad is sick?" Amelia sat up abruptly.

"Why didn’t I know?"

Damien quickly reassured her.

"Don’t worry, I overheard the maid mentioning it. It’s nothing serious, just a small thing."

He pulled her back into his arms and asked her gently, "So, will you go back and visit him?"

Amelia was still unsettled, but Damien’s surprising tenderness that night made her hesitate to overthink it. She nodded. Although she wasn’t sure about Damien’s sudden kindness, it was strange. Tonight, he was just … holding her, nothing more.

Amelia clutched the corner of the blanket, reminding herself not to jump to conclusions. She had once heard that when a man suddenly seems distant, it means he had found something … or someone else.

The next morning, for the first time in a long while, it was just the two of them traveling together.

As the car drove through the familiar villa area, Damien pointed out a sycamore tree along the side of the road, smiling.

"Remember this? You used to love picking up fallen leaves here to use as bookmarks."

Amelia’s eyes followed the direction he indicated, her nerves slowly loosening.

Damien continued, "And you always followed me home after school. One time, I checked to see if you were really following me and you got lost. You cried so hard, I felt bad."

Amelia’s gaze wandered with his words and memories of their childhood came flooding back. It was strange how easily they all came to mind, how vivid the images were despite the years that had passed.

Damien smiled nostalgically, but then his voice faltered, as if he’d just remembered something. "And the fountain ... When Victoria came for the first time, she insisted on eating skewers, despite the unhealthy food. She wore a white dress, a bow tie and ... acted like a spoiled child."

Amelia’s heart clenched at the mention of Victoria.

Damien had effortlessly tied every memory to her, while the same moments, once shared between him and Amelia, were now forgotten or overshadowed by Victoria’s presence. It felt like every corner of their history had been claimed by her. Amelia felt like a joke.

It was said that a man who had a childhood sweetheart could never forget her, but here she was, Amelia, the childhood companion, cast aside.

As soon as the car stopped, the sharp ringtone of Damien’s phone shattered the quiet.

"What? Victoria had a car accident?" Damien’s face turned pale.

"I’ll be there soon!"

He didn’t even bother entering the Heartford Family’s gate. He was already in motion.

"Baby, I’ll make it up to you next time," he called over his shoulder, rushing off.

Amelia glanced at the calendar on her phone. Today was the day Victoria’s divorce was official.

"There won’t be a next time, Damien," she whispered to herself, gathering the supplements and walking towards the villa alone.

Her parents had been waiting by the door.

After the usual greetings, her mother hesitated.

"Did Damien go to park the car?"

"He went to find his sister," Amelia answered, her voice calm despite the chaos she felt inside.

Her mother’s brow furrowed.

"That girl ... is already … ?"

"Yes, she’s no longer a member of the Charleston Family," Amelia said simply, telling her the truth about the marriage agreement.

The mention of Victoria caused her father to explode with anger. He fainted on the spot.

Amelia’s heart raced as she dialed Damien’s number. Her husband couldn’t have gone far and getting him to the hospital would be faster than waiting for an ambulance.

Beep … beep … ! The phone rang, but no one answered. Frustration boiled in her chest. Ameia then helped her father up and drove him to the hospital herself. Thankfully, her father was fine.

While waiting for the test results, Amelia scrolled through her phone and stumbled across a new post from Victoria.

In the video, Damien was carefully disinfecting a small scratch on her knee. The caption read something that hurt her even more.

[Thank you, brother, for coming so quickly. Thankfully, it’s just a scratch from the electric car!]

Amelia stared at the insignificant injury and, to her own surprise, laughed out loud.

But as the laughter died in her throat, tears began to fall.

Finally, Amelia understood. Damien had made it clear that Victoria’s problems were always urgent, while anything involving Amelia could wait.

Damien, if he knew she came home to tell her parents about their separation, would he regret it? Would he even care? But she no longer expected an answer.

Just then, her phone rang. It was Julian. Their relationship had grown stronger since her divorce.

Amelia answered and Julian’s voice was lighter than before as he spoke, "All the procedures are complete. You just have to wait another week and you’ll be completely free."

He paused for a moment before suggesting, "How about we go out for a meal? We can celebrate your escape from the sea of suffering."

Amelia smiled faintly as she told him from the other end, "Let’s wait until the divorce is fully finalized."