Chapter 62 Chapter 62
Chapter 62
The next day came slower than Amelia expected.
She opened her eyes in the white, quiet recovery room, her body stiff and sore from yesterday’s surgery. The room wasn’t noisy, but she still felt like everything around her was louder than usual the hum of the AC, the footsteps in the hallway, the soft rolling of a trolley somewhere outside. Her back ached. Her hips felt heavy and swollen. Her throat was dry.
She tried shifting a little on the bed and winced.
“Damn,” she whispered under her breath, grabbing the sides of the bed for support.
Just then, the door pushed open and one of the nurses walked in, smiling as if this was all normal.
“Good morning, Miss Amelia,” the nurse said. “How are you feeling today?”
Amelia opened her mouth to speak, but she ended up clicking her tongue instead.
“How do people feel a day after getting cut and stitched?” she muttered. “I’m alive, that’s all.”
The nurse chuckled softly. “Pain is expected. But you did very well yesterday. Dr. Serena checked you late in the evening. She said the surgery was successful.”
Amelia closed her eyes for a moment.
Successful.
She didn’t even know what that was supposed to mean yet.
“Can I sit up?” she asked.
“Yes, but slowly,” the nurse replied. She came closer and gently lifted the adjustable bed, helping Amelia rise. The pressure on her hips pulled sharply, and Amelia bit her lip to stop a cry from slipping out.
The nurse watched her carefully. “Good. Breathe in… now breathe out. It gets better after today. But don’t stretch your legs too far apart. And please don’t twist your waist.”
“I get it,” Amelia said, waving her hand. “No twisting, no bending, no dying.”
The nurse let out a short laugh. “Exactly.”
Amelia leaned her head back and looked around the room again.
White walls.
Clean sheets.
Fresh bandages wrapped around her waist and hips.
Her phone was on the side table, switched off because she was too tired to talk last night.
She slowly reached for it and pressed the power button. The screen lit up with several missed calls. Her brows pulled together.
All from Gloria.
“Of course,” Amelia whispered. “She would panic.”
The phone vibrated again immediately.
Incoming call: Gloria.
Amelia sighed and answered.
“Hello.”
“Amelia! Oh my God!” Gloria’s voice almost exploded through the speaker. “Where have you been? I’ve called you almost ten times! You didn’t text me. You didn’t call me. I thought something happened!”
Amelia exhaled, slow and tired. “I’m fine.”
“Fine?” Gloria repeated. “Where are you? Why are you sounding like someone just finished beating you?”
“I’m in a clinic.” Amelia rubbed her forehead with her free hand.
“A clinic?” Gloria said sharply. “Why? What happened? Are you sick?”
Amelia kept quiet.
Gloria’s voice lowered immediately. “Amelia… what did you do?”
Before Amelia could answer, the door opened again and another nurse entered with a small tray.
“Miss Amelia, it’s time for your medication.”
“Answer me,” Gloria insisted. “What kind of clinic?”
Amelia didn’t reply.
Gloria’s breath shook a little. “Don’t tell me you went to do something stupid because of Ethan.”
Amelia opened her eyes sharply. “Gloria, stop.”
“No, I won’t stop,” Gloria snapped. “You think I don’t know you? You disappear for a whole day, you tell me you’re in some clinic, and now you’re sounding weak. Amelia, what did you do?”
Amelia swallowed. “Gloria—”
“Oh my God…” Gloria whispered. “You did something to your body.”
“Gloria—”
“You actually did it,” Gloria cut in. “You went for plastic surgery because of Ethan. Amelia, are you out of your mind?”
Amelia clenched her jaw. “Gloria, it’s my life.”
“No. No, this is not about your life.” Gloria’s voice rose. “This is about you destroying yourself for a man who doesn’t even look at you! Why would you put yourself through this pain because of someone that moved on?”
Amelia’s eyes filled with heat. “I didn’t do anything wrong. I wanted this.”
“No, you didn’t,” Gloria argued. “You only wanted it after you saw that magazine picture. That woman’s figure. That shape. Amelia, why must you compare yourself to someone you don’t even know?”
“Gloria, stop talking like you understand everything!” Amelia snapped back. “Just stop.”
“Then tell me!” Gloria demanded. “What exactly did you do to yourself?”
Amelia didn’t answer.
Her silence was enough.
Gloria breathed out sharply, angry and worried at the same time. “You are unbelievable, Amelia. How could you? For what? For Ethan? After everything? You still want to shape yourself into what you think he likes?”
“Gloria…” Amelia said, her voice low with irritation. “Please. Not now.”
“No, I will talk,” Gloria fired back. “Because you’re not thinking straight. I told you to forget him. I told you to move on. Instead, you go and do this? Amelia, you should have called me. You should have talked to me.”
Amelia felt her irritation turn into anger. “I said I don’t want to talk about this now!”
“You’re hurting yourself,” Gloria insisted. “You know you didn’t do that surgery for yourself. You did it because of him. And you know I’m right.”
“Goodbye, Gloria.” Amelia cut the call immediately.
She dropped the phone beside her and looked away, breathing hard. She didn’t want to hear judgement. She was tired. She was in pain. And she didn’t want anyone telling her what she already knew deep inside.
The nurse moved carefully around her, checking her pulse and making sure the padding under her waist was properly placed. Amelia hissed when the nurse touched a tender spot.
“Sorry,” the nurse said softly. “It’ll get easier in a few days.”
“I hope so,” Amelia muttered.
The nurse finished adjusting everything. “You’ll need to walk a little later. For now rest. Doctor will be in soon.”
“Okay.”
“If you need anything, press the button beside you.”
Amelia nodded, and the nurse left, closing the door quietly.
The room fell silent. Amelia stared up at the ceiling for a long moment before shifting her gaze toward the giant mirror on the wall opposite her bed. She hadn’t seen herself properly yet. Just a few glimpses when they moved her yesterday.
Her heart started beating faster.
She wanted to look.
She needed to look.
She gripped the sides of the bed slowly and pushed herself up. A sharp pain shot across her lower back. She sucked in air through her teeth and paused. Her hands trembled slightly as she tried again.
She managed to sit properly, her legs dangling off the edge.
“Okay,” she whispered to herself. “Just stand.”
She placed one foot on the floor. Then the other. The pressure on her hips made her flinch, but she kept going. She held onto the IV stand for balance and slowly pushed herself upright.
Her body felt stiff and weak, but she stood.
She took one step.
Then another.
She moved toward the mirror, each step slow and careful. When she reached it, she steadied herself against the edge of the wall.
Her reflection stared back at her.
Compression garment. Padding. Bandages. But the shape was different. Rounder. Fuller. Curved in a way she never had before.
She reached for the side of her garment and gently lifted one part, removing some of the padding the nurse had adjusted. She winced when it pulled at her skin, but she kept going.
Without the extra padding, her new hips stood out more clearly. Her waist looked smaller. Her backside pushed out in a way she had only imagined before.
She turned slightly to the side, biting her lower lip.
It felt strange.
Unreal.
Like she was looking at someone else.
She touched her hip lightly and flinched at the soreness, but she couldn’t stop staring. For the first time in a long time, she didn’t feel… invisible.
“Okay,” she whispered to her reflection. “This is me now.”
She turned again, checking another angle. It wasn’t perfect ye
t—swelling, tightness, stiffness—but even through the bandages and garment, the change was obvious.
She looked at herself for a long moment, trying to adjust her mind to this new version of her body.