Chapter 12: Provocation
The timing worked out perfectly - just as she arrived downstairs, Alice's car pulled in from outside and stopped right beside her.
Mia opened the car door, got in, and threw her arms around Alice. "Alice."
Alice had a gentle personality and was reserved in expressing her feelings, not as enthusiastic as Mia.
She smiled and hugged her back, then leaned over to grab a paper bag from the back seat and handed it to her. "Your gift."
Mia happily took it, raised her eyebrows at Alice with a mischievous smile. "From now on, you'll have to bring back two gifts when you come back from trips."
Alice froze for a few seconds, then exclaimed when it clicked. "You're pregnant?"
"Yes, yes, I'm pregnant - six weeks along!"
Mia looked smug, watching Alice, who was usually so calm and composed, have her expression completely change from the bombshell she'd just dropped.
She hadn't told her right away because she wanted to see Alice's reaction in person.
"That's wonderful."
Alice's eyes were warm and gentle, genuinely happy for her best friend.
She knew how much Mia wanted to have a child for James.
"Such happy news calls for a big celebration meal, right?"
"You get me." Mia pulled the seatbelt across and buckled it, her smile bright as she made a bold declaration. "Alice, let's go - today's mission: eat James out of house and home!"
Alice smiled.
Despite Mia's unfortunate childhood, she hadn't grown up twisted, becoming gloomy and negative. Instead, she lived more and more happily.
But Alice never imagined that someone like this would one day be hurt so badly by James, completely losing the ability to warm others, even forgetting how to smile - the thing she loved most.
……
At the mall, since Mia couldn't eat spicy food while pregnant, they chose a restaurant that was quite famous in Imperial City.
Just as they walked in, Amelia and her distant cousin Mabel Simpson were heading their way.
"Amelia, this restaurant has pretty good reviews. It opened after you went abroad and is quite famous in Imperial City. Want to try it?"
Mabel kept her attitude very humble in front of Amelia.
"Not interested."
Amelia walked in her high heels, her smoky eyes glancing at the restaurant with obvious disdain.
"There's another restaurant up ahead, want to try that one?"
Mabel continued trying to please her.
"Fine."
Amelia responded coolly, walking half a step ahead of Mabel.
Clearly treating her like a sidekick.
Mabel clenched her fists.
She had to put up with it.
Who told Amelia to be so lucky - growing up with the heirs of the major families that everyone in Imperial City wanted to connect with, having such good relationships with them.
Especially James, the man she'd fallen for at first sight. He ignored everyone from childhood but always listened to Amelia.
……
Walking ahead, Amelia caught sight of Mia sitting by the window and stopped in her tracks.
"Let's try this place after all."
Mabel also saw Mia, a flash of jealousy in her eyes.
She got angry just seeing her.
Why did this woman who had nothing going for her except her looks get to marry James?
……
As soon as Mabel entered, she headed straight toward Mia, wanting to provoke her.
Amelia shot her a look, warning in her eyes, saying coolly, "I just want a quiet meal."
Reminding Mabel not to let Mia notice them.
Mabel was speechless.
She didn't want to miss such a good opportunity, but didn't dare go against Amelia. "Don't worry, Amelia, I won't say anything."
Seeing Mabel being sensible, Amelia continued walking.
With Mabel's intelligence, she certainly wouldn't understand what Amelia was planning.
Amelia chose a seat behind Mia.
Only some plants separated the two tables. If they weren't deliberately whispering, they could clearly hear each other's conversation.
……
Mia hadn't noticed Amelia's arrival. After sitting down, she ordered.
They knew each other well - when the food arrived, half the dishes were Alice's favorites.
"Eat more, look how thin you are."
Mia kept adding food to Alice's bowl until it was piled high like a small mountain, then started eating herself.
She and Alice had met in high school.
High schools in Imperial City let students choose between commuting or boarding.
Using money she'd earned from her summer job, she chose to board, escaping from a home where she no longer had a place.
She and Alice hit it off right away, becoming best friends, and had stayed that way ever since.
Mia hadn't eaten that morning. Worried about starving the baby, she ate until she was half full before looking up to chat with Alice while eating.
They hadn't seen each other in nearly a month, so they shared what had been going on in their lives.
Mia inevitably brought up the "divorce" misunderstanding from a few days ago.
"Mia, you need to watch yourself - don't take his love for granted."
Alice rolled her eyes at Mia after hearing the story.
"Alice, whose side are you on anyway!" Mia looked at Alice with mock resentment.
"What do you think?" Alice picked up a piece of meat and fed it to her. Mia opened her mouth and ate it.
Of course she knew Alice was on her side. She said that because James really was too good.
A quality man like him was once in a lifetime.
Alice was worried that Mia might go too far and push James away.
Mia chewed and swallowed the meat. "It really wasn't my fault! You know about James and Amelia - of course I couldn't help overthinking and misunderstanding."
"And the result?" Alice gave her a light look.
It wasn't that she didn't care about problems in Mia's marriage.
It was just that Mia wore everything on her face. That blissfully happy expression when they met had already confirmed it was just a misunderstanding.
"The result was of course—"
Mia cleared her throat lightly and started making things up with a straight face.
"His eyes were red, he held me, begging desperately for me to forgive him, not to divorce him."
"Saying how much he loved me, that he couldn't live without me. Seeing how much he couldn't be without me, I generously forgave him."
Alice was completely speechless.
So annoying!
She knew perfectly well that the scene Mia was describing could never happen with James in this lifetime.
She could only imagine it.
And Alice wasn't even playing along!!
"I misunderstood - he and Amelia are just ordinary friends. The confession was meant for me."
Mia looked smug.
"That's more like it." Alice couldn't watch anymore and smiled, suggesting they pay the bill. "Let's go walk around and digest."
Hearing "walk around," Mia eagerly paid the bill and pulled Alice up.
Shopping was definitely most fun with your best friend.
"Alice, let me tell you, last Saturday James and I went to a baby store, and everything there was so cute. Let me take you to see—"
The two walked out together, their voices fading into the distance.
Mia left without ever noticing Amelia.
Having listened to everything, Amelia hadn't touched any of the food in front of her.
Her lowered smoky eyes were ice cold.
She naturally knew that Mia's story about James crying and begging was made up.
But the fact that James had used lies to placate Mia when she'd asked for a divorce - that was real.
James loved Mia?
How ridiculous!
Amelia's lips curved into a cold smile. She suddenly looked up, her gaze falling on Mabel sitting across from her, her eyes filled with endless coldness.
With just one look, she stood up, grabbed her bag from the side, and walked out.
James married Mia because she'd trapped him with a fake pregnancy. The person in his heart could only ever be her - no one could replace that.
Mabel quickly chased after her.
……
Mabel tried various ways to please her and finally managed to calm Amelia down. Just as they were about to leave, Amelia caught sight of someone she didn't want to see right now - Mia.
She was on the fourth floor, her smile so sweet it seemed to show everyone around her how happy she was.
It was truly - painfully glaring.
Making people want to destroy that smile, so she could never smile again.
"Amelia, what are you looking at?"
Mabel noticed Amelia's mood was off again and followed her gaze, but saw nothing.
Amelia didn't answer. She looked away and said to Mabel, "This Saturday I'm getting together with old friends at Luxe Hideaway. You should come too."
That last sentence sounded like charity.
Getting what she wanted, Mabel's attention was instantly diverted. She said happily, "Great, thank you, Amelia."
Amelia's lips curved slightly in a perfunctory smile as she continued walking forward with elegant steps.
Her lowered eyes grew colder and colder.
She wanted to see if Mia could still smile after this Saturday!
"I have something to take care of. You go ahead."
After sending Mabel away, Amelia went straight to the fourth floor to find Mia.