Chapter 261 Rich People's Love
Amelia's POV:
A week after I'd returned home from filming, our family gathered in the living room to watch the show. The kids had been counting down all day, desperate to see me on TV.
Lucas and Sophia sat on the soft carpet, clutching their favorite snacks, while Luke and I settled on the couch behind them. The show's familiar theme music filled our living room as the program began.
"Mom, you're about to come on!" Lucas jumped up excitedly, pointing at the screen.
Sophia nodded eagerly. "The host just said your challenge segment is coming up!"
I watched myself appear on screen with a critical eye, as I always did when viewing my performances. The cameras had captured my expressions well, though the lighting made me look more dramatic than in reality. Luke squeezed my hand on the couch, giving it a gentle press.
"You look amazing," he said softly, his voice low enough that only I could hear.
On screen, I was tackling the "Wilderness Warrior" challenge, where contestants had to navigate through a series of increasingly difficult outdoor obstacles. The cameras showed me crawling under barbed wire through mud, scaling a fifteen-foot wall with just a rope, and balancing on a series of narrow planks suspended over a murky pond. The final task required contestants to hit three targets with a bow and arrow before sprinting to the finish line.
"Look at Mom go!" Lucas cheered as the footage showed me hitting all three targets in quick succession, surprising the other contestants.
The program continued, focusing on my determined expression as I crossed the finish line, earning first place in the overall rankings. The edit included slow-motion footage of my final sprint, accompanied by inspirational background music.
As I removed my helmet and wiped sweat from my forehead, the camera panned to show Luke standing by the barrier, having come to surprise me during filming. He passed a bottle of water through the railing, his face showing a mixture of pride and tenderness.
"Look!" Lucas pointed at the screen. "Dad, they got you on camera too!"
I glanced at Luke beside me, raising an eyebrow. "I didn't realize they featured you so prominently."
He shrugged, seemingly unbothered. "I wasn't exactly hiding."
The cameras had captured the moment I spotted him, the surprise and joy evident on my face as I walked toward the barrier. They'd even done a close-up of our fingers touching as he handed me the water, making the simple action look unusually intimate.
"They're really playing up the romance angle," I whispered to Luke, feeling my cheeks warm as the editors included a slow-motion replay of our reunion.
Luke draped his arm around my shoulder, looking quite pleased with it all. "Can you blame them? We're pretty photogenic together."
At that moment, comments began flooding the right side of the screen as viewer reactions, and Luke held up his phone to show me the real-time social media responses:
"The Carter CEO looks so cold in business photos but acts like such a warm protective husband at the farm—the contrast is adorable!"
[Is rich people's love always this sweet? The way Carter looks at his wife is worth a billion dollars!]
[The contrast is so obvious—from powerhouse to turning into a softie the moment she sees her husband.]
[I'm begging the producers for more footage of CEO Carter!!!]
[Luke: I'm just here to visit the filming location; All viewers: Then explain why you're looking at Amelia with heart eyes the entire time?]
[Question: How do I find a husband like Carter? Urgent, waiting online.]
[This isn't a reality show, it's a live broadcast of couple goals.]
[The Carter family genes are too good—even passing water looks so handsome.]
[Wilson is incredible—first-class archery, first-class looks, and a first-class husband.]
I felt my cheeks flush as Luke looked at the comments on his phone, a smug smile spreading across his face.
"Seems like the audience approves of us," he said with a wink.
I rolled my eyes but couldn't help smiling as I leaned into him.
Our family moment was interrupted by my phone ringing. I checked the screen and frowned.
"It's the divorce lawyer," I told Luke, referring to the attorney I'd recommended to my mother. I got up from the couch and stepped into the hallway to take the call.
"Hello, is everything okay with my mother's case?"
The lawyer's professional voice carried a note of frustration. "Mrs. Wilson, I'm calling because we've hit a roadblock. Your mother is insisting on selling the house and splitting the proceeds fifty-fifty with your father."
"What?" I nearly shouted, then lowered my voice. "That house is entirely in her name. She bought it before they were even married."
"I've explained that to her repeatedly," the lawyer sighed. "The property is clearly separate, not marital. She has full legal right to keep it entirely. But she's adamant about selling and giving him half."
I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Did she say why?"
"She claims 'he deserves something after all these years.' I've tried reasoning with her, but she won't budge. She suggested I call you since you might be able to talk some sense into her."
"I'll try," I said, though my hopes weren't high. "Thanks for letting me know."
I hung up and walked back to the living room, where Luke was watching me with concern.
"What's wrong?" he asked, muting the TV.
"It's my mom," I said, dropping back onto the couch with a heavy sigh. "She wants to sell the house and give half the money to my dad in the divorce."
"I thought you mentioned the house was completely hers?" Luke asked, looking concerned.
"It is," I said, frustration evident in my voice. "She bought it before they got married with money from her parents. It's her separate property. He has no legal claim to it whatsoever."
"Kids," Luke said gently, "why don't you go upstairs and finish watching the show on the iPad? Mom and I need to talk about something."
Once Lucas and Sophia had headed upstairs with snacks and iPad in hand, I leaned forward, elbows on my knees.
"I just knew this would happen," I said, shaking my head. "I knew she wasn't serious about leaving him for good."