Chapter 12: Ex-Husband

With firm steps, Amelia walked to the cashier, passing Ethan—her ex-husband—as if she didn’t know him.

“Amelia!” Ethan called out.

Amelia turned, glanced at Ethan, then smiled as if he were a stranger.

“Oh, it’s you.”

Ethan looked at her from head to toe, taking in the elegant dress and her face—much more beautiful now than when she was with him.

“What are you doing here, Amelia?” he asked.

“Shopping, of course! "What else?” Amelia replied.

“But how can you afford this?” Ethan looked confused. “Are you stalking me? Come on, Amelia, we’re divorced. You don’t need to spend all your money dressing up just to impress me.”

“What do you mean?”

“Or don’t tell me… you’re in debt? "Poor Amelia, that will only make your financial situation worse!” Ethan said condescendingly.

“What did you just say?! Lady Amelia is now married to my Master! "You’re being extremely rude!” Isabella snapped.

Ethan fell silent, while Amelia didn’t say much. She continued buying several dresses and paid for all of them with her card.

“So you’re married now?” said Olivia, Ethan’s girlfriend, who was also somewhat familiar to Amelia.

“Something like that,” Amelia answered.

“Why didn’t you invite us?” Olivia asked.

“Invite you? Huh? What for? I don’t think we’re friends anymore. "To me, you’re just a tramp who stole my husband. "But it’s fine, losers and whores do go well together,” Amelia sneered.

“You!” Olivia glared and looked like she was about to slap Amelia, but Ethan stopped her.

“Let it go, Olivia. Don’t mind her! I think she’s just pretending and spending the last of her money just to impress me!” said Ethan.

“You’re right! She must be faking her marriage! Believe me, Amelia—Ethan isn’t worth it! You don’t have to bother with him anymore!”

“Let me make this clear to you, Olivia! I don’t want that poor, cheating bastard anymore! He’s not good enough for me!” Amelia snapped as she turned around, carrying her shopping bags and walking away.

Olivia and Ethan watched the woman exit the store, then saw two men in black suits following Amelia and carrying her shopping bags.

“Did you see that, Ethan? Amelia has bodyguards! Am I seeing things? If she’s really married, what kind of crazy man would marry her?” Olivia said, shocked.

“Don’t call me Ethan if I can’t find out! How dare she look down on me!” Ethan growled.

“Did she seduce some old rich man to steal his money? God, Amelia! She really can be cunning!”

The two looked confused and annoyed. Meanwhile, on the other side, Amelia and Isabella burst into giggles.

“Good job, Milady! He totally deserved that!” Isabella exclaimed.

“Yeah! Did you see Olivia’s face? Her eyes almost popped out in anger! If only I could take a photo of that ugly face, it would keep me laughing all day!” Amelia laughed.

They returned to the car. After a long day of shopping, Amelia decided to go home. During the ride, her cheerful expression faded. The woman stared quietly at the long road and the passing traffic. No one realized that, deep inside, Amelia still felt the pain of her divorce.

Back at Luca’s house, Amelia admitted to herself that what Olivia had said was true. Everything Amelia had claimed was a lie. There was no marriage—everything was fake, a status she had to claim because of debt.

“Ugh! Those two are so annoying! How can two awful people come together and make me crazy?!” Amelia grumbled.

She threw her shopping bags on the bed and headed to the bathroom. A warm soak helped her body relax.

Finished with her bath, Amelia stepped out of the bathroom with damp hair cascading softly around her shoulders. Her skin, flushed from the warm water, looked fresh. She walked to the wardrobe in the corner of the room and pulled out a neatly hung black nightgown.

The gown was elegant, with a small ribbon on the chest and a V-neckline adorned with delicate lace. It wasn’t too revealing, yet it still accentuated her curves gracefully. As a finishing touch, she picked a thin matching cardigan and slipped it on, making her appearance look more modest yet still captivating.

Amelia stood for a moment in front of the mirror. She gently touched her cheek and stared at her reflection.

“I’m even more beautiful than when I was with you, Ethan! You’re such a loser!” she whispered, her voice laced with both anger and sadness.

But the brief smile that had appeared soon faded. The large and silent room made her feel alone again. Not wanting to be swallowed by loneliness, Amelia decided to leave the room. She walked along the third floor hallway and went down to the kitchen.

Once there, her eyes immediately landed on the glass shelf filled with luxurious bottles of liquor. Some were still sealed, while others had been opened but not finished.

“Wow, this must be good! A cold night, a warm drink!” Amelia murmured in a playful tone. Without hesitation, she opened one of the bottles, poured it into a crystal glass, and brought it back up to the third-floor balcony.

The night breeze greeted her as she slid open the glass door. The cool air touched her skin, but it was pleasant. She sat on the comfortable rattan chair, leaned back, and gazed at the starry sky. The moon was full and bright that night.

As she sipped her drink slowly, Amelia let her mind wander—to the past, to Olivia and Ethan, to the lies she created to protect her pride.

She sat there for quite a while, until the bottle was already half empty. Then suddenly, footsteps approached from behind. The balcony door swung open roughly.

“You drank my liquor! Huh!” a deep voice sounded, clearly irritated.

Amelia, half drunk, looked at the source of the voice. Luca arrived with an annoyed face, but Amelia didn’t seem to care—she raised her glass and smiled.

“Cheers, Luca!”

“Damn, you’ve drunk half of it! That’s a rare wine!”