Chapter 59
Chapter 59
(Amelia’s POV)
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Volunteers bustled around, arranging tables, sorting supplies, seing up registration booths for the third day of the outreach.
But my stomach had been in knots since I woke up.
After last night, I barely slept. Edmund’s words kept echoing in my head, his tone, the way his eyes softened when he said, Because of you. Every time I closed my eyes, it came back. And every time, I reminded myself that it didn’t matter. It couldn’t matter.
Still, when I stepped out of the van with the rest of the medical crew and spotted him by the main tent, clipboard in hand, talking to the local press, my chest tightened. He looked calm, focused… as if last night hadn’t happened at all.
“Dr. Garcia,” one of the nurses called. “We have an issue at the lab booth. We need to check on it before people start arriving
“On it,” I said, forcing a smile.
Work. That’s what I needed. Work was safe. Work didn’t care about emotions.
I moved from tent to tent, inspecting setups, making quick adjustments, giving last–minute instructions. For a few minutes, I actually felt okay, until I saw the flash of cameras by the main entrance again.
I turned, and my heart sank.
Dressed in a fitted cream dress and designer sunglasses, she walked across the grass like she was stepping onto a red carpet, not a health fair. The heels, the glossy hair, the smug tilt of her chin, and everything about her screamed trouble.
She waved at the press, smiling, before looping her arm through Edmund’s like she’d done it a thousand times before.
The world seemed to tilt.
I heard one of the interns murmur, “Isn’t that Mr. Montgomery’s wife?”
Wife.
I told myself to look away, to keep working. But my eyes betrayed me.
Edmund’s face was unreadable. His jaw was tight, his posture stiff. He said something to her, too low for me to hear, but she just smiled, kissed his cheek, and then turned her gaze toward me.
Her smile shifted. Cold. Sharp.
I knew then that this wasn’t a coincidence.
A few minutes later, she walked straight toward my tent.
“Well, if it isn’t Dr. Garcia, the quack,” she said, her tone sugar–coated with poison. “I must say, it isn’t a pleasure to see you again.”
I straightened, keeping my expression neutral. “Mrs. Montgomery. Welcome to the outreach.”
“Oh, please, call me Vikki,” she said with a smirk. “After all, we’re practically family, aren’t we?”
A few of the volunteers nearby stopped pretending not to listen. My pulse thudded painfully in my ears.
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Forhure Iould answer. Edmund’s voice run in sharply “Villi tegh”
she turned eyes flashing “Don’t defend her, Edmund Not Her
“Stop it,” he said, his voice low but firm. “You’re embarrassing yerself?
She laughed bitterly “Oh, so how I’m the one embarrassing myself? You bring your ex–wife along on your demo peržent and I’m the problem
Gaps rippled through the crowd. My stomach dropped. I saw confusion in the eyes of the staff, shock, curiosity, en pély.
I wanted the ground to swallow me whole.
“Vikki,” Edmund said, stepping forward, but she backed away, right into me…
And then, before I could even process what was happening, her hand came up fast, sharp, and landed on my cheek
The sound echoed loudly.
I stumbled back, clutching my face, the sting burning deep into my skin. My vision blurred for a moment.
Don’t you ever touch my husband again,” she hissed. “You think you can play the saint, but you’re just the same pathetic woman he left years ago.”
The words hit harder than the slap. My chest constricted, my breath caught somewhere between shock and disbelief
“VIKKI!” Edmund’s voice thundered across the park.
Everyone froze
He grabbed her wrist before she could move again, his expression dark with fury. “You’ve crossed a line.”
She scoffed. “Oh, don’t act like you’re innocent. You’ve been sneaking around with her, everyone can see it,”
“Enough‘ Amelia and I are just partners!” he barked. “You know what? This ends now. You’re leaving. Right now,”
“I’m not going anywhere!” she snapped “You think you can order me around like one of your employees?
“I said leave!” His voice rose again, sharp and commanding Yove done nothing but cause chaos since you got here. This is a medical outreach, not your social battleground.”
Her eyes glistened with anger “You’d throw me out? For her?”
He took a step back, exhaling hard. “For peace. For professional Foreveryone here who’s trying to do their jobs without your drama.
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14:41 Thu, Feb 5 GND
Chapter 59
Vikki looked at him, then at me, trembling with fury. “You’ll regret this, Edmund,” she spat. “Both of you will.”
But he didn’t flinch. “Get in your car, Vikki. Go back to the hotel get your things and go back home!.” Silence. The press had long stopped snapping photos. Everyone just stood there, too stunned to move.
Finally, with a frustrated groan, she turned on her heels and stoned off, muttering disappeared toward the parking area.
54%
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curses under her breath as she
I didn’t move. My face still throbbed where her hand had landed The only thing louder than my heartbeat was the ringing in my ears.
When she was finally out of sight, Edmund turned toward me, his voice softer now. “Amelia-”
But I stepped back.
“Don’t,” I whispered.
“Please, just let me explain-”
“There’s nothing to explain,” I said, my voice barely steady. “I shouldn’t have agreed to this. I should’ve just stayed home.”
He reached for me, but I took another step away. “Amelia-”
“I need to go,” I said quietly, holding back the tears stinging my eyes. “I think I’ve had enough work for today.”
And before he could say another word, I turned and walked away
I could feel everyone’s eyes on me as I crossed the park. My throat ached, my
chest felt heavy, but I kept walking past the
tents, past the volunteers, past the press that pretended not to stare.
Edmund called my name once, twice, his voice breaking through the noise behind me. But I didn’t stop.
Not when my legs started trembling. Not when my vision blurred.
I just kept walking.
By the time I reached the hotel, my hands were shaking so badly I could barely swipe the keycard. I stepped into my shut the door behind me, and pressed my back against it.
That was when the first tear fell.
Then another.
suite,
I slid down to the floor, my hand still on my cheek, the sting fading into a deeper kind of pain. The kind that had nothing to do with skin.
Outside, the world kept moving, the outreach, the people, the noise. But inside that room, everything felt still. Broken.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
