Chapter 4: A Cruel Awakening

Amelia's POV

I woke up to a sharp ache pounding against my temples.

Slowly i opened my eyes, squinting against the sunlight filtering through the curtains.

"What... happened?" I whispered, my voice barely audible. My mind felt blank. Fragments of last night drifted through my thoughts. The club. The drinks. A man sitting across from me. His calm voice. Then..Nothing.

"I only had a few drinks..." I muttered, pressing my fingers against my aching forehead. "Why can't I remember anything?"

A wave of uneasiness settled in my stomach. I forced myself to sit up then my breath caught as I noticed my clothes scattered all over the floor. My heart slammed painfully against my chest as I looked down and realized I wasn't dressed.

"No..." The word escaped in a broken whisper. "This... this can't be happening."

My hands trembled uncontrollably as I searched the room with frightened eyes but it was empty. Whoever had been here was gone.

Tears welled in my eyes. "I—I slept with a stranger?"

I shook my head repeatedly. "No... I don't remember agreeing to this."

The harder I tried to remember, the more my head throbbed. Nothing made sense. My body felt sore, but my memories were nothing more than scattered pieces I couldn't put together.

Fear wrapped around my chest like a vice. "I have to leave..." Ignoring the pain coursing through my body, I hurriedly gathered my clothes from the floor and dressed with shaking hands.

I was about reaching for the door when the handle turned. I froze. "Shit." I whispered. "Please... don't let him be back."

The door slowly opened and standing there wasn’t the stranger. It was the two people I least expected to see.

Roselle and Demian. The color drained from my face.

Roselle's lips curled into a triumphant smile as her eyes swept over the room before settling on me.

"Well, well," she said with a mocking laugh. "Look who we have here." She folded her arms. "You always talked about loyalty and betrayal for years. And now look at you."

My lips parted. "Roselle... it's not what you think."

"Oh! It isn’t?" she scoffed. "Then what exactly should I think?" She gestured toward the room. "That you came here to read a book?"

Humiliation burned through me. I turned desperately to Demian. He stared at me with cold, emotionless eyes.

"So, this is what you've been doing behind my back."

"No!" I cried immediately. "Demian, please listen to me. I don't remember what happened. I went to the club, had a few drinks, after that everything became blurry. I don't even remember how I got here."

Roselle burst into laughter. "What a convenient excuse."

She shook her head dramatically. "Do you honestly expect anyone to believe that crap?"

"I swear I'm telling the truth," I pleaded, tears streaming down my cheeks. "I would never betray you. I would never betray our marriage."

Roselle rolled her eyes. "You expect us to believe you somehow ended up in a hotel room by accident? Oh come on Amelia. That’s pathetic."

Demian's expression never changed. Not once. His silence hurt more than any insult. Then he slowly opened his briefcase and pulled out a paper, tossing it onto the bed in front of me. The papers landed with a soft thud.

I looked down and the bold words at the top blurred through my tears. DIVORCE AGREEMENT. My breathing hitched.

Demian looked at me without the slightest trace of emotion. "Sign it."

The words struck me like a slap. "W-What?"

"You heard me." His voice was calm. Cold. Final. "Our marriage ends today."

I stared at him in disbelief, tears spilling freely down my cheeks. "Demian please, I don't remember what happened. You have to believe me."

For a brief moment, his eyes flickered. Then the emotion disappeared as quickly as it had come. "I've already seen enough."

Roselle folded her arms with a satisfied smile. "Go on, Amelia. Don't keep my fiancé waiting."

My chest tightened at the word fiancé. But I knew his alone was made up. Slowly, I picked up the pen, even as my hand shook so violently that I could barely hold it. A single tear landed on the paper as I signed my name.

Five years of marriage reduced to a single signature.

When I finished, I lowered the pen and handed the documents to Demian without another word. "Done. You’ve finally gotten what you wanted," 

He picked up the papers, glanced at my signature, then folded them neatly and slipped them into his briefcase.

Without another word, he turned toward the door.

Roselle's triumphant smile widened. "I hope he was worth it."

The door slammed shut behind them. Leaving me alone with my shattered heart. I held my clothes close to my chest, them walked into the bathroom. I took a quick shower, hoping the water would wash away the shame and confusion clinging to me but It didn't.

After getting dressed, I left the hotel without looking back.

Outside, I hailed a cab.

"Where to, miss?" the driver asked.

"The Carter mansion," I replied softly.

As the cab pulled into traffic, I rested my head against the window. Everything had happened so fast. The club. The drinks. The empty gap in my memory. Waking up in a stranger's hotel room. Demian's cold eyes. The divorce papers.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't remember what happened after those drinks. The harder I forced myself to remember, the more my head throbbed. Something about last night didn't feel right.

Thirty minutes later, the cab stopped outside the Carter mansion. I paid the driver and stood silently before the towering gates.This place has been my home for five years. Now, it felt like I no longer belonged.

I walked inside and headed straight for my bedroom.

Without a word, I packed my belongings. Every piece of clothing I folded reminded me that my marriage was truly over. Just as I closed my suitcase, my phone rang. It was my dad. Hope flickered inside me. Maybe Roselle had already told them. Maybe he wanted to hear my side.

I answered immediately. "Dad..."

"You ungrateful child!" he thundered. "How dare you disgrace this family? Come home. Right now!" The call ended.

A bitter laugh escaped me. "What was I expecting?"

An hour later, I stood inside the Smith mansion. The servants avoided my eyes, whispering as I walked past.

The moment I entered the living room, Roselle smiled smugly. "Mom, Amelia is here. The same Amelia who lectured me about loyalty after finding out about Demian and I. Ends up spending the night with another man."

My mother's face darkened instantly.

I lowered my head. "Please... let me explain."

Before I could say another word, my mother slapped me hard across the face. "You're a disgrace, Amelia!" she spat. "Who knows how many men you've slept with?"

My cheek burned, but the pain in my heart was far worse.

"I don’t go around just sleeing with people. I never betrayed anyone," I whispered, my voice breaking but no one believed me.  

My father slowly rose to his feet, eyes filled with a chilling resolve. His next words made the blood drain from my face, leaving me frozen in shock…