Chapter 13

Nathan froze for a moment.

The next second, a knowing expression spread across his face.

"Mommy, you don't need to be jealous of Ms. Nikki. Actually, you could even be good friends with her. We all get along with her, but you don't. Maybe you should think about whether the problem is really you."

Amelia didn't rise to the bait. She simply leveled her gaze on him and said, "I won't repeat myself a third time. Get out."

Nathan stared at her in silence for a few seconds. Then, he snorted and jumped down from the car. "You're going to regret treating me this way! From now on, even if you want me to ride in your car, I won't."

Amelia didn't spare him a glance. She lifted Evelyn into the seat, slid behind the wheel, and drove away without hesitation.

In the rearview mirror, Evelyn watched as her brother's figure grew smaller and smaller until he disappeared from sight. "Mommy, do you really not want Nate anymore?"

"You're my only daughter," Amelia replied.

Evelyn was still too young to understand what that truly meant. But deep down, she thought that Amelia might actually be upset with Nathan for real.

-

Back at the hotel, Amelia buried herself in preparations for the competition.

This wasn't just another event for her. It was a fresh new starting point in her life.

Evelyn never gave her much trouble. She was sharp for her age, and even if the kindergarten sent home assignments, she didn't need Amelia's help. Her memory was uncanny. She could take in anything after hearing it once, even if she didn't quite understand it.

It was why Evelyn was the one part of Amelia's life she never had to worry about.

On the other hand, Nathan had always been the one Amelia worried about most. She followed him everywhere, helped with his homework, catered to his picky eating habits, and even learned to cook all kinds of new dishes just for him.

And yet, five years of devotion had been repaid with nothing but ingratitude.

A sudden knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts.

Amelia got up and opened it to find Winona practically tumbling into her arms. "Babe! I've missed you!"

Amelia laughed and gently pushed her away. "What are you doing here?"

"I heard you're divorcing that scumbag, so I had to come celebrate." Winona gestured toward a box by the door. "Tonight, we drink until we can't stand up!"

Then, she lowered her voice as she peered inside. "Evie's asleep, right? Don't want to wake the little angel."

"She's asleep," Amelia said.

Winona carried the box inside with a grin on her face.

Then, she asked, "Have you seen Luke's Instagram? Today, Christopher was practically throwing himself at Nicole at the racetrack. Full-on cheers from the crowd. They were calling them a match made in heaven."

Winona came from a well-off business family, connected to the upper circles where practically everyone had ties to everyone.

She snorted. "Honestly, they're nothing but a nightmare couple from hell."

She pulled out her phone and showed Amelia the photos.

Nicole was dressed in a sleek racing suit, standing beside a bright yellow car that had obviously been modified. Beside her, Christopher was also in a racing suit. He was tall and lean, looking sharp and composed. This showed a different, more serious side of him compared to his usual polished appearance.

Amelia stared at the photos, a bitter laugh rising in her chest.

In all six years of marriage, she had never seen this side of him.

He had claimed he was too busy to pick up Nathan. As it turned out, he was off racing around the track with Nicole.

Winona jabbed a finger at the image. "Look at them—scumbag and gold-digger. What's there to be proud of? If you stepped on that track, you'd crush them both in seconds."

Before Amelia married Christopher, she had been a force to be reckoned with on the professional racing circuit. After Alfred took her on as a student, her focus gradually shifted, and she drifted away from racing.

Amelia laughed. "Is there really any need to compare ourselves to them?"

"There's no point trying to compete. You're just not in the same league," Winona said, always finding some way to roast someone.

Amelia laughed again. "Drinks, right? Let's do that."

-

Nathan waited at school until after nine in the evening before Christopher and Nicole finally arrived to pick him up.

They hadn't expected Amelia to be so ruthless as to leave him at school. If the teacher hadn't called to check, no one would have realized that Nathan had been stuck there and hungry the whole time.

"Mia went too far this time, didn't she?" Nicole frowned. "No matter how mad she is, you can't take it out on a child. A child doesn't understand anything."

Nathan clutched Nicole tightly, his little face full of hurt. "Ms. Nikki, you're always the nicest to me. You have to stand up for me."

Christopher frowned and dialed Amelia's number. However, the call barely rang before someone on the other end hung up.

Amelia didn't even have to think. She knew exactly why he was calling—it was just to question her for not picking Nathan up.

The call was rejected, and Christopher's expression darkened even further.

-

Back at the villa, Christopher turned to Nicole. "The competition is next week. Don't get distracted by other people's business."

Nicole knew exactly who he was referring to. "I know. I just feel bad for Nate..."

Christopher replied, "I'll find a time to make things clear with her."

-

Amelia hadn't answered a single call from Christopher during this time, ignoring all his texts and messages.

The ISSDC competition was structured with preliminaries, regional qualifiers, the Valoria national finals, global semifinals, and the global finals.

The preliminary round required forming a twelve-person team. Amelia had spent these weeks preparing, reconnecting with her old teammates. Their coordination was as seamless as ever.

In the blink of an eye, it was time for the ISSDC competition.

The competition site was buzzing with energy.

For Amelia and her team, the preliminaries were simple.

But just outside the main entrance, she ran into Christopher and Nicole's group.

Luke spotted Amelia and raised an eyebrow. "Look who it is! Used to be washing dishes at home, now showing up in front of us every day. Looking for attention, are you? Do you even understand this kind of competition?"

Amelia was the backbone of her team. She had arrived early and was just thinking of waiting inside the arena. She hadn't expected to run into them.

Christopher glanced at her. "Come in with me."

Amelia was confused.

"This isn't the place to wander around. Don't embarrass the Zephyr family," he snapped at her.

Amelia laughed. "And what do I have to do with the Zephyr family?"

She snorted and strode straight past them into the arena.

"Is she out of her mind? What's gotten into her?" Luke frowned. "I heard she's been away from home for days. The competition site is crowded, and they need part-time help. I'm sure she came here to find work and make some money. Then she saw us and felt awkward, so she slinked off quietly."

Nicole glanced at Christopher.

"Mia may have gone too far with some things, but you didn't have to freeze her bank account, did you?" She smiled at Christopher. "She looks so sweet and adorable. I can't get enough of her! If you don't want her anymore, I'll take care of her."

Christopher's expression remained cool. "Do as you like."