My mother’s funeral felt like a blur I walked through without really existing. I stood beside the coffin like a broken shadow, staring at the woman I had loved more than anyone—now cold, still, gone.
My mind kept replaying her last phone call. Her voice. The goodbye she tried to make sound gentle even while she was dying.
Every inch of me felt hollow.
Killian didn’t show up. He didn’t call. He didn’t text.
So, I also didn’t let him know that my mother died. He didn’t know I collapsed. He didn’t know I was pregnant. He didn’t know I scheduled an abortion.
He didn’t care… or he would if he wanted to. And I was a fool for not even realizing that.
By the time I returned home, the silence in the apartment felt like a physical weight. I folded my mother’s old sweater against my chest and sank to the floor, crying until my throat burned.
I didn’t know how long I stayed like that.
Hours. A whole night. Until the door opened.
Killian walked in, cheerful and bright like nothing in my world had fallen apart.
“Amber?” he called lightly. “I brought something for you—Grandma said you’d like it.”
He carried shopping bags. Expensive brands. Perfume. Clothes. Things I used to love before everything shattered.
He didn’t even notice how swollen my eyes were. Or how pale I’d become. Or the funeral card still sitting on the counter.
He only smiled. “I missed you.”
I stared at him, numb.
He sat on the couch and casually pulled out wedding brochures. “So… the garden venue or the hotel ballroom? Grandma wants us to finalize things soon.”
I stared. He kept flipping pages. “Also… I talked to a friend of mine who knows someone in London. They can help you get into a good medical program there.”
I blinked slowly. “London?”
He nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah. Great schools. Amazing opportunities. You always dreamed of becoming a doctor, right? You should go.”
“And leave?” I whispered.
He shrugged. “It’s long-distance, sure, but we’ll manage. Maybe it’s good for you. You can focus on your career. And well…”
He smiled faintly. “That way, I can focus on the business.”
I snorted. If this were before, I would be happy, but now I know that he just wanted to dispose of me. So he could hand me over to Ken whenever he needed to play pretend. So he could throw me away quietly—without Grandma watching.
I clenched my hands in my lap. “Do you… want me to leave?”
His silence answered everything. Something inside me cracked—not with pain, but with clarity.
I nodded slowly. “I’ll think about it.”
He brightened instantly. “Good. Good. I really think London will be perfect for you.”
Perfect for him.
He stood, brushing imaginary lint from his suit. “By the way, I want to introduce you to someone. Two people, actually.”
My breath stilled. He opened the door wider.
And there he was. Ken.
I recognized him immediately—same face, same eyes—but the smirk ruined any resemblance to Killian’s gentle act.
“Amber,” Ken said with an exaggerated smile. “We finally meet properly.”
I couldn’t breathe. My palms turned cold. My stomach twisted violently.
Killian beamed proudly, oblivious. “This is my twin brother. I haven’t introduced him earlier because he travels a lot… and honestly, Grandma and he didn’t get along, and it was just now that he finally decided to see Grandma and apologize for being an asshole.”
My chest ached with silent rage.
But then—Then she stepped into the doorway.
The girl who made high school and college a living hell for me.
The queen bee who strutted through hallways like she owned the world—and destroyed anyone who didn’t fit into it.
She spread scandals about me, whispered lies, mocked my thrift-store clothes, and led her friends into cornering me in bathroom stalls just to hear me cry.
She humiliated me in front of crowds, called me names, shoved me into lockers, and made sure everyone knew I was “the poor charity case.”
She bullied me so relentlessly that I developed the anxiety and depression I still fight every day.
She looked flawless—red lips, perfect curls, designer dress. She gasped dramatically and rushed toward me with open arms.
“Amber!” she squealed. “Oh my God, it’s been forever!”
I froze. Her arms wrapped around me.
And in that moment, every instinct in me recoiled. My spine stiffened. My skin crawled under her touch.
She pulled back just enough to study my face.
Her smile faltered when she saw I didn’t return the hug. A small pout appeared on her lips.
“Oh, come on,” she said lightly, tilting her head. “You still don’t like me?” Then she let out a soft, fake laugh. “Shouldn’t I be the one scared of you? Considering you used to bully me?”
My breath hitched.
Killian’s head snapped in my direction. “Bully you? Amber, what—?”
Mandie blinked innocently, placing a hand on her chest as if she were the victim. “Oh… right,” she added sweetly. “I guess she never told you. We used to be… friends… until she hurt me!”
