Love You Enough to Leave You

We’ll have lunch before we shop.” “Sure.” Around eleven, the two met up at Pearl Plaza. Giving Amelia a huge hug, Tiffany chuckled, “Babe, did the little sweetheart in your tummy annoy you last night?” Amelia shook her head. After giving Amelia a once-over and realizing she seemed well and in a good mood, Tiffany teased, “Babe, be honest with me. Did something good happen to you last night? Look at how happy you look. You look as if love has entered your life.” Tapping her forehead, Amelia laughed, “You must have written too many novels for you to think that.” Tiffany laughed along with her. “Babe, what do you want to eat today?” “Let’s have stew. I’ve been craving to have it today.”

“Look at you and your meager requests. All right, since your sweetheart baby wants it too, we’ll have stew today.” Tiffany booked the reservation for them before they headed toward the restaurant. Right as the two sat down, Amelia’s phone rang. It was a call from an unfamiliar number. Noticing her hesitation, Tiffany asked, “Who is it?” Amelia shook her head. “I don’t know. I don’t recognize the number.” In the end, Tiffany decided for her by taking her phone and ending the call. “Since you don’t know the number, don’t pick it up. It’ll save your time if it turns out to be a telemarketer on the other end of the line.” Amelia nodded. Amelia’s phone rang again when the two were ordering, and she reached out toward the other woman.

“Tiff, hand me my phone. I’m thinking that someone I know should be trying to call me with someone else’s phone.” Taking the phone back from Tiffany, Amelia then accepted the call. “Hello, may I know who this is?” “Amelia, right? I’m Carter’s mother. We’ve met several times a few years ago. Do you remember me?” Amelia’s face turned ashen, and her grip on her phone tightened. She never thought that she would receive a call from Faye nearly five years later. Faye’s voice was a reminder of the nightmare she once had. The wily woman, who had an elegant exterior, was the reason she became the supposed traitor of her company — they accused her of having conducted corporate espionage.

Back then, she was nearly imprisoned. All of her pain back then was due to Faye, which was why she was frightened to hear her voice again. Only after Amelia took in a deep breath, then could she tamp down the fear growing in her heart. Calmly, she uttered, “Hello, Mrs. Scott. May I know why you’re calling me?” Upon hearing that form of address, Tiffany widened her eyes as she stared at Amelia’s phone. Then, she gritted out, “Amelia, hand me the phone.” However, Amelia waved her hand and gave her a look, signaling her to stay silent. She then said, “Mrs. Scott, is there something I can help you with?” “Are you free now? I’d like to invite you to a meal; I have some things to talk to you about,” Faye replied. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Scott.

invitation,” Amelia rejected. Her trauma was still fresh in her mind, so she did not want to see the other woman. “It’s fine. I can eat with you and your friend. Just tell me your address, and I’ll come to you,” Faye insisted. Amelia frowned before opening her mouth, about

shameful about

be in jail. I’ve never seen such a lowly, despicable person like her. I wish I could spit on each and every

“I’ll lose my appetite just by looking at their freaking faces. I have no idea how you’ve got such great patience for them to have agreed for her to join us for the meal. What’s going on in that head of yours?” At that very moment, Tiffany wished she could pry open Amelia’s skull to examine whether her brain was shaped differently from everyone else. Why else would she be able to have lunch with the Scotts as if

could only glare at her friend, who always came up with all sorts of excuses that she could not refute. “Tiff, don’t be mad anymore. It isn’t worth it to feel angry for someone unimported,” Amelia coaxed. Tiffany’s response to that was to furiously order dozens of dishes. It did not take Faye long to come. Soon, she entered with her branded bag slung on her shoulder. Striding toward Amelia and Tiffany’s table, she sat down without needing any prompting from either of them. “Why did you feel like eating stew? The

hungry, you should be going to a higher-end restaurant.” Tiffany scoffed, “We’re ordinary people, and we’re no rich lady like Mrs. Scott. If you can’t stomach this, the exit is right there.” Looking toward Tiffany, Faye hesitantly uttered, “And you are…? You look familiar, but I can’t recall where I’ve

the tendency to change other people’s names.” Faye let out a fake chuckle. “Mrs. Scott, may I know why you’re looking for me?” Amelia asked, returning to the original topic. With a fake, vague smile, Faye replied, “Nothing much, really. I just heard from Carter that you’re now working in his company, so I’ve come to meet you. After all, it’s been almost five years since we last met.” At that, Amelia responded, “Don’t worry, Mrs. Scott. I’ve left Mr. Scott’s company, and we rarely contact each other.