Chapter 13

Ethan had just left the pediatric clinic after finishing his patient rounds. After confirming all his tasks were complete, he headed back to his office.  

Upon reaching the third floor of the hospital and stepping out of the elevator, Ethan accidentally spotted Amelia. Earlier, his wife had informed him that she would stop by so they could head to the apartment together, as per Flora's instructions.  

One thing caught Ethan’s attention—Amelia was deeply engaged in a serious conversation with a colleague. For some reason, seeing how familiar and at ease Amelia seemed with Alvin made Ethan feel uneasy. Without paying attention to their discussion, Ethan immediately called out to her, interrupting.  

"Amelia."  

Hearing her name, Amelia instinctively turned around. When she saw her husband walking toward her, she smiled and responded warmly.  

"Yes? Are you done with your work?"  

Ethan nodded, positioning himself directly in front of his wife. His gaze was intense, locking solely onto Amelia, unconcerned about Alvin, who stood nearby observing the interaction.  

"Just finished. How long have you been here?"  

"Not long. Maybe about ten minutes."  

"Alright, come to my office for a bit first. After I tidy up, we’ll head home."  

Amelia nodded, then turned to Alvin, who remained standing between her and Ethan.  

"Alvin, I’ll head out now. Let’s continue chatting some other time."  

Alvin gave a polite nod, letting Amelia leave with Ethan.  

After tidying up his desk and organizing some medical records, Ethan escorted Amelia to his car. Driving at a moderate speed, he took her to their apartment in South Jakarta.  

As usual, a few minutes passed in silence between them. Ethan focused on the road ahead, while Amelia gazed out the window, watching the passing vehicles.  

After a short while, Ethan cleared his throat softly, breaking the silence for the first time. He tried to lighten the mood by initiating a conversation.  

"Have all your belongings been brought over?"  

Amelia turned to him, startled for a moment, not expecting her husband to start the conversation.  

"Yes, I packed everything before work. Risma probably took them earlier."  

Still driving, Ethan nodded. A moment later, he asked another question, trying to keep the conversation going.  

Ethan was naturally sociable and easily blended with others. But for some reason, he felt awkward around Amelia, unlike how he had been during their college days.  

"Are you okay?"  

"Okay about what?" Amelia asked, glancing at him for clarification.  

"Are you okay living alone in the apartment?"  

Amelia nodded in understanding. Living alone wasn’t an issue for her. During college, she had also lived apart from her family, so being independent wasn’t new.  

"Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. I lived alone during my master's studies too. Besides, I won’t really be alone—Risma will be there with me."  

"True, you’re not completely alone. By the way, how long have you known Alvin?"  

Out of nowhere, Ethan brought up Alvin. He was curious about the relationship between his wife and his colleague in the past. Alvin had once mentioned that he was close to Amelia and her family growing up.  

"Not just long—we’ve known each other since childhood. He used to be our neighbor before his family moved abroad."  

"Ah, I see." Ethan nodded in realization. No wonder Alvin had mentioned being close to the Alqadrie family—they had known each other since childhood.  

"Were you two really close?" Ethan pressed, his questions increasingly delving into the past.  

"Pretty close. I even had a crush on him back then."  

Ethan was taken aback by Amelia’s confession. Despite knowing her for years and once being close, he had no idea she’d had feelings for someone else—someone now working alongside her.  

"Really? Who did you like first—me or Alvin?"  

Amelia burst into laughter, surprised by her husband’s unexpected question.  

"Of course, Alvin came first."  

"Were you two ever in a relationship? Or… was Alvin the reason you rejected me back in college?" Ethan probed further, his curiosity growing.  

Ethan couldn’t forget the bitter memory of being rejected by Amelia. After years of trying to win her heart, he had confessed his love, only to be turned down. She had distanced herself and eventually disappeared from his life.  

Ethan had been so sure that Amelia would accept his love. However, that dream was shattered. Unexpectedly, Amelia rejected him. She even deliberately avoided him until, not long after, she completely disappeared from his life. Ethan was heartbroken. He felt destroyed for having placed so much hope in Amelia. He was deeply hurt, feeling as though she had played with his feelings.  

"Ethan..." Amelia interrupted calmly. "Alvin wasn’t the reason I turned down your proposal back then."  

"Then what was it? You never told me why. You just distanced yourself and left without an explanation."  

Amelia fell silent, guilt washing over her. She had never explained her reasons for rejecting Ethan, which were tied to Flora, who also loved him.  

"There were many things I couldn’t explain. But no matter what happened in the past, I ended up with you, didn’t I?"  

Amelia smiled bitterly. She had tried so hard to avoid Ethan, sacrificing her feelings for Flora. Yet fate played a cruel joke, bringing her back into Ethan’s life, now as his second wife.  

"You did come back, Amelia. But it was too late. You returned when I had already given my entire heart to Flora. You have no idea how hurt and disappointed I was back then. I was certain we loved each other, but you disappeared without a reason. It broke me completely.”  

“For God’s sake, it wasn’t what you think. There was a big reason that forced me to do it.”  

“What reason, Amelia? You never told me the truth. So now I’m asking—why did you reject me and then leave me?”  

Instead of responding or defending herself, Amelia chose to remain silent. She feared saying too much and revealing the true reason she had left him all those years ago.