Chapter 10

Amelia clenched her fists, suddenly losing the nerve to open the door, and turned into the bathroom instead.

So it didn't matter who he married. Picking her didn't mean anything—just anyone but "that person" would do.

She stayed out for over ten minutes, only coming back after pulling herself together.

The dishes were already served when she opened the door. Eric glanced at her once without saying anything.

Margaret called her over. "What took you so long?"

Amelia said in a low voice, "Sorry, Mom. My stomach was acting up a bit."

Margaret paused. Seeing that Amelia really did look pale and her lipstick had faded, she asked, "Stomach upset? Did you get it checked out?"

"No, probably just an old problem. I'm okay, Mom."

Margaret replied, "You should go to the hospital anyway, just in case it's something else. Like if you're pregnant and don't know it, and something goes wrong..."

Amelia was caught off guard for a second—thinking Margaret actually cared. But nope, turns out she was just worried she might be pregnant without realizing and end up hurting the Reeves' precious bloodline.

Amelia forced a smile. "Got it, Mom." That ended their conversation.

The family went back to chatting among themselves, occasionally acknowledging her presence. She felt like a random extra at their dinner table—just going through the motions.

Then a rib appeared in her plate. Amelia turned to Eric, but he didn't even look at her. He just said flatly, "If you want something, help yourself."

No, she wasn't a guest—she was a stand-in cast member in this drama. She and Eric were just making a show of it, each playing their parts.

The thought sparked something rebellious in her. So, you're playing games? Fine, I'll play too.

She grabbed a piece of spicy chicken and held it up to Eric's lips with a sweet smile. "Babe, try this."

Eric froze for a second, eyeing her oddly.

Amelia's eyes crinkled like she meant it.

Eric hated spicy food—so this should be fun. Let's see how he handles this. If he backed off now, that'd be on him for ruining the act.

While she was secretly enjoying the irony, Eric leaned in and took the bite right off the fork. His lips grazed the tips, slow and deliberate.

He chewed for a second, looked at her, and said, "Not bad."

Amelia... What a jerk. Hope it burns your tongue!

Margaret gave them a sidelong glance, lowering her gaze thoughtfully.

Halfway through dinner, Eric's phone rang, and he stepped out to take the call.

Margaret finally set down her fork and asked, "Amelia, how long's your stomach been bothering you? Any nausea?"

Amelia raised a brow. She seriously still thought she might be pregnant?

She explained, "Mom, I'm not pregnant. My period just ended last week."

Margaret didn't seem entirely convinced. "What about the medicine I gave you? Have you been keeping up with it?"

Just the mention of that stuff made Amelia feel queasy. Margaret was seriously obsessed with Amelia getting pregnant. God knows why she kept assuming it was Amelia's fault they hadn't had a kid yet. Over the years, she'd tried every possible remedy, forcing down all kinds of so-called "fertility tonics" on her.

Eric was as emotionally available as a wall. The guy touched her so few times in a year, she could count them on one hand. It's not like she's some insect that can reproduce on her own. Without his cooperation, how the hell was she supposed to get pregnant?

"I already drank it," Amelia said, sensing Margaret's doubt. She added, "Mrs. Collins watched me take it."

Natalie snorted. "See, Mom? Didn't I say? Your miracle potion won't do a thing. She's like dead soil. No matter how much fertilizer you throw at it, nothing's gonna grow."

Margaret shot her a look, her tone flat. "Don't interrupt."

Natalie pouted and rolled her eyes dramatically.

Then Margaret asked, "Are you two using any contraception?"

Wow, straight to the point, huh? Amelia took a deep breath and answered, truthfully, "No."

Which was technically true. Eric had her ovulation schedule down to a science and made damn sure to stay far away during those dates. So even without any birth control, there was no shot of her getting pregnant.

Margaret sighed. "Maybe I'm just being too impatient."

Amelia had just started to relax when Margaret told Natalie to bring over a small box from the floor. Natalie opened it up to reveal neat rows of dark brown bottled liquids.

Margaret opened one and pushed it toward her. The strong, funky herbal smell hit Amelia like a brick wall.

Panic kicked in. Those "baby tonics" had traumatized her. Her stomach churned. She was legit about to throw up.

"I've got a friend who knows a specialist in Hong Kong," Margaret explained like she hadn't just attacked her nose. "Her daughter had trouble conceiving, too. After half a year of treatment, bam — twins. Since Natalie happened to be in Hong Kong, I asked her to stop by. I told the doctor about your issue, and they adjusted the prescription. This new batch is supposed to work better. I had it brewed and bottled — just follow the schedule. When these are done, I'll send more."

"Mom, honestly, I don't think these are doing anything. I've been drinking them for over a year. The doctor said my health's totally fine during the last checkup."

She wanted so badly to say, Why don't you give them to your son? He's the problem here.

Natalie sneered, "If you're fine, then why haven't you conceived? With how fit my brother is, anyone else would've had two kids by now. I don't even get why he married you — freeloading and can't even lay an egg."

Amelia's face darkened. She gave her a cold stare.

Natalie looked smug, like she knew Amelia wouldn't dare fight back.

But then Amelia suddenly said, "Not getting pregnant is still better than getting knocked up and aborting it."

Natalie's expression flickered. "What did you just say?"

"Nothing." Amelia shrugged. "Just something I thought of after seeing all those young girls lining up for abortions at the hospital."

Natalie froze, staring at her with shock, fear, and a hint of doubt in her eyes.