Reborn Without You

The intensity radiating from Christopher made Evelyn shrink back. She pressed her lips together and muttered, almost in a whisper, "Th-thank you, Uncle Chris..."

Her eyes stung, and a lump of frustration tightened in her chest. She felt wronged and helpless, but she bit her lip stubbornly, refusing to let a tear fall.

She had thought that maybe her father was finally willing to accept her.

Amelia had been startled by what had just happened. Evelyn had toppled toward the opposite direction, and her first instinct was to catch her—but she was too far away.

Fortunately, her daughter was unharmed.

She gently lifted Evelyn from Christopher's arms, holding her close and soothing her with a soft voice. "You were scared, weren't you? Are you hurt anywhere?"

Evelyn shook her head silently. The moment she tried to speak, she felt tears welling up.

Nathan stood off to the side, feeling a bit upset.

Amelia used to hold him gently like that too. She hadn't come home in a long time, and it had been even longer since she had held him.

And just now, she said he didn't have a mommy, which made him a little sad. But then he thought, as long as Amelia wasn't around, Nicole was there with him.

Thinking like that, it didn't feel so bad after all.

After all, Amelia wouldn't really abandon him. She just said those things out of frustration.

Amelia ignored Christopher completely, not sparing him a glance, and carried Evelyn away.

Christopher's brow twitched slightly.

Compared to the warmth Amelia used to show, her current coldness was impossible to miss. He wondered what little tantrum she was throwing this time.

"Even kids know to say thank you. Don't you?"

Amelia paused mid-step and cast a cold, mocking smile over her shoulder. "What you owe her is far more than this."

Without waiting to see Christopher's reaction, she walked away with Evelyn.

That line was completely absurd and made no sense at all.

Christopher's brows furrowed, his expression icy and sharp. If he wasn't mistaken, the look in Amelia's eyes... was it hatred?

Luke sneered. "Is this still the Amelia I know—the total simp? How come she's suddenly so cold to you? Switching tactics, huh? Playing hard to get now?"

Christopher's brows furrowed slightly.

The only words his mind caught were "playing hard to get".

Maybe she really was.

That would explain everything.

-

After the defense expo ended, Amelia was taking Evelyn to lunch when her phone rang.

It was Winona Farrell. The moment Amelia answered, the voice on the other end was sharp and fierce. "Mia! Did you see the trending posts on social media?!"

Winona had been a friend since childhood. Hearing her tone, Amelia couldn't help but smile. "Trending posts? Which one of your brothers screwed up this time?"

Winona ground her teeth. "You still have the nerve to tease me? Your husband is cheating on you! Where are you right now? I'm coming over immediately so we can go and confront that scumbag together!"

Amelia paused for a moment, then looked down at her phone. The defense expo had completely taken over the trending feed.

Everyone was full of pride, celebrating the nation's strength.

But buried among the trending posts was another one that caught Amelia's eye.

[The Zephyr Family of Three Enjoying the Defense Expo]

Looking at those words, Amelia found them painfully glaring.

The photos showed Christopher, Nicole, and Nathan together, looking affectionate and happy. From the outside, they appeared to be the perfect little family.

After living through it once, she knew their relationship was far more complicated than it appeared. Yet seeing that trending post in black and white still stung.

It made her feel ridiculous, like a clown who had devoted five years to raising Nathan diligently. And laughably, while she had treated Nathan as her own son, the moment his real mother returned, Nathan had only eyes for Nicole.

If Nicole hadn't come back, Amelia would never have realized just how much Nathan resented her.

No wonder, in her previous life, Nathan had always been cold to her and quick to throw tantrums around this time. All five years of love and care she'd poured into him felt as though they had been wasted.

Amelia closed the post and calmly said, "I saw them at the expo."

"And you're still so calm?" Winona asked. "Don't tell me you've gone completely mad with anger?"

"Winnie, I'm getting a divorce from him."

"A d-divorce?" Winona stammered, stunned.

She hadn't expected Amelia to make such a decision. Only she knew how deeply Amelia had loved Christopher.

If Amelia was suddenly ready to file for divorce, it could only mean she had suffered a deep injustice.

"Did he mistreat you?" Winona's voice grew serious. "If he did, I won't let it go. Divorce isn't going to be enough—I’ll make him pay!"

Amelia lowered her gaze. She knew Winona genuinely cared about her.

She took a deep breath. "No. I've just come to understand things."

Winona exhaled, relieved, though her worry lingered. "Really? If anything happens, you have to tell me."

"Don't worry. If anything happens, I'll definitely drag you into it."

"You should have divorced him ages ago. You've finally figured it out."

Winona continued her endless stream of commentary. Amelia listened, a faint, serene smile touching her lips.

Hand in hand with her daughter, walking under the clear blue sky, the sound of her best friend's chatter came through her phone.

For the first time, Amelia felt the simplicity of happiness.

In her previous life, all her attention had been on Christopher, leaving her blind to the beauty that had been right beside her.

-

After ending the call with Winona, Amelia arrived at the place she had arranged to meet Jasper.

They had reserved a private room. Amelia had arrived early and was waiting inside. She was lost in thought, wondering how she would face her teacher, when the door opened.

Alfred and Jasper stepped inside together.

Amelia held Evelyn's hand and stood. "Hello, Professor Hale."

It had been a long time since Amelia had seen her teacher. Alfred looked much older now, streaks of white running through his temples.

Alfred didn't respond.

Amelia took a deep breath, her heart tightening. She knew why. She had long since lost the right to call him her teacher. That right had been something she had given up with her own hands, without hesitation, all those years ago.

Amelia pressed her lips together and looked down at Evelyn. "Sweetie, this is Professor Alfred Hale. Go ahead and greet him."

Evelyn obediently and politely said, "Hello, Mr. Hale."

The little girl's voice was sweet and endearing, and her big, round eyes sparkled with a cheerful smile.

Alfred's stern face softened instantly when he saw Evelyn's gentle demeanor. He ruffled Evelyn's hair and said to Amelia, "Your daughter is well-behaved."

Evelyn had clearly inherited the best of both Christopher and Amelia. Her small face was delicate and flawless, almost doll-like in its beauty.

Jasper spoke up, "Professor Hale, don't just stand here. Come sit and eat."

If it weren't for Jasper keeping the mood light, Amelia wasn't sure how she would have faced Alfred. Now, with Alfred willing to grace her—the so-called 'ungrateful student'—with a meal, she felt truly honored. She had once thought she would never see him again in her lifetime.

"Time really flies. Back then, Mia was such a spirited little girl, so childish she'd argue with me over food every day. Now look at her. Her daughter has grown up so fast."

Jasper recalled the past and all that Amelia had given up, feeling it was truly a pity.

Alfred, ever stern, snorted coldly. "Yes. For a man, she was willing to give up everything."

With Evelyn around, Alfred didn't say anything too harsh, not wanting to upset the girl.

Amelia looked at her daughter. "Evie, go ask a waiter to brew a pot of tea for Mr. Alfred and Mr. Jazz. Grab whatever drink you want for yourself."

"Okay!" Evelyn nodded obediently and bounced out of the room.

Once Evelyn had left, Alfred turned to Amelia. "I heard from Jasper that you're planning to divorce. And you're thinking of finding work in the industry?"

Amelia pursed her lips. "Yes. I gave up the chance to continue into a master's and PhD program back then, so now finding the right job isn't easy."

She had realized that in today's society, a degree was a necessary stepping stone. Even with her experience at Zephyr Group, it didn't carry much weight on its own.

"I looked over your resume. It doesn't meet our institute's hiring standards."

Alfred's rejection didn't surprise Amelia. She couldn't even bring herself to ask for his forgiveness.

Jasper quickly intervened when he saw the mood turn heavy. "Alright, you two haven't seen each other in a long time. Let's not dwell on unpleasant things and eat first."

-

Meanwhile, Evelyn had finished asking a waiter for tea and was standing in front of the beverage cabinet, eyeing the drinks.

Just then, Christopher and his group happened to come in and spotted her.

Luke clicked his tongue. "Can't stay away, huh? You can't even have a meal in peace without her following you. This isn't how you stage a chance encounter. Amelia's thoughts are written all over her face."

Evelyn noticed a bottle left all alone in the cabinet and decided it must be delicious. She opened the door to grab it, only to have a hand beat her to it.

"Yes! I love this one!"

Nathan held it up triumphantly, showing off to Evelyn. "Thanks for opening the cabinet for me!"