CHAPTER THREE
THREE YEARS LATER
Amelia sat at the small dining table, scrolling through her phone, a half-empty mug of hot tea warming her hands. Her peaceful morning was constantly interrupted by the buzzing of her phone. It was the group chat of her former work place, and the topic, as usual, was her ex-husband, Michael Vick.
"Michael Vick got married yesterday, and he married Gloria Lin. Wow, I really honestly envy him!" Amelia read, taking a slow sip of her tea. Her brow furrowed slightly. Why did they envy him? For what?
Another message popped up. "Isn't he a divorcee? How can a divorced man get this lucky to have married a beautiful and rich woman like Gloria Lin?"
Amelia snorted softly. Lucky? She knew the truth, and it was far from lucky. Then came the message that always made her blood boil. "You guys don't know this, but his ex-wife cheated on him and got herself pregnant with someone else's child, which was why he left her."
A sharp, icy wave of anger washed over Amelia. Memories, raw and painful, flooded her mind. It was all lies, carefully crafted by Michael to make himself look like the victim. The unfairness of it all gnawed at her. Even after all this time, just thinking about Michael Vick's smug face sent a shiver of pure fury through her. It was so incredibly unfair that someone like him had not only thrived in the company over the years but had even married the boss's daughter, Gloria Lin. And what about her? What about Amelia, who had faced everything alone?
"Mom, I want more pancakes, they are so delicious."
A sweet, innocent voice broke through Amelia's angry thoughts. She looked up to see her youngest son, his plate completely empty, a hopeful look on his face. Amelia's anger melted away, replaced by a soft, warm smile. Despite all the hardship she had faced over the years, all the struggles of raising her three children alone, seeing their happy, healthy faces made every single moment of it worthwhile. They were her everything.
Just then, the front door opened, and Sheila Jarrett walked in, keys jingling in her hand. She took one look at Amelia, a surprised expression on her face. "Come on, how can you still be here?" she exclaimed, her voice laced with a playful impatience.
Amelia stood up, gathering her thoughts. "I should have left, but I thought it would be better for me to wait for you before leaving.
Sheila waved her hand dismissively. "You can go on, you shouldn't be late!" she urged, her eyes serious now. "You don't have to worry about the kids, because I would take very good care of them. You need to hurry! What if you are late and they get upset? This job was hard for me to get for you!" She practically shooed Amelia towards the door. "Now… go, go on."
Amelia was just at the entrance, trying to quickly change her shoes, when a small, familiar voice called out. "Mummy, I want to go with you."
It was Sunshine, her daughter, usually the quietest of her three children. Sunshine spoke less than her two older brothers, preferring to observe the world around her. But seeing that Amelia was about to leave, she wanted to tag along, her little face etched with a rare hint of sadness.
Amelia immediately scooted down to her daughter's level, her heart squeezing with love. She gently brushed a stray curl from Sunshine's forehead, then placed a soft kiss there. "You have to stay home with Aunt Sheila, sweetie. Mommy won't take long, and I will be back soon." She gave her daughter a reassuring smile, hoping it would be enough.
It was the weekend, and Sheila didn't have to work. Most times, she came over to help Amelia watch the kids while Amelia juggled two or three jobs a day. Amelia honestly felt incredibly lucky to have such a friend like Sheila. Otherwise, back when she had given birth at the hospital, completely alone and overwhelmed, she didn't know how she would have survived until now without Sheila's unwavering support. The two friends often bickered like an old married couple, but in reality, Amelia considered Sheila more than a best friend; she was family.
As she walked down the stairs and out of her apartment building, Amelia couldn't help but reflect on the past few years of her life. It had been a whirlwind of challenges and small victories. She stood by the curb and hailed a taxi, giving the driver the address for the Brunswick Family home.
After a short ride, she arrived and entered through a grand second door. She was immediately greeted by Stephanie Jarrett, a kind-faced woman who looked at Amelia with a knowing smile. "You are Sheila's friend, right?" she asked warmly.
Amelia nodded politely. "Yes. Hello, Auntie." Stephanie Jarrett was Sheila's aunt, and she had been working for the Brunswick family for years. This job opportunity, a potential lifeline, had come through her.
Stephanie glanced at Amelia, her expression turning a little more serious as she began to explain the situation with the Brunswick family. "The young master of the Brunswick family had an accident a few years ago, and unluckily his leg has never been the same again. That's why we have wanted to find an acupuncturist to give it a try. Sheila had recommended you, so I called you immediately after she told me you were also once a nurse who treated patients with such conditions a year ago."
Amelia felt a surge of gratitude. "Thank you so much for recommending me, Auntie," she replied, her voice soft but sincere.
"You are welcome. Why don't we head upstairs," Stephanie said, leading Amelia into a huge, ornate hallway. The Brunswick family home was much larger and grander than she had imagined, a complete difference to her own small apartment. Following Stephanie, Amelia went upstairs and was first introduced to Mr. Brunswick's personal assistant, Billy Jim. He was a stern-looking man who meticulously reviewed her credentials. After a few tense moments, he finally allowed her to proceed.
"Young master," Billy announced, his voice clear and formal. "The person who had been scheduled for your treatment has just arrived."
Standing next to Billy, Amelia lifted her gaze, feeling both nervousness and curiosity swirling within her. She looked inside the room and saw the young master of the Brunswick family. He was sitting in a wheelchair, looking out through a large window, a soft blanket draped around his legs. When she had thought she was coming to treat someone, she had expected an elderly man, perhaps frail and weak. But to her surprise, he was very young, probably in his mid-twenties. Amelia wondered if that was the reason he was called "young master."
However, when her eyes truly focused on him, a strange feeling washed over her. A kind of recognition, deep and very unsettling, stirred within her. She instinctively thought of her triplets at home. This man, sitting there so calmly, looked like them. It was uncanny, almost as if her babies had been molded from the very same template as his. The resemblance was striking, and it left Amelia with confusion and bewilderment.
Amelia couldn't tear her eyes away from the young man in the wheelchair. His face, even in profile, was so strikingly similar to her children's. Her mind raced, trying to make sense of the overwhelming familiarity. It was like looking at an older version of her own sons, or even her daughter. Her heart thumped in her chest. How could this be? Was it just a coincidence? Or was there something more, something deeper, that connected them?