Karma Doesn’t Sleep: The Revenge Queen Rises novel Chapter 9

Clive glanced down at Amelia’s hand gripping the edge of his shirt. That little gesture was so familiar, it caught him off guard for a second.

He remembered how she used to do that all the time. He’d walk too fast, and when she got tired of keeping up, she’d tug at his sleeve, her voice soft and a little whiny.

“Clive, wait up for me…”

Lost in the memory, Clive let an honest, unguarded smile slip onto his face, something rare for him.

He spoke gently, his voice warm. “How about I make you something hot to eat?”

That was exactly what Amelia had been hoping for. She smiled, her tone sweet and teasing. “I want your homemade pasta.”

He’d made them for her twice before.

“Okay.” He nodded and left the bedroom.

As soon as his footsteps faded away, Amelia scrambled to the nightstand on the other side of the bed and grabbed the phone Clive had left there.

There was a six-digit passcode.

She remembered that Clive’s old password was the day he’d become a director at Cloudcrest. She typed it in. Wrong.

Had he changed it?

Absentmindedly biting her finger, she thought for a second and tried the twins’ birthdays.

Still wrong.

Just then, a message popped up at the top of the screen.

Kristen: [Salmeron, tonight was the happiest birthday I’ve ever had. Thank you for bringing the twins to celebrate with me.] A little heart emoji was at the end.

No wonder Kristen and the kids had been waiting outside the hospital earlier. Before coming here, he’d taken their kids to celebrate Kristen’s birthday.

Amelia squeezed her eyes shut, her chest turning cold. She felt so stupid.

All those years together, Clive had never once celebrated her birthday on his own. The only time he did, she’d had to beg him—and even then, she needed his grandfather to back her up.

The warmth and attention she’d begged for was something another woman could get so easily.

She stared at the passcode field, a sinking suspicion forming in her mind.

Anyone would say they looked like the perfect family. The perfect couple.

Amelia scrolled back, but there were no older messages. Clive was always careful. He never left evidence behind; he’d deleted all their chats.

She forwarded herself the photos Kristen had sent. Proof, handed to her on a silver platter.

Then she deleted her tracks, marked Kristen’s message as unread, and put the phone right back where she’d found it.

She lay back down, her gaze drifting to the wedding photo tossed in the corner. She paused.

Her own face was half-hidden by her veil, but she remembered how happy she’d been that day.

Clive was smiling in the photo too, but his eyes were cold.

He didn’t love her. Maybe he never had. From the start, she’d just been someone useful.

Amelia wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.

“Clive.” She smiled, suddenly feeling lighter. “I’m finally done loving you.”