Maybe she’d let out a quiet sigh, because that night Amelia actually slept pretty well.
The next morning, as soon as Emily arrived at the lab, she called out, “Amelia, are you free for lunch? Ella wants to treat you.”
Ella was Emily’s younger sister.
Amelia smiled. “Oh, you really don’t have to do that.”
“No way, not negotiable. Ella says we’d be in real trouble if it weren’t for you, so she insists.”
Unable to refuse, Amelia finally agreed.
The restaurant was just off campus. After lunch, Emily said she needed to swing by the university to pick up some documents, and Amelia, not in a hurry, decided to tag along.
As they reached the base of the teaching building, Ella pointed across the quad. “Look, that’s Violet over there.”
Emily’s tone turned sharp. “Just look at her—she’s got that face that screams trouble, thinking she can do whatever she wants just because she’s got money—”
She abruptly cut herself off, coughing awkwardly when she caught a proper look at Violet’s face. “Well, I mean… looks can be deceiving, right? Sometimes a small difference makes all the difference, but, uh, it’s not absolute.”
Amelia knew right away that Emily had noticed it—she and Violet shared certain features. Now Emily couldn’t go on insulting her.
Only then did Ella put two and two together. No wonder Amelia had always seemed vaguely familiar to her.
Violet had seen them as well. She wheeled herself over, her caretaker trailing behind.
Surprisingly, Daniel wasn’t there, usually so attentive.
“Amelia, what a coincidence,” Violet greeted them with a sweet smile.
Emily, still reeling from the earlier encounter, turned to Amelia. “Did you know Violet before? You two don’t seem to get along.”
“You could say that.” Amelia stuffed her hands into her parka pockets. “Back in the day, there was a pile of crap I didn’t want, so I tossed it her way. Let’s just say… we’re bonded by a heap of shit.”
The caretaker wheeled Violet to the campus gates, then helped her into the car with the driver’s assistance before folding the wheelchair and climbing in herself.
No sooner had the door closed than she began grumbling, “Ms. Scott, you’re just too nice. You shouldn’t let people like that walk all over you. So what if you’re a little harsh? Mr. Campbell would always have your back.”
Violet just smiled. “Alright, but don’t tell Daniel. He’s busy enough—no need to bother him with this.”
But of course, there was no way the caretaker would actually keep quiet.
That evening, when Daniel’s assistant stopped by to drop something off, she pulled him aside, eager to embellish. “That Amelia was outrageous—Ms. Scott greeted her so politely, and she just lashed out, accusing her of stealing research and donations. She said some awful things—might as well have insulted Mr. Campbell right along with her.”
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