Love Me Back (Amelia and Daniel) novel Chapter 3

Daniel woke the next morning with a splitting headache, as if someone had cracked his skull open.

“Amelia.”-

His voice was hoarse, his throat raw; the pain in his head was matched only by the ache in his body. “Could you make me some honey tea?”

No answer.

He rubbed his temples and sat up, wincing. From outside his bedroom door, he heard the housekeeper’s polite voice: “Sir, Mrs. Campbell went out early this morning. Is there anything you need?”

Daniel glanced in the vanity mirror. A nasty bruise was spreading across his forehead, already swollen.

“Did she say where she was going?” he asked.

“She didn’t, sir. She also skipped breakfast.”

Daniel requested an ice pack. Leaning against the vanity, he called Amelia’s cell—twice. Both calls went unanswered.

Amelia had put her phone on silent and flipped it face down on the table.

She looked up at the woman across from her. “You dragged me out so early. I doubt it’s just to experience the famed Silkwood breakfast, is it?”

Violet didn’t bother with pleasantries. “You should divorce Daniel.”

Amelia’s hands, resting in her lap, clenched tight. “Why should I?”

Violet’s smile was cold and mocking. “Because he loves me, not you. You’re just a stand-in. He only turned to you because I was gone. Why hold on to a marriage where you’re not loved? Why not leave with some dignity?”

A mug of warm milk sat on the table. The smell was cloying and faintly sour, making Amelia’s stomach turn. She pushed it away.

“Even if I gave up being Mrs. Campbell, you think you’d take my place? Please. You really think the Campbell family would welcome you, with your limp?”

Violet’s face blanched at the barb. “You—”

“And besides,” Amelia continued, her voice even, “I’m not ready to give up being Mrs. Campbell just yet.”

She fixed Violet with a cold, unblinking stare, her words deliberate: “Unless Daniel asks me for a divorce himself, I’m not going anywhere.”

Amelia didn’t touch her breakfast. She picked up her bag and stood. As she passed Violet, she paused, as if struck by a thought. She raised her hand to her lips and lowered her voice conspiratorially:

“I’ll let you in on a little secret—Daniel’s not exactly a stallion in bed. He’s quick to tire, and, well… let’s just say he’s not exactly your knight in shining armor in that department. Might want to think twice if you’re hoping for a happy sex life.”

Violet’s face turned an ugly shade of red.

Amelia started the engine, but her phone lit up again. This time, it was a message from her dad: his train would be arriving in Silkwood that afternoon.

Amelia pulled over and dialed his number.

“Dad, why didn’t you let me know you were coming sooner? I could have arranged everything for you.”

Her adoptive father’s voice was gentle but formal. “An old friend invited me to stay for a few days. Didn’t want to trouble you. If you have time, we can have a meal together. If you’re busy, don’t worry about it.”

Her relationship with her adoptive parents had always been strange. They’d taken Amelia in from the orphanage after she lost her memory, cared for her, but never with true warmth. There was always a polite distance, as if she were a guest in their home, not family.

Maybe it was because she wasn’t their biological child. Still, they’d raised her, and for that, she was grateful.

“I’ll be at the station to pick you up this afternoon,” Amelia promised.

“And Daniel? If he’s free, bring him along,” her father added.

After hanging up, Amelia immediately regretted the messages she’d sent Daniel. There was no way to take them back now. Awkward.

But pride is a flexible thing, she thought. If you can swallow it once, you can do it again.

Feigning concern, Amelia sent one more message: [Didn’t catch a cold, did you? Drink something warm, it’ll help.]