Page 50 of Grumpy Bossy Billionaire Enemy

Troy hung up, and I wondered what else my parents had kept from us. I just provided a solution to Troy’s problem while mine hung around my neck like a weight. My hand subconsciously moved to Amelia’s side of the bed, and the emptiness struck me.

I cursed under my breath. For once, I wished that I had solutions to my own problems.

Sadly, I didn't.

Chapter twenty-two

The Half Brother

Amelia

I left the house a little too early this morning. The cold air reminded me that winter was just around the corner. Winter used to be my favorite time of year. It reminded me that sometimes, the warmth from the sun was not enough to keep us warm. I also learned that some things are out of our control as humans; for instance, Julia’s pregnancy was definitely out of my control.

No matter how much I loved Henry, it wouldn’t change how messy his past was or how I perceived my marriage. I drove into my parent’s house, and Mother met me by the door. She looked surprised to see me, but she hugged me anyway. Her smile told me she hadn’t heard about my decision with Henry yet. I looked around the family home I loved so much and saw Nolan standing by the stair rail.

He waved at me, and I flashed him a smile. Mom pulled me to the kitchen and asked why I was there so early in the morning.

“I’m here because I missed you,” I replied. I sat on the kitchen counter while I watched her operate the dishwasher.

But she didn’t believe me. “You never come here because you miss me,” Mother said. “What’s wrong, Amelia.”

“How did you take the news?” I asked, “when Dad got that woman pregnant. How did you take it?”

She had a glove on her hand, one she used to bring her baked cookies out of the oven, but it remained there because she was too lazy to take it off.

Mother twitched and said, “I was mad.” She paused. “I wanted to leave the marriage and start afresh with my life, but I couldn’t.”

“Why couldn’t you leave him?”

“My parents…they needed the marriage to work so that we’d create a long line of influential families.”

Just like Henry and me.

“Did you hate him?” I paused. “I mean, Nolan.”

Mom shook her head. “I wanted to at first, but then I got pregnant with you. I realized the child had done nothing to me, his parents had.”

I’d seen Nolan only a few times and realized that it’s quite hard to hate such a lovely young man.

“Are you okay?” Mother asked. “Did you come here this early morning to ask about Nolan?”

I blushed. It was hard to hide how I felt because she had felt the same way on several occasions – way before I was born. Talking to her this morning gave me a sense of belonging. There was someone close to me who had experienced the same thing.

“Yes,” I replied. “I came here to talk about Nolan because Henry’s ex is carrying his child.”

I sighed and Mother finally took off the glove; her warm hand rested over mine. “I’m sorry, Amelia,” she said. “You don’t have to go through this alone.”

“I think I have to. But I guess there is no difference between you and me any longer.”

“No,” Mom continued, “there is a difference, and it’s that Henry loves you.”

“I never doubted it.” I told her. “But soon, his love will not be enough, and for once, I want to do something no one is forcing me to do.”

“I understand, Amelia.”

“Would you be mad at me if I separated from Henry?”

Mother clicked her tongue, chuckled, and looked away. “Is this your way of asking me if I thought you’ll be happy if you leave? Or if I’ll be sad?”

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