«The Remains of Summer) Chapter 5
Amelia looked at him. He’d clearly
raced back, his coat soaked through, his
face etched with panic.
“How did you find out?” she asked
quietly.
“It’s all over social media. It’s trending.”
Before she could respond, he pulled
her into a tight embrace, his voice
trembling with fear.“Amelia, what does
this mean? Are you leaving me? Are you
breaking up with me?”
“What did I do wrong? Don’t leave
- me. I’ll change, I’ll do anything.”
His voice cracked with desperation.
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She stared blankly ahead, a flicker of
self–mockery in her eyes. If he was so
terrified of losing her, why keep another
woman?
Was he that confident in his
deception? Or did he think she was too
stupid to notice?
He was panicking just because he
sensed her leaving.
She couldn’t wait to see his reaction
to her “death.”
Gently pushing him away, she spoke
calmly.“It’s not what you think. I just didn‘
t want them anymore. We’re getting
married anyway. Why would I leave you?
Have you done something wrong?”
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Relief washed over Ethan, then froze
as her last question hit him.
He gripped her hands, his voice
urgent.“No, baby, I swear I haven’t done
anything to hurt you. You know how
much I love you.”
Amelia gave a small, strained
smile.“Then why worry? It’s late. I’m going to bed.”
She turned and left him standing
there, his heart pounding. He told himself
it was just pre–wedding jitters.
Soon she would be his wife.
Nothing would change. Nothing
could change.
Ethan’s anxiety persisted. He stayed
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with her all night, unable to sleep.
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As dawn broke, his phone buzzed. He glanced at it, and the last vestiges of sleep vanished. He kissed the sleeping Amelia and quietly slipped out of bed.
Amelia opened her
opened her eyes the moment he left. She glanced at her own phone.
A message from the agency: They’d found a suitable body, a near–perfect
double. They’d made the necessary
adjustments. Could she come to the morgue for a final check?
In the morgue, the body lay still. If Amelia hadn’t been standing there, alive,
she would have believed it was her.
Ethan wouldn’t suspect a thing.
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Everything was ready.
After speaking with the agency
representative, she headed back
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downstairs. Passing the maternity ward,
she glanced inside.
And froze.
Ethan was carefully guiding a very pregnant Chloe out of an exam room, his
face beaming with paternal joy.
Chloe was pregnant?
Ethan’s child?
They were having a baby?
Amelia didn’t know how she got back
to the house.
The house was dark, illuminated only
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by the faint glow of her phone screen.
Just as it was about to go dark, a text message popped up. From Chloe.
It was a photo of a sonogram. And a livestream link.
[I’m pregnant, three months along. The father is thrilled. We’re celebrating with our fans tonight. Join us if you’re happy for us!]
Numbly, Amelia pressed the record
button as she clicked the link.
Chloe, radiant in a maternity dress,
appeared on screen, waving the sonogram,
sharing her joy with her followers. The
comments section overflowed with
congratulations.
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Then, a familiar hand appeared,
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resting possessively on Chloe’s swollen
belly.
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