Chapter 32 Fall at First Sight
Amelia entered the dining room and sat down to eat.
Frederick's expression was neutral as he took his seat across from her.
Seeing the two of them seemingly returning to their old rapport, Mary spoke up softly, "Tomorrow is the anniversary of Mrs. Emily's passing.
"Some of Mrs. Emily's former students visit her grave every year.
"This year, since it falls on a weekend, Mrs. Brittany plans to invite Mrs. Emily' students to a restaurant meal, thanking them for remembering Mrs. Emily over the years."
Frederick's demeanor remained calm, showing no objections, as he nodded slightly and responded in a deep voice, "Okay."
Amelia paused with her utensil in hand.
If she remembers correctly, Amber is also one of Emily's students.
Amber was likely to come on that day.
A shadow crossed Amelia's eyes. "I'll make sure to free up my schedule for that day."
Mary nodded gently and then turned to leave, busy with other matters.
The man sitting across from Amelia gave her a meaningful glance but quickly looked away.
After the meal, Amelia rode with Frederick to the hospital.
Mary saw them in the car.
She noticed Amelia was still in the back seat. Although Amelia and Frederick were in the same car, Mary felt there was a distance between them.
Mary sighed to herself.
They hadn't reconciled yet.
On the drive to the hospital, Amelia sat quietly in her seat. After a while, she looked up at Frederick driving in front of her.
"Mr. Hastings, between you and Ms. Roberts, who is the pursuer?"
Frederick raised an eyebrow, glancing in the rearview mirror. "What, are you planning to switch careers to journalism?"
Amelia pressed her lips together, turning her gaze away, unwilling to make eye contact. "No, that's not it. I'm just curious.
" If you don't want to talk about it, forget it."
When they arrived at the hospital, Amelia got out of the car.
As she stepped out, she heard Frederick's answer.
"I pursued her first."
Amelia hesitated for a moment but quickly regained her composure. She gave a bitter smile and said softly, "That's nice. I've never been pursued before."
Frederick spoke in an even tone, "So, between you and Daniel, were you the one who pursued him?"
Amelia's step faltered for a moment as she turned to look at Frederick. She and Daniel had never been together. Yet, now, facing Frederick's indifferent demeanor, she let out a resigned breath and found herself responding involuntarily, "Yeah, that's right."
She was curious to see his reaction, but Frederick's expression remained impassive, his gaze as unfathomable as the ocean's depths, betraying no emotion.
Silently, Amelia's heartbroken. He never liked her, so naturally, he wouldn't care whether she pursued someone else or not. She suddenly felt foolish, as though she was troubling herself over nothing.
With a quiet swallow of her frustration, she turned and walked into the hospital. As Amelia pivoted, Frederick drove away.
Having changed into her scrubs, Amelia emerged from the storage room, only to see Amber waiting at her office door. Amber sat quietly, her graceful posture reminiscent of a debutante from some esteemed family.
Amelia approached her. "Ms. Roberts."
Upon hearing her, Amber rose from her seat with a smile, "Ms. Davis. Can I be discharged today?"
Amelia nodded. "After we remove your stitches, if there are no other issues, you'll be able to go home."
Amber's face lit up with excitement. "I'm so glad I'm being discharged today. Otherwise, I might miss Ms. Swift's remembrance day this weekend."
Amelia's expression remained neutral as she stepped into her office.
Eagerly following, Amber inquired with curiosity, "Ms. Davis, you have close ties with the Hastings family and are a relative of Frederick's. You'll be visiting Ms. Swift's gravesite, too, right?"
Amelia nodded. "Yes. I go every year."
Amber let out an acknowledging hum, then continued, "This year, I saw in the alumni group chat that Mrs. Brittany intends to invite Ms. Swift's former students for a meal."
Amelia responded calmly, "I'm not too sure about that."
With that, she sat down in her office chair. Amber hesitated, wanting to say more.
Sensing this, Amelia raised her eyebrows slightly, "Is there something else you want to ask?"
With some trepidation, Amber cautiously ventured, "Will Frederick's wife be attending too?"
Amelia didn't answer, which was affirmation enough.
A shadow of disappointment flickered across Amber's eyes as she softly said, "Of course, she's Frederick's wife. She will surely visit Ms. Swift, so she'll definitely be there for the meal."
Amelia maintained her composure, quietly observing Amber.
She offered an awkward smile, "I was just really curious about what kind of person became Frederick's wife."
Amelia shifted her gaze from Amber and turned on her computer to review patient diagnostic information, and X-rays uploaded the previous day.
"There's nothing to be curious about."
Amber seemed eager to open up today. Seeing Amelia getting down to work, Amber didn't seem inclined to leave. Instead, she pulled out the chair across from Amelia and sat down.
"The truth is, I met Frederick entirely through Miss Swift. At the time, Miss Swift was seriously ill, and I often visited her, which is how I came to know Frederick. It was love at first sight for me.
"I never expected that Frederick would fall for me at first sight as well. After Miss Swift passed away, he pursued me, and I accepted."
Amber's eyes sparkled with a faint light as she spoke, flickering between brightness and shadow.
Amelia listened quietly, a bitter, tingling pain spreading throughout her body.
It wasn't extremely painful, but it was impossible to ignore.
Amelia caught her breath, feeling a slight discomfort in her throat.
"Miss Roberts, I need to get to work."
Amber hesitated, seeming a bit embarrassed, "Sorry, Miss Davis. I didn't mean to interrupt your work. I'll head back to my room now."
Amelia nodded lightly and focused back on her computer screen.
As Amber left, Amelia couldn't help but lift her head to catch a glimpse of Amber's retreating figure.
When Emily was ill, Amelia, too, often visited her.
Amelia had met Frederick at a reception once, spotting him from afar amidst a crowd of people. Just like Amber had described, it was love at first sight.
At that time, Vincent was considering having Rachel take over the family business, but he feared Rachel lacked the cunning and strategies to handle intense pressure. So, he thought an alliance through marriage would be strategic.
However, Rachel had already seen someone in secret, a boyfriend named Sebastian.
The Kingsley family had long been in decline, while Sebastian was merely an illegitimate child with no notable family backing him.
Therefore, the Hastings family seemed like an excellent option.
Rachel's heart was set on Sebastian, and she had no desire for an arranged marriage.
Thus, making the most of Rachel's circumstances, Amelia got to know the hospitalized Emily. Whenever she had the chance, she would visit the hospital to see her.
From Emily, Amelia felt a warmth that deepened her resolve to pursue a career in medicine. Facing such a gentle and kind person who was tormented by illness made her want to alleviate the suffering of others like her.
Rachel and Vincent were both swamped during that time, leaving Amelia with no one to confide in about her thoughts. As a result, she sought out Emily for conversation.
Emily patiently listened as Amelia mentioned, again and again, the fluttering of her heart she felt at the banquet where she first met Frederick.
Having lost Stephanie at a young age, Amelia found a motherly warmth in Emily's presence. It seemed that the idea of marrying Frederick took root and grew strong from that time onwards.
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