Chapter 7

"Amelia's heart was pounding so hard, she could barely get her words out.

But Alexander didn't seem to notice, or maybe he just couldn't imagine Amelia lying to him.

""That's good. You never told me where you were last night. I thought you were lying about booking a hotel. I went to your school early this morning, and your roommate said you weren't there.""

She stayed quiet, and Alexander kept rambling, ""Oh, and don't tell my family about me going to the police station, or they'll freak out! Got it?""

Amelia wanted to say she understood, but Henry was standing right next to her.

Actually, she had already spilled the beans to someone in the Anderson family.

But Henry didn't seem to get along with the Andersons, so he probably wouldn't say anything.

Just then, Henry turned his head, and their eyes met.

Amelia quickly looked away, too scared to meet his gaze again.

How weird, she hadn't done anything wrong, so why did she feel so guilty?

""Got it, don't worry,"" Amelia replied casually.

""I gotta go to the police station today to sort out some stuff. When I'm done, I'll take you out to eat!"" Alexander, as usual, thought a meal would make everything better.

After Amelia mumbled a response, the call ended.

Staring out the window, Amelia's thoughts were all over the place.

She was about to graduate, and her parents kept hinting that she was about to get engaged to Alexander.

Just when she was wondering when Alexander would finally propose, he dropped the bomb that he was seeing someone else.

She never saw that coming, as she always thought of him as her future husband.

Henry was right; no matter what, she had to explain everything to her parents.

What was the point of staying in this toxic relationship?

There was a knock on the door, and just as she was about to get up, Henry was already there.

He handed her a fancy bag. ""Even though the rain stopped, it's still pretty cold out. Your clothes are too thin, wear this before you go.""

It was a brand-new plush coat, and just by touching it, she could tell it was expensive and just her size.

Her heart sank a bit. ""Thanks.""

Then she realized something and quickly added, ""How much was it? I'll pay you back. Last night was already a lot of trouble for you.""

She hurriedly took out her phone, but Henry gently pressed her hand down, ""No need to be so formal with me. Isn't your birthday coming up? I haven't given you any birthday gifts over the years, so consider this your gift.""

Amelia was stunned. How did he know her birthday?

Should she accept this gift?

She had never accepted his gifts before because their relationship was always a bit awkward.

Even though they were childhood friends, she couldn't deny that she used to bully him.

And since Alexander was always there on her birthdays, she never invited Henry, fearing what might happen if they met.

She hadn't planned to invite him this year either, but now he brought it up.

But inviting him to her birthday was out of the question; Alexander would lose it.

Desperately, she tried to find a middle ground, ""How about I get you something for your birthday? What do you want?""

Henry, understanding he couldn't attend her birthday party, replied flatly, ""Don't worry about it. My birthday's already passed, and I don't really celebrate it anyway.""

As she walked, she replayed her conversation with Henry in her mind.

Then it hit her—Henry's birthday was in the fall.

She remembered it so clearly because that fall, Alexander had once again tormented Henry, leaving him bruised and battered.

Scarlett naturally defended her son and didn't even give Henry a glance.

James offered only perfunctory words of comfort before turning away.

No kid, no matter how tough, could handle that kind of humiliation. Henry ran to his mom that day.

""That idiot, he's clearly not wanted, even by his own father. Does he really think his mother cares? If she did, why would she send him to live with the Andersons?"" Alexander had mocked.

""That woman kicked him as soon as she saw him and didn't even let him in the door. I heard he stood outside all night in the cold. At dawn, his mom sent him back, and he had a high fever that night. It's really pitiful."" Alexander had told this story as a joke to all his friends.

Everyone probably thought Henry's behavior was too foolish and laughed heartily.

But only Amelia stood there, not saying a word.

Henry must have been really sad back then, right?

As soon as Amelia returned to her dorm, her roommate Lily Brown immediately came over. ""Alexander called me early this morning asking where you were. What's going on? Did you guys have a fight?""

Amelia carefully hung the plush coat in the closet.

She suddenly thought of Henry's face and coughed to avoid the topic. ""No, I left alone after dealing with the situation last night. We were not together.""

Lily's eyes widened in surprise, looking at the large puddles outside, ""What do you mean! It rained so heavily last night, and he let you leave alone! This guy is too much!""

Amelia explained helplessly, ""We were never together. You know, he always saw me as a friend. He never expressed any other feelings.""

She thought her explanation was clear, but Lily looked unconvinced, ""Amelia! Don't lie to us! We all know about your relationship. Are we not good friends? Are you hiding something from me?""

Seeing everyone about to make a fuss, Amelia blushed anxiously and finally said, ""No, he already has a girlfriend. Last night, I went to the police station because he got into a fight with someone for his girlfriend! He slept with his girlfriend, and I found a hotel myself!""

As soon as she finished speaking, the lively dorm fell silent.

Not only Lily, but even the roommates who were busy with other things stopped in surprise.

They were trying to process what Amelia had just said.

After a minute of suffocating silence, Lily finally spoke with difficulty, ""He has a girlfriend?""

""Yes.""

""Have you met her?"" Lily pressed.

""Yes."""