"Amelia?" Donald's voice dripped with contempt. "She's nothing but a dirty ex. Don't ever say that name in front of me again."

Dirty.

But he had once said it himself: Amelia was Donald's whole world.

Four years ago, he got down on one knee and proposed, looking at her like she was the only person he'd ever love. Even on the day of the accident, he promised her a lifetime together.

Then everything changed.

A car crash wiped Donald's memory clean and left Amelia in a coma for two full years. She had thrown herself in front of the impact to save him. It nearly killed her.

When Amelia finally woke up, the man she had given everything to was already with someone else.

Even then, she refused to let go. She swallowed her pride and held on, enduring his growing coldness day after day.

Then last night, someone drugged her.

She woke up in Donald's bed and was immediately accused of throwing herself at him on purpose.

And now, at his birthday party, he was projecting her intimate photos onto the massive screen at the center of the venue. One after another, they cycled through on a loop.

Whispers cut through the room, sharp and vicious.

"Who knew she was such a shameless slut in private?"

Amelia dropped her gaze. She couldn't stop herself from asking the question.

Is this really what I've been fighting so hard to save?

Their mutual friend Henry lost it completely. "Are you out of your mind?"

He grabbed Donald by the shoulders and shook him. "She's your wife. She's only in that coma because she took the hit for you. And this is how you repay her?"

Donald shoved him off. The disgust on his face was impossible to miss.

"She drugged herself and climbed into my bed, and now she wants to play the victim? The security footage is clear. Nobody touched that drink except her."

The whispers in the room turned ugly again.

"Henry, calm down. This is Donald's birthday party. Don't ruin it over someone like her."

"Exactly. Amelia brought this on herself. Donald clearly can't stand her and she just won't take the hint."

"She was never good enough for him anyway. Not even close."

These people had once been her friends. After the coma, they all picked a side, and she was left standing alone.

Amelia took a slow breath. The trembling in her chest hardened into something steady. The pain went quiet, replaced by something colder and sharper.

She lifted her head and walked through the crowd. Eyes hit her from every direction like waves crashing in, one after another.

She stopped in front of Donald.

"Donald." Her voice was calm. Almost eerily calm.

She held out a document she had just signed.

"I want a divorce."

She managed a thin smile. "I've already filed a police report about the drugging. I expect them to investigate quickly. And for what you pulled tonight, I want a public apology."

A wave of gasps and murmurs rippled through the crowd.

"I wanted to save our marriage. But Donald, I am Amelia Johnson, and I would never drug anyone just to keep them. If you had even one shred of trust left for me, you would have looked for the truth instead of condemning me on the spot."

She didn't wait for a response. She turned and walked out with Henry at her side.

They were almost at the door when Carolyn appeared.

She wore an ivory coat and silver heels, her long curly hair falling past her shoulders. There was a quiet elegance about her that filled the space she stood in.

She saw Amelia's shattered expression clearly.

Carolyn pressed her lips together. "I don't believe you did it. Drugging someone isn't something you're capable of."

Amelia blinked. Then a small, unexpected laugh escaped her.

Not one single person had believed her. And now Carolyn did. Whether she meant it or not, she was the first one to say it out loud.

"Thank you," Amelia said quietly.

Then a voice broke through the moment.

"Carolyn!"

Donald crossed the room and pulled Carolyn into his arms, shooting a look of cold contempt at Amelia over her shoulder.

Since the drugging incident, Carolyn had been keeping her distance from him, even begging him to talk things through with Amelia. Desperate not to lose her, he had sworn that nothing had happened between him and Amelia, and he had worked hard to keep the two women apart.

He was terrified of what Amelia might say.

Carolyn stepped back from his arms and handed him a small gift. "I have a flight to catch. Big event tomorrow. I can't stay tonight."

She gave him a soft smile. "Happy birthday."

Donald didn't take the gift. He grabbed her hand like a drowning man clutching a rope. "Carolyn, please. Just stay tonight. I'll walk you out in the morning, I swear. There's something I need to tell you. Everyone here is family."

Amelia pulled her scarf tighter and kept walking, trying not to hear the softness in his voice when he spoke to her.

Carolyn watched Amelia go, then turned back to Donald. "I know what you planned tonight. I know all of it." She paused. "But Donald, I'm not ready. I don't want to marry you and then watch you get your memories back and resent me for it. Maybe even hate me."

Her voice was steady and clear. "If someday, even after your memories come back, you still choose me, I'll stay without hesitation."

Donald's jaw tightened. "Did Amelia say something to you?"

He didn't wait for an answer. He turned and stormed after Amelia, grabbing her by the shoulder and spinning her around.

"Bringing you out of Colorado was the biggest mistake of my life. Your father was a rapist, and you're just as filthy as he was."

Crack.

The sound of the slap split the air like a whip.

The entire room froze. No one could believe it. Quiet, gentle Amelia had just hit Donald across the face.

How dare Donald.

He knew. He knew exactly what those years in Colorado had cost her, how deep that wound ran. And he had reached in and torn it open just to use it against her.

Amelia's pale face lifted slowly. Her voice came out rough, scraped raw from everything she was holding back.

"We are done, Donald. Completely done."

"Donald, are you okay?" Carolyn's voice pulled him back.

His bloodshot eyes locked onto Amelia, burning with fury. He stepped toward her, but Carolyn seized his arm with both hands and held on with everything she had.

Henry moved fast, yanking Amelia behind him.

The adrenaline that had carried Amelia through the slap was already gone. Her legs gave slightly and she stumbled backward. Just as she was about to go down, a strong arm wrapped around her waist and held her up.