Since She Met Lucian

Amelia's face went red with panic.
"Johnny, I actually, um, I want to move out of here if that's okay," Amelia stuttered.
"You can't move out just yet. Now is not a good time," Jonny quickly replied.
"When I give birth, it will only bring us more trouble," Amelia argued. She didn't want to put Jonny in the middle of a scandal.
Moreover, she didn't want anyone to say anything spiteful about her child.
Jonny seemed to have read her mind. "You're worried there might be a scandal, so you want to end this relationship now," he
confirmed.
Amelia acknowledged that it was one of the reasons. She pursed her lips and tried to avoid Jonny's knowing look. But she
eventually turned to him and added firmly, "Please let me move out."
Jonny's face fell. After a moment of silence, he replied to Amelia, "I didn't realize you were so eager to be rid of me." A bitter
smile played on Jonny's lips. It made Amelia feel a tinge of guilt.
"Jonny, I didn't know I was pregnant. I was as clueless as you. Now, I just want to live a peaceful life alone and find work to
support myself and my baby." It was because she trusted Jonny that she felt comfortable to confess her honest thoughts.
"Amelia, do you really think that I'm less capable than Lucian of helping you? Did you think that those words won't make me
worry about you and your future?" Jonny looked at her with hurt in his eyes. He kept his voice low and yet Amelia heard the
concern in his tone.
Amelia fell speechless.
Perhaps it was because Jonny didn't want her to feel even more anxious that he reluctantly agreed. He added, however, "We
have to keep our relationship."
Amelia furrowed her brows in confusion. She didn't understand what Jonny meant.
He had already agreed to help her move out. Why did he still insist on maintaining their pretend relationship?
"I'll help you move out when the time is right. For now, you have to stay," Jonny replied grimly.
Jonny's words didn't make much sense to Amelia. She only nodded and said, "I hope you find your true love soon."

This way, she hoped that she wouldn't have to pretend to be his girlfriend anymore, and everyone would finally be happy.
"I already have someone I like," Jonny said gently.
"Really?" Amelia said with delight. Her face brightened up as she asked curiously, "Who is she? Why aren't you pursuing a
relationship with her?"
Jonny merely gave her a wry smile. "She doesn't love me." Jonny tried to hide his embarrassment by crossing his arms over his
chest. Amelia thought he looked uncomfortable.
"Well..." Amelia took Jonny's hand in hers. "It's not always easy finding a person you like, let alone having someone to share love
with."
Jonny nodded in agreement. He appreciated Amelia's efforts at comforting him and regretted that his words made her uneasy.
He gave her an effortless smile and said, "At least, you found Lucian."
Amelia couldn't understand why Jonny always brought up Lucian. She felt in her heart that she still loved him deeply, and that
tried as she did, she was far from over her relationship with him.
She didn't say anything after a long while. She only snapped back when Jonny stood up to leave. Amelia saw Jonny to the door
but before he could go, he turned to her and said, "Remember to eat the food I bought for you. If you really want to move out, I'll
help you find a place."
"Oh, don't worry about that. I've already decided where to stay. I want to continue living in the house I was renting before. Mrs.
Chen is very kind to me," Amelia replied.
Jonny said with a light smile, "Okay, if that's what you want, I won't stand in your way. But I hope nothing would change between
us. I hope you won't treat me as an outsider once you've left."
Amelia felt relieved after getting Jonny's approval. She smiled warmly and said, "Thank you, Jonny." She was grateful from the
bottom of her heart.
The next day, Amelia was back at Mrs. Chen's. She didn't have much stuff so it wasn't difficult for her to move out.
Jonny asked to drive her, but she politely declined his offer. She had just arrived at Mrs. Chen's when she received his call. She
reassured him that she was fine and that she didn't have much with her anyway so she didn't need his help.

"I'm so happy you're back, Amelia. I finally have someone to talk to again," Mrs. Chen welcomed Amelia with the warmest of
smiles.
"I'm so happy to be back, Mrs. Chen," Amelia replied with equal excitement.
Mrs. Chen helped her carry her things to her room. The old woman then called her to lunch once Amelia had finished unpacking.
"You should've let me prepare the food, Mrs. Chen. Isn't it hard to be up and about in your age?" Amelia said with
embarrassment once she saw the appetizing dishes spread on the table.
"Oh, nonsense! Doing these chores makes me feel useful. Come and let's eat," the old woman said enthusiastically. Her wrinkled
face showed nothing but joy.
Amelia took a seat and started eating with Mrs. Chen. In between mouthfuls, she declared, "By the way, Mrs. Chen, I'm
considering staying here for quite a while. Do you think it's easy to find a job nearby?" Amelia had been on the lookout for a job
since she came. Although the neighborhood was not as bustling as it was downtown, she hoped that it wouldn't be too difficult to
find employment considering that the area was right next to the city.
Mrs. Chen paused and thought about her question. Beaming, she finally said, "I think they're looking for a clerk down at the
supermarket. You may want to hand in your resume."
"Is that near?" Amelia thought that she'd accept anything as long as she was qualified for the job and it wasn't too far from the
house.
"Yes, it's about a five-minute walk from here," the old woman replied with glee. After a few moments, however, she cautioned,
"But that supermarket is huge. I don't think the work is going to be easy."
"It doesn't matter, Mrs. Chen. Anyway, no work is easy if one really wants to do a good job." Amelia dismissed her concern with a
smile.
The next morning, Amelia found the supermarket after following Mrs. Chen's directions. She noted the name printed on the
storefront's sign and realized that it had many store branches across the city. This branch was the largest in the area.
Amelia approached the information desk and asked to see the manager.
The manager was a middle-aged man with gold-rimmed glasses and a slightly bulging belly. When he saw Amelia come in, he
pushed his glasses up his nose and looked at her carefully. "What position are you applying for?" he asked.

Amelia smiled sweetly before handing him her resume. "I'm applying to work as a clerk, manager. Please have a look at my
resume."
"Amelia Mo..." The manager read her name aloud. He looked at her again and asked, "Why does your name sound familiar?"
Amelia's heart sank, remembering how Lucian searched every corner of the city looking for her when she left SJ Garden. He
even went as far as placing ads on newspapers and on TV. No wonder the manager knew her name.
But Amelia had already prepared for this scenario. She confidently replied, "Yes, I have the same name as the girl they were
looking for in the papers some time ago. But I'm not as lucky as her. My husband is just an ordinary employee in a small
company. And yet we're very happy."
The manager looked at her and nodded, seeming to believe everything she said. He added, "You have the same name and you
look like her, too!"
Amelia felt nervous but she tried her best to keep her composure. She chuckled softly and joked, "Maybe we're sisters separated
at birth. But that's impossible. I've always been my parents' only child."
Even Amelia was surprised by how well she was able to invent her new identity. She felt a bit proud for getting better at lying.
She placed her hands behind her back and crossed her fingers.
"This job may look easy but I assure you that it is not. Do you think you have what it takes to do it?" Going over her resume, the
manager saw that Amelia only filled out one row for her working experience. He worried that she didn't have adequate
background to do a good job.
Wishing to keep a low profile, she didn't include Zhan Group in her list of previous employment.
"Manager, I know I don't have much experience, but I promise you that I work hard and I trust your judgment," Amelia said firmly.
Her face lit up into a confident smile.
"You're smart. I haven't even nodded my head," the manager said flatly, but Amelia thought she saw the faint trace of a smile on
his lips. "Well, we'll try you out for three days, after which, we'll see if you can really handle this job. If you pass, you'll sign a
contract."
"Thank you very much for this gracious offer!" Amelia had never felt comfortable with flattery, but she really wanted the job
because it was not far from the house she rented.

That night, Amelia shared the happy news with Courtney. She initially thought that Courtney would be happy for her, but
Courtney scolded her from the other end of the line, "Amelia, are you insane? You're pregnant! What's the matter with you?"
Amelia was so surprised, she almost threw her phone. After Courtney finished scolding, Amelia replied calmly, "Who says
pregnant women can't work?"
Amelia knew that it was good for pregnant women to go about and keep active. She also didn't want to stay cooped up in the
house all day.
"At least, find a different job. You don't want to work in a supermarket! People can be mean towards clerks. And you're soft,
Amelia! I don't think you can handle it," Courtney said sourly, as if she had often witnessed clerks getting treated poorly.
"It's not as bad as you say it is, Courtney. Besides, I need this job to support myself. It's going to be fine," Amelia refuted.
"Alright, alright! I know how stubborn you can get. It's useless for me to say anything if you've really made up your mind. Just
take care of yourself, okay?" Courtney accepted that there was nothing she could say to change Amelia's mind, but she was
terribly worried for her friend. "I'm just concerned about you, you know? You live alone and have no one to take care of you."
"Mrs. Chen has been nothing but nice to me. Besides, I'm not a kid anymore, Courtney. I can take care of myself." Amelia
understood that Courtney was only looking out for her and she greatly appreciated her for it.