Her Rebirth.

Amelia tossed and turned on her bed, the earlier events still reeling in her mind.

Kai, that asshole.

He was teasing her, and it was deliberate too.

She never knew that she, Amelia Valemont, was so easy to tease.

No, it wasn’t that she was easy to tease, it was because it was him doing it.

She knew this because, in her past life, she had been relentlessly pursued by countless suitors, all vying for her attention with extravagant bouquets, glittering jewelry, and insufferably cheesy lines. And yet, she had never once felt anything for them. If anything, their affections had only filled her with irritation and disdain.

So now, it was obvious that Kai was the cause.

Amelia patted her cheeks.

Calm down, Amelia. You need to calm down to think rationally.

And if there was anything rational to do, it was to leave here fast. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be long before she totally gave up and fell head over heels for him.

Fortunately for her, an apartment fell into her lap the moment she needed it.

That was the plausible solution. She couldn’t stay because if she did, what were the chances he felt for her what she felt for him? Besides, even if he did, what were the chances he wouldn’t come to love another along the way? The human heart was fickle, after all.

However, it seemed she had to stay for a while before she left. Kai’s birthday was approaching, and the thought of him celebrating alone, well...

She wasn’t heartless.

From what she had observed, he didn’t have many friends. Not that he seemed to care, but...

Still.

Amelia sighed.

Who was she to talk? It wasn’t like she was any better.

But she could plan a little birthday party... Invite that nice uncle, Kai seemed to cherish him. She could also invite his co-worker at the café, what was her name again? ...Annie.

Yes, that was it.

Just a small gathering.

Then, once it was over, she would leave.

---

"Miss Cosgrove, what do you have to say concerning the allegations against you?"

"Did you truly bully your stepsister, Lilac, because she was an illegitimate child?"

"Was it true you were kicked out of the Cosgrove family because you always bullied your stepsister?"

The conference room was suffocating with the sheer amount of flashing lights and interrogations from the journalists.

Amelia stood at the podium, her eyes cold and her posture elegant. She wore a black-and-white houndstooth suit, her long blonde hair cascading over her shoulders. On her feet were black Louboutin heels, ones worth thousands of dollars. She had not only prepared mentally, but she had also dressed accordingly.

Annoyed by the incessant noise, she glanced at the sea of eager faces before speaking in a commanding tone,

"One question at a time, please."

The crowd began to quiet.

Amelia lifted her chin slightly, looking utterly unbothered.

A journalist immediately raised their hand.

Amelia’s gaze fell toward them. "Go on."

The reporter cleared their throat. "What do you have to say about the allegations against you?"

Amelia’s lips curled slightly, though it felt more mocking than an actual smile.

"I never knew it was a crime to get angry."

The room became utterly silent.

She continued,

"To be specific, angry at my stepsister gossiping with her friends about how she had slept with my fiancé at the time."

A ripple of murmurs spread through the hall. Some reporters leaned in closer, recording every word. Seeing that she had their full attention, Amelia didn’t stop there.

"Perhaps I was wrong," she continued. "Maybe I should have confirmed whether she was forced into it."

She tilted her head slightly.

"Or maybe..." She let the words hang for a beat. "They simply loved each other so much that they decided to sleep together behind my back."

A wave of excitement coursed through the reporters. Pens scratched furiously against notepads, fingers flew over keyboards.

This was news. Pure, golden news.

Another journalist quickly raised their hand. "Are your allegations against Lilac true?"

Amelia tilted her head slightly.

"That can be easily investigated," she replied. "If anyone truly wants to know whether it’s true or not."

The reporters exchanged glances. It was a challenge, and obviously, they were going to take it.

The next question came almost immediately.

"What do you feel toward Lilac now?"

Amelia’s response was immediate.

"Nothing."

The reporters began murmuring again.

Then, with the faintest shrug, she repeated, "I don’t feel anything toward her."

It was the truth. She wasn’t Amelia Cosgrove, she was Amelia Volemont. So even though she had Amelia’s memories, she still wasn’t her. She personally hadn’t experienced what Amelia had. The emotions she felt toward Lilac, Ray, the whole Cosgrove family, weren’t hers, but Amelia’s. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

She, Amelia Volemont, felt nothing toward them.

The conference continued, and Amelia answered all questions smartly and calculatedly, never showing anything more than what she wanted them to see, never revealing anything she wanted to keep secret.

By the time it ended, the scandal had taken a new turn, one that no longer painted her as the villain of the story.

As the last camera flashes dimmed, Damien approached her.

"You did well," he said.

Amelia turned slightly toward him. Then, for the first time that evening, she allowed a small smile to form on her lips.

"Thank you."

Then, without another word, she walked ahead.

Damien watched her retreating figure with a longing gaze, then let out a sigh.

---

Lilac walked through the hallways, clutching her books. She could clearly hear the whispers of everyone around her. She had seen the interview last night, and as expected, her reputation had taken a deep dive.

Lilac, however, unlike what people thought, seeing her downcast, sorrowful expression, did not care one bit.

Instead, her mind was reeling with various ideas. She needed to see Amelia again.

She needed Amelia’s attention on her.

But when Amelia had said she felt nothing toward her, she felt enraged. Deep bitterness and anger burned within her.

How could she feel nothing.

Not hatred. Not anger. Not even disdain.

Lilac’s nails dug into her palms.

How dare she?

After everything she had done to her, after years of tormenting her, scheming against her, making her life hell, how could she simply not care?

Of course, her thoughts had gone to seducing Kai. It would be quite fun stealing her fiancé twice, but when she had seen him for the first time, she knew.

He was just like her.

No... they were the same.