(The Remains of Summer) Chapter 5
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Amelia looked at him. He’d clearly raced back, his coat soaked through, his
face etched with panic.
“How did you find out?” she asked quietly.
“It’s all over social media. It’s trending.”
Before she could respond, he pulled her into a tight embrace, his voice
trembling with fear.“Amelia, what does this mean? Are you leaving me? Are you
breaking up with me?”
“What did I do wrong? Don’t leave me. I’ll change, I’ll do anything.”
His voice cracked with desperation.
She stared blankly ahead, a flicker of self–mockery in her eyes. If he was so
terrified of losing her, why keep another woman?
Was he that confident in his deception? Or did he think she was too stupid
to notice?
He was panicking just because he sensed her leaving.
She couldn’t wait to see his reaction to her “death.”
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Gently pushing him away, she spoke calmly.“It’s not what you
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think. I just
didn’t want them anymore. We’re getting married anyway. Why would I leave
you? Have you done something wrong?”
Relief washed over Ethan, then froze as her last question hit him.
He gripped her hands, his voice urgent.“No, baby, I swear I haven’t done
anything to hurt you. You know how much I love you.”
bed.”
Amelia gave a small, strained smile. “Then why worry? It’s late. I’m going to
She turned and left him standing there, his heart pounding. He told himself
it was just pre–wedding jitters.
Soon she would be his wife.
Nothing would change. Nothing could change.
Ethan’s anxiety persisted. He stayed with her all night, unable to sleep.
As dawn broke, his phone buzzed. He glanced at it, and the last vestiges of
sleep vanished. He kissed the sleeping Amelia and quietly slipped out of bed.
Amelia opened her eyes the moment he left. She glanced at her own phone.
A message from the agency: They’d found a suitable body, a near–perfect
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<<The Remains of Sum…
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double. They’d made the necessary adjustments. Could she come to the morgue
for a final check?
In the morgue, the body lay still. If Amelia hadn’t been standing there, alive,
she would have believed it was her.
Ethan wouldn’t suspect a thing.
Everything was ready.
After speaking with the agency representative, she headed back downstairs.
Passing the maternity ward, she glanced inside.
And froze.
Ethan was carefully guiding a very pregnant Chloe out of an exam room, his
face beaming with paternal joy.
Chloe was pregnant?
Ethan’s child?
They were having a baby?
Amelia didn’t know how she got back to the house.
The house was dark, illuminated only by the faint glow of her phone screen.
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<<The Remains of Sum…
Just as it was about to go dark, a text message popped up. From Chloe.
It was a photo of a sonogram. And a livestream link.
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[I’m pregnant, three months along. The father is thrilled. We’re celebrating
with our fans tonight. Join us if you’re happy for us!]
Numbly, Amelia pressed the record button as she clicked the link.
Chloe, radiant in a maternity dress, appeared on screen, waving the
sonogram, sharing her joy with her followers. The comments section overflowed
with congratulations.
belly.
Then, a familiar hand appeared, resting possessively on Chloe’s swollen
