In an elementary school, Vero had been registered as a new student. Amara was the one who transferred him, so she could reach him more easily. Yet strangely… Vero never protested. The boy was extremely obedient, even though he had never once called Amara Mommy.
Believe it or not, the oddness in her child disturbed her.
From afar, Vero walked alone without friends. Even though his steps never hesitated, he refused to approach the other children.
"How's the new school? Do you have friends yet, hm?" Amara asked when her son reached the car. She deliberately picked him up in the middle of her busy schedule, not wanting him to feel neglected.
"Just normal." Vero answered flatly, then entered the car and ignored Amara who smiled at him.
After getting inside, Amara turned back toward Vero. "Since you've been living with Mommy, you've never asked for anything. Are you still awkward? Ask for anything, sweetheart. Or… do you want to invite your classmates to your birthday later?"
"No need, it's troublesome. Besides, since when was my birthday ever celebrated…." Vero replied while looking out the car window.
The answer shocked Amara. Never celebrated a birthday? Richard… what had he been doing all this time? Amara grew angry on her own.
Vero was the first child, the one they had waited for so long.
"Then we'll do it this year! Mommy will rent a place—"
"I already said no. Don't you understand, Aunt?" For the first time Vero looked at Amara inside the car, clearly displeased.
"Mommy just wants to make you happy." Amara's voice softened, trying to reason with her son. "Anything, Vero… Mommy will do it as atonement for her mistakes toward you."
Vero fell silent, but his gaze had not left Amara.
"Why?"
"Is it true what people say… that Aunt is a former prisoner?" Vero asked.
"Where did you hear that?" It felt as if a huge rock crushed Amara's chest; the question finally came from Vero's mouth. "Are you being isolated at school because of that? Are you being bullied?"
Vero paused for a moment. "Now I know why I hate Aunt…."
Amara's eyes became wet. She could not hold this pain back. Truly, she had even been able to stop crying for Richard. But why did it have to be Vero?
Amara clenched her fists.
"Yes… you deserve to hate Mommy, Vero. But you should know, as we grow older, we'll be shown many kinds of people. And the people around Mommy weren't good people, until Mommy was framed and went to prison."
Amara gently stroked Vero's hair. The boy remained silent, as if unwilling to voice what he was thinking.
"Tell Mommy if someone bullies you, you don't need to hide it. Did Daddy ever talk about this? Or your Grandpa?" Amara asked.
When asked that, a movement flickered in Vero's eyes. The boy's hand immediately brushed Amara's hand off his shoulder.
"No. I heard it from someone else." After that, Vero looked away.
Amara could no longer ask anything. Why has my son become like this? Something is wrong, something happened while I wasn't with him.
Amara returned to her office after taking Vero home. But of course she couldn't sit calmly. Too much had happened, too many changes, as if everything had been carefully planned beforehand.
Amara's hand clenched again. She could not let this continue.
"Did you call for me, Madam?" Megan entered the room. The woman who was now Amara's personal secretary was always ready when needed.
"I want to take Vero to a psychologist, but I don't want Richard or his father to know about this."
"Did something happen, Madam?" Megan asked.
"There's something wrong with my son, Megan. But Vero never wants to talk." Amara looked at her. "Do you know what a seven-year-old child is like? They should be cheerful, playing, and have friends. But my child is different!"
Amara was driven by the pain in her heart after seeing Vero earlier.
"I can't relax with all these problems. Someone is deliberately playing with my life."
"I understand, Madam."
Amara was silent for a moment, then took a slow breath to calm herself.
"I want to reopen the case from seven years ago that caused me to be imprisoned. I want you to find out which authority handled that case. I heard… he was promoted afterward."
"Yes, Madam."
Megan finally left the room, leaving Amara alone with thoughts that never rested.
When leaving the room for other work matters, Amara didn't care how people reacted to her being newly released from prison.
Amara still had power, all of this was hers. They needed their jobs. They had no choice but to stay silent and pretend nothing happened. Yes — except for business competitors, that news became major material to bring her down.
"Amara…."
Someone called her, making her stop. It was Richard. The man stood not far from her, carrying a large box filled with his personal belongings from his office.
Today, Richard had officially relinquished his highest status as director.
"You've packed all your things? Good… next week the room will be filled by someone else."
"Do you have to be this cruel? You even took Vero…." Richard said with a sad expression. "We built our relationship from nothing, when I was nobody and you had just started your career in this company after your father died. You destroyed everything just like that without listening to my explanation?"
Amara was silent, not because she felt pity — but because of disgust that had exceeded its limit. Richard spoke as if the wounds Amara endured for years meant nothing.
"About our wedding photos, I planned to change them. After you got out of prison, I intended to make new ones, us wearing new wedding clothes, because you would start a new life, not as a former murderer."
Richard did not say Amara wasn't the murderer with that statement. Amara grew even angrier.
"About the empty wardrobe, I intended to buy new clothes. Everything about you must be new. Let's not remember that dark past."
Amara began to smile, laughing at herself.
"With all those changes… that means I'm forced to admit I killed my own uncle?" Amara asked. "This is what makes me even more disgusted, Richard. I just realized… I was once so foolish to believe your sweet promises and gentle tone."
"Amara, that's not what I meant." Richard stepped forward. "We can investigate it afterward, right?"
"How many times have you promised that, Richard? Did any of your words come true? All your actions are zero — in the end I was imprisoned with no dignity left."
Amara threw a sharp glare and slapped Richard's hand away until the box he held fell. Its contents scattered.
"You should be grateful I was generous enough to only fire you and let you live. If I find out you were involved in that case and let me rot in prison… I will personally give you hell, Richard."
After saying that, Amara left, followed by Megan behind her. Richard did nothing, but his thoughts became more chaotic.
Some time later, Richard finally arrived in front of Amara's new house. Now the situation had changed. Charlie was right — Amara was not the type of woman who would sit still.
Which meant Richard couldn't stay still either. The only connection between them.
"What a coincidence, the house is quiet…." Richard muttered as he got out of the car. He walked closer to the gate area which was taller than his body.
It seemed Amara deliberately built the fence this high so strangers couldn't enter. There was only a guard post beside the gate.
"I'm the husband of the homeowner. Let me in and open the door." Richard said to the guard.
"Mr. Richard?"
Richard nodded.
"You are forbidden to enter. This is a direct order from Mrs. Amara."
"Didn't you hear? I'm her husband, there's a child inside and that's my child too! Amara's orders shouldn't apply to me."
"I'm very sorry, sir. You cannot enter."
The security guard still refused permission.
"Damn it, is Amara really trying to remove me?" Richard stared at the gate once more. The main entrance was tightly closed. There was no other way — he had to look for Vero when he was outside the house.