Amelia couldn't remember being this happy all her life. She never liked the summer since her mother's death, but now everything changed. The hot sun or the gloomy sky didn't bother her anymore.

Antony would wake her up in the morning with sweet kisses and warm milk. Every morning she made calls to friends and family. The afternoons were spent leisurely swimming in the pond or reading a book. The evenings were for riding with Antony or a stroll down the garden or candle-lit dinner on the floating deck.

The nights were a different story, though. If anyone would ever mention Antony was gentle, Amelia was ready to choke them with her own hands. He was an absolute caveman who pounced on her. He was a man of large appetite, she had no other words to describe him. She stopped being embarrassed by all the marks he left on her.

She was absolutely in love with Antony; she knew she didn't have his heart, but she was willing to compromise and have the rest of him. She had spent her whole life in hate and misery, so she promised herself not to dwell on things she couldn't change.

"What is eating you? You look like you are constipating. Just spit it out," Amelia said irritably. Antony has been looking at her with an equal amount of worry and determination for the past half hour.

"If it's the new weird thing you wanted to do the other day, I am not doing it. So save it," she added.

"It's not that," he said, turning red. Antony was always such a tease. He was very sensitive when talking about 'the' thing.

"Then, what is it? I am telling you, Marcus is such a bad influence on you. You should stop seeing him often."

He mumbled something in the lines of friendship-women-can't-understand.

Amelia rolled her eyes, "Antony, I promise I won't explode. Tell me what it is."

"I invited my mother to stay with us."

"Oh!" The news didn't make Amelia explode, but just her heart ache.

"Patrick can't be apart from her-"

"Mmm," she knew what was coming next.

"The whole family agreed to stay for a couple of days," he finished with reluctance.

She knew what 'The whole family' meant. When Antony was presumed dead, Matilda took care of Antony's mother, Alice. Mrs. Alice was the one who encouraged Matilda to marry Hugo. Patrick, Matilda's first son, was so fond of Mrs. Alice that she refused to move in with Antony even after he pleaded multiple times.

"Okay."

"Are you? I mean-"

"I am going to bed."

Amelia pretended to sleep as Antony came closer and hugged her from behind.

"I am sorry," he mumbled and tried to kiss her. She couldn't bear to receive his kiss, she scooted away avoiding him.

"You don't have to feel sorry, she is your mother. If she still feels uncomfortable around me, I can stay with my father for a few days," she mumbled, turning her back to him.

"She would want to get to know you."

"Yes, absolutely," she said with sarcasm. With the spectacle they made on the wedding day, Mrs. Alice must have permanently hated Amelia.

When Antony inched closer to her, she scooted further away.

"I won't kiss you if you don't want me to. Please, just let me hold you," Antony pleaded.

"Antony, do you love me?" Amelia asked. Antony did not see it coming. He remained motionless trying to figure out the question.

"I want to be alone tonight," she said and left their bedroom.