Karma Doesn’t Sleep: The Revenge Queen Rises novel Chapter 16

Diana tugged Amelia into a chair at the table.

Amelia stared at the spread in front of her—every single dish was something she loved. Her nose prickled, and for a moment she thought she might cry, but instead, a soft warmth filled her chest.

“Thank you, Diana.”

Diana rolled her eyes with a smile and reached over to gently pinch Amelia’s cheek. Her gaze was full of tenderness and fierce protectiveness. “Seriously, what are you thanking me for? Just eat up, okay? Get strong, get healthy, and kick that bastard Clive out of your life for good. Worst-case scenario, I’ll take care of you! I won Best Actress at the Golden Palm last year, you know. Supporting my best friend? Piece of cake!”

Amelia laughed, the sound genuine. She really was happy for Diana—winning that award had always been her dream.

“Congratulations, Diana. You did it.”

But Diana’s smile faded as she looked at Amelia, her eyes clouded with worry. “Amelia, if you hadn’t stayed for Clive seven years ago...”

“Diana.” Amelia cut in gently. “There’s no point looking back. I’m in control of my own life, and I can always change it if I want. I will divorce Clive. Just not yet. If I want to get custody of the kids, there’s a lot I still need to prepare. I’ll probably need your help.”

The Salmeron family was old money in Alson Creek—powerful and untouchable. Clive had always looked perfect on paper: the youngest board director in Cloudcrest history, movie-star handsome, the ideal husband, the perfect dad. Everyone worshipped him.

The worst part was, Amelia had helped build that perfect image—brick by brick.

She knew getting the kids away from the Salmerons wouldn’t be easy.

Diana squeezed her hand. “Amelia, I’m always here for you. No matter what.”

Amelia had never doubted that.

After dinner, when they’d eaten their fill, Diana slid her phone across the table.

“Amelia, check this out. I found Kristen’s secret Twitter account.” Diana sighed, her expression a mix of guilt and anger. “You should see for yourself.”

They’d known each other since university? All this time, Amelia had believed Kristen was just an assistant Clive had hired to help her out when she was pregnant. She remembered them acting like strangers in front of her, pretending they’d just met.

Diana was livid. “Kristen... She’s such a snake. She was in the same college with Clive. They were close even back then!”

Amelia stared at the latest photo, a bitter smile twisting her lips. “More than just close, it looks like.”

In the picture, Kristen was leaning against Clive’s shoulder, taking a selfie. Clive looked half-awake, his eyes soft and dreamy, gazing at Kristen like she was the only person in the world.

The caption read: [He came to the hospital on my birthday just to take care of me and brought me a scarf. Thank you!]

When Amelia saw the date, it was like all the air had been sucked out of her lungs. The past hit her like a slap.

Amelia recognized the scarf Kristen was wearing immediately. She’d stayed up all night to knit it for Clive, pouring her heart into every stitch.