Chapter 3 Amelia faked a nervous look . " This … this is right . She's not just your wife -she's also my teacher . How could I hit her ? " " Then let the bodyguard handle it , " Edgar replied softly , though what he said was anything but kind . " That way , it won't cause you any problems . " Stephanie's eyes widened in disbelief . She stared at the man who once swore he'd protect her . " Edgar , do you even hear yourself right now ? " He didn't even glance at her . Instead , he motioned to the bodyguard behind him . " Go ahead . Two tall bodyguards stepped forward and shoved Stephanie against the wall . Smack ! The first blow made her ears ring like crazy . Her mind drifted to a stormy night years ago Edgar had stood between her and the people who were bullying her , shouting , " If anyone touches her , I'll make sure they regret it for life ! " Smack ! The second slap snapped her back . Blood spilled from her mouth , streaking her pale lips . Through her blurred vision , she saw Edgar covering Amelia's eyes like he didn't want her to see it . He even whispered something that made Amelia giggle and lightly smack his chest . *** ز Chapter 3 11 282 Vouching By the time the tenth slap landed , Stephanie felt nothing . She slumped to the ground , with the students ' suppressed gasps ringing in her ears . In her blurred vision , she saw Edgar turn to Amelia with a gentle smile . " Let's go . I'll take you to eat your favorite seafood . " Whispers spread through the corridor . " Poor Ms. Sanchez … " " How could Mr. Ferguson do this ? " " That girl is so disgusting . It's obvious that she slapped herself ! " Stephanie gripped the wall to pull herself up . Her cheeks burned , and walking felt like knives were slicing into her . But the physical pain didn't compare to what she felt inside , like someone had ripped open her chest . She used to think that even if Edgar stopped loving her , he'd at least remember everything they'd been through . But for Amelia , he let someone slap her in public ten times . The wind stung her face as she left the campus . She winced and gasped in pain . When she got home , she stood in front of the mirror , staring at her pitiful reflection . Her face was puffy , and dried blood clung to the corners of her lips . She let out a sudden laugh . As she laughed , tears streamed down her face . It took Stephanie three days to recover enough to show her face on campus again . As soon as she walked into the office , her department head called out to her . " Stephanie , Amelia didn't show up for several of her midterms . Since 15:02 Chapter 3 you're her class teacher , please follow up . " Stephanie pulled up Amelia's Instagram . The latest post was a photo from an auction , with a huge diamond necklace around her neck . The caption read , " Mr. Ferguson says this necklace was made for me . " 11 288 : 270chers Scrolling through , Stephanie saw them in luxury spots - speedboat rides , fancy restaurants , horse ranches , and so on . She gave Amelia a call . " Hello ? " Amelia answered , cheerful as ever . " Oh , hi , Ms. Sanchez ! " " You missed a few exams , " Stephanie said in a flat tone . " The department head asked me to check on you . " " Oh , that ! " Amelia giggled . " It's just some tests , right ? સાચી માને ધ P Stephanie set the phone down with a bitter smile . She didn't follow up afterward . When she returned home in the evening , she saw Edgar in the front yard teaching Amelia how to drive . Chapter 3 π verwonding " Keep the wheel steady . Don't be nervous , " he said , leaning in close . " I'm right here . " The scene made Stephanie's chest ache . He used to say the same thing to her when she learned to drive . Back then , she nearly crashed into a barrier . Edgar had just laughed , pinched her cheek , and told her , " What are you scared of ? I'm right here . " Now , he was saying those words to someone else . " Go ahead . Give it a try . " Edgar stepped back . Amelia hesitated . " What if I hit someone ? " " It's fine , " Edgar said , brushing her hair . " I'm here . " That was when Amelia hit the gas - and suddenly veered straight toward Stephanie . Bang ! Stephanie was knocked off her feet and hit the ground hard . Blood pooled beneath her , turning the concrete red . Through the pain , she saw Edgar running - but not to her . He wrapped his arms around the shaken Amelia . " Are you hurt ? That must've scared you . " Stephanie lay motionless in her blood , her vision going dark . *** When she regained consciousness , she was in a hospital bed . 15:02 Chapter 3 258 Vouchers " You're finally awake . " Edgar stood beside her like nothing had happened . " The doctor said you cracked a few ribs . Don't go to college for now . Just rest . " Stephanie tried to speak , but the pain was so bad that she couldn't get the words out . Her eyes filled with tears as she stared at him . ' Amelia didn't mean to , " Edgar said . " She just started learning and got nervous . " " She … did it … on purpose … " Stephanie forced the words out , her voice strained with pain . " I … wasn't even … close to her … " Edgar's expression hardened . A flicker of annoyance crossed his face . " What do you want then ? "