Chloe felt like she had entered a misty labyrinth, making it difficult for her to see the path forward. As they were about to leave, a woman from the school approached them.
"Excuse me, are you two related to Amelia Madison?" the woman asked.
Chloe stared at the woman but did not answer directly, "What's it to you? Do you need something?"
"I mean no harm. I'm Amelia's high school classmate. After graduating from college, I returned to the school to work as a teacher. I overheard this young lady inquiring about Amelia's whereabouts in the office earlier," the woman paused for a moment, then continued, "Are you friends with Amelia?"
"Yes," Chloe replied.
"Have you...noticed that something’s off about Amelia?" the woman hesitated.
Chloe and Emily exchanged glances before sitting back down.
"Yes, we have. If you have time, we can sit down and talk in detail," Chloe suggested.
The woman nodded gratefully. "Yes, I've noticed it too. After Amelia came back from abroad, she seemed like a completely different person. She's forgotten many things and even looks different from before. It's quite strange, don't you think so?"
At this point, Chloe had confirmed her suspicions. The Amelia beside Nathan was not the real Amelia. Before parting ways, Chloe and Amelia's former classmate exchanged numbers.
In the afternoon, Joseph brought Chloe to the hospital for her follow-up checkup. The doctor mentioned that her condition had improved slightly but they had yet to achieve the expected result since her medication had to be cut back due to her pregnancy.
As they were leaving the hospital, they bumped into Xavia, who was there for her regular prenatal checkup. It had been a few days since Xavia last saw Joseph. When she spotted him, a trace of guilt flickered through her eyes. She immediately placed her hand on her large belly and walked toward him.
"Why are you at this hospital for your prenatal checkup?" Joseph asked, furrowing his brow upon seeing her.
"Have you forgotten, Joe? You booked me a postnatal care center nearby, so this hospital is more convenient," Xavia explained while walking toward him.
"I'm going to head to the car first." Chloe ignored Xavia and walked away.
Xavia was taken aback and forced out a smile. "Looks like Ms. Chloe still doesn't like me."
Joseph did not want to waste his time on Xavia either. While checking the time on his wristwatch, he said, "I have to go to the office. You go ahead with your checkup."
Amelia smiled sweetly. She told Nathan she needed to use the restroom, and Chloe followed her. When Amelia noticed Chloe, she did not show any signs of surprise, simply nodding slightly and continuing to wash her hands.
Chloe tensed up when she noticed a red birthmark on Amelia's exposed arm, which was identical to the one Ava had.
"You’re Ava!" Chloe pointed at the birthmark. Like a beast ready for battle, her hair stood on end.
Amelia noticed her gaze and turned her head slowly. With a smile on her face, she said, "That's right, I am Ava. So what? What can you do to me? I remember everything you did back then. This time, I will have my revenge."
Chloe protected her belly and quickly retreated, wanting to return to Joseph. Ava smirked coldly and did not move to stop her. Instead, she turned around and smashed her head into the sink. Enduring the pain, she deliberately messed up her hair.
Upon Chloe's return with Joseph and Nathan’s group, Ava was lying on the floor with a red welt on her forehead. They all stood frozen, and memories of Serenity's death flooded their minds.
Serenity, too, had been lying on the floor, motionless, like a sleeping beauty as blood flowed from her head.
Nathan acted swiftly, pushing the crowd aside and cradling Amelia in his arms as he desperately rushed toward the hospital.
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