Chapter 7

Amelia's lips curled into a wry smile, ridiculing herself for still harboring such unrealistic fantasies. Sierra saw Amelia standing to the side, her eyes sparkling as she turned toward Amelia with a grin. "Ms. Caldwell, Matt's taking me to the new theme park today. Why don't you come along?" Matthew immediately objected and questioned, "Why bring her? I don't want to." Sierra shook his arm playfully. "It's more fun when there are more people. And I'm not blaming Ms. Caldwell for what happened last time. You should also try interacting more with other people, Matt." Matthew fell silent for a moment and, surprisingly, didn't argue further. Amelia's heart trembled sharply once again. Matthew had truly been conditioned to accept anything Sierra asked without hesitation. Amelia hadn't wanted to go, but she didn't want to create more trouble by refusing, so she silently followed along. At the theme park, Sierra was unusually excited, dragging Matthew onto every ride, and his attention remained firmly on Sierra. He went with her on the carousel and roller coaster rides he had previously found either too noisy or beneath his interest. When they passed the haunted house, Sierra's eyes lit up with great interest. Amelia couldn't help but caution him. "Matthew, you might not be suited for such intense attractions…" One of the symptoms of his autism was becoming overwhelmed in chaotic or overstimulating environments. However, Matthew's expression only darkened when he saw Sierra's crestfallen expression. He shot Amelia a cold glance and snapped, "That's none of your business." Then, he actually went and bought tickets with Sierra and walked into the haunted house. With no other choice, Amelia sighed and followed them. Inside, the lighting was dim, the sound effects were terrifying, and "monsters" jumped out at every interval. Sierra kept screaming and constantly burrowed into Matthew's arms. Though he was somewhat stiff, he never let her out of his protective hold. Amelia followed silently behind, feeling as though the couple in front of her—holding each other tightly—were from a different world. As they reached a corner, a staff member dressed as a zombie suddenly lunged at Sierra from behind. She let out a piercing scream, jerked backward, and her elbow accidentally smacked Amelia squarely in the eye. Caught off guard, Amelia stumbled backward, her hip slamming into a decorative rock formation with sharp edges. Intense pain shot through her instantly. She gasped, doubling over, and felt warm blood soak through the fabric of her dress. Sierra, seemingly only realizing what had happened, asked in a tearful voice, "Ms. Caldwell? Are you okay? What happened?" But Amelia was in too much pain to speak. Hearing no response, Sierra immediately began to sob. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to… I was just so scared… Matt, it really wasn't on purpose…" Matthew pulled her into his arms, comforting her softly. "I know. I know." Then, he turned to look at Amelia, who bent over and looked pale. His tone was laced with clear displeasure. "Sisi has already apologized. What more do you want?" Amelia stared at the man who couldn't tell right from wrong. The chill in her chest burned sharper than the pain in her hip. She forced herself to stand upright despite the agony, shook her head, and said hoarsely, "Nothing. I'm fine." Once they exited the haunted house, Matthew and Sierra walked on ahead and continued to the next attraction, seemingly forgetting Amelia even existed. Because of the injury to her hip, Amelia walked slowly, and she gradually fell far behind. Watching their figures fade into the sunset and seeing the gentle, focused look—a tenderness she had never experienced—in Matthew's eyes as he tilted his head to listen to Sierra, Amelia suddenly felt utterly exhausted. She stopped, took out her phone, and sent Matthew a text. "I'm not feeling well. I'll head back first." Then, she turned, alone, wincing with each step as she slowly walked toward the exit to find a pharmacy to treat the bruised and swollen wound on her hip.