When Love Becomes a Cage (Melanie)

Was it Merritt's warning that did the trick? Clyde had been unusually quiet these days. Even at the office, he'd look the other way when our paths crossed.

Just when I thought he was done making my life difficult, Kayla decided to stir up some real trouble.

Aspire World had sent representatives. And she, for some reason, didn't bother to inform me and left them hanging in the conference room. When I got Vinson's text, I found out he and his team had been at our office for over an hour.

I rushed to the meeting room. "Vinson, you're with Aspire World?"

"I'm so sorry. My colleague didn't tell me you were here. I would've been here immediately if you'd texted me sooner."

Seeing him surrounded by his team, I could tell he held a position of authority. A part of me was secretly thrilled. If Vinson were in charge of the project, it'd be a cakewalk compared to dealing with Bill.

A young lady beside Vinson shot me a disapproving look. "Starting by name-dropping? Ms. Crawford, you made us wait this long. You think this will slide like that, huh? Last time, you made Mr. Jenkins wait, and now, Mr. Davis. What, is this your way of showing dominance?"

I put on my best apologetic smile and kept saying sorry over and over. With Vinson smoothing things over, the atmosphere lightened a bit.

That was when Lina walked in, arms laden with a dozen cups of coffee and a box of assorted pastries. "Sorry, everyone, Ms. Crawford insisted this bakery was worth the hype, so I queued up. My apologies for the delay. I got a variety of the most popular flavors and some pastries. Let's enjoy these while we talk."

I shot Lina a grateful look. She wiped the sweat from her brow and winked at me. The Aspire World team, mostly young folks, livened up with the offer of good food. "This coffee shop's the talk of the town. I couldn't even get in last time."

"It's easier to communicate with the younger crowd, no generation gap, similar tastes."

"Ms. Crawford did her homework. I haven't seen these pastries in the store before."Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

As I thought we were about to get down to business, oblivious to the room, Kayla barged in. "Already digging in? Are we here for a meeting or a feast?" She sneered at the spread on the table. "Melanie, this is what you serve your guests? Store-bought cakes that cost a few bucks? Embarrassing."

"Why don't you order us a Michelin-starred meal then?" I took a long sip of my coffee, feeling utterly content.

Before Kayla could retort, Vinson interrupted, "Ms. Osborne, right? We've been here over an hour, and you've been saying Mr. Patterson was unavailable. What's your point in showing up now? Trying to intimidate us?"

Vinson stood up, buttoning his suit jacket, his team following suit. "We'll take our leave if your company isn't interested in cooperating. Melanie, I'll cover the coffee and pastries so no one accuses you of misusing company funds."

"Mr. Russell must be joking. The Patterson Group can afford this little expense." Clyde entered with a forced smile, apparently unaware of Vinson's role with Aspire World, making his entrance somewhat awkward.

He glanced at me with a hint of disdain. "What's going on? Making our guests wait?"

"It's all Melanie's fault. I notified the Design Department, but she had someone queue up for snacks, causing the delay. Last time, she made Mr. Jenkins wait. Seems deliberate to me." Kayla was quick to clear her name and take a jab at me.

Her amateurish act didn't fool anyone. The Aspire World team members rolled their eyes.

We'd all been in the corporate world long enough to see through such antics.

But Clyde was blind to it, taking Kayla's word as gospel. "Melanie, be focused when discussing business. If Aspire World walks away, can you bear the responsibility? Will you compensate for the company's loss?"

I was tired of his ignorance. I would have never pursued him if he had always been so dense.

"Clyde, have you lost your mind? If I

knew Vinson was coming, I'd have been at the door to greet him. Do

you think I'd have him wait in the et

meeting room?" I glared at Clyde, adding, "Or maybe someone didn't want us to get divorced, intentionally keeping me from meeting Vinson?"

After all these years together, I knew how to push his buttons. Back then, I hardly gave Vinson a second glance, and Clyde would be jealous for ages. Even if Clyde didn't love me anymore, the idea of Mrs. Patterson caring for another man was more than he could stand.

As expected, he exploded the next second. "Melanie! Leave now. You're out of this project! Get out. Now."

Kayla smirked triumphantly behind him, but I rolled my eyes.

Vinson's calm voice filled the room as I was about to ensure I got my share of the initial commission. "If Ms. Crawford isn't heading up the Design Department's efforts, Aspire World will pull out of this collaboration." He smiled at Clyde, "You didn't think I came to the Patterson Group solely for you, did you?"