When Love Becomes a Cage (Melanie)

Taking the day off anyway, I decided to crash back into my room and sleep. The second round of chemo hit harder than the last, leaving me wondering whether it was out to kill the cancer or me. The side effects had me feeling sick for a while, followed by a nosebleed. It felt like an eternity of discomfort before I finally adjusted to the ordeal about an hour later.

After a shower, I collapsed on my bed. With Clyde out of the picture, the world seemed eerily quiet, and I drifted into a restless sleep.

Unfortunately, Clyde's persistence knew no bounds as he appeared at Jade's place.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

First, I heard the endless ringing of the doorbell, which quickly escalated to pounding on the door. "Melanie, Melanie! I know you're in there. Open up!"

Thankfully, it was daytime, so no neighbors had come to complain yet.

Despite feeling awful, I managed to open the door. "What do you want?"

He seemed stunned by my appearance, his mouth opening, and closing without a word for a moment.

I tried to close the door, but he quickly stopped it with his hand. "Melanie, let's talk."

I considered slamming the door on his fingers but eventually decided against it.

When he tried to step forward, I blocked the entryway. "Let's talk here."

He hesitated, but seeing my insistence, he stuttered, "Melanie, are you sick? It wasn't Jade who went for a check-up today. It was you, wasn't it?"

Suddenly, he seemed to put two and two together, though not quite sharp enough or perhaps not genuinely concerned. Had he bothered to visit the hospital or pull some strings, he would've known it wasn't just a check-up. But he didn't, choosing instead to confront me, proving he hadn't even been to the hospital.

I couldn't be bothered to explain. "Yeah, just low blood sugar and too much stress. I'll feel better in a couple of days if you and Kayla keep your distance. If you finish talking, you might as well leave."

I tried to shut the door, but he was far stronger than me, making it impossible. For some reason, he was adamant about not letting me have my way today.

Leaning forward, he exerted pressure against the door. "Melanie, you forgot Grandpa wants us back at the Patterson Mansion. It's not convenient for you and Jade to live together. Come home with me." He cleared his throat awkwardly.

I made sure he couldn't enter. Yet, he didn't back down, as if determined not to leave without my agreement.

Eventually, I caved, "Just wait at the door. I'll be out in a moment."

Having promised Merritt, I felt obliged to comply. After all, the company's anniversary was around the corner, and we could part ways after that without much fuss.

Besides, I didn't want Clyde to cause a scene that Jade would have to deal with.

The ride back was silent. I kept my eyes closed, resting, fearing I might pass out. Thankfully, the journey was uneventful, and upon arriving at the Patterson Mansion, only Evelyn was there. The rest of Laird's annoying family had left.

Seeing us arrive together, Merritt looked somewhat pleased. "Nothing beats a united front. You two looking cozy together will squash any rumors. Just ensure you're ready for the anniversary celebration. No embarrassments."

Evelyn watched us with a smile,

occasionally chiming in. Of course,

she'd love for me, the sickly, non-pregnant woman, to remain Mrs. Patterson. Once Clyde was out of the picture, their families could easily divide the assets. Bus

would be disappointed. Our divorce was imminent.

I greeted them and headed straight to my room. I brought along pain medication this time, ensuring a peaceful sleep.

But Kayla wasn't interested in sleeping, or perhaps she just wanted Clyde's company.

At around eleven at night, she called, crying. "Clyde, I had a nightmare. I'm so scared. Can you come over? I think I sprained my ankle. It hurts so much that I can't move."

I lay on the other side of the bed, motionless.

Clyde carefully got out of bed, whispered a few words of comfort, and quickly dressed himself to leave the mansion.

As he left, I happened to be downstairs getting water.

Evelyn was also awake, opening her door as I passed, sharing a knowing smile. "Clyde's heading out this late? Couldn't it wait till morning?"

I just smiled and said nothing. We both knew the game. There was no point in lying.

Evelyn came down and poured me a glass of warm water. "Melanie, men will be men. Don't take it to heart. Affections are secondary. You know what truly matters. He's trying you over and even ordered gemstone jewelry and a

nove win

custom-made gown. You've got to

give him credit for that."

She leaned in, whispering, "A gemstone jewelry set worth over ten million, what could be more sincere?"

She raised her eyebrows, smiling, then turned to head upstairs.

I downed the water in one gulp.

Evelyn was right. Wearing millions worth of jewelry, given my status, wasn't so bad.

With no love left between me and Clyde, it all came down to his spending.