When Love Becomes a Cage (Melanie)

I never really took the whole debacle to heart. It was the Pattersons who should've been sweating bullets, not me.

Clyde's scandal was bound to ding the stock market, and the Pattersons' fortune would take a hit.

After all, it's just me now. No family left to fret over.

But just as I was leaving the hotel that morning, a group of guys blocked my path.

"Ma'am, the boss wants you back home," the lead guy, Merritt's chief of security, informed me. Seems Merritt Patterson got wind of the scandal too. After the last incident, he'd been unusually fixated on online chatter.

I hopped into the car without protest and shot Vinson a quick text to say I'd be skipping work. I also messaged Clyde: not my circus, not my monkeys.

As I arrived at the Patterson Mansion, Merritt looked like he'd swallowed a whole bottle of antacids. The man was not in good shape.

"Melanie! Look at the mess you've created!"

Lucia charged at me as if she was going to take a swing. I sidestepped, and she nearly took a tumble.

"You dare dodge?"

"If I didn't, you'd be up for assault."

I faced her with a blank stare.

To an outsider, you'd think she genuinely cared for Clyde. In reality, she just couldn't stand me.

Evelyn came over, trying to defuse the situation with a puzzled look. "Melanie, there's got to be some misunderstanding. Why would you and that Russell kid end up in a...?" She couldn't even bring herself to say "hotel room."

I glanced at the fuming Merritt. "Nothing happened between us. He just lent me his room key and left the hotel. There's surveillance footage to prove it."

It wasn't hard to verify with all the 24/7 shops around. Clearing my name was easy. Clearing Clyde's, however, was another story.

Lucia, still smarting from the earlier snub, jumped in. "Just because you say so? What good is surveillance? Everyone already labels you as fickle!"

"And why no kids after all this time married to Clyde? Didn't want to have his babies?"

"Did Clyde ever wrong you? Remember when you were abroad, and your family had that accident? He almost..."

"Lucia! This is my family matter. Stay out of it!"

Clyde rushed in, immediately shielding me.

But my gaze remained locked on Lucia. What had Clyde done for me when I was in trouble?

I bit back the questions, knowing it wasn't the right time.

Clyde faced Merritt, then knelt. "Grandpa, I was looking for Melanie

el

too, yesterday. There's nothing going on between her and Vinson."

"I know what kind of person Melanie is. But you? What's this with you and Kayla?"

Merritt attempted to rise, leaning on his cane, but Laird quickly supported him.

"Uncle Merritt, it's normal for men to play around a bit," he chimed in, barely hiding his schadenfreude.

"But if it affects the company, that's another story. Especially after the last scandal."

Lucia, seizing her moment, added, "Uncle, this is serious. Shareholders are asking questions. How are we supposed to know?"

Merritt, boiling with rage, banged his cane on the floor. "Enough!"

"Clyde, you have three days to clean up this mess. And you two need to start a family. Nothing silences rumors like a baby."

The topic of kids came up again, and I couldn't help but lower my gaze, wishing to avoid that conversation entirely.

But there was another solution no one dared mention. Divorce.

Clyde

leave me for Kayla,

girl"

proving his love for a "common, over a marriage of convenience. The

public eats up a love story that.

After being lectured by everyone, Clyde finally took me home.

On the way, Lucia's words nagged at me. "Clyde, she mentioned you looked into my dad's accident?"

"Yeah, it was an accident."

He was emotionless, clearly not eager to dredge up the past.

I sensed there was more to it but let it go when he changed the subject.

"Don't worry, I'll handle this. Just play along for now."

"Kayla... I'll deal with her."

It was the first time he'd ever mentioned handling his affairs. He usually kept me out of it.

He reached for my hand without

looking at me. "I know you're upset,

I we're r

in a rush. The baby

Wk

thing, we can talk about it later."

As we pulled into the garage, he gave me a gentle look.

I pulled away, "Clyde, I can't just....."Please check at N/ôvel(D)rama.Org.

"Let's go home."

He was out of the car and headed for the elevator before I could respond.