When Love Becomes a Cage (Melanie)

Leaving the Patterson Mansion, the Laird and Eaton families were still lingering.

Merritt told us to head out first, mentioning that Kayla was staying over at his place and he'd handle the rest.

Frankly, I was over listening to their bickering. Merritt had made his decision, and there was nothing more to be said.Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Sitting in the car, Clyde cautiously asked, "Heading back to Jade's?"

"Let's just go home."

I stared out the window, avoiding his gaze.

He seemed taken aback for a moment, then quickly nodded.

"Alright, let's go home. It's best we head home!"

Throughout the drive, he kept trying to make conversation, but I was in no mood to talk.

He wanted to know what Merritt and I had discussed, but I didn't want to share.

Truth be told, I had many more questions, but I was just too exhausted.

As soon as we got home, he wrapped his arms around me tightly.

"Melanie, I know you're mad at me, but please, can you give me another chance?"

"Let's not divorce. As long as we don't divorce, you can do whatever you want, okay?"

He rambled on in my ear, and I was truly annoyed.

"Fine, we won't divorce."

"What did you say?"

"If you want a divorce, that's fine too."

I looked at him expressionlessly, then he suddenly perked up.

“Honey, you gotta believe me, I'll treat you right, no more drama.”

"Thank you, babe, for giving me another chance. I really appreciate it!"

He hugged me tightly, kissed me fiercely, and then quickly dug into his pocket, pulling out our wedding rings.

"Babe, since we're not divorcing, shouldn't you..."

Before he could finish, I slipped the ring back on.

"Are we good now?"

Clyde nodded dumbly, and I finally headed to the bedroom to look for my pajamas.

The familiar yet foreign feeling of the wedding ring on my finger reminded me it had been resized to fit perfectly. Clyde was always good with details like that.

When he cared, it felt like you had the whole world.

But when he didn't...

I shook my head, randomly picking out a nightgown and underwear.

Staying elsewhere wasn't an option anymore, given how the media might spin it.

But I wasn't going to share a bed with Clyde, especially not one Kayla might have slept in.

Seeing my actions, Clyde panicked.

"Babe, you said you're staying, right? You're not leaving?"

"I'm not leaving, I'm going to take a shower, then head to the guest room."

I grabbed my change of clothes and went straight to the bathroom.

I could tell he lingered outside the bathroom door for a while, but he never came in.

Even if he had, I would have kicked him out.

Just the thought of him having a child with another woman nauseated me.

The moment Kayla's pregnancy crossed my mind, I actually threw up.

"Babe? Melanie? You alright?"

Clyde started knocking on the door, his voice tinged with worry.

Feeling his urge to come in, I quickly wrapped myself in a towel, not wanting him to see the scars across my chest.

I had lied to him once, claiming it

was a

Cyst removal. He believed it

then, but I doubted it would work

again without raising suspicion.

Clyde cracked the door open just a bit.

"Melanie, are you feeling sick? Did you skip meals and now your stomach's upset?"

"Yeah."

I slowly got up, turning away from him.

"Could you get some soup?"

He agreed immediately and left. I leaned against the wall, standing there for a long while.

I moved into the guest room. He didn't stop me and even considerately changed the sheets and duvet for me.

But looking at the soup on the table, I had no appetite at all.

Lying in the guest bed, I tried counting sheep, remembering the doctor's words that if it recurred a third time, I might not survive.

The next day at work, Jade sneakily called me out, and I briefly shared what had happened.

She went silent for a good fifteen minutes.

"Jade, I'm staying at Clyde's. Maybe you can pick up my stuff from your place when you have time."

"No way!” Jade immediately objected.

"He's not a good man, and now there's Kayla and her baby. Why would you go back there?"

She lowered her voice, but still, a few heads turned our way.

I pulled her to the end of the hallway, making sure we were alone before speaking, "Clyde has been

veli

investigating my father's death. I think there was foul play involved."

"My mother has always been protected by him. I owe him for that. The Patterson Group needs me as Mrs. Patterson to stabilize things. I can't leave."

Jade looked at me, her eyes filled with not just sympathy but also pity.

"Melanie, are you really going to raise someone else's child? You're Melanie."

I lowered my head. The old Melanie was long gone.

Gone when my parents died, when Clyde married me and then insulted me, and again on the operating table for the second time.

Just as I was about to speak, an annoying voice chimed in.

"Ms. Crawford, Ms. Scott, what are you whispering about instead of working?"

Kayla stood there, smug, with York trailing behind her.

Seeing my disregard, she stepped forward, visibly irritated.

“Melanie, I'm talking to you. Can you at least pretend to be useful to the Patterson Group?"

"If you're just here to slack off, you might as well leave."