And Melanie always said yes.
The next morning.
Sylvia and I were eating breakfast.
The moment Melanie stepped out of the bedroom, her brow furrowed. "Where's mine and Boyd's?"
"You want to eat, make it yourself."
I didn't even look up.
What?
Melanie's temper flared. She slammed her palm on the table. "You've completely lost your mind over that woman."
"Ignoring your own wife for some stranger."
Sylvia scrambled to her feet. "I'm sorry, Melanie. Here, take mine."
She picked up her untouched bowl of soup noodles and held it out.
"Get lost!"
Melanie swatted the bowl out of her hands.
"Ah!"
Scalding broth splashed across Sylvia's body.
The skin on her arms turned an angry red almost instantly.
"Melanie."
"What is wrong with you? Sylvia offered you her food out of kindness, and you knock it all over her?"
I berated Melanie while digging ice out of the freezer to press against Sylvia's burns.
Melanie stood frozen, watching the scene.
A vein throbbed at her temple. She screamed, "Valentine, listen to me."
"It's either her or me in this house."
"Pick one!"
I'd been this hysterical once, too.
But Melanie, secure in how much I loved her, had barely reacted. She'd said, "Can you grow up? You think I can't survive without you?"
Now I felt about the same level of nothing.
Before I could respond, Boyd wheeled himself out of the bedroom.
"Valentine, Melanie, are you two fighting because of me again?"
"If I'm the reason you end up divorced, I'll never forgive myself."
"Maybe I should just leave."
His face was a picture of guilt.
On the surface, he seemed concerned for both of us. In reality, he was stoking the fire.
"Boyd, this has nothing to do with you. It's all because this man is too petty."
Melanie comforted Boyd with a few words, then turned a cold gaze on me.
"Boyd just reminded me. If you insist on going against me, then let's get divorced."
"I'll have the papers drawn up today."
And with that,
she pushed Boyd's wheelchair toward the door, calling out smugly, "Come on, let's go have a nice dinner out."
"Melanie, please don't misunderstand. There's really nothing between me and Valentine."
Sylvia shouted after her, but Melanie didn't so much as glance back. Sylvia turned to me, tears streaming down her face. "I'm sorry, Valentine. I caused all this trouble. It's my fault."
"Maybe you should just send me back to the hospital."
Melanie paused mid-step. Through gritted teeth, she muttered under her breath, "Conniving little fox."
"You barely escaped that place. You're not going back." I steadied my voice. "Stay here. This is your home now."
I gave Sylvia's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "As long as I'm here, nobody's going to push you around."
The words had barely left my mouth
when Melanie let out a sharp scoff and walked out without looking back.
I didn't go after her. Once we finished eating, I took Sylvia to the mall to buy some clothes.
That was when I spotted Melanie and Boyd in a luxury watch store.
Melanie was holding a watch, fastening it around Boyd's wrist.
Their eyes locked, lingering with an intimacy so thick it was almost tangible.
I recognized that watch. Around fifteen thousand dollars, a model I'd been eyeing for a long time.
But whenever I brought it up, Melanie always said the same thing: "A watch just tells time. Why waste that kind of money? We should be saving for our future kids."
And now here she was, buying it for Boyd.
She'd been covering his medical bills for the past six months, too.
