Chapter 7

After that day, Melanie never left her room. It wasn't until one day during dinner, Jane suddenly clutched her stomach in pain and collapsed into Dustin's arms, her face pale. "What's going on?" Panicking, he immediately called his private doctor. The doctor's expression was grim after the examination. "She's been poisoned." The villa instantly erupted into chaos. The housekeepers stood nervously aside while the butler began questioning the process of dinner preparation. Dustin's gaze turned cold. He stormed toward Melanie and grabbed her wrist so tightly that he almost crushed it. "Did you try to kill Jane just because of that pendant? Since when have you become like this?" She met his gaze and said softly yet firmly, "It wasn't me." "How dare you still deny it?" His expression hardened as he turned toward the housekeeper and ordered, "Bring me the remaining bowl of soup." Melanie's eyes widened. "What are you going to do?" "I'm going to teach you a lesson," he snarled, grabbing her chin. "From now on, you should know where to draw the line." The housekeeper brought the remaining soup, and under Dustin's orders, forced the rest down Melanie's throat. She struggled to no avail, as two bodyguards held her firmly in place. Warm soup rushed down her throat, and she started coughing violently. The drug's effect kicked in in mere seconds. Overwhelmed with agony, Melanie collapsed to the floor on her knees. Cold sweat drenched her back as she curled up in a ball, her nails digging deep in her palms. "I didn't poison her…" She gasped, her stance still unyielding. But Dustin didn't even spare her a glance. He had been by Jane's bedside the entire time, feeding her small sips of water and gently wiping the sweat off her forehead. He looked at her, his eyes overflowing with affection. "Dustin…" Jane said weakly, grabbing his hand. "Ms. Wright…" "Don't bother defending her," he said softly. "Get some proper rest." Melanie's consciousness began to fade. The searing pain blurred her vision, and the last thing she remembered before blacking out was being roughly carried into an ambulance. She was hospitalized for the whole night, yet no one visited her. … When Melanie returned to the villa the next day, it was empty. Her phone buzzed with a notification from Jane. The message contained a photo. Under the blue skies, Dustin held Jane in his arms, both beaming at the camera. The caption of the photo read, "Someone took me to the beach to clear my mind, saying I needed to relax after having been through so much." Melanie turned off her phone and began packing. By the time she zipped her suitcase, she suddenly realized how little her belongings were after living here for three years. A 24-inch suitcase was enough to erase every single trace of her in this house. She had never belonged here, just like how she never truly understood him. "Do you admit you're wrong?" Dustin's voice rang out from behind. She spun around to find him standing by the door, dressed in an impeccable suit. He frowned, scrutinizing her. "Yes," she replied. She admitted that she was wrong for falling in love with him and stubbornly staying by his side for so many years. Dustin's expression softened. "Good. Now get changed and follow me to a party." "A party?" Melanie was caught off guard. The knot between his brows deepened. "Did you forget that today's my birthday?" he asked incredulously, as if it were a crime to forget his birthday. Only then did Melanie finally remember what day it was. Usually, she would have already prepared a cake and carefully chosen gifts for him—even decorating everything on her own. She remembered his favorite flavor, the decorations he hated most, and his birthday wishes every year. But now, she had forgotten it all. "You go ahead first," she said airily. "I'll get changed, then head over once I've prepared your present." "Dustin!" Jane called sweetly from downstairs at that moment. "Everyone's waiting for you!" Dustin nodded, his gaze lingering on Melanie for a second longer before he left. "Hurry up." He left, his footsteps fading into the distance. Melanie stood unmoving, watching him disappear at the end of the corridor. A wry smile crossed her face. This time, the gift she was going to give him was to completely disappear from his world. She would let him be with Jane, and in the meantime, let herself go. With that thought, she picked up her suitcase and took one last glance around the place she had stayed for three years. After that, she strode out without looking back. At the busy airport, she stood at the boarding gate. She pulled out her phone and sent Dustin one last message. "Dustin, I'm leaving. I wish you and Jane eternal happiness." Then, she turned off her phone and walked toward the gate. Three years of devotion ended in a single awakening. From then on, they would be worlds apart, never to meet again.