Chapter 5

When Melanie came to, she was lying in a hospital bed. "You're finally awake." The doctor, Fiona Parker, gave her a pitying look as she sighed. "You had a miscarriage and lost a dangerous amount of blood. If they had gotten you here even a few minutes later, not even a miracle would've saved you." According to Fiona, it was a maid delivering Melanie breakfast the next morning who found her unconscious. She had barely made it out alive. Fiona continued, "Your family is unbelievable. How could they treat you like this? Your husband, in particular, wouldn't answer a single call. When he shows up, I'm going to give him a piece of my mind." "Doctor," Melanie interrupted, clutching the sheets tightly. "Don't tell him about the pregnancy." Zachary wouldn't believe her anyway. He had already stopped caring about her. Besides, she had no intention of being tangled up with him ever again. Fiona looked like she wanted to say something else. But in the end, she just shook her head and walked away. … Zachary never once showed up while Melanie was hospitalized. However, he was all over Yasmin's Instagram feed. On the first day, Yasmin posted a close-up image of a bowl of chicken soup, captioned, "Ten years later, and it's still my favorite comfort food." On the second day, it was a photo of Zachary asleep, slouched on the edge of her bed. She wrote, "Had another nightmare last night. Thank goodness you're the first thing I see when I wake up." Suddenly, Melanie remembered how Zachary used to make her chicken soup when she was sick. When she had a fever, he sat by her bed the same way, holding her hand and never letting go. Only then did the truth dawn on Melanie. That tenderness was never hers to begin with. All along, Zachary had just been loving someone else through her. … On the day Melanie was discharged, Zachary finally called. "Something came up at the office. I've sent the driver to pick you up." Even then, Melanie didn't ask questions or lose her temper. "Okay," she replied calmly. As soon as the call ended, she placed a hand on her flat stomach. To her, Zachary was now just another name in her contacts—one she'd be deleting soon. She had long since stopped expecting anything from him. … When Melanie got home, the first thing she saw was Yasmin standing in the living room. With a paintbrush in hand, she was painting all over the wall. Her wedding portrait with Zachary and all their old Polaroids were scattered across the floor, streaked with bright paint. Right then, Yasmin looked up with a smile. "Mel, you're back? This wall looked a little boring, so I thought I'd give it a makeover. You don't mind, do you?" Melanie glanced at the mess and replied flatly, "Do whatever you want." This house had stopped feeling like home a long time ago. Soon, it wouldn't be hers any longer. At that moment, Zachary emerged from the kitchen with a plate of freshly cut fruit. As Melanie headed for the stairs, he stepped in front of her, saying, "Yasmin's trying to make peace. Is this really how you're going to respond?" "What do you want me to do? Should I get on my knees and thank her for wrecking my photos?" A flicker of fatigue crossed Melanie's pale face as she spoke. Almost immediately, Yasmin stepped in to defuse the tension. "Don't blame her, Zachary. Melanie didn't mean what she said." "She didn't mean it? Then why would she say something so vicious?" Then, Zachary turned to Melanie, his gaze colder than ever. "Melanie, you've let me down." But she didn't have the strength to argue. She was still weak from the procedure, after all. Without another word, she pushed past him and stormed upstairs. … Melanie had barely settled into bed when the door swung open. Yasmin stood at the doorway. The softness in her expression had completely vanished, replaced by undisguised scorn. "It hurts seeing Zachary defend me like that, doesn't it?" she asked, her lips curling into a taunting smile. "I told you. He was only toying with you. I didn't think you'd be dumb enough to believe it was real." Melanie rolled over and pulled the blanket over her head. She couldn't be bothered to deal with Yasmin. However, Yasmin wasn't done. She marched up to the bed, relentless. "Do you even know what people are saying about you? That you spent four years in bed with your brother-in-law and still walked away with nothing. "Even the hookers who charge by the hour are worth more than you. Face it, Melanie. Our family doesn't need you, and Zachary doesn't want you. You're just like your mother. You two are nothing but burdens!" Melanie snapped the moment Yasmin brought up her deceased mother. Her head jerked up, her gaze cutting straight through the latter. "You seem awfully rattled. Are you scared he might've fallen for me over these past four years?" she retorted. Yasmin froze momentarily, then let out a chuckle. She shot Melanie a look of contempt. "Fall for you? If he actually loved you, do you think I'd be standing here right now humiliating you?" Moments later, the door slammed behind her. Melanie, on the other hand, clutched the sheets as a chill spread through her limbs. Luckily, she'd be leaving soon. By then, she'd never have to stomach their cruelty again.