Chapter 10

Melody was stunned. She stared at Jeremy, her eyes blinking in confusion. Krystal walked in alongside Jeremy. With an indifferent expression, she said, "I also ordered some food earlier so we can enjoy it together. And I'd like to thank Dr. Chesson for going out of his way to help me carry them in." Melody's hands clenched tightly together. Suddenly, it all made sense to her. No wonder Jeremy would offer to go to the east entrance to grab the food, and no wonder he said it was troublesome for her to follow. As it turned out, he had been planning to see Krystal all along. It was indeed not appropriate for her to follow. Harold finally realized what was happening after a beat. Out of habit, he continued the conversation to keep the mood upbeat. "Today is Dr. Finnigan's birthday too? What a coincidence!" Another doctor chimed in, "No wonder the Wardolf family donated those equipment to the hospital today. They were doing it in celebration of Dr. Finnigan's birthday too! Goodness! Dr. Finnigan has only just started at our hospital, and we've already benefited so much from her. Happy birthday, Dr. Finnigan!" With that, more and more people joined in enthusiastically to give Krystal their well wishes. As Melody listened to the cheerful voices and laughter, she felt very much out of place. She couldn't even find the strength to laugh along with them. It felt like there was a boulder sitting on her chest. She was finding it more and more difficult to breathe. She watched as Jeremy lowered his head to speak to Krystal, his face filled with tenderness. Jeremy was nearly six feet and two inches tall, so Melody only reached his shoulders. However, Jeremy had never been this considerate toward her. It probably never occurred to him that Melody's hearing wasn't great and that she would need to focus extra hard to make sure she could hear what he was saying. With everyone laughing, the one who didn't join in was naturally eye-catching. Someone noticed Melody's strange behavior and asked, "Ms. Wardolf, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Everyone's gazes suddenly zoomed in on her, including Jeremy's and Krystal's. She felt Jeremy's somewhat scrutinizing gaze, and suddenly, her mind flashed with the image of Jeremy reminding her not to cause problems for Krystal. Despite feeling an ache in her heart, she lowered her gaze and rubbed her ear with her right hand. Then, she slowly explained, "Sorry. My hearing aids slightly malfunctioned. I couldn't hear clearly. I'll just step out for a bit." She pressed her hands over her ears as she walked out, ignoring the looks she was getting from everyone. Just as she was about to step out of the cafeteria, someone suddenly said, "What a shame. Ms. Wardolf is great in every way, but she just had to be deaf." The words were quite blunt. The speaker probably thought that Melody couldn't hear right then. Melody's steps faltered, and she pressed her hands over her ears more firmly as she quickened her footsteps. It was until she didn't hear any voices that she stopped. She sat on a bench near a flower bed outside and finally removed her hands from her ears. She sat there for a while, unwilling to return. All kinds of thoughts were running through her head like a chaotic mess. Previously, she would have cake on her birthday, too. In fact, Cheryl would bake them for her. It wasn't just a cake either. Cheryl would also prepare a ton of gifts for her and pester Jeremy into preparing gifts as well. Cheryl was the only person who knew Melody liked Jeremy. She was also the only person who would squeeze her cheeks and say with a laugh, "Why are you so adorable, Melody?" The ache in Melody's heart grew stronger, as if it was trying to gnaw into her bones. She murmured softly, "Cher, I really want some of your cake right now." Just as her phone started to ring, a shadow loomed over her. Melody instinctively looked down at her phone. It was a call from her best friend, Felicia York. She was about to answer the call when she heard Jeremy's low voice say, "Melody." Surprised, she raised her head to look at him. Jeremy stood before her with the soft sunset behind him. He lowered his gaze, and when he caught sight of Melody's glistening eyes, he stiffened. After a beat, he furrowed his eyebrows, seemingly confused. "Are you crying?"