Chapter 19

Everyone fell silent after Andrew finished speaking. Melody's hands trembled slightly. She kept her eyes lowered and said nothing, breathing a bit faster. Andrew explained patiently, "Here's the thing. Regallo has a new project right now. If I announce this matter, Regallo's reputation will definitely be affected. "Mel, I know I sound selfish. But Regallo can't have anything go wrong right now. The foundation is sponsoring a lot of people at the moment. Green Moon Orphanage is also on the foundation's assistance list." He paused and spoke with a heavier tone, "We can't afford any mistakes with this project." Melody's lashes quivered even harder when she heard him mention Green Moon Orphanage. That was the orphanage from which Andrew adopted her. Melody still went back to help the director whenever she could. She knew exactly why he brought up the orphanage. However, what could she do? She was the adopted daughter of the Wardolf family. If she took the initiative to say she wanted to leave the family, everyone would label her as ungrateful. Andrew was worried about Regallo's reputation, so he didn't care about hers. Yet, there was no other way. They had raised her for so many years. She owed them. She had to repay that debt. Melody forced down her emotions and pressed her lips together. After a while, she spoke softly. "Alright, I can do it. As long as it helps Regallo's project go smoothly, I'll do whatever you need me to." Those words made the heavy atmosphere at the dinner table lighten. Andrew smiled, satisfied. "I knew you'd be the most understanding. I remember your birthday is coming up in two days. I already prepared a gift for you. You can take it with you later." Melody felt her body go rigid for a moment, but she reacted quickly and forced a smile. "Thank you, Dad." She finished speaking and lowered her head, pretending to keep eating. She didn't correct Andrew because he never actually remembered her birthday. He only remembered her birthday in the early years, back when he wanted to show everyone how well he treated her. He made a point of celebrating it then. Later on, he only remembered that it was in April. He had no memory of which day. He would still prepare a gift, but he gave it whenever he happened to think of it. After dinner, Laura pulled Krystal aside to talk. Melody quietly left the room and lowered her head, texting Felicia on her phone. Suddenly, Jeremy's voice sounded behind her. "Why did you lie just now?" Melody looked over her shoulder. Jeremy stood there in his usual composed way, gazing down at her with a slight frown. He obviously didn't approve of what she did. Melody said in a low voice, "Dad was being kind." She didn't want to tell Jeremy that Andrew didn't remember her birthday. She didn't want to sound like she was trying to act pitifully. Jeremy's frown deepened. "Because of his gift?" He had heard Andrew say he would prepare a gift for Melody. Melody opened her mouth, not sure how to answer. Everyone on the outside believed the Wardolf family treated her well. They thought Andrew and Cheryl saw her as one of their own. Melody had always followed Jeremy around since she was young, and he had a good relationship with Cheryl. He knew how much Cheryl doted on Melody, so he thought the whole family treated her kindly. Melody had no wish to speak poorly of them in front of anyone else. She didn't reply, and Jeremy didn't push her further. He recalled Andrew's talk about her separating from the family and asked, "Do you realize what it means if you're the one to propose splitting off from them?" Melody felt bitter inside. Of course, she knew. It meant she would be condemned as an ingrate. She nodded. "Yes, I understand." Jeremy looked at her for a while, then spoke again. "I promised Cheryl that I would look after you." Melody's chest tightened. His dark eyes locked onto hers. The sky outside was gray, and his gaze was just as calm. He said, "If you don't want to do it, you can tell me."