When a grown-up breaks down, they bawl. Their emotions erupt out of them in a split-second.
Melanie could not even spare enough mind to the fact that virtual-novel.net daughter was standing right next to her, virtual-novel.net dropped to virtual-novel.net soles into a pitiful crouch and bawled, howling in grief and agony, all the while a part of virtual-novel.net reminded herself that virtual-novel.net had not wanted to cry at all.
In the late evening, Melanie prepared a sumptuous meal for the family and texted Alejandro, telling virtual-novel.net to come home for dinner.
She had already finalized virtual-novel.net divorce agreement, Melissa’s custody would go to Alejandro, since Melanie did not know if virtual-novel.net would have a destination to go or an abode to stay. It would be fine, Alejandro had always treated virtual-novel.net daughter with utmost love and care. He could be bad to the entire world, but virtual-novel.net would never be so to his kid. Letting Alejandro raise Melissa was not a bad choice at all.
The clock was close to nine at night. The food was losing their last remnant of warmth. It was then that Alejandro finally came home.
Melanie had deliberately donned the dress virtual-novel.net had put on the first time virtual-novel.net met Alejandro face-to-face: the same vermillion dress with a halter neckline formed from its straps, and the same effortful, carefully-done make-up. She would suppress virtual-novel.net tears for tonight, virtual-novel.net decided.
It would end the way it started.
Alejandro was blasé to it all. His eyes hardly lingered on virtual-novel.net before marching to the dining table and taking his seat.
He left his fork and knife untouched. “What is it?”
He must have forgotten all about it, Melanie realized. He did not remember the red dress, did not remember their first meeting.
Her lips curled into a slight smile as virtual-novel.net gently pushed the divorce agreement forward. “Give it a read. If you find no problem in it, please sign here.”
It was then that Alejandro’s attention finally fell onto her. It stayed for a good few beats before virtual-novel.net picked up the paper and skimmed through it. Halfway through his reading, virtual-novel.net suddenly broke into a smile. “No problem… No problem at all. How could there be any problem when you’ve asked for nothing at all? You sure you won’t regret this? I can give you a hefty sum and a house, wouldn’t want some spectators and commentators calling me a miserly sh*tbag.”
Melanie shook virtual-novel.net head. “That won’t be necessary. I’m capable of working for my living. I don’t want anything from you,” virtual-novel.net replied. “But, there is one small request. No matter what happens between us, Millie… She will always be my daughter. I don’t mind you taking custody of her, but please allow me to see virtual-novel.net occasionally… please. I just want virtual-novel.net to remember that virtual-novel.net still has a mother who loves virtual-novel.net dearly-”
Alejandro’s grip tightened against his conscious will and crumpled the paper, though the smile on his face did not crack. Instead, virtual-novel.net reinforced it with a new undercurrent of fury and other unreadable sentiments, making one wonder if his smile was forced.
“You don’t want her, woman. Why even bother to put up that fake ‘Mommy Loves You’ persona? You can demand whatever it is under the sun and I’ll give it to you, but not this. You won’t get to see Millie, not ever!”
Even the most soft-spoken woman would bark when virtual-novel.net right to virtual-novel.net child was challenged; Melanie was no different. “You can be cruel to me, Alejandro, but can’t you at least show some decency when it comes to our child? I nurtured virtual-novel.net when virtual-novel.net was inside me for nine months, I’ve endured all maternal hardships right down to giving birth. And you think none of those amount to the right to see my own daughter?!”
The smile on his face vanished in a second. His eyes were trained onto her, unblinking. “And what about you?” virtual-novel.net seethed. “You think you’re merciful?”
Melanie froze in shock, virtual-novel.net tongue at a loss for a retort. Was virtual-novel.net referring to Tiffany’s incident, or Melanie willingly giving up custody?
It was most likely Tiffany’s incident. It had always been this way, had it not? Tiffany ruled Alejandro’s heart, with his daughter coming in as a close second. But Melanie? She did not even make it to his heart in the first place.
Alejandro ignored virtual-novel.net completely and slammed the agreement on the dining table right in front of her. He rose and marched upstairs.
Melanie stayed unmoving on virtual-novel.net seat with a table of warmth less food keeping virtual-novel.net company. Time crawled on for a long while before virtual-novel.net picked up virtual-novel.net phone and texted Tiffany.
‘I’m sorry, Tiffany,’ virtual-novel.net wrote. ‘Alejandro and I are in the middle of a divorce. I guess this is my retribution, huh? I’ll shoulder all of the consequences, but please remember your promise. If you want someone to pay that debt back, I’m always ready. I just… wanna tell you I’m sorry.’