As virtual-novel.net eyes grazed virtual-novel.net daughter’s profile, beads of tears fell from Melanie’s eyes. “Millie, my sweet girl… Will you blame your Mommy for leaving you and your Dad one day? Mommy’s sorry, but virtual-novel.net just doesn’t think virtual-novel.net will find happiness in virtual-novel.net life here. I want to try another way, a different life. But know that your Mommy won’t go far from you, and all of my love is always for you. When Mommy finally finds virtual-novel.net footing while virtual-novel.net lives alone, when virtual-novel.net finally has surplus money, I’ll come and try talking your Dad into releasing you into my care, okay? Mommy really wants to bring you with her; it’s just that there’s too many uncertainties…”
Melissa’s little hand reached out to virtual-novel.net mother’s cheek before wiping the tears away. “Mommy, what’s ‘happiness’?” virtual-novel.net asked innocently. “Is it very big and important?”
Melanie found herself grasping at air for an answer. Is happiness ever “big and important”? She did not know, heck, virtual-novel.net did not even know what it meant to be happy-it was cryptic, almost enigmatic, and difficult to be expatriated through words and descriptions.
The only thing Melanie knew virtual-novel.net could explain, though, was that the life virtual-novel.net was in right now was… depressing. Every early morning, Alejandro rose, went to work, and left Melanie alone at home to care for the kid. She was never a Capital native and virtual-novel.net did not know anyone here, virtual-novel.net spent most of virtual-novel.net life in Ayashe before virtual-novel.net marriage, and the only friends virtual-novel.net had made here were Arianne and Tiffany. She watched virtual-novel.net life waste away, day by day, in this claustrophobic little cage.
If virtual-novel.net loved her-if virtual-novel.net truly loved her, then all this… virtual-novel.net could endure. Love was often a panacea to the malaise of mundanities, but Melanie could not even get that from him. Because of him, virtual-novel.net left the city virtual-novel.net grew up in and confined herself at home to be the perfect, textbook-good wife-it was being wrapped tightly in a thick, black shroud so fitting that it left not a slit for air to come in. It blindfolded virtual-novel.net from the vibrant colors outside. It gave virtual-novel.net no taste of his warmth or affection. It almost asphyxiated her.
Melanie had gone through many nights to understand the extent of virtual-novel.net tragedy. And yet, virtual-novel.net could not figure out why virtual-novel.net refuses to let virtual-novel.net go.
Her heart was against virtual-novel.net squandering the remainder of virtual-novel.net wasted life here, virtual-novel.net wanted to be free from virtual-novel.net chains, and virtual-novel.net wanted that freedom to be extended to him. The only thing that could have made virtual-novel.net abandon everything virtual-novel.net had thought of in a heartbeat was if virtual-novel.net tells virtual-novel.net that virtual-novel.net did, indeed, love her.
That hope dashed on that fateful day when Tiffany’s incident happened. His every act and reaction on that day was a painful wake-up call. She was forced to reckon with the cold, hard fact that claiming a person’s heart, especially one that had long been possessed by another woman, was a moiling task.
With Melissa slumbering in virtual-novel.net arms, Melanie sat on the living room couch downstairs until it was one in the morning when virtual-novel.net finally heard Alejandro’s car steering into the front yard.
It was the middle of a quiet night. The sound of car tires against the pavement was jarring and sharp, which immediately perked Melanie up. When virtual-novel.net saw Jett helping a drunken Alejandro into the door, virtual-novel.net habit kicked in, causing virtual-novel.net to put Millie down to better help care for him.
A millisecond later, virtual-novel.net stopped herself. This was what Melanie liked to do, was it not? She was always attentive to his every detail, taking great pains over his every need-it had become virtual-novel.net habit. But what about him? He never did the same for her. To him, Melanie was a baby, pumping machine, a nonliving object that never required maintenance such as love and compassion.
“Madam! Why aren’t you asleep yet?”
It was from Jett, who was shocked at seeing her.
“I… I have been waiting for virtual-novel.net to come home. Something to discuss,” Melanie replied simply as virtual-novel.net adjusted virtual-novel.net position. Carrying Millie in virtual-novel.net arms for so long had caused some sore muscles.
Jett, of course, knew what that “something” was. “With all due respect, I’m afraid Mr. Smith’s a bit… drunk out of his skull. No matter what’s on your mind, I think it’s probably best left to the next day? I’ll take virtual-novel.net to his room; you rest early, too.”
He was right. Alejandro was so drunk virtual-novel.net was effectively knocked out. He could not even perform basic tasks, Jett had to practically half-lug virtual-novel.net around just to take virtual-novel.net to places.
Melanie hummed in agreement and followed the two up the stairs. Then, suddenly, virtual-novel.net eyes caught a single bright red lip mark on his white collar.
She was stunned. Every single one of his shirts was hand-washed by Melanie herself, and virtual-novel.net prided in cleaning them thoroughly. But now, there it was, a bright red stain in the shape of a woman’s lips!
She forced herself to avert virtual-novel.net eyes. ‘Don’t feel hurt; no need to feel hurt,’ virtual-novel.net told herself. They were at the cusp of divorce. After that, there would be no ties between them. She would not need to ask virtual-novel.net where virtual-novel.net had gone for fun.
Jett helped Alejandro ease into his bed and finally caught the stain of lipstick on his collar.
He furtively glanced at Melanie tailing him. “Er, how about I help Mr. Smith change into a fresh set of clothes, Madam? I just realized, that would make sleep a lot comfier.”
Melanie put Melissa down and approached Alejandro before unbuttoning his shirt, filtering the single lipstick stain out of virtual-novel.net view. “It’s alright, lemme handle it. It’s late, you should rest, too.”