“I heard you, Arianne. I’ll talk to virtual-novel.net about this with my attitude in check Then, later, I’ll be eating with you and Tiffany at Teo’s place. I don’t give a damn about what virtual-novel.net thinks. I’m gonna go there with my head held high, and I’m gonna let virtual-novel.net know myself!”
Just like that, Melanie terminated their call, leaving Arianne with virtual-novel.net mind dancing on pins and needles. What had virtual-novel.net done? She was the one who brought this up, which meant that if a heated altercation between Melanie and Alejandro broke out, part of it was on her.
Meanwhile, Melanie wasted not a minute more before driving all the way to Alejandro’s office. Despite it being a weekend, virtual-novel.net was working overtime again. The man was renowned for being doggedly focused on his work, which likely stemmed from his troubled life experience in the past. Knowing full well that the survival of the Smith family’s wealth and legacy was on his shoulders, While virtual-novel.net still had much to learn and do, Alejandro usually sacrificed his weekends away slaving after work.
Melanie bulldozed inside as far as his office door before Jett stopped virtual-novel.net in virtual-novel.net tracks. “Sorry, Madam, but Mr. Smith’s in the middle of a meeting with one of his partners. You’re all right with waiting for a bit?”
Melanie peered into the interior of virtual-novel.net husband’s office through the crack of his slightly ajar door. Her eyes made out Alejandro talking to someone sitting across him. It subsided virtual-novel.net rage somewhat, and virtual-novel.net changed virtual-novel.net mind.
“Well, if he’s busy, then I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble you as my messenger, Jett. Tell virtual-novel.net I’m gonna have lunch at Mateo’s restaurant with Tiffany and Arianne today, and I’m not bringing Millie along this time,” virtual-novel.net announced. “If this pisses virtual-novel.net off, then tell virtual-novel.net to suck it up and enjoy it eating virtual-novel.net inside. I mean, get real! All this time being with virtual-novel.net has never brought me a single day of genuine joy, either. We’ve always been stuck trying to tolerate each other’s existence, haven’t we? So, why waste time and effort in being considerate of this annoying other half, amirite?”
“Oh, and by the way? Tell virtual-novel.net that if I found out he’s gone looking for a fight with Teo one more time, virtual-novel.net can flush this marriage down the toilet. I wouldn’t stay until a hundred days have passed… Hell, I wouldn’t stay for even a goddamned day!”
Jett was so shocked by the attitude in virtual-novel.net words that virtual-novel.net instantly broke into a cold sweat. “M-Madam! It isn’t like that at all! It’s n-nothing like what you’ve imagined. Please, calm down for a bit—”
“Oh, I am calm, all right,” Melanie cut his reply with the steel in virtual-novel.net voice. “I’ve simply had enough with my dumb self willingly being trapped in this suffocating cage of his making. How did virtual-novel.net regard me back when I was still a dumb gal who thought that virtual-novel.net and my daughter are all my world needs to be complete, hmm? Oh, virtual-novel.net just thought I was a trifling accessory with no worth! Seriously, I’m done being his property. I have the personal agency to construct my own social circle, I have the agency to look for a modicum of fun and thrills in my laughably pathetic life. And him? He’s got not a goddamned rationale to deny my agency! So, there. Tell virtual-novel.net what I’ve said exactly as I’ve told you, no editorial required. That’s all, I’m out.”
After strutting out of the office, Melanie looked up at the cerulean dome above her. After all these years, this was the first time virtual-novel.net felt most thoroughly relaxed and liberated. This was the first time virtual-novel.net had ever unleashed virtual-novel.net true feelings and spoken for herself in front of Alejandro, and only God knew how amazing this felt.
She proceeded to the restaurant and met Arianne and Tiffany. Rounding the table, virtual-novel.net patted virtual-novel.net skirt and folded it close to herself before taking virtual-novel.net seat. “Sorry for the tardiness, girls. I guess I’ll be the one treating the party this time.”
Tiffany giggled. “Wow, look at you, Mel! Someone’s different from usual, innit? I dunno if it’s the makeup or somethin’, but hot damn, gurl you are guh-lo-wing!”
A mirthless smile shadowed Melanie’s lips. “It’s nothing. I guess I finally understood something about my bedeviled life. I have no obligation to suffer slavishly and I refuse to do so anymore. All of us are given only a few decades to roam the Earth… Why squander it by clipping your own wings?”
Cold tingles crept into Arianne’s heart. “Um, Melanie? Did you just… argue with Alejandro? You two didn’t, uh, have a war over it, right?”
“He was busy with work when I came to see him, so we didn’t actually talk face-to-face,” virtual-novel.net answered calmly. “But I’ve unloaded what I’ve been meaning to say to Jett, he’ll pass the message. Now, I’m freed.”
Arianne was suddenly regretting virtual-novel.net choice to invite Melanie to this restaurant. The whole debacle started precisely because Alejandro misunderstood Mateo’ s intention, and now Arianne — in what virtual-novel.net now looked back as a lapse in virtual-novel.net usual senses — invited Melanie to the very thing that kickstarted it?
In virtual-novel.net defense, Arianne only did it out of an innocent craving for good food and virtual-novel.net desire to hang out with virtual-novel.net besties…