"Yulia, I’m not feeling well." Melinda’s tone was cold. "I’m afraid I can’t accompany you any further."

Yulia knew the reason, of course. She didn’t really need Melinda’s help anyway.

Her purpose was an entirely different matter, and she had accomplished that already.

She didn’t protest, but she could see that the encounter had a physical effect on the other woman.

If they came back to mansion and the rest of the family saw the state Melinda was in, they would no doubt blame it on Yulia. "Let me take you back home."

"There’s no need for that," Melinda’s reply was swift. "You need to continue checking out your shop."

She needed a moment of peace. The bustle of the city was giving her a headache, and she was feeling close to suffocating.

She wanted to explode.

Yulia bit her lip and examined the situation. Her main concern was the certainty that Nelson and Queena would think she had done something to Melinda if she returned like this. She couldn’t let that happen.

"No, it would be better if I stayed with you," she tried again, her intent genuine this time, albeit somehow two-faced.

It gave Melinda pause. ‘It looks like Yulia really cares about me,’ she mused.

But she had suffered enough in the hands of this girl to let herself be fooled over repeatedly. ‘She’s only putting up appearances.’

"I want to be left alone," she told Yulia firmly. The younger girl was too embarrassed to insist any further after such an absolute denial, so she said nothing. Melinda walked away and Yulia let her.

As she passed by the spot where she saw her husband and another woman earlier, Melinda was assaulted by the pungent smell of tobacco and the cloying scent of Emily’s perfume.

The pounding on her temples grew stronger. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

When she opened her eyes again, she raised her chin, and walked to the parking lot with her head held high.

As soon as she was seated inside her car, however, her facade cracked, and the dam broke. She hunched over the steering wheel and sobbed quietly.

How many times had she told herself that her husband was never worth crying her heart out? Countless times. Too many times.

And yet there she was, her tears falling uncontrollably as she let her heart be wrenched and gutted yet again.

She allowed herself a good cry, and it took her the better part of the hour before the tears subsided.

The seat beside her was littered with dirty tissues, and the tissue box on her dashboard was almost empty.

She pulled out a couple more sheets, and took a final dab at her eyes. They felt swollen and puffy, and they no doubt looked just how they felt.

She glanced at her reflection on the rearview mirror, and could see that her cheeks were red as well.

She took a sip of water from the tumbler she always packed in her car, and then rummaged for her makeup kit. After a couple of beats, she realized she hadn’t brought it with her, which was a total bummer.

this, Grandpa Nelson would definitely question her. She really didn’t have any more energy for confrontations and

about it, so despite her worry,

She sped up the stairs, locked the bedroom door behind her, and then headed to the shower to clean herself

phone was vibrating rather insistently on the table. She

took

He had dialed her number several times already, but he never got

over him. He remembered that his wife was supposed to be out with his

on dialing Yulia’s number next when his ongoing

crying, but in his relief, Jonas wasn’t able to notice that

the phone. "I’ve been calling you so many times, why did it take you so long

a fair enough question, but Melinda was feeling a tad too sensitive at the moment. And in light of

flexible that I have to answer it every time

this moment that he realized something was

I meant at all," he said carefully. "Is everything all right, Mellie? Are you unwell?" His mind was already racing with the possibilities. ‘What happened? Wasn’t she all right this morning? Did something happen when

cold. She sounded as if the past few days they shared in bliss didn’t happen at

to say. "Mellie, I... I’ve made

was upset, it always had something to do with the actress. Perhaps

had been part of the reasons he had been trying to reach his wife in the first place anyway. He had considered it quite an achievement for himself, and couldn’t wait to share it with

wrong thing to say at the moment. If Melinda were with him now, he would have shivered at the chilly expression

shot back over the phone. ‘So a

beat of confused silence over the line, but before Jonas could say anything more, she ended the

face. To say she was disappointed would be a great

more times than she cared to count. It had become a cycle, and she had always submitted herself to it, never

saw the point in hanging on to Jonas any longer. The point had flown out the window a

left to do but to break everything off with

still holding the phone, Jonas came to the unmistakable truth that his marriage was once again

knew he had to see his wife immediately. He made

reception area with a pile of documents in his arms, meant to be delivered to his boss’ table, when he saw the man himself all but sprint towards

was wearing a dark scowl, and his secretary could only stare as

had been pleased and rather cheerful only moments

drive between Soaring Group offices and the Gu's mansion usually took one hour, but Jonas managed to cut it

mid-afternoon, so everyone at the residence was

just come back herself, and was in the living room being served some snacks by Gavin. She had mixed feelings

what she had done, and she could not help the terror she felt at the prospect of Jonas finding

to see her scheme to the end,

averted her eyes from her frantic brother’s direction, and her quiet guilt became

demanded, his face flushed,

off as he looked to Yulia. He knew the two women went out earlier, but what

knew he was about to

at her brother. Everyone, including the servants who were

his eyes, his expression darkening. "What the hell are you

spine, but she gritted her teeth. "We

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