"Didn't you say that you had already arranged everything? Then what happened today?" Spencer growled as they went back home in the car.
Melanie stared out of the window, watching the city lights blur past, her expression impassive as she listened to him.
"You had one job! One job!" he continued, his voice rising. "To make sure everything was ready for my return so I could take my rightful place seamlessly. And yet, you couldn't even do that! You failed me, Melanie!"
Failed him?
She let out a slow, measured breath, forcing herself not to react. What a joke.
She was ignoring him, her focus turned inward. Could it be possible that she had actuallly turned off all her feelings for Spencer in a day?At this time yesterday, she had been in the kitchen, carefully frosting his favourite cake, looking forward to welcoming him back home.
But now?
Now, she almost wished she could shove him right back onto whatever plane had brought him home.
She had spent three years convincing herself that she mattered to him, that their marriage was built on the solid foundation of love and respect. That even though there had been misunderstandings along the way, once he was back, they would be able to communicate better. But looking at him now—at the pure selfishness in his words, the way he saw her not as a partner but as a stepping stone to his own ambitions—she realized she had been hopelessly, painfully blind.
A small, humorless smile tugged at her lips. The curtain had finally fallen. And the most ironic part? She had been the lead actress in this tragic play, and yet, she had never even known her own role. She'd thought he was her prince charming when he was the villain.
Too bad for Spencer, she was not a poor helpless maiden. She was a patient person whose limits had just been reached. She would not let things go so easily.
As she thought this, she could not help but wonder, though. She wondered how Adam had guessed her intention to try and stop the board from making Spencer the next chairman.
She shook her head slightly. No. Adam Collins wasn't the type to act on guesswork. He must have had his own reasons for stepping in, for forcing the board to delay their decision. Maybe it was personal, maybe it was strategic. Either way, it didn't matter.
Because the result was the same—she had been given a reprieve.
Months. She had spent months painstakingly convincing the directors to give Spencer a chance, to trust in his leadership, to believe in his supposed vision. And in a single moment, with just a few words, Adam had swept it all away.
And she was still satisfied. So what if it was all down the drain? Because now, with what she knew, she would never have wanted to support Spencer either.
But even as she thought of all this, trying to convince herself that Adam was acting for his own sake and not hers, she could not help but think about what he had said, just before leaving the large conference room. "I hope you are satisfied with this outcome. You'll continue to be the chairwoman for the next year."
She was brought out of her reverie when Spencer shook her by the arm," Are you listening to me?"
Melanie's gaze snapped to Spencer, her expression devoid of emotion. His fingers dug into her arm, his grip unrelenting, his face contorted with frustration.
"Are you listening to me?" he demanded sharply.
She didn't flinch or look away the way she would have at any other time. She did not like confrontations and would have avoided them at any cost but right now... all she watned was a fight.And yet, she slowly pried his fingers off her arm and turned to face him fully and spoke in a cold voice, "Let go."
He hesitated, taken aback by the iciness in her tone.
"I said—let go, Spencer."
There was no anger in her voice, and she was glad for it. Because, if she let it out, she would definitely cry.
His grip loosened as he stared at her in shock, and she pulled her arm free, brushing off the lingering sensation of his touch as if it were nothing more than dust on her sleeve.
She shifted slightly in her seat and gestured toward the front of the car where his dear best friend and the driver were sitting, listening. "I have no intention of discussing personal matters in front of outsiders. We can talk later."
Spencer glared at her, his pride wounded, his voice sharp with irritation. "Hallie is not an outsider—she is—"
Melanie had enough.
Just moments ago, getting into her own car had been a hassle because she'd had to request Miss Hallie to move out of her space. And now this? Spencer had the audacity to claim Hallie as family while berating her in front of everyone?
Her patience snapped.
"Stop the car," she ordered the driver.
The driver obeyed immediately, pulling to a smooth halt.
Melanie turned to Spencer, meeting his glare with a calm, detached expression. "Since Hallie is such a dear family member to you, you can go home with her. I'll come later."
Before he could utter a single protest, Melanie pushed the door open and stepped out.