"Crack!"
The sharp sound of the slap echoed through the grand entrance hall the moment Melanie stepped into the Collins residence. Her head snapped to the side, the sting of the blow shocking her in place. Before she could recover, her mother-in-law's furious voice rang out, cutting through the heavy silence like a blade.
"How dare you insult my son!" the older woman seethed, her eyes blazing with fury. "Can you do nothing right? First, you forced your way into this family, clinging onto the old woman's dying wish as if it were your salvation! Then, you had the audacity to seduce my son—my son!—weaving your manipulative little web until he believed you, until he trusted you enough to leave, thinking his place here would be safe upon his return."
She stepped closer, her presence looming over Melanie like a storm about to break.
"But today, today, he was humiliated in front of the entire board! They have the nerve to ask him to prove himself—as if his very name isn't enough! And all of this—every last shred of disgrace—falls on you!" Her voice cracked with rage, her chest heaving as she glared down at Melanie.
"And yet, instead of standing by your husband, instead of offering him your support like any decent wife would—instead of even having the decency to apologize for the mess you've created—you insult him? You humiliate him furthein front of his best friend. A person he has invited over?"
A sneer curled her lips as she spat out her next words. "How dare you, you worthless little bitch! I have had enough of you!"
Melanie's hands clenched into tight fists, her nails digging into her palms as she fought the overwhelming urge to strike the woman back. But before she could move—before she could so much as take a step—Spencer swiftly stepped between them, his broad frame shielding her from his mother's wrath. His back was to her, a silent but firm barrier against the storm.
"Mother! That is enough!" His voice was sharp, cutting through the charged air like a blade. "How could you raise your hand against my wife? Against your own daughter-in-law?"
"Daughter-in-law?" she spat, her voice laced with venom. "What daughter-in-law? That woman is not even fit to be a maid in this house, let alone its mistress! And yet, your grandmother—your dear, foolish grandmother—thought she was worthy? Thought she belonged among us?"
She scoffed, shaking her head in disbelief before fixing Spencer with a glare filled with disappointment and frustration.
"You are a fool, Spencer. A fool blinded by love! Open your eyes and look at what she truly is! Had it not been for Hallie, I wouldn't have even known the full extent of your humiliation. Do you have any idea what happened in the car today? Do you not understand how she dismissed you—how she ignored you completely? If not for Hallie telling me the truth, you would have continued to suffer in silence, letting this disgraceful woman trample all over you!"
Her voice rose with every word, her chest heaving as her fury reached its peak. She turned her gaze back to Melanie, eyes blazing with pure contempt.
"And yet, even now, you defend her?" She let out a bitter laugh, shaking her head. "You disgust me, Spencer."
With a sharp shove, Spencer's mother pushed him aside, sneering as she glared at Melanie.
"This trash! Instead of throwing her out, you treasure her?" she scoffed before turning and marching into the house, her fury unmistakable.
Melanie remained frozen, the sting of the slap fading, replaced by something far heavier.
Spencer turned to her, reaching out. "Melanie, are you alright? Don't worry, I'm here."
Here?
A bitter laugh almost escaped her. What good was here? Hadn't he been here when his mother slapped her? When she hurled insults without hesitation? Had he even tried to stop her before she did all that?
Her gaze shifted to Hallie, standing in the corner, watching with quiet satisfaction.
Melanie's jaw tightened. Without a word, she turned and walked into the kitchen, leaving them behind.
Once inside, Melanie moved with mechanical precision, her body numb as she reached for an ice pack from the freezer. Pressing it against her burning cheek, she let out a shaky breath, feeling the cold seep into her skin. The pain dulled, but the ache in her chest only deepened.
Her tears fell silently, tracing warm paths down her face. She had truly been a fool. Today had been an awakening—one she would never forget.
She replayed his words in her mind, that he'd said about her being a fool.
Hadn't she been?
The first time her mother-in-law had raised a hand against her, she had stood there, silent, accepting. If she had spoken up then, if she had taken a stand, would things have been different? Would that woman have dared to strike her every time she was angry, every time she wanted to remind Melanie of her place?
Her grip on the ice pack tightened.
She had allowed this to happen. All for the sake of peace that she had promised Spencer? Not anymore. She would not allow this.