As Melanie slowly limped back from her jog, Adam's words echoed in her mind. Your husband should be the one here fussing over you, shouldn't he? Oh wait. He's not, is he? And worse—his insinuation about Spencer being busy with his friend. It was ridiculous. Spencer had been insistent on wanting to sleep in, claiming he was too exhausted. There was no way he'd be up and about so soon, let alone with someone else.
Yet, as she stepped into the house, her thoughts screeched to a halt.
There he was. The husband who had wanted to sleep in, who had dismissed her the night before with nothing but exhaustion as an excuse and even refused to move away on the bed this morning was now sitting at the breakfast table. Not only was he awake, but he wasn't eating his breakfast. He was being fed.
Melanie's breath caught as she watched Halley, his friend, reach across the table, cut a bite-sized piece of his egg, and lift it to his mouth with an ease that spoke of familiarity. Spencer, without hesitation, leaned forward and accepted it.
She stiffened. Was this how just friends were supposed to behave?
But it got worse.
After swallowing, Spencer casually plucked a piece of apple from his plate and held it up to Halley's lips. Melanie expected her to simply take a bite. Instead, Halley leaned in, her tongue flicking against his fingers as she took the fruit into her mouth.
Melanie saw red.
That was enough. More than enough.
Jaw tight, she strode forward, ignoring the slight throb in her ankle. The sharp sound of her slow, deliberate claps filled the room, drawing immediate attention.
"What a wonderful scene," she drawled, her voice laced with mock admiration.
Spencer's entire demeanor changed the moment he saw her. His shoulders tensed, his hand dropped away from Halley, and guilt flashed across his face before he quickly masked it. "Mel," he said, his tone forced and wary. "What are you doing here?"
Melanie arched an eyebrow, her smile cool. "I've been living here for the past three years, Spencer. What do you think?"
He grimaced, realizing his blunder. "I meant—how was your walk?"
Melanie took her time walking closer, making sure not to limp as she tilted her head. "Oh, it was good enough," she said lightly, her gaze flicking between him and Halley. "Though I couldn't stop thinking about how exhausted you were this morning. Didn't you say you wanted to sleep in?"
Before Spencer could fumble for an answer, Halley spoke up with an easy, almost dismissive smile. "Oh, I made breakfast and then went to wake him up. I figured he'd be hungry." She turned to Spencer with a fond look. "Over there, he always had breakfast around this time, so I thought I'd get something ready for him and the others."
Then, with an air of complete confidence, she nudged his plate toward him. "Come on, Spency. Let's eat."
Melanie went completely still.
The casual way Halley spoke, the way she acted as if she knew Spencer's every habit—her every action was like a blade twisting in Melanie's gut. But what truly sent a fresh wave of fury through her was Spencer himself.
He said nothing.
No denial. No correction. He simply picked up his fork, ready to eat like this was all perfectly normal.
Melanie straightened, her fingers curling at her sides as she let out a slow breath. Her smile was sharp when she finally spoke.
"Really?" she mused, her voice deceptively light. "And did you feed him breakfast every day over there, too?"
This time Spencer paused, his fork in mid air as he looked at her," Melanie. Don't be rude."
"I am being rude? Your friend comes into my house, takes over my kitchen and apparently my husband, and I am the one being rude?"
There was an awkward pause before Halley spoke up, "Well," Halley began after an awkward pause, her voice a little less confident, "I didn't mean to cause any trouble. I just thought I'd help out."
Melanie raised an eyebrow again, her lips curving into a tight smile. "Help out? That's thoughtful of you," she said, her words laced with irony. "But next time, maybe ask first. You wouldn't want anyone to think that you were the wife."
Halley's face flushed, and for a moment, it seemed like she was going to argue. But then she glanced at Spencer aggrievedly, and whatever words she had died in her throat.
With a pointed look at her husband, Melanie turned and walked away.
As expected, Spencer did not follow her. However, as she limped up the stairs, she saw someone standing there witnessing everything and her heart clenched. Was this man forever going to be witness to her humiliation?
***
Sometimes actions spoke louder than words. Soon after, Spencer returned to their room, angry and pulled at her elbow.
"How could you do this? Hallie is my guest and you humiliated her! She is down there crying, insisting that she wants to leave. I brought here here to help her and not to be humiliated by you!"
Melanie yanked her elbow free from Spencer's grip, her eyes blazing as she spun to face him. "I humiliated her?" she snapped. "You brought her into our home like she owns the place, cooking breakfast like she's the woman of the house, calling you 'Spency,' and I'm the one in the wrong?"
"She's a guest, Melanie," Spencer shot back, his tone sharp. "She was just trying to be helpful. You didn't have to make her feel unwelcome As for your home, this is MY HOME! Not yours. And she has the right to be here because I invited her."
Melanie let out a disbelieving laugh, bitter and cutting. She was the one who had spent the last three years keeping this home a home, taking all sorts of abuses and what now but suddenly it was His Home? She shook her head," Well, then you can make her feel welcome! I don't need to! Don't blame me for calling it out when you're unwilling to set boundaries."
Spencer's jaw tightened, and he took a step closer, his voice dropping dangerously low. "Watch it, Melanie. You're making this into something it's not."
"Oh, really?" Melanie said, her arms crossed tightly, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Then what exactly is it, Spencer?"
"Stop being so insecure, Melanie. Hallie is my best friend and she is going to be my assistant when I join the office. Of course, she is going to take care of my needs. And you were the one at fault first for not preparing my breakfast and going out to run. So do not try to cast blame on her and ruin everything with your petty jealousy."