When Love Becomes a Cage (Melanie) novel Chapter 70

Back at the office, my colleagues cast curious glances my way. Lina approached, visibly trying not to stare at my head.

“Melanie, are you okay? That reporter was way out of line.”

I touched my head playfully. “Pretty convincing wig, huh? Next time I’ll go for Harley Quinn pigtails.”

Lina couldn't help but laugh, though worry still flickered in her eyes.

“Melanie, why’d you go bald? You don’t need to shave it all off for wigs, right?”

I repeated the explanation I’d given Clyde earlier, and everyone seemed to finally get it. After all, someone had noticed a patch missing from my head that day, but no one really questioned it further.

Vinson picked me up after work. Jade, fresh from a meeting outside, rushed over and gave me a tight hug.

“Melanie, you’ve been through so much. Has that reporter lost her mind?”

“I won’t let her get away with this! Should we call the cops? This is outrageous!”

I patted her back, telling her not to worry. Isla had indeed gone off the deep end, but I suspected there were plenty of benefits driving her madness. Her phone, the latest model costing a fortune, along with her luxury bag and shoes, all screamed bribery. If I wasn’t wrong, those were likely financed by what should have been our joint assets. Clyde seemed to have left work early too, hurrying over.

“Melanie, come home tonight, I…”

“It’s fine.”

I didn’t want to dwell on it, simply getting into the car.

To my surprise, Eliana was also in the car, waving at me. Now that everyone in the know was here, I couldn’t help but feel a bit speechless. I had wanted to keep things under wraps, yet here we were.

The car ride was filled with chatter about what to eat, thankfully steering clear of my health issues, which eased my mind a bit. We finally settled down when we reached the restaurant. Eliana, sitting across from me, kept staring.

“Ah, to be beautiful is to be just, huh? Even bald, you’re stunning, Melanie. That’s just unfair.”

I smiled reluctantly, replying, “Still, better with hair, right?”

“It’s fine, it’ll grow back. Once you stop the chemo, it’ll sprout right back up.”

Eliana seemed nonchalant, even offering me a large piece of steak.

“My cousin works at Aurorea Pharmaceuticals, focusing on cancer drugs. He says with today’s tech, cancer’s not the big bad wolf it used to be.”

After dinner, we left the restaurant in good spirits, only to find Clyde waiting outside. We tried to ignore him, but he called out to me.

“Melanie, let’s go home together.”

“It’s okay, I’m with Jade.”

I replied, devoid of emotion. I half-expected him to insist, but he didn’t.

“Wait, I’ve got something for you.”

He hurriedly opened his trunk, revealing several large gift boxes.

"You've lost weight, so I thought you could use some nourishment, and I brought these for hair growth. You’ve always cared about looking your best. Eat well. Health is what matters most.”

The others watched as I took the gift boxes, expressionless. Indeed, they were supplements, something I needed. Since we hadn’t divorced yet, I felt oddly justified in accepting them, as long as it wasn’t a ring. These gifts couldn’t compare to a single bag from Kayla.

Seeing me accept the gifts, he sighed in relief, then added, “If you find the time, come home. I can pick you up whenever.”

I remained silent, following Jade to her car. This time, I didn’t look back at Clyde in the rearview mirror. Some decisions, once made, don’t need revisiting. Our relationship, perhaps, was better off ending here.