Chapter 16 Two Years


    "Mellie, I''m d to see you like this."


    Kent smiled at Melinda who was packing her things. She had a goal now and was striving to achieve it.


    She was not the old Melinda who wallowed in self-pity. She was stronger than ever, sparkling like a


    diamond.


    "Yeah, I''m d to be back on track too. I''ve finally got my life together after all these years. I''ve wasted


    the most crucial years of my life. I''m going to start living for myself."


    A strand of hair brushed across Melinda''s cheek and Kent tucked it behind her ear. Melinda''s eyes


    were gleaming with happiness. She was looking like the chirpy girl she once used to be. She was


    radiating with positivity, which added a glow to her wless face.


    "It''s gettingte. I need to go now. See youter."


    Although Melinda was reluctant to go back home, she had to fulfill her responsibilities of Jonas''s wife.


    She hadn''t divorced Jonas yet and was still living in the Gu''s mansion.


    Kent had been worried about Melinda before, but he was relieved to witness the change in her.


    "Let me drive you home."


    Kent paid the bill and went back to the table to help Melinda take herptop. She smiled gratefully and


    walked out. Kent had parked his car in the underground parking lot and Melinda was waiting outside


    the shopping mall. Her eyes flitted to the towering building of Soaring Group.


    She was a speck of dot before the enormous building. She couldn''t reach the top, just like she couldn''t


    find a ce in Jonas''s heart.


    The honking sound of the car snapped her from the reverie. She turned around and saw that Kent was


    waiting for her to get into the car.


    The Gu''s mansion consisted of a bunch of old houses that were renovated over the years to keep up


    with the changing trend.


    Kent dropped Melinda at the gate. She got off the car and went straight into the house. An eerie


    atmosphere prevailed in the mansion. The mansion was usually silent only when Jonas was home.


    Melinda wondered if he was back, but she quickly brushed away the thought and decided to go back to


    her room.


    "Do you know what time it is now?"


    Melinda heard a sharp voice as soon as she stepped into the living room.


    She turned around to see who it was. Queena Yao was sitting on the sofa with one leg across the


    other, ring at her. She was wearing a formal suit. Her hair was curled to perfection and her lips were


    coated with ayer of vibrant red lipstick.


    "Mom!" Melinda greeted her respectfully.


    Queena Yao was a strong woman. Although she was powerful, she was never domineering. Everyone


    admired and respected her.


    Melinda was aware of Queena Yao''s strong dislike towards her. All these years, Melinda had worked


    hard to be the perfect daughter-inw of the Gu family and win her heart. But all her efforts were in


    vain. She couldn''t earn Queena Yao''s love and trust.


    "Melinda, who dropped you home? It''s a nice BMW. Looks like you''ve gotten rich friends as well," Yulia


    mocked. Melinda didn''t realize Yulia''s presence until she heard her voice.


    Queena Yao frowned at Yulia''s remark.


    "He was my senior at school. I needed a favor from him," Melinda said.


    She understood that Yulia was trying to cause trouble and felt that she needed to exin.


    "You could have sought help from my brother. He''s, after all, the most powerful person in A City."


    Yulia worshipped Jonas. He was a hero in her eyes. She had always craved love and affection. She


    wanted Jonas to spoil her and make her happy like how a normal brother would, but Jonas always


    ignored her.


    "You are the daughter-inw of the Gu family and you need to be careful while choosing friends,"


    Queena Yao said. Melinda couldn''t help but smirk at her.


    Everyone in the Gu family''s social circle disdained Melinda. They always looked down upon her. No


    one tried making friends with her because of Jonas. She was invisible to them as everyone ignored her.


    "I got it," Melinda said obediently. Melinda knew that she couldn''t argue with Queena Yao, so she


    smiled and walked to her room.


    Queena Yao''s face flustered with embarrassment. She was surprised to see that Melinda was unfazed


    by her taunts.


    "Aunt Queena, Melinda has started to ignore you as well."


    Yulia frowned. But Queena Yao was aware of Yulia''s intentions. She knew that Yulia was trying to


    cause trouble between her and Melinda.


    Queena Yao hated Yulia as much as she hated Melinda.


    "A sparrow is always a sparrow," Queena Yao muttered coldly.


    Yulia''s face changed when she saw Queena Yao''s tight expression, but she managed to force a smile.


    The liveliness of the Gu''s mansion was gone and the atmosphere had be tense since Queena


    Yao''s arrival. Everyone was afraid of her and tried to be in their best behavior. Nelson was hardly in the


    mansion as he was catching up with his old friends.


    Melinda was swept by a fresh wave of energy as new ideas seemed to crop up in her mind after her


    conversation with Kent. He had helped Melinda regain her confidence and she was busy converting her


    ideas into stories.


    Melinda was checking her first draft when a loud voice reverberated across the silent room. "What are


    you doing?"


    She instinctively switched herputer off and stood up. Queena Yao was leaning against the


    doorframe with her arms across her chest.


    "You''ve been staying at home all day doing nothing. It''s been five years since you got married to my


    son and you still don''t have children. I don''t understand why Father was insistent on Jonas getting


    married to a woman like you who has been leeching off him all these years," Queena Yao said as she


    raked her eyes across Melinda''s body, from head to toe.


    She scrunched her nose in distaste as Melinda wearing casual loungewear. Queena Yao was


    disappointed to find that her daughter-inw was devoid of the poise and grace of a noblewoman.


    Melinda''s eyes narrowed at the mention of children. She clenched her fists to control the rage that was


    simmering in her heart. She was pregnant once and had lost her baby.


    "Aunt Queena, Melinda is trying to write a novel and she''s brilliant at it. I''ve heard that great writers


    earn up to a million dors a year," Yulia said, smiling sweetly.


    Yulia had always been Queena Yao''s faithful follower and Melinda was surprised to see Yulia stand up


    for her.


    "A million dors a year? Jonas earns a million dors for one single project," Queena Yao scoffed.


    Melinda was irked by Queena Yao''s words. She knew that Queena Yao was reveling in a plenitude of


    wealth and that a million dors meant nothing to her. But Melinda had put her heart and soul into


    earning the money to pay her bills.


    "Aunt Queena, at least she is working hard. We''ve gotten to appreciate that."


    Queena Yao was annoyed that Yulia was supporting Melinda, but she didn''t know that it was part of her


    n. She knew what triggered Queena Yao''s anger and was trying to provoke her.


    "What''s the point in working hard if you cannot take care of your husband? It''s been so long since I


    returned home and I haven''t seen Jonas yet. My son doesn''te home these days. What have you


    done to him?"


    Melinda continued to stare at Queena Yao. She didn''t know what to say.


    "It''s not her fault," Yulia said.


    "So you mean it''s my son''s fault?" Queena Yao''s anger spiked up with every word Yulia uttered. She


    was seething with rage. Yulia was scared to see Queena Yao''s angry eyes boring into hers. She


    swallowed loudly and croaked, "Of course, it is."


    Melinda saw the two of them talking about her but didn''t bother interrupting them.


    Queena Yao nced at Melinda who was looking at her with a vacant expression. Melinda''s


    nonchnce annoyed her even more.


    "Yulia, don''t you find it weird to pretend like a good person?"


    Melinda finally asked.


    Yulia suppressed her urge to smile. She was pleased with herself for annoying her.


    When the two women left, Melinda went back to theputer table to continue with her work, but her


    mind was aplete mess. She switched off theputer and went to her bedroom without saying a


    word.


    Melinda was frustrated. Queena Yao had been constantly nagging her and finding faults in everything


    she did. Yulia, as usual, continued to y her tricks, and Melinda was sick of dealing with the two of


    them.


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    "Kent, is the apartment that you saw a couple of days ago still avable? I want to rent it," Melinda said,


    rubbing her eyebrows with one hand, and holding her phone with the other hand.


    "Didn''t you say that it was a noisy ce? Why are you suddenly interested in it?"


    Kent had apanied Melinda to find an apartment for her to stay. They had almost booked it, and


    Melinda was ready to move after her recovery, but Nelson had asked her to return to the Gu''s mansion.


    She couldn''t refuse.


    "I am moving out."


    Melinda was losing her mind in the Gu''s mansion. She was tired of Yulia''s mind games and Queena


    Yao''s hatred towards her. She wanted to get away from this hell-hole and never return. Melinda had


    rejected the apartment because people in the neighborhood were dancing and shouting all day long.


    Now, she was even ready to endure the noise to escape from their torture.


    "Okay, I''ll talk to thendlord and let you know. If it''s already rented to someone else, you can stay in


    my ce. I''ll stay with my parents until you find a good apartment."


    Melinda walked out of the room with a small bag. She didn''t have many belongings and had managed


    to stuff all her things into the bag. The butler wanted to stop her from leaving but shut his mouth when


    he saw Queena Yao.


    "What are you doing? Are you running away from here?" Queena Yao was surprised to see Melinda


    dragging her luggage across the hallway. Yulia''s face lit up with joy. She was happy to see Melinda


    finally leave. She had been waiting for this day for a very long time.


    "I''m going to divorce your son, Mrs. Gu. I hope you find a nice daughter-inw soon."


    Melinda smiled and walked out of the house without looking back. The butler followed her to the gate


    and Melinda asked him to arrange a car because there were no taxis in the area.


    "Mrs. Gu, your grandfather loves you. Why can''t you stay back for him?" the old butler asked. He knew


    that Nelson would be furious if Melinda left the house.


    "I''ve lived in this house all these years because I got married to Jonas. I''ve understood that we are not


    meant to be together, so there is no point in staying back." Melinda smiled and hopped into the car.


    Melinda had left a new divorce agreement in Jonas''s room, which said that she would leave without


    taking a single penny from him.


    Melinda had been in love with Jonas and that was the only reason for her to marry him. She had


    decided to break all ties with him and his money meant nothing to her.


    She realized that getting married to Jonas was the biggest mistake of her life. She should have left him


    a long time ago and didn''t want to dy it any further.


    Jonas finally returned home. Queena Yao had informed him about Melinda''s departure, but he didn''t


    seem to care about it. He walked into his room, slumped on the chair, and blew out a loud breath. His


    eyes settled on the divorce papers that were lying on the table. He took the papers and skimmed


    through them.


    "You''re divorcing me without demanding for alimony? You''ve got to be kidding me!" Jonas muttered


    and shoved the papers into his drawer.


    Jonas always believed that Melinda had married him for his money. He couldn''t help but wonder why


    she was leaving him without demanding anything in return. Part of him believed that she was up to


    something, but the other part of him felt that he hadn''t fully understood her.


    It had been three days since Melinda had left the divorce papers in Jonas''s room for him to sign, but


    there was no response from him. She was a little anxious. She had tried meeting him several times but


    Jonas''s secretary refused to let her in.


    "The court usually finalizes the divorce only after two years of separation. That''s the worst-case


    scenario," Kent said.


    He was surprised to find out that Jonas was still reluctant to divorce her. He remembered Melinda


    telling him that Jonas imed she was not the maniptor of their game. Kent couldn''t understand why


    it was taking too long for him to sign the papers.


    "Two years is a short time." Melinda smiled.


    "It''s nothingpared to the pain and suffering I had endured in these five years," she said. Melinda


    didn''t know what she needed to do to make Jonas sign the papers. She wanted to end this marriage


    and begin a happy life.