Cage
Cage 70

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

ng 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.”

“You’re doing great. Just keep eating well, and I’ll introduce him to you.”

“There are so many cancer survivors now, many live to a ripe old age. You’ve got to at least try to outlive me, balance things out, you know?”

Eliana and Jade went on, their words a mix of comfort and encouragement. Vinson, meanwhile, remained quiet, diligently serving me food. Looking at the mountain of food in front of me, I covered my plate, “Really, I can’t eat all this.” “No worries, you need to eat up now.”

Eliana added a chicken leg to my plate, saying, “Protein, good for you.”

“And about introducing you to that doctor, it’s not for free.”

She looked cunning, and I just shrugged.

“No money, and my life’s not looking too promising either.”

Both she and Jade rolled their eyes before Eliana mentioned, “My family’s chain needs a redesign, plus we’re building a new five–story restaurant. You’ll handle the design as repayment.”

“Give me The Patterson Group’s lowest bid, don’t let that jerk profit from me.”

I agreed with a smile, knowing Eliana’s gesture was more about supporting

my work than the cost itself.

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

Chapter 70

“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 ye uld 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 replace 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.

13.26

Chapter 71