Chapter 7
The hurried couple froze at the sound of her voice, spinning around. When their eyes landed on Melissa, shock spread across their faces.
“Melissa?!” they blurted out in unison.
Melissa’s gaze locked on the woman beside Hugh, and her chest tightened painfully.
Her mind reeled-it was Hannah Carpenter, her closest friend from college. The very same Hannah who had once encouraged her to give Hugh a chance, back when the three of them were practically inseparable.
Hannah stepped forward, her face lighting up with an exaggerated smile. “Melissa! Oh my God, it’s really you! Where the hell have you been all these years? You disappeared without a word!”
Hugh, meanwhile, looked like he’d swallowed a lemon. His face was a mix of guilt and discomfort, and his mouth opened as if to speak, but no sound came out.
Melissa’s gaze darted between the two of them before landing on the medical report in Hannah’s hand. The name at the top hit her like a punch to the gut: Dennis Wallaker, Age: 2 years 5 months.
Her heart sank. Three years. It had been three years since she and Hugh broke up. And yet here he was, with a child nearly two and a half.
Her breath hitched as a heavy weight settled on her chest. Nails digging into her palms, she forced herself to speak, her voice trembling. “When… when did you two get together?”
Hugh instinctively stepped in front of Hannah, as though shielding her. “Melissa, this has nothing to do with Hannah,” he said quickly, his voice stiff and defensive.
Melissa’s jaw clenched, her voice dropping to a cold, sharp edge. So the medical report back then-it was fake? You lied to call off the engagement because she was already pregnant. Is that it?”
Hugh sighed, his shoulders tightening. He handed the child to Hannah and murmured. “Take him to the room. I’ll handle this.”
But Hannah didn’t take the child. Instead, she glanced Melissa up and down, a smirk playing on her lips. Her gaze lingered on Melissa’s wrinkled clothes, disheveled hair, and swollen eyes. Whatever nervousness she’d shown earlier was gone, replaced by an air of disdain.
Lifting her chin slightly, she sneered, “Melissa, is that really you? Wow. I almost didn’t recognize you-you look so… tired. Worn out, even. And to think you were the campus beauty back then. Honestly, you and Hugh? What a joke. He must’ve been the butt of so many jokes for dating you.”
The sheer venom in her words hit Melissa like a slap, but it was nothing compared to the burning humiliation coursing through her veins. Betrayed by her fiancé and her closest friend-the betrayal and shame ignited something fierce inside
her.
Her vision blurred with rage as she hissed through clenched teeth, “You slept with him while we were together, and you still have the nerve to stand here and look down on me? I thought you were my friend!”
Hannah let out a mocking laugh, tossing her hair back. “Melissa, relationships aren’t about who got there first. Hugh chose me because I’m better for him, plain and simple. You should be asking yourself why that is.”
Melissa’s fury boiled over, a raw, unrelenting anger surging through her. Enough was enough. She wasn’t going to let them walk all over her anymore.
Her hand moved before she could think, and the sharp slap echoed down the hallway as it connected with Hugh’s face.
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Chapter 7
The sound hung in the air, a crisp punctuation to her rage. For a moment, everyone froze.
Hannah’s jaw dropped, her face pale with shock. She looked at Melissa, her disbelief quickly morphing into fury. “Hugh!” she shrieked, rushing toward him. But her gaze zeroed in on Melissa. “You bitch!” she spat, shoving Melissa hard.
Melissa stumbled back, nearly losing her balance, but caught herself just in time. Hannah lunged at her again, but Melissa was ready this time. With a cold, deliberate smile, she raised her hand and slapped Hannah square across the face.
The second slap was harder, sharper. Hannah staggered back, clutching her cheek, her face a mask of shock and humiliation. Melissa stood her ground, her chest heaving with adrenaline, and for the first time in years, she felt an ounce of power
return to her.
The stunned silence didn’t last long. Hugh, still rubbing his cheek, finally snapped out of it, his face darkening with rage. “Melissa, how dare you hit Hannah!” he roared, storming toward her with his hand raised high.
Melissa’s breath caught in her throat. Hugh was tall and broad, and the look on his face was enough to make her stomach twist in fear. If that hand came down, she didn’t know if she could take it.
But the slap never came.
Chapter 8
