\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 19\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 19\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
Melody was taken to the hospital, where the doctor cleaned and bandaged the wound on her temple. She was diagnosed with a mild concussion and was told to stay overnight for observation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Clayton barely said a word the entire time. Miles, on the other hand, tried his best to comfort her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Melody was curled up beneath the blanket, her back facing them. She sobbed, \u201cWhy did it have to happen then, of all times? And in front of so many people, too\u2026 How am I supposed to face anyone again after this?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The thought of her wardrobe malfunction in public and the embarrassing sight of her tumbling down the stairs made her want the ground to swallow her whole.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo one\u2019s going to remember,\u201d Miles said quickly. \u201cAnd if anything, blame the dress for its awful quality. It was just an accident.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Melody clenched the corner of the blanket as she said accusingly, \u201cMaybe it wasn\u2019t an accident. Sienna picked out the dress herself. Why did it fall apart only when I wore it?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Miles was stunned for a moment before realization hit him. \u201cThat\u2019s right! During the fitting, could she have messed with it and loosened the seams on purpose?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Melody turned around, tears pooling in her eyes as she looked at Clayton. \u201cThis was most likely her doing again, trying to sabotage me. She\u2019s always had it out for me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Clayton stood by the bed with his arms crossed, wearing a calm expression. \u201cThat\u2019s merely your speculation. Without any proof, empty words hold no weight.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He added, \u201cShe\u2019s not smart enough to calculate the exact timing of when you\u2019d go on stage, how much you\u2019d move, and how much strain the fabric could take. If you hadn\u2019t gone up there, none of this would have happened.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Melody\u2019s tears fell harder. \u201cSo you\u2019re saying it\u2019s my fault?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Irritation surged up in his chest, and just as Clayton was about to respond, his phone rang. He stepped outside to answer it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
On the other end, Hayden\u2019s lazy voice drawled, \u201cYour wife left.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Clayton frowned. \u201cYou didn\u2019t take her home?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said it wasn\u2019t in the same direction and took a taxi. Besides, she\u2019s your wife. Why should I be the one to send her home?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hayden clicked his tongue. \u201cI mean, I\u2019m so good-looking\u2026 Are you really not worried? How do you expect me to send her back? Forcefully princess-carry her into the car or something?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Clayton\u2019s expression darkened. \u201cTry it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hayden was clearly only joking, but he still took the chance to remind his friend seriously. \u201cIn all seriousness, women hold grudges forever. I\u2019m afraid what you did tonight won\u2019t be so easily forgiven.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe can\u2019t make that big of a fuss,\u201d Clayton replied dismissively. He wasn\u2019t worried since Sienna had always accommodated his every whim.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After hanging up the call, he returned to the ward and gave Miles brief instructions. \u201cStay here with her. Call the doctor if anything happens.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hearing that he was leaving, Melody panicked and grabbed his sleeve. \u201cCan\u2019t you stay, Clay? Tonight really gave me such a scare.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Clayton pulled his arm back. \u201cI still have things to tend to. Miles will look after you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She bit down on her lip, hesitating. \u201cBut\u2026 for a man and woman to be alone in the same room\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Clayton glanced at Miles, then said calmly, \u201cJust think of him as a woman.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 19\u00a0<\/p>\n
Clayton glanced at Miles, then said calmly, \u201cJust think of him as a woman.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Miles immediately yelled, \u201cHey! What do you mean by that? I\u2019m a full-grown man, alright?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Clayton ignored him and walked out of the ward. Melody tried to stop him again but grasped at nothing but air.\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Michelle froze at the sight before her when she opened her door.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sienna stood there with a suitcase dragging behind her, two woven bags stuffed to the brim, and a tote bag stretched to the point of looking deformed, slung over her shoulder. She looked like someone fleeing a disaster zone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhoa!\u201d Michelle\u2019s eyes widened. \u201cDid you get kicked out?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sienna squeezed her way inside, dropped everything on the floor, and gasped for breath. \u201cLet me crash here for a few days. Once my job settles down a little, I\u2019ll find my own place. If I have to stay far away from work, the commute alone would be too exhausting.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Michelle shut the door and helped drag the suitcase into the living room. \u201cStay as long as you want. I get bored living alone anyway. But\u2026 are you two really divorced now?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHe hasn\u2019t signed the papers yet,\u201d Sienna replied, collapsing on the couch, exhausted. \u201cBut it won\u2019t take long.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Michelle plopped down beside her, handing her a bag of chips. Her eyes burned with curiosity, wanting to hear the gossip.\u201d Come on, start talking. What happened that made you run off overnight?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sienna grabbed a handful of chips and began with the fighting over gowns at the shop, then moved on to the seating drama at the banquet, to Melody falling offstage, and finally to Clayton carrying Melody away in front of everyone, humiliating her entirely.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She retold the story in detail, even gesturing at her hair as she spoke. \u201cIf I\u2019d put up with this any longer, my hair would have turned white from stress!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDamn it!\u201d Michelle crushed the chips in anger. \u201cDid Clayton get cursed by that slimy little worm? He looks decent on the outside, but he has such a bad eye for people. Otherwise, did she catch him committing murder or something?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe that\u2019s what true love looks like,\u201d Sienna said with a self-mocking smile. \u201cThe evil ex-wife should know better than to linger. Pack up and leave gracefully before it gets too ugly.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Michelle rolled up her sleeves, feeling upset in Sienna\u2019s stead. \u201cYou\u2019re letting her off this easily? If it were me, I\u2019d spin her around like a top. All she knows how to do is play the victim.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sienna\u2019s lips curved upward slightly, a sharp glint in her eyes. \u201cWho said I\u2019m letting her off? I knew she\u2019d steal my gown.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a strapless, bright red fishtail gown with a deep V-cut at the chest. It was the birthday banquet of an 80-year-old, and she showed up dressed like that? In the end, she only has herself to blame.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She added, \u201cI just didn\u2019t expect her to actually tear through the gown. At worst, she\u2019d barely be able to move. That\u2019s all. But she had to push her limits, rushing onstage in a hurry to outshine me, especially after seeing my painting. She walked straight into it herself.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Michelle shook her excitedly. \u201cAhh! I missed such an interesting scene! You should\u2019ve livestreamed it!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you were there, you\u2019d have laughed so hard that your voice would have echoed throughout the entire banquet hall.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sienna raised her brows smugly. \u201cI had to dig my nails into my palms to keep from laughing when I saw her sprawled on the floor.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Michelle gave her a thumbs-up before commenting seriously, \u201cAs expected, the old, sweet Sienna is gone. It\u2019s the villainous Sienna now.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
June\u2019s\u00a0<\/p>\n
VETUR AACE\u00a0<\/p>\n
X CLOSE\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 19\u00a0<\/p>\n
3\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
They chatted for a while longer. Michelle lived in a three-bedroom apartment, so she cleared out a guest room for Sienna.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sienna unpacked her clothes, bedsheets, and towel from her suitcase. She even pulled out a desk lamp and scented candles.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you opening a convenience store?\u201d Michelle stared as Sienna continued pulling out toothpaste, a toothbrush, and face towels.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sienna arranged everything neatly, feeling completely justified. \u201cEvery penny matters. If I paid for it, I\u2019m taking it. Why should anyone else benefit from me?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She added, \u201cImagine them sleeping together on my sheets in the future. How sickening that is! Besides, what if Melody texts me later saying, \u2018The sheets you bought are really nice?\u201d\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Michelle held back a laugh. \u201cImagine Clayton getting home and everything\u2019s gone. His wife is gone, and his entire house has been looted!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sienna shrugged nonchalantly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Clayton never liked her much anyway. He wouldn\u2019t care about all these things. If anything, he would probably enjoy the peace and quiet. Dragging out the divorce was just his way of getting back at her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sienna pulled out one last item from her bag.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Michelle snatched it from her hands immediately. \u201cWait. Why does this look familiar?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was a gift from you,\u201d Sienna replied. \u201cYou said it was for those long, lonely nights\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
To be fair, she never needed it. After all, Clayton was quite attentive in that regard.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But Michelle\u2019s gift had felt like a ticking time bomb. If he ever found it, he\u2019d jump to conclusions and start doing it with her more often. So she chose to lock it away, and she had never once used it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Act Fast: Free Bonus Time is Running Out!\u00a0<\/p>\n
X\u00a0<\/p>\n
Claim\u00a0<\/p>\n
X CLOSE\u00a0<\/p>\n
She got the divorce and bolted 19 \u00a0 Chapter 19\u00a0 Chapter 19\u00a0 1\/3\u00a0 Melody was taken to the hospital, where […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20093","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-she-got-the-divorce-and-bolted-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20093","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20093"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20093\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20093"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20093"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20093"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}