Chapter 123

Melody learned about last night's incident and created a scene at home. The Frazier family was also restless; Rosalie had long desired to see Debra humiliated. News of Juan leaving with another woman at the banquet had spread throughout their social circle. Ralph bombarded her with phone calls, but Debra didn't answer.

When Joe took Debra back to the Nichols family house, Melody was smashing water glasses against the wall. Juan was silent, but his clothes were disheveled, his body bore marks of violence, and his face was pale.

“Debra, you knew, right? And you let them do as they pleased?” Melody’s chest heaved with anger.

“Juan likes her. There’s nothing I can do,” Debra replied calmly, exhibiting a detached attitude. She had already prepared for the worst-case scenario; if Juan exposed her enrollment at Arcane Academy, she would simply divorce him.

“I don’t get it. What’s so good about a college girl? Debra is prettier and more capable. Are you blind? How did I raise such a grandson?” Melody fumed.

“Grandma, it’s all my fault. It has nothing to do with Shelia. Please don’t involve her,” Juan interjected.

Melody stood up from the sofa and snapped, “I didn’t want to…” The rest of her sentence was lost in a torrent of unintelligible words and phrases. She clearly wanted to address the mess with the Frazier family, but she dared not articulate her thoughts fully, perhaps fearing Melody's further wrath. The outcome was surprisingly subdued, considering the involvement of Debra, James, and Shelia. Even getting Melody angry proved to be only another home disturbance, particularly concerning her already fragile health.

“Your family called you?” he suddenly asked.

“With the scandal so rampant, it’s hard to keep them in the dark,” Debra replied.

Juan frowned. “Do you have to jeer at me like that?”