Chapter 41

“Christopher, shop it…” Cynthia said.

Meanwhile, in the room, Melody quietly put on her earphones, listening to music to block out their conversation. Cynthia was trying to put on a show, but Melody couldn’t be bothered to watch. Two hours passed like this.

Melody decided to go wash up, hoping to avoid them. She stepped out with toiletries in hand and heard their flirtatious chatter filling the air. When Christopher heard the door opening, he looked up. Soon after, the bathroom door closed.

Melody had been acting strangely all day—a complete lack of emotion. Was she angry? No. It felt more like indifference, a complete lack of care. He kept his eyes on the bathroom door for as long as she was in there. Beside him, Cynthia’s eyes flickered with venomous resentment.

After about ten minutes, the bathroom door opened. Christopher nearly jumped to his feet and walked over quickly. He had originally wanted to ask Melody how long she planned to sulk, but he changed his mind. He stopped and reached out to grab Cynthia, spinning her around and pressing her against the wall. Then, he leaned close to her as if he was going to kiss her.

Melody would surely get jealous. Maybe she would slap him, as she did in the hospital, or perhaps she would argue with him. He was hoping for a reaction, but…

The guest room door opened and closed. Melody didn’t even pause or look back. She completely ignored them, as if she couldn’t care less.

Immediately, Christopher clenched his fists as anger burned inside him.

“Christopher,” Cynthia said, startled. Then, she excitedly wrapped her arms around his neck and stood on tiptoes to kiss him. But before she could, a loud bang echoed through the room. Cynthia screamed, her face paling with fear. Christopher had slammed his fist into the wall, inches from her head.

“Go to bed,” he said, his face dark. Then he turned and entered the master bedroom.

Cynthia’s heart pounded. It had been so close. Just a few more inches, and he would have hit her. What was going on? Why did he suddenly lose control and punch the wall? Cynthia messaged him in a panic, trying to show her concern.

In the master bedroom, Christopher stood by the window. His phone rang nonstop, but none of the messages were from Melody. Why had Melody changed so much? He gritted his teeth, tense. His mind was filled with memories of her gentle smile and how she used to care for him. The contrast was stark. He even suspected the hospital had swapped Melody with someone else. This couldn’t possibly be the real Melody. The more he thought about it, the angrier and more frustrated he became. He kicked the wall in frustration.

In the small guest room, Melody quickly applied her skincare products, afraid she would hear them making love if she were too slow. That would definitely give her nightmares. With her earphones in, she listened to a lesson while drawing on her tablet, working tirelessly until 1:00 AM before shutting down her computer. Christopher had work the next day. Surely, he couldn’t still be this energetic?

Sure enough, it grew quiet next door, and Melody finally felt at ease enough to fall asleep. However, she vaguely heard the door opening again in the haze of sleep. She immediately thought, “You two are so impressive. I can’t believe you’ve been at it this whole time. It’s so late, as if you both haven’t had enough fun in the last few weeks.”

In the living room, Christopher poured himself a glass of water and took some stomach medicine. His stomach had felt a little better after lunch, but after dinner, it was back to feeling uneasy. He went to the fridge, thinking the salty braised brisket with tomatoes could still be eaten. He could just eat a little more discreetly. But the fridge was empty. Melody had thrown it all away. He was speechless.