When Love Becomes a Cage (Melanie)

Vinson led me to a quaint vegan restaurant, a choice that left me visibly puzzled.

"Why here?" I asked.Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

"You seemed a bit off, maybe not up for anything heavy," he reasoned.

He pulled a chair for me and poured a glass of water, its coolness somewhat reviving my spirits, though my appetite remained absent. Eventually, I settled for a bowl of oatmeal, eating it slowly.

Patient and seemingly amused, Vinson watched me eat.

Suddenly, he reached out with a napkin to dab at my lips. I instinctively pulled away, and he quickly withdrew his hand.

He explained with a smile, "You've got oatmeal all over your face. Looks like you were hungrier than you thought."

I took the napkin with an awkward smile, feeling a sudden chill down my spine.

"Ah, Melanie, sneaking off from work for a date with the senior, huh?" Kayla's sneering voice broke the silence, earning an eye roll from me and a chuckle from Vinson across the table.

Dissatisfied with my reaction, Kayla sauntered over with Clyde in tow.

"Only oatmeal? Melanie, feeling under the weather?" she prodded.

"With Mr. Russell here, we needn't worry, right? But aren't you forgetting you're a married woman? Out like this, it's quite scandalous."

Clyde watched silently, allowing Kayla's barbs to fly unchallenged.

I wiped my mouth, nodding earnestly. "Well, you two aren't exactly being discreet, flaunting your affair. Vinson and I are just having a meal. What's so wrong about that?"

Sometimes, I admired Kayla for her sheer audacity. If I had been as bold back then, things with Clyde might not have soured so badly.

Clyde finally spoke up, defending his darling Kayla. "Melanie, watch your language. You're going out with Vinson and you're accusing others?" His glaring almost set me off laughing.

"What should I say then? Adulterers? Sorry, my vocabulary as a designer is limited, Mr. Patterson, my apologies." Grabbing my bag, I looked at Vinson. "Done eating? Let's go."

I was about to retort when I felt a warm trickle from my nose, a nosebleed, a common aftermath of my treatments. Frantically grabbing tissues to stem the flow, the blood wouldn't stop.

Vinson ushered Kayla aside, taking me to the restroom while Clyde got held up by her.

"Clyde, don't worry. Maybe it's just stress or something. I used to get nosebleeds as a kid all the time, Kayla said casually, a tone that made me wish she'd share my current plight.

It took a while for the bleeding to stop, leaving me dizzy.

Touching my head, the sensation of losing hair hit me hard. The possibility of going bald, even partially, was something I found hard to accept despite the minor hair loss so far.

Luckily, Vinson didn't notice. Handing me water, he asked, "What's going on? Low blood sugar plus a nosebleed?"

I casually tossed the fallen hair away, silently apologizing to the cleaning staff, before taking a sip. "Just a bit of stress and low blood sugar. I'll be

fine."

"Are you sure?" Vinson asked, skeptical.

Knowing my explanation sounded far-fetched, I nodded firmly. "Who wouldn't be stressed with a cheating husband? It's nothing."

My attempt at humor seemed to convince Vinson, who nodded in agreement.

I turned to Vinson. "Vinson, I'd like some time alone. No need to see me out."

Feeling overwhelmed, I left the restroom. Passing by Kayla and Clyde, I didn't spare them a glance, stepping out to hail a cab back to Jade's place.