Chapter 5 Underestimated Her

• Inside the cafe, Melanie tilted her head and looked out the window at the passing vehicles, sighing with a hint of resignation as she wondered how she ended up agreeing to have a coffee with Sophia.
• On the other hand, Sophia had been observing Melanie's expression all this while, and she was rather stumped that there was no sign of sadness on the other woman’s face. "I'm sorry, Miss Davis," she said after taking a sip of coffee, baffling Melanie into turning her gaze toward the young woman. "What are you apologizing for?"
• "I'm sure you already know about my relationship with Ben," Sophia said with feigned helplessness. "Since you two have chosen to walk your own paths, there are some things I think I need to explain to you."
• "And what would that be, Miss Walker?" Melanie asked indifferently.
• The two looked into each other's eyes for a moment before Sophia slowly began her story. "Ben and I have known each other since we were little, and we've even made a lifelong commitment. However, for some reason, his grandparents and parents didn't approve of me. They even used my mother to force us to break up. My mother has always been in poor health, and to spare her from worry and mistreatment, I reluctantly broke up with Ben.
• "And to make him give up on me completely," she continued. "I even chose to leave and impulsively married someone else. I imagine Ben had to have been in great pain and sorrow during that time. Jadyn told me he was constantly drowning his sorrows in alcohol. It's clear how deeply I hurt him until he met you…"
• While Melanie remained unmoved on the surface as she listened to Sophia recount their past, in actuality, her hand under the table had already clenched into a fist.
• "For Ben to meet someone with a similar voice to mine at the time was probably a way of healing. I know this isn't fair to you, Miss Davis. Regardless, I want to thank you for being by his side this past year. If it weren't for you, Ben might not have been able to hold on. So, thank you. Thank you for being there for him in my place," Sophia thanked and stood up, bowing deeply to her.
• However, Melanie felt a deep sense of irony. Thank me for what? For being a fool and serving as your substitute for a year? For healing the wounds of unrequited love of the man I deeply loved?
• She found the sincere woman across from her incredibly glaring.
• "If you love him so much as you declared, how could you bear to marry someone else?"
• Sophia was taken aback, stunned that Melanie would ask such a question just when she had thought Melanie would break down and flee. Hence, she squeezed her hands and tugged at her lips before responding, "It's precisely because Ben lives in my heart that I got divorced. I came back because—"
• "But despite loving each other…" Melanie interjected, no longer having the patience to entertain her. She stood up, towering over her, her tone calm and indifferent yet piercingly sharp. "You two lie in the beds of others. Your love truly endures humiliation and remains noble."
• Sophia couldn't hold her composure after being stung by her words. She squinted her eyes and looked at Melanie. "Miss Davis, if I've upset you with my words, I apologize."
• However, Melanie merely quirked her lips and picked up her bag, her gaze sweeping across Sophia's hurt expression. "Don't bother. After all, it was I who initiated the divorce," she said before walking away, leaving behind a bewildered Sophia watching her retreating figure.
• It wasn't until Melanie was out of sight that Sophia's face turned cold. Clearly, she hadn't expected Melanie to be the one who asked for the divorce. It looks like I've underestimated her. Her earlier words were only meant to test her. Well, since she knows her place, this will be easy.
• After Melanie left the cafe, she hailed a cab to her apartment, and just as she was about to exit the vehicle, her phone started ringing.
• She pulled it out, and when she saw the caller ID, her gaze flickered. Still, she answered it in the end. "Hey, Grandma…"
• "Do you not think a divorce is something worth bringing up with the family?" the elder's stern tone came through the phone, making Melanie grip her phone tightly. "Grandma—"
• "Say what you have to say to me in my face. Come to the manor now."
• "Grandma, I—"
• "What? Do my words mean nothing to you anymore?"
• Melanie hung her head and finally compromised. "Alright, Grandma, don't be angry. I'll come over right away."
• After she hung up the phone, she sighed. "Sir, Green-Hills Enclave, please."
• Melanie stood anxiously at the gate after arriving at the villa, and just as she was about to enter, she heard a car door closing behind her.
• Just like that, the two who had just met not too long ago ran into each other outside of Moore Manor once again.
• Benjamin's brows instinctively furrowed upon seeing her, and before he could speak, she questioned, "How did Grandma find out our plan to divorce? Were you the one who told her about it?"