Ch. 131..140

Spoiled by Mr. Russell Chapter 131

At that moment, it was difficult for her to back down. Melanie, conscious of the audience’s eyes on her, forced herself to recall the process and to keep a level head. It was not only a matter of taking a sample, stating a few words, or even figuring out the general formula and ingredients. What if Melanie said something wrong that she could not take back? Due to the overwhelming tension, even holding a test strip made her hands tremble. After she completed a series of procedures, there was still a faint lingering aroma on the tip of her nose. She thought long and hard about the ingredients so that she could give a brief description of them. That would be preferable to saying nothing at all.

“Ms. Thayer?”

As soon as the host spoke, she responded quickly, “I like this fragrance. Light and elegant scents are my go-to, and this one has won me over. Whoever the perfumer is, I imagine they value peaceful silence and enjoy a serene garden view with birds and blooming flowers.

“By the way, this perfume has the delicate fragrance of chrysanthemums. I think it should contain essential oils extracted from dried chrysanthemums?”

Even if her first sentence appeared to be well–organized, her subsequent ones revealed a distinct lack of confidence. That question was tentative. She did not know what to say, but she also knew she could not remain silent or start spouting nonsense.

What mattered was completing the level. “This...” The host hesitated. Melanie‘s heart throbbed in suspense. “I don‘t know what ingredients are inside, but after listening to Ms. Thayer‘s description, it sounds delightful! Why don‘t we invite the creator of this perfume and let him answer it in person? Let‘s see how accurate Ms. Thayer is!” After a brief lull in the pressure, things tensed up again.

Melanie hoped her speculations were correct, or at least the creator would show mercy to her since she had flattered them earlier.

One person came up to the stage casually while the crowd cheered. Melanie did not even dare to look. She just stood on the stage with a stiff smile and applauded.

Her cheeks were burning hot, but she needed to remain calm. Her expression must stay pleasant and confident. No matter what the creator said, she would stand up straight and speak with assurance.

“Welcome! Let‘s all welcome the creator himself to the stage! Let’s invite Mr. Moreau to introduce the fragrance to us personally.”

The host’s words surprised Melanie.

She spun her head, and she saw that familiar face. Frank took the microphone and smiled like a gentleman.

How could it be him?

Frank glanced at Melanie while holding the microphone and then paused before he looked down at the audience.

“First, I‘m very grateful for the invitation from the organizer. I’m honored because although I grew up in Westwood, essential oils have influenced me for many years. I like the culture and heritage of Hyderland very much,” Frank‘s English was fluent, and he said it all in one breath. “This fragrance was inspired by a friend I met during my first trip to Hyderland.”

After a pause, he smiled lightly, then turned sideways. He faced Melanie and said, “Yes, as Ms. Thayer said, it‘s all about peace and serenity. So much of this way of life inspires me. Glad someone understands me!”

He walked over, took Melanie‘s hand, and looked at her deeply with blue eyes. “Thank you, Ms. Thayer!”

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He lifted her hand and planted a kiss on the back of it.

Clap, clap The audience erupted into applause as Melanie withdrew her hand immediately. Most people could only see the kiss Frank planted on her hand, but he had also licked her hand. It was brief, and he released her hand instantly after. It was as if it had never happened. The area he had licked and kissed her burned. It was a tickly feeling, like a cat‘s tongue. It made her heart skip a beat.

Melanie‘s cheeks flushed red, but she did not dare expose what he just did in front of the audience. She smiled and lowered her head shyly, acting like all the praises she had just received embarrassed her.

Only Lily narrowed her eyes at them and looked at Melanie with a smirk. Lily was too far away to see what Frank had done, but based on Melanie‘s reaction, it was not due to the compliments she had gotten. Melanie was the type of person who would claim credit for something that was not hers, so she certainly was not one to be bashful in the face of praise. There was something more going on between them.

Back on the stage, the host continued to compliment the pair, “Looks like Mr. Moreau and Ms. Thayer are quite like–minded, and this is something that we‘re glad to bear witness to. The main purpose of this year‘s sampling event was to show the world that our local perfumers are just as qualified as those abroad. We strongly believe that this industry will grow, and we‘d produce more talented perfumers in the future. We believe that those of you present today will be our forerunners in leading this industry into a brighter future.” “It‘s done. Let‘s leave!” Lily elbowed Jenny softly.

“Don‘t you think that there‘s something strange going on between Mr. Moreau and Ms. Thayer?” Jenny tilted her head at Lily while still eyeing Frank and Melanie. In response, Lily turned toward the stage. Frank and Melanie were standing some distance apart, not making eye contact and acting like nothing was wrong. It surprised her that even Jenny could tell that something was going on. “What‘s strange about them?” Lily asked.

“They‘re acting like they don‘t know each other,” Jenny pointed to them with her chin,” Didn‘t we see them on the flight here? I‘m pretty sure they were together, but now they‘re acting like they‘re strangers and are giving compliments. Tsk...” Jenny smacked her lips and sighed, “Never could I imagine that a famous perfumer would be such a sham... On second thought, he might not even be a famous perfumer. There‘s no telling where he got all of those medals. People are so shameless nowadays, so shameless!”

Jenny stood up with no intention of staying, “Let‘s go. We should just go back and rest. We still have some sightseeing to do tomorrow.” Lily took another glance at the pair. Jenny reminded her they had seen them on the flight here and that Frank was the foreigner sitting next to Melanie. This was getting interesting. Not

only did Melanie come here without Nathaniel, but these two also pretended to be strangers when they were pretty friendly. This entire ordeal was just a stunt to increase Melanie’s popularity Lily continued walking towards the exit, but she could not help but feel something was not right. She glanced at the stage, but no one was there besides a few deserted tables.

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It was an eventful day for Melanie, filled with turmoil and excitement. She initially thought she was about to fall into a bottomless pit, but at the most crucial moment, Frank appeared and extended his arm to catch her. On the way back to the hotel, her mental state was in such a mess that she did not even struggle to break free when Frank held her hand without asking. There was only silence. A sense of edginess filled the air, making them feel restless.

Frank led Meanie to the elevator when they arrived at the hotel lobby. When the elevator doors closed, he pushed Melanie against the wall and trapped her with his body. “Mr. Moreau!” Melanie yelped in surprise. “Melanie, I‘ve done a huge favor for you today. Shouldn‘t you be grateful?” Frank said as one of his hands grabbed the back of her head.

“I–I,” Melanie hesitated and wanted to speak, but Frank ignored her and kissed her abruptly. Melanie could not even breathe, less tried to stop him. Though her hands were on his chest, it was useless.

Ding!

The elevator rang, and the doors opened on Melanie‘s room floor. Frank stopped immediately and moved back to leave just enough space between himself and Melanie. Then he stepped aside to allow her a glimpse of the corridor outside. Without a second thought, Melanie rushed out of the elevator. As she was leaving, Frank warned, “Melanie, I‘m a person with lots of flaws, and my biggest one is patience. I said I would give you chances, but they‘re also limited. I‘ll give you one or two but never more than that. Tonight is your last chance, do you understand?”

Melanie dared not speak a word. She only dared to turn around after hearing the elevator move. Frank was gone by then, and his absence did not make Melanie feel any better. Instead, she still felt the warmth of his lips on hers, reminding her that they had done something unthinkable in the elevator.

Yet, the most crucial thing in Melanie‘s mind at that moment was what Frank had just said to her. Melanie knew he was serious this time, as he could ditch and embarrass her or reach out and send her to the top of the industry. It was unreputable that Frank possessed that ability.

Melanie knew she would never get another opportunity like this if she rejected him again, even if she changed her mind later. She was in a dilemma as she gently stroked her belly. She did not know which path to take.

While Lily and Jenny were returning to their suite, Jenny‘s phone rang, “What? Now? Where are they?” She turned and glanced at Lily, “Can‘t Lily and I do this together?”

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Lily questioned hersenny in silence, but Jenny was not looking at her as her full attention was on the call. Jenny nodded, saying, “Okay, I understand. Don‘t worry! I‘m coming over right away!” After Jenny hung up the phone, Lily asked, “What‘s wrong? Do you need to be somewhere?” “Yeah, they bought a new bunch of ingredients, and I need to go check on them.” Jenny nodded apologetically. “Then I‘ll come with you,” Lily offered.

“There‘s no need for that. The staff told me to go without you.” Jenny shook her head, fearing that Lily might take it wrongly. “I–It‘s not that they don‘t trust you. It‘s most likely not the company but the client. Well, we sometimes have strange clients with bizarre rules. Still, they‘re asking for me, and our driver will be with me. I–I‘ll probably just look at some stuff and sign a few papers, so I won‘t take long.” “Sure, no problem. I‘m just worried because you‘re going alone, and it‘s late now,” Lily replied.

“What‘s there to worry about, you silly girl?” Jenny gently patted Lily‘s head and continued,” This isn‘t my first rodeo. Besides, I‘ve always gone on business trips alone; this is the first time someone has been with me. I find it cute that you‘re acting like an overprotective big sister, but you don‘t have to worry about me. I‘ll be alright.”

“O–Okay then. Make sure your phone doesn‘t run out of battery, so you can call me if you need help with anything. Just be careful. You don‘t know who you might meet,” Lily kept reminding Jenny to be vigilant.

“Okay, okay,” Jenny passed the room key to Lily and took off, saying, “Go and rest. We‘ve had a long day. We‘ve still got more sightseeing to do tomorrow!” Lily took the room key and exited the car at the lobby entrance. She waited until the car left before going inside. Since Jenny had more experience with these kinds of trips, Lily was confident that she would be fine. Besides, it‘s part of her work schedule. What could go wrong?

Lily got into the elevator and went back to their room. Lily was about to turn on the lights after scanning her access card when someone hugged her from behind.

“Who‘s there?!” Lily shouted in surprise, lifted her heel to stomp on the person‘s foot, and swung her elbow. However, the man behind her was faster as he moved, avoiding Lily‘s foot and elbow,

“Lily!” The man yelled, Lily‘s heightened senses relaxed as she realized it was the man‘s voice she had been missing dearly. She quickly softened the blow she was about to deliver, saying, “A–Alex? W–What are you doing here?” She stared at him wide–eyed, trying to make out if he was a hallucination or not.

“I‘ve missed you,” Alexander said in a very matter-of-fact way as he circled his arms around Lily’s waist and pulled her into his embrace. In one swift move, Alexander led Lily into the suite and turned on the lights. He felt happiness washing over him when he saw the delight in

Lily’s eyes. Alexander smiled because he knew Lily was also glad to see him.

Lily did something Alexander did not expect. She suddenly placed her arms around his neck, pulled him toward her, and whispered, “I’ve missed you too.” Then she kissed him full on the lips. Alexander raised his eyebrows in surprise. He was astonished at his wife’s enthusiasm as this was the first time she had shown her affection so openly. It was a dream come true. He recovered from the initial shock and began to kiss her back passionately.

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It felt nice to be in Alexander‘s embrace. Lily lifted her head to look at him, saying, “When did you get here?” Alexander planted a kiss on her forehead, “Take a guess.”

‘Now, he wants to play games!‘ Lily thought as she gave Alexander a playful glare. Afterward, she said, “You left on the same day as we did, didn‘t you? Even though we got here first, you weren’t far behind.”

Alexander smiled and gave her cheek a peck, “You‘re such a smart girl!” “That‘s because I tried calling you but couldn‘t get through. You never turn off your phone, even during a meeting. I‘m guessing that was because you were on the plane, right?” As Lily recalled the details of that day, she could piece together a chronological timeline. However, she never thought it was because Alexander was coming to see her.

“Well done. I should probably reward you for being such a clever girl, right?” Alexander smirked cheekily as this only made him love Lily more. He carried Lily to the sofa, sat down, and held her close to him. Alexander thought Lily‘s warmth in his embrace felt nice.

Lily wrapped her arms around Alexander‘s neck to ensure she would not slide off him. Then she continued talking with him, “So, you were the one who arranged the first–class flight and the Rolls–Royce?”.

“Uh–huh.” Alexander nodded, not denying it. “You‘re the client Jenny referred to on that phone call, aren‘t you?” Lily accused Alexander with a slightly raised voice. “Yeap,” Alexander admitted.

“You shouldn‘t use your authority to do that!” Lily punched him lightly and continued, “It‘s already so late. How can you make Jenny leave just to see a client? What if she got into trouble!”

It was obvious that this was all Alexander‘s plan. He just so happened to be here when Jenny was coincidentally not around. However, it made Lily feel bad that their little fun could cause others inconvenience or danger.

“You‘ve gotten quite close to her, haven‘t you?” For some reason, Alexander was slightly jealous of their relationship.

“She‘s my coworker and a friend; of course, I’m close with her!” Lily replied, “I should call

her and tell her to come back now.”

Alexander stopped Lily as she tried to reach for her phone. “Really? Now? I‘ll have to leave if she returns since you don‘t want others to know about our relationship.”

Lily looked at Alexander with reluctance. They had just met, and the thought of sending Alexander away was unbearable. However, Lily was worried because it was very late, and Jenny was still out there,

“I know, but we can’t have her out there for too long,” Lily retracted her hands and continued, “We still have time since sightseeing is the only plan Jenny and I have tomorrow. You and I can spend more time together after that.”

“So, you’re saying Jenny is more important than me?” Alexander was whining because he was starting to envy Jenny. Lily glimpsed at Alexander, saying, “Are you jealous?” “Isn‘t it obvious?” Alexander refuted, not feeling a tinge of embarrassment for his childish actions. Instead, he even looked a bit proud of himself. “Jenny is a girl, and why would you even be jealous of a friend?” Lily was puzzled.

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“Does the gender matter?” He asked.

Right! It was impossible to reason with a jealous husband.

“Okay then, I‘m honored that Mr. Russell is all jealous because of me. However,” she paused and cupped his face in her hands, “We‘re also decent human beings and should be considerate of others. I‘m going to check on Jenny. Please, just be good for me, okay?” She pecked him lightly on the lips and went to make her call. Alexander could not refute it, as she made perfect sense and even cared for his ego. It was undeniably difficult to refuse her. “Hey Jenny, are you there yet? How‘s the situation?” Lily asked. She was unsure if the client was an actual client or just someone Alexander had planted there. Regardless, she wanted to ensure her friend was safe.

“How long do you need? Come back soon and if you need anything, just call me,” Lily repeated. At the same time, Alexander raised his hand and squeezed her waist playfully.

Lily rolled her eyes at him and continued, “It‘s nothing. I was just clumsy and hit the table with my leg. I‘m okay! Don‘t worry about me. Have a safe trip back to the hotel, and I‘ll see you later. Bye!”

Lily then glared at him. “Stop it!” / “What did I do? I didn‘t utter a word or make a sound,” he feigned innocence.

“Yes, you didn‘t make a sound, but your hands were busy,” Lily stated while imitating what he had done before.

Her hand went to his waist and gave it a squeeze. Alexander was unfazed and did not even flinch.

Lily looked at him in shock. Was he even human? How could he not react at all?

“See, I didn‘t even hit my leg against anything. Therefore, it‘s your problem, not mine,” Alexander reasoned.

The nerve of him to imitate her words! Lily was not amused. She tried to get up, but he only held her tighter and turned her around, so he was pressing against her on the sofa. His eyes stared into hers passionately.

Lily could only look into his face as he moved closer to her. Even from such a distance, he looked perfect. God was really unfair sometimes!

“Impressive, right?” He played with her hands and asked, “Do you like what you see?” “Yes, you look delectable!” Lily nodded. She smiled and pulled him closer. Her longing for him only increased after she saw him. All she wanted was to embrace him and not let go. Alexander hugged her tightly while murmuring her name again and again. Lily was in a daze as her mind was only filled with Alexander.

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Just as things were about to get into a heated mess, Lily‘s phone rang. She fumbled for it and answered the call, “Hello?”

“Lily, I‘m almost back. I‘m getting something to eat. Do you want anything?” Jenny‘s voice rang from the other end.

In a flash, Lily was awake. She pushed against Alexander and jolted up, “N–No, thank you. I‘m not hungry.” “Okay, were you already asleep? I‘ll be back soon,” Jenny promised. “Right, yeah!” Lily hung up and dragged Alexander. “Hurry, Jenny is about to come back! You must leave now, and don‘t let her see you!” Lily warned as she struggled to tidy her clothes and handed Alexander his coat. This was when she noticed he was just sofa with a dark expression on his face.

“Okay, I know it‘s my fault, and I‘m sorry, but it can‘t be helped. You know we can‘t expose our relationship for now, and Jenny knows you!” She continued to coax him into giving in. Alexander huffed in annoyance, “You‘re making it sound like I‘m a nobody.”

He was even throwing tantrums at that point.

“Right, everyone knows you because you‘re the famous Mr. Russell. However, could you please leave for now?” While she would love to hurry him along, she needed to ensure he was not upset about it.

Jenny was probably in the lobby by now. Why did she have to say that she was not hungry? Jenny might be there any minute. If only Lily had told Jenny that she wanted something to eat, that might have bought her a few more minutes. Lily wanted to urge Alexander to leave quickly, but she did not want to make him angry.

Alexander was already glaring at her as he stood up and placed his coat on his arm. Lily could not wait any longer.

She pushed him toward the door, “Make sure to avoid her, and I‘ll call you soon! Wait, you‘re probably staying in this hotel, right? Give me your room number, and I‘ll come to you!”

Knowing Alexander‘s character, he would probably stay at the same hotel since he had traveled far to see her. This was the best way to meet and would save them the unnecessary hassle,

Alexander’s face brightened a little after hearing her words, “You better make sure you do!” “Yes, yes, I promise!” Lily said. “Remember to come over!” Alexander insisted.

“Yes, I‘ll remember, I promise,” Lily continued.

You need to compensate me for my loss,” He lowered his head and pointed at his cheek.

How was he such a spoiled brat at times? Lily could only give in and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek. Alexander, ever the mischievous brat, turned his face as her lips touched his cheek.

He kissed her lips and ruffled her hair. “I’m leaving!”

“Okay,” Her fingers went to trace her lips as her heart fluttered.

She stood at the entrance of the elevator to send him off. She waved and waited until he entered the elevator. While the doors were closing, the other elevator on the right arrived at her floor, and Jenny stepped out. “Hi, were you waiting for me?” Jenny opened her arms to hug her when she saw Lily standing in front of the elevators.

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Lily‘s heart skipped a beat. Jenny missed seeing them by a hair‘s breadth. Lily forced a smile, “Y–Yeah, sure!”

Looking at her stiff smile, Jenny stood in front of Lily and observed her. She pointed out,” You‘re acting strange!”

“Who‘s acting strange? You said you‘re almost back, so I came to welcome you. Since I’d have to open the door for you, I might as well check to see if you‘re here yet. My timing was perfect, right?” Lily babbled on to hide the fact that she was still nervous.

She took the bags from Jenny‘s hand and walked toward their room. “What did you get?”

“Those are mine!” Jenny insisted. “Aww, don‘t be like that!” She placed the food on the table and opened it to see what was inside.

There were sandwiches, noodles, as well as some kind of tacos. They smelled delicious, but they were food unfamiliar to Lily. Though Jenny said that she got nothing for Lily, the amount of food she bought was for two. Lily knew Jenny was just teasing her. “You said you weren‘t hungry! Are you regretting it now?” Jenny commented while trying to snatch the fork out of Lily‘s hand, but Lily was more agile. Lily ate and reminded Jenny, “Have you washed your hands? Hurry!” “Don‘t steal my food!” Jenny warned before she left to wash her hands.

Lily arranged the chairs and started opening the food containers, “Wow, what did you get? I’ve never even seen some of them before.”

“I‘m not sure either. The owner of the store I went to recommend them. Hey, I thought you weren‘t hungry?” Jenny said while swatting Lily‘s fork away.

“I‘m just trying to help. Since you‘ve bought so much food, I can‘t just turn your offer away, right?” Lily smiled brightly as she started helping Jenny put food on her plate.

“It‘s fine. I don‘t need any help!” Jenny snapped back jokingly. The two girls ate while enjoying each other‘s company. In the blink of an eye, half of the food on the table was finished.

Jenny rubbed her belly and cried, “No more, I‘ve had enough! If I eat anymore, I‘ll explode. I‘m going to shower. Could you please clean up?” “Sure, you go ahead,” Lily replied.

“Thanks!” Jenny nodded and walked toward the bathroom. However, after taking a few steps, she stopped and turned back to Lily, “Wait, something‘s not right...”

“What‘s wrong?” Lily looked at her unsuspectingly and blinked in confusion. “You said you were sleeping before I came back, right?” Jenny eyed her suspiciously. “Y-Yeah, and?” Lily answered nervously. Why was she bringing this up again? Lily thought they had moved on from it.

“If you were sleeping, why haven‘t you taken a shower or changed? Haven’t you been back for a while now?” Jenny questioned as she moved toward Lily, eyeing her up and down.

Lily unknowingly covered her chest as she cursed inside her head. She realized too late that she was still wearing her outfit from the event. It was all Alexander’s fault! He hugged her from the back when she entered the room, and they had been busy. How was she able to change or even take a shower!

“Hmm, I wonder... what were you doing before I came back? Were you secretly meeting someone, a secret lover, perhaps?” Jenny teased as she poked Lily gently. Although it was just a joke, Lily could not help but feel nervous, “What nonsense! I wish I had a secret lover! This is my first time here, and I don‘t even know anyone. I was just too tired and fell asleep on the sofa. Stop making up stories in your head!”

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“Oh, really?” Jenny emphasized that Lily had not convinced her in the slightest.

“Yup, that‘s what happened.” Lily took a deep breath and lightly nudged Jenny. “Aww, I missed the cold and arrogant you. I didn‘t know that you were this noisy. Hurry up and take your shower. I‘m still waiting for my turn!”

“This is exactly how a person would react wlién exposed, but it‘s fine. I won‘t bicker with a child” Jenny waved her hand to dismiss Lily and turned toward the bathroom.

Lily rolled her eyes but sighed in relief. She was glad that Jenny had let her off easily, but Lily knew she needed to be extra careful when meeting Alexander the next time.

When she thought of Alexander, Lily took her phone and noticed she had received a text from him, saying, “1808.” It was Alexander‘s room number. Lily smiled and sent him a cute emoji before cleaning up the leftovers on the table. After clearing the table, she removed her clothes from the luggage and saw Jenny leaving the bathroom with her hair still wet, “I‘m done. It‘s your turn.” “Okay,” Lily walked to the bathroom and turned back, “It‘s been a long day. You don‘t have to stay up to wait for me. Just go to bed if you‘re tired.”

“Why would I wait for you? I don‘t need you to warm my side of the bed!” Jenny joked while drying her hair with a towel. Lily turned and walked into the bathroom.

It was almost midnight, yet Melanie was still wide awake on her bed. However, she kept thinking of what Frank had said to her. ‘Tonight... After tonight... Ugh, why is the night passing so slowly?‘

It was agonizing, and Melanie wished tomorrow would come sooner so she would not have to choose. Unfortunately, it was a long night. If she allowed this opportunity to slip away, she might not get another chance to become famous in the future.

Melanie could not sleep, no matter how hard she tried. She removed her phone from under the pillow, but there were no texts from Frank. He did not rush her because he knew Melanie too well. He knew her weakness and what she desired as he patiently waited for her like a predator awaiting its prey. Melanie knew it was all a trap, but she could not resist the temptation. After a while, she called Nathaniel. Moments later, Nathaniel answered her call and asked, “Mel? What‘s wrong?” “I–I can‘t sleep,” Melanie bit her lips and said softly.

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“Why can’t you fall asleep? Are you not feeling well? Are you restless?” Nathaniel immediately asked with concern.

“No, I‘m fine. Maybe I can‘t sleep because I miss you,” Melanie murmured as she tried to resist the temptation of accepting Frank‘s offer. “Can you come and see me, Nate?”

“I will, soon. Just let me finish here, and I‘ll go to you immediately,” Nathaniel instantly replied without much thought. To Melanie, it felt like he was just giving her an excuse and was not sincere.

“What‘s keeping you so busy? The event will be over by then! Can’t you come now or tomorrow?! You just have to book a flight. It only takes you two hours to get here. Can‘t you come and keep me company?” Melanie whined unhappily.

“Mel, stop being unreasonable. You know what‘s happening. The company has just started recovering, and we still have many orders to deliver. We have to try harder since we‘re relying on our previous products. Also, we‘ll have to come up with something new soon.

“By the way, how‘s the search for a new employee coming? Have you met any talented perfumers?” Nathaniel could only think about the company and its profits as he was anxious about their company‘s workforce. “No! You‘re only worried about the company. I‘m pregnant, so how could I possibly have the strength to look for new employees as well? Do you think it‘s that simple?” Melanie was annoyed and started throwing tantrums.

Nathaniel could only explain patiently, “I know it isn‘t easy, but we need a capable perfumer, or else we won‘t be able to keep up with the demands in the industry!”

“You don‘t care about anything else aside from your business! You didn‘t even bother asking me how I was or if anything bad happened today. You knew Lily was here today, yet you didn‘t even care to ask. Do you know how awful I felt during the sampling event today? “I almost embarrassed myself!” Melanie started to explode as she released all her pent–up anger on Nathaniel because he chose to only talk about work instead of ensuring she was alright. It was as if there were only work–related matters, nothing more.

Nathaniel was not like this when they first got together. He was romantic and would surprise Melanie with gifts or bring her to events with him. Nathaniel would even travel a long way to kiss her, but now, he would not even call Melanie to ask how she was doing.

He was stunned by her outburst and remained silent for a long while before asking, “W–What happened at the event? What do you mean by ‘you almost embarrassed yourself? What did Líly do to you?”

“Do you even care?” Melanie sat up, covered her face with her hand, and sobbed, “Nathaniel, do you still remember what your promises were when we first started dating?”

“What?” he asked in confusion.

“Hmph, it looks like you‘ve forgotten all about it. You didn‘t even take it seriously, I guess. Men are always making empty promises. You were just toying with me. I was such a fool to believe you back then!”

Nathaniel had promised Melanie that she would not have to work hard and that she just needed to be his trophy wife. He also said he would shower Melanie with riches and fame. However, Nathaniel could not recall his promises, so how should he possibly fulfill them now?

“N–No, Mel, I...” Nathaniel could not understand what Melanie meant.

“I‘m tired, so I‘m going to bed,” Melanie drew a deep breath as her expression turned cold.

“Mel, I know you‘re not in a good mood today, but please be patient with me. The company is not as it used to be. We didn‘t have to worry about the production line when Lily worked for us, but she‘s gone now, so we have to step up our game,” he paused and added, “If you could come up with a new line, it would...” “So now this is all my fault?” Melanie grabbed her blanket and continued furiously, “It‘s all because of my incompetence. It‘s all my fault because I‘m not as capable as Lily. I‘m so sorry to disappoint you, Mr. Hall.”

“No, wait, Mel. That‘s not what I meant!” Nathaniel knew he had misspoken, so he tried to make amends. Unfortunately, Melanie was too crossed to be reasoned with, so she hung up.