Melanie Olsen and Albert Palmer were no better than strangers, even though they’d been married for five years. Granted, they got married for their families’ business interests, but they were stiff and courteous with one another even in the bedroom.
Albert started by trailing kisses over Melanie’s collarbones.
“I’ll begin,” he murmured, peeling off her clothes inch by inch, his voice dropping an octave as he asked, “May I?”
When he finally entered her, he said hoarsely, “Tell me if you want me to stop.”
The seconds ticked by, and the bed rocked steadily, albeit violently. Melanie panted as her slender fingers gripped the sheets beneath her.
After a while, she could no longer keep up with Albert’s stamina and said, “I’m sorry, but this is getting a little wild. It’s been three hours, and I can’t take it anymore. Can we stop?”
Albert stiffened and paused atop her before muttering a hurried apology, then groaned as he pulled out of her. Mustering all the self-control he had, he pressed a kiss to Melanie’s forehead, apologized a second time, then headed into the bathroom to take a cold shower.
Melanie didn’t regain her composure until she’d heard the water running in the bathroom for some time. She slowly sat up and pulled her clothes back on with trembling hands, covering the purplish marks Albert had left on her skin.
She then turned on the bedside lamp and reached for her nightstand drawer, from which she drew out a set of documents. It was none other than a divorce agreement.
Melanie let out a breath. Five years had passed, and it was time she ended her marriage with Albert.
Everyone in high society knew the Palmers and the Olsens had joined hands by arranging a marriage between their heir and heiress, respectively. Melanie and Albert had, at best, a polite relationship, though everyone seemed to think of them as the model couple.
No one in high society knew that Albert and Melanie were each in love with someone else.
Albert was in love with his adopted younger sister, whom the Palmers had fostered, but he couldn’t be with her because of their background differences.
As for Melanie, the man she was in love with had died five years ago, leaving her and their dreams of spending eternity together high and dry.
Where one found himself in a star-crossed love story, the other grieved for a lost one.
On the first day of their marriage, Albert and Melanie had been honest with each other about their true loves. They’d agreed to please their families and followed through with the arranged marriage.
They would consummate their marriage and live together as husband and wife for five years. They wouldn’t share personal details of their lives and only fulfill their marital obligations.
Five years had passed since then, and Albert and Melanie still lived their separate lives. It was time to end their marriage.
Melanie was waiting for Albert to come out of the bathroom so she could discuss their divorce when he suddenly opened the bathroom door.
He hurried out, his hair still dripping with water, and grabbed the car keys. He made to leave, but Melanie was so baffled by his behavior that she asked, “Where are you going at this hour?”
Albert halted in his tracks. A sense of urgency underlined his usually cool and indifferent tone. “Vivi had a nightmare, so I’m going over to her place to keep her company. Get some rest and sleep without me.”
Vivienne Palmer was Albert’s adopted younger sister and true love. Melanie stared at him evenly. Normally, she wouldn’t pry into the reasons behind his visits to Vivienne’s place, no matter the time.
Vivienne could have gotten into a car crash, run a fever, or suffered period cramps, and Melanie would still have kept up her end of the deal. She would stay put at home alone and not bother Albert during his dates with Vivienne.
But tonight was different. Given her intentions to divorce Albert, Melanie had no choice but to be rude and ask, “Give me five minutes. I need to talk to you about something important.”
Albert blinked at her. “Is it very important?”
Melanie paused, then said softly, “Sort of.”
He was about to speak when his phone rang. He glanced at the screen and saw Vivienne’s name.
The moment the call was answered, Vivienne wailed miserably, “Albert, I’m scared. Are you here yet? I want you to hold me while I sleep…”
Albert’s gaze softened as he promised gently, “I’ll be right there.”
He hung up and turned to look at Melanie, saying politely, “I’ll leave the decision-making to you. Feel free to call the shots without my input.”
Melanie was taken aback, but she quickly nodded. She flipped to the last page of the divorce agreement and handed it to Albert. “Sign here, please.”
Albert gave a quick nod and signed the page without reading it. He then spun on his heels and dashed out the door.
As the sound of his car engine grew fainter, Melanie picked up her phone and called her lawyer. “The divorce agreement has been signed. How long will it take for the divorce to be finalized?”
The lawyer replied on the other end, “There’s a mandatory one-month cooling-off period after we submit the papers to the courthouse. After that, your divorce will be final.”
Feeling as if a weight had been lifted off her chest, Melanie ended the call and bought herself a ticket bound for Southaven. She had her reasons for wanting to make a trip to Southaven.
A while ago, her best friend had stumbled upon a college student working part-time at a bar in Southaven who looked a lot like Melanie’s first love, Leon Weston, and he appeared to be struggling financially.
Melanie couldn’t stand the thought of someone who strongly resembled Leon working and barely making ends meet. She was loaded, and the college student needed money. She made up her mind to sponsor him and had her best friend negotiate with him.
After two or three days of radio silence, the young man had agreed to Melanie’s offer. However, his grandmother was in Southaven, which made traveling to Northbane impossible for him.
Melanie considered her options. Since her parents were dead and she had no relatives in Northbane, she figured she might as well relocate to Southaven. As long as she could spend the rest of her life looking at Leon’s face, she reckoned she’d be happy no matter where she was.
