Chapter 5
Melody was somewhat lost in thought until Andrew turned his attention to her. “Melody, how have you been doing at the hospital lately? You haven’t made any mistakes, right?”
Melody snapped out of her daze and responded softly, “No.”
This was practically the routine each time Melody had dinner with them. Andrew would inevitably ask her this question and say the same things.
As expected, the next words out of his mouth were, “You have problems with your hearing, so there’s bound to be inconveniences at work. Always be extra careful. Don’t assume that just because you’ve got the Wardolf family behind you, you can act carelessly.”
Melody lowered her gaze, appearing obedient and meek.
This was what pleased Andrew the most about his adopted daughter. It was then that he seemingly realized what was happening and said sternly, “Melody, why are you still standing there? Have someone add a chair for you. We’re having a family meal. It’s silly that you’re just standing around.”
By the time Melody took her seat, she found herself sitting opposite Jeremy.
The moment she looked up, she happened to meet his eyes. His gaze was as distant as usual, like he was looking at someone insignificant.
Even though Jeremy had always been cold toward her, she still felt a sharp pang in her heart when she saw him looking at her like this.
Moreover, she felt inexplicably nervous from the moment she laid eyes on Krystal.
There was a brief silence at the table before Laura broke it.
She looked at Jeremy with a pleased look on her face. “Krys is a doctor too, and coincidentally, she’s also in neurosurgery. Her father and I have already found a way to transfer her to Jembina Hospital. You’ll need to help me watch out for her in the future.”
“Okay,” answered Jeremy in his low voice.
This delighted Laura even more. However, when her eyes fell on Melody, displeasure immediately colored her expression. “Why is there an outsider here at a family gathering,” she grumbled.
She hadn’t spoken loudly, but there were only five people in that room, so everyone still heard her loud and clear.
Melody stiffened at her comment.
Andrew looked at Laura, frowning. “What are you talking about?”
Laura didn’t want to put on a front any longer. “Krys is my biological daughter! Now that my biological daughter is back, I naturally don’t want to see the knock-off who enjoyed her privileged life in Krys’ stead parading in front of me!”
Since it was out in the open, Laura couldn’t be bothered to hold her real thoughts in. “And Melody was engaged to Jeremy only because she took Cher’s place. Now that Krys is back, Melody and Jeremy’s engagement can be canceled! Don’t you agree, Jeremy?”
Melody’s breath hitched, and her whole body stiffened. In fact, she felt as if her heart had frozen over, too.
She sat there in a daze, watching as Laura continued to mumble on, but she heard nothing more. The only thing that rang through her mind was how Laura wanted to call off the engagement.
She glanced at Jeremy, but he remained expressionless, as if it had nothing to do with him.
Melody didn’t even dare to blink, fearing she would miss any subtle changes in his expression.
After her hearing deteriorated, she enjoyed studying other people’s expressions and attempting to find ways to communicate with them.
She studied Jeremy carefully, hands fisted tightly as she waited for Jeremy’s response.
She didn’t have a choice in this matter. She could only wait for the Wardolfs to finish their discussion, and then inform her of everything. She had never been an active participant in this family. She was merely an obedient and docile adopted daughter.
The sound of a glass being placed on the table broke the silence. Jeremy’s emotionless gaze lingered on Melody for a second before shifting away.
His long fingers tapped on the table as he said, “It was always Cheryl whom I was supposed to be engaged to.”
Melody’s eyelashes trembled, and she unconsciously bit her lip. She heard Jeremy say, “Other than her, everyone else is the same.”
Melody couldn’t quite put her feelings into words right then. It was true that the person Jeremy had always liked was Cheryl.
If it weren’t for Cheryl asking Jeremy to care for Melody, Jeremy would never have agreed to the Wardolfs’ suggestion of getting engaged to Melody.
The person he had feelings for had died, so anyone else other than her would not make a difference to him.
Melody carefully explained this reasoning to herself.
Moreover, Cheryl had also been the best person she had ever met. Even she was still hung up about her death, let alone Jeremy.
Melody felt like she wasn’t worthy compared to Cheryl.
However, right then, Krystal’s icy voice rang out. “What’s the meaning of this? What do you mean he can cancel his engagement since I’m back?”
She crossed her arms over her chest and raised her chin slightly. Her gaze was cold and hard as it swept across everyone at the table, finally landing on Laura.
“You had me come back so I can be a pawn in your family’s marriage arrangement?”
Her gaze then shifted to Melody. In a clearly mocking tone, she said, “Isn’t your pawn already sitting right there?”
