Cage

Chapter 104

I knew Merritt would have Clyde stick around to hash things out and might even give him a piece of his mind.

Scrolling through my phone, I noticed the video had been less viral. The Patterson Group’s legal team had even released a statement, which said they’d contacted the police, and the authorities confirmed the video was a deepfake, not me. But they didn’t mention how I got drugged and rescued by Eliana and her gang.

Eliana called, offering to set the record straight publicly, but I declined. How the Patterson family handled it meant they knew Kayla was behind it, but they protected her.

Walking into my room, I yanked open a drawer and pulled out the divorce papers. I had printed dozens of copies, signed my name on two, pressed my fingerprint, and left them on the living room couch. I had hoped Clyde would return and sign, but he never did that night.

I booked a small van on an app the following morning and planned to move. I didn’t have many belongings, just some personal items. I left all my jewelry, taking only clothes, shoes, and daily necessities.

Then, spotting a red leash in the corner, I thought of my Rocky living happily abroad, my eyes misting over before tossing the leash into the trash. I didn’t need Rocky to remember me. It was better off living happily with Brenda. And Clyde didn’t need to remember he once had a dog that defended him at every turn, let alone that I was ever there.

Then, I called Jade. “Jade, did you tidy up the apartment for me?”

After Kayla brought her kidnapped daughter to my place and the police had dealt with the situation, I never went back, leaving Jade to take care of it.

Jade said, “I got a cleaning service to tidy up and replaced the old lock with a coded lock. The old one was useless. Melanie, where are you now? Are you moving there?”

“Yeah.” I didn’t hide it, briefly explaining over the phone, and Jade immediately offered to

come over.

I didn’t refuse this time. I thought I was ready to leave, but when the time came, I felt a profound sense of loss.

When Jade arrived, the van was already downstairs. The driver, a young lad, enthusiastically helped me with my luggage.

Before leaving, I glanced at my left ring finger, took off my wedding ring, and placed it on the divorce papers. At the door, I touched the necklace around my neck. My throat tightened, and I removed the necklace with shaky hands, placing it with the ring. Those were the last ties to Clyde, and I didn’t need to keep them.

Looking at me with sympathy, Jade put her arm around my shoulder. “Melanie, everything will get better.”

09:44

Chapter 104

“Yeah, everything will get better,” I repeated softly, convinced everything would get better without Clyde.

The apartment was small, with only one room, and there was nothing much to clean. The cleaning lady did an impeccable job, even cleaning out the corners.

“If Kayla put this much effort into her work, she’d be golden,” Jade muttered as she helped me unpack. “But people prioritize differently, and look, she’s reaping the benefits now. The bitch meets the scumbag. They’re perfect together. Let’s hope they stay locked together forever and spare the rest of us.”

I chuckled, shaking my head, and noticed Clyde was calling me. I hung up.

He had sent me dozens of texts. Sighing, I opened them, saw a 59–second voice message, and texted back without listening.

[Clyde, divorce is the only option.]

[Think it over and text me, or I’ll file for divorce.]

Then I switched off my phone, not caring if Clyde would lose his mind over it. I never got Clyde. Marrying me brought him no benefits. It seemed I had had enough punishment if it were all for revenge for something in the past. These three years were no easier than those he suffered.

I used to think he might still love me, but after everything, it was clear he didn’t. Maybe I was a passing fancy for him, or he realized he didn’t love me. But whatever the reason, I saw no point in clinging to him.

Jade busied herself planning the small room’s layout and was full of ideas. “We need a partition here for some privacy.”

“I’ll get you a nice wardrobe for your beautiful clothes.”

“And á comfy sofa is a must. Who wants this old thing? I’ll order a new one right away.”

“And this bed and mattress… uh–oh…”

She lifted the mattress, and we both started coughing from the dust.

Suddenly, I noticed something odd under the bed slats. The bed was a fishbone pattern, and something was in the middle.

Crawling under the bed, I found a notebook taped with clear tape.

Struggling, I pulled out the notebook, and Jade came over to help me dust it off.

“What’s this? Not the cleaning lady’s ledger, I hope?”

While seeing the familiar handwriting on the cover, my eyes welled up in tears. When I opened the notebook, Jade and I were shocked to find it was my mom’s diary. More accurately, it was her investigation diary!