Forgive My Ex-husband

"All right," Melinda finally said, after taking a deep sigh. "I'll do my best, Mom." She was going to help Jonas out of the trouble he himself caused again.

Queena exhaled in relief, and her eyes misted with gratitude. Though she was hopeful, she had initially thought that it would take a lot of convincing on her part before Melinda agreed.

Now she finally understood why her father-in-law held this girl in such high regard. She should put more trust in Nelson's judgment from now on; he clearly had a sharp eye for good character.

"Then, have a proper rest tonight," she smiled brightly at her daughter-in-law. "You will need to make an appearance at tomorrow's press conference. I'll make sure to have a word with the company's team so the people from the media wouldn't make things difficult for you."

Melinda's only reply was a bitter smile. She wasn't entirely willing to make peace with her husband just yet, but she couldn't stop herself from helping him this time. Or any time, really. She had always been too softhearted for her own good when it came to Jonas.

Queena left the bedroom soon after. She could see the exhaustion in the younger woman's eyes, and could hear it in her weary tone. She gave instructions to have her son brought to the study the moment he arrived.

She was waiting for him when he stepped inside, and she sat him down and told him bluntly that his wife was gracious enough to help dig him out of his recent controversies.

Jonas's initial response was a shocked pleasure. If Melinda was willing to do this much, then did it mean that she forgave him?

But then he quickly shook his head and banished the thought. If their places were reversed, he knew he wouldn't be so easily forgiving. He assumed that this development was largely attributed to his mother and her relationship with Melinda.

His heart grew heavier. "I'll make the necessary arrangements." He rose from his seat and made his way to the door, but halted after taking a couple of steps.

He turned to look back at his mother, his expression ashamed and defeated. "I'm so sorry for all the trouble I've caused, Mom. I'm giving you even more reasons to worry." Queena felt a pang of heartache seeing her son like this, but she decided not to coddle him even though in her heart he would always be her darling son.

"It's good that you recognize your mistakes. You are still my son, so of course I will support you no matter what. That doesn't mean that I am not angry or disappointed, or that your mistakes are not a huge deal."

Jonas only nodded in acknowledgment, and went to his office to give William a call. They had to hold a press conference at such a short notice after all, and there was much to be prepared.

Soaring Group's public relations department, in particular, had to work additional overtime on top of their already long hours.

The journalists who were notified of the press release were also excited, and there was a buzz along the grapevine even though it was late into the night.

The story had broken out several days ago already, and there had been many, varying speculations over the matter.

Except for a few, short responses from Kent that didn't really provide direct answers to the heart of the issue, the media had no reliable fodder to keep the story burning.

Neither Jonas nor Melinda had issued a public statement to address the scandals, so for the conglomerate to arrange an official press release was somewhat gratifying.

The conference was slated for ten o'clock the following day, in one of the hotels Soaring Group owned. The clock had barely struck eight when the journalists flocked to the venue.

Melinda had thought she would not sleep well the previous night, all things considered. But actually she had a good night's sleep, and she even had no idea when Jonas entered their bedroom.

"William has prepared a draft just in case," Jonas said carefully as he lingered by the door. "You can read it on our way to the conference. If there's anything you can't answer, you can just throw the question over to me and I'll handle it."

Melinda said nothing. It looked like Jonas wanted to stay, or perhaps wanted to say more. But after a few beats of silence he finally left, closing the door gently behind him.

Melinda mustered the energy to pull herself out of the bed, and she walked over to the wardrobe to pick an outfit.

Her eyes drifted over her clothes, settling on one particular ensemble. She hesitated for a few seconds, and then finally took the red corporate dress from where it hung.

She was going out for blood, so she decided she might as well look the part. She rummaged for the appropriate makeup and accessories; this was going to be her battle gear.

Jonas had been waiting for more than one hour for his wife to come downstairs, and when she did he was completely blown away, speechless. She looked nothing like the Melinda he had married. She wore a deep red pencil dress, black high heels, and large diamond earrings. Her lips were also painted a bold crimson color. She looked powerful.

It seemed like all the color in the living room was leeched out; everything was in black and white, except for Melinda. Jonas just stood there, mesmerized, his mouth slightly open as he stared at his wife. He wasn't the only one, apparently, because a hush seemed to have descended upon the mansion. It was Queena who finally broke the silence as she clapped her hands. "Brilliant! You look like you're heading out to war, darling."

She walked over to her daughter-in-law to smooth the scarf around Melinda's neck, and then nodded in satisfaction. "You'll be late. Hurry and eat some breakfast."

The family gathered to the dining table as the servants began to lay out the food. They ate in a somewhat tense silence, as though they were all wound tightly and ready to spring at the slightest trigger. For her part, Yulia spent the entire meal staring at her sister-in-law with a degree of disbelief. This was a woman who had always dressed plainly.

Even in grand occasions, Melinda's choice of outfits was always simpler than most, and it complemented her young and pure nature.

She seldom wore bold colors or luxury brands, and yet here she sat, sporting both. Yulia could not deny that she looked gorgeous. The color red seemed to emphasize her beauty in a more edgy way. She knew there was going to be a lot of men who would take note of Melinda's appearance today, and a lot more women who would be seething with jealousy. And, unfortunately for Yulia, she was one of those

women.

Even as she was dressed in the usual style that Yulia would have picked for herself, Melinda still exuded an aloof brand of grace-something that Yulia was admittedly lacking.

And so they sat, eating the same food at the same table, but the two women were harboring very different feelings.

All too soon the clock chimed 9 o'clock, and the couple rose from their seats. Their chauffeur had already been waiting on the driveway as they walked out of the main villa's entrance.

Melinda strode ahead of Jonas, opened the door to the backseat, let herself in, and then shut it behind her. She gave instructions to the chauffeur to drive off immediately, and they were roaring out of the driveway before Jonas even got close to the car.

Jonas stared at the vehicle as it disappeared out of the gates, then shook his head and went back inside to get his car keys. Queena sighed helplessly. The husband and wife were clearly still cold to each other, as the tabloids liked to call it.

The hotel venue was already brimming with people at this point. It wasn't only the media; there were prominent people present as well, mostly investors of Soaring Group and other stockholders that held a vested interest in the possible outcome of this press release.

William walked up to the podium and the buzz slowly died down. The doors at the end of the hall opened, and Jonas and Melinda entered the room hand in hand. They were a striking pair, Melinda in her stark red outfit and Jonas in an all-black, three-piece suit.

One was bold and strong, and gave off a territorial air as they marched to the front of the room. The other was silent and low-key, but no one could mistake the massive energy that was coiled beneath the cool facade.

Camera lights flashed furiously as they made their way to the seats facing the press. Jonas pulled Melinda's chair out for her, and they sat down.

No sooner had William indicated the start of the interview than they were assaulted with a barrage of questions from the reporters. Melinda had a stoic expression the whole time; her mind had long drifted off elsewhere.

She was pulled back to her senses, however, when a reporter mentioned the photos of her and Jonas, the collection that started the "Cold War" rumor. Melinda leaned forward on her seat, tented her hands on the long table lined with microphones, and rested her chin on top of her linked fingers.

She took a good, long look at the photos that were being shown on a white screen, which was arranged beforehand thanks to the hard work of everyone who clocked overtime, media and Soaring Group employees alike.

Then she turned to her husband, a slight frown marring her forehead. "Those photos are very poorly taken."

Jonas raised an eyebrow. "Yes, they really are. The person who took those photos seems to be really bad at photography."

And so it went. For the most part, they hedged the insinuating and rude questions by downplaying the entire issue. The husband and wife even got carried away a couple of times, bickering among themselves over something that was wholly irrelevant to the matter at hand.

As they circled yet again back to the photographs, William finally interjected and got the couple back on track. Melinda braced herself and explained everything that went on behind those photos. There were no hidden nuances to it, no glamour, and she related the events eloquently.

The natural flow of the narrative seemed to convince a lot of people, especially since it gave a rational explanation to Jonas's actions.

No one really believed that Jonas would go as far as fabricating the way he acted. They looked too real, and made even more real by the added detail that he was driven by his emotions.

As the conference wrapped up, Jonas stood from his seat to address the audience as a whole. "I have been remiss in providing an explanation to the public regarding this matter.

I apologize to all the people who found themselves inconvenienced in any way by this misgiving of mine, especially those who have always supported Soaring Group.

Please rest assured that we will look further into this matter, and the proper steps will be employed to ensure a thorough investigation. I, Jonas Gu, promise you all that for as long as I hold the reins of Soaring Group, I will take good care of the company and strive to take it another notch higher."

He ended his speech with a deep bow, and the room was filled with silence as his sincerity came across to everyone present. The investors and stockholders were particularly touched by his heartfelt words, as well as Melinda.

It was safe to say that the press conference was a success, with the Gu team achieving their main purpose, and then, perhaps, some more. Since it looked like the Gu couple were not going to speak about anything anymore, the public relations team of the company stepped in.

They gave a statement on the couple's refusal to hold interviews: Jonas had wanted Melinda to recuperate peacefully and without additional stress.

They had calculated for this response, knowing that it would give their boss the image of a caring and loving husband. The rest were minor questions, and the team had no difficulty fielding them.

All in all it seemed like the whole scandal was a farce, having been stirred up and stoked until it was nearly uncontrollable, and yet subdued so easily with a few words. After the event, the prices for Soaring Group's stocks rose exponentially.

Emily had been paying attention, of course, seeing as how it was all her handicraft to begin with. It was only natural that she saw it to its end. Contrary to her expectations, however, she was faced with much disappointment.

She did not expect Melinda to come out in the open like this, fierce and unrelenting. Emily knew she had to concede this particular battle.

She just might bite off more than she could chew, and she decided it was better to wait out another opportunity to ruin the couple.

It was nearly noon when the conference ended. Jonas gave orders for one of the hotel's banquet halls to be opened and invited the investors and stockholders to stay and have lunch.

Melinda stayed glued to his side the entire time, for fear that they might spark another bout of the "Cold War" rumors they took great pains to dispel.

She seldom appeared in public as the Younger Madam Gu, and as such, there were many people who approached her at this rare occurrence. They praised her and fawned over her.

They weren't stupid; they knew they needed this woman's good favor if they wanted to be on Jonas's good side. Melinda wasn't stupid either; she knew that it was all empty flattery, and that they were all serving their own self-interests.

William, on the other hand, found himself in quite a predicament. Social gatherings like this often included a lot of social drinking.

In light of recent events, Jonas had sworn off the alcohol, and was handing William all the drinks and toasts that he had to do.

As he dodged yet another toast, he found his wife sitting by herself on one of the tables and staring blankly at her glass of champagne. He walked to her. "Are you tired?"

"I'm fine," she said, but Jonas knew better. Rather than exhaustion, the problem was that Melinda had never been fond of such assemblies. She hated being surrounded by manipulative people who calculated their every action to seek gain.

Jonas turned to call for his secretary, who was in the middle of toasting yet another shareholder. "William," he waved the poor man over, and the secretary immediately put down his glass and went to heed the call of his boss.

"Keep everybody entertained. My wife and I will be leaving." Then, without waiting for a response, Jonas took Melinda's arm and helped her out of her seat.

He put her coat over her shoulders, and rested his palm at her back as he ushered her out of the room.

The banquet hall was quiet as they made their way to the exit, and they both knew that every pair of eyes was fixed on them. Their audience were, indeed, staring rather openly, startled at Jonas's little display. "Is it really all right for you to just leave like this?" Melinda asked him anxiously. After all, Queena had told her last night just how important it was for Jonas to gain back the trust of the investors. This should have been the perfect opportunity to do that.

"Everything's fine," Jonas answered casually. "William will take care of it."

William's worn out expression swam into Melinda's vision then, and she felt sorry for the man. How unfortunate it must be, to have such a bully be one's boss. But she couldn't deny that she felt a deep relief in not having to stay there any longer.

Their chauffeur was nowhere in sight, since they were leaving the hotel earlier that anyone anticipated.

Melinda had no choice but join her husband in his car, and Jonas sent a text to Mary asking the older woman to prepare some of the food that his wife liked before driving them home.

"Mellie." They had stopped at a red light. Neither had spoken since the car pulled out of the hotel grounds.

Jonas was fidgeting on the steering wheel, his thumbs and fingers taking turns in tapping a staccato beat against the leather lining.

"What is it?" Melinda asked, a little confused at his obvious nervousness. She leaned back on her seat wearily.

"Can we please, please, stop being cold to each other from now on?" Jonas's voice was barely above a whisper, and it gave Melinda a startled pause. Jonas took a deep breath and continued speaking.

"I admit that it was very childish of me to do the things that I did. I have no excuses for my behavior. It's just that...

It's because I love you, and your opinion is a matter of great importance to me. I was hurt, and angry, and had no idea how to convey my feelings to you properly. I wanted to tell you so many times, but I... I just don't know how. Every time I tried, I just messed things up. Everything's a mess, and it's all my fault."