Forgive My Ex-husband

"Yulia, I'm not feeling well." Melinda's tone was cold. "I'm afraid I can't accompany you any further."

Yulia knew the reason, of course. She didn't really need Melinda's help anyway.

Her purpose was an entirely different matter, and she had accomplished that already.

She didn't protest, but she could see that the encounter had a physical effect on the other woman.

If they came back to mansion and the rest of the family saw the state Melinda was in, they would no doubt blame it on Yulia. "Let me take you back home."

"There's no need for that," Melinda's reply was swift. "You need to continue checking out your shop."

She needed a moment of peace. The bustle of the city was giving her a headache, and she was feeling close to suffocating.

She wanted to explode.

Yulia bit her lip and examined the situation. Her main concern was the certainty that Nelson and Queena would think she had done something to Melinda if she returned like this. She couldn't let that happen. "No, it would be better if I stayed with you," she tried again, her intent genuine this time, albeit somehow two-faced.

It gave Melinda pause. 'It looks like Yulia really cares about me,' she mused.

But she had suffered enough in the hands of this girl to let herself be fooled over repeatedly. 'She's only putting up appearances.'

"I want to be left alone," she told Yulia firmly. The younger girl was too embarrassed to insist any further after such an absolute denial, so she said nothing. Melinda walked away and Yulia let her.

As she passed by the spot where she saw her husband and another woman earlier, Melinda was assaulted by the pungent smell of tobacco and the cloying scent of Emily's perfume.

The pounding on her temples grew stronger. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

When she opened her eyes again, she raised her chin, and walked to the parking lot with her head held high.

As soon as she was seated inside her car, however, her facade cracked, and the dam broke. She hunched over the steering wheel and sobbed quietly.

How many times had she told herself that her husband was never worth crying her heart out? Countless times. Too many times.

And yet there she was, her tears falling uncontrollably as she let her heart be wrenched and gutted yet again.

She allowed herself a good cry, and it took her the better part of the hour before the tears subsided.

The seat beside her was littered with dirty tissues, and the tissue box on her dashboard was almost empty.

She pulled out a couple more sheets, and took a final dab at her eyes. They felt swollen and puffy, and they no doubt looked just how they felt.

She glanced at her reflection on the rearview mirror, and could see that her cheeks were red as well.

She took a sip of water from the tumbler she always packed in her car, and then rummaged for her makeup kit. After a couple of beats, she realized she hadn't brought it with her, which was a total bummer.

If she came home looking like this, Grandpa Nelson would definitely question her. She really didn't have any more energy for confrontations and explanations.

Still, there was nothing to do about it, so despite her worry, she started her engine and made the long drive home.

Thankfully, the living room was empty when she arrived. She sped up the stairs, locked the bedroom door behind her, and then headed to the shower to clean herself up.

When she came out, her phone was vibrating rather insistently on the table. She picked it up, and froze as she saw her husband's name on the screen.

She steeled herself, and took a long, calming breath.

Jonas had been calling Melinda in what felt like forever. He had dialed her number several times already, but he never got through to her.

An anxious dread came over him. He remembered that his wife was supposed to be out with his sister that afternoon.

He was contemplating on dialing Yulia's number next when his ongoing call was finally answered.

"Hello." Melinda's voice was a little hoarse from all her crying, but in his relief, Jonas wasn't able to notice that detail.

He sighed gratefully to the phone. "I've been calling you so many times, why did it take you so long to answer?"

It was a fair enough question, but Melinda was feeling a tad too sensitive at the moment. And in light of her witnessing one of her husband's adulterous deeds, she naturally harbored an animosity towards him. "Do I need to have my eyes glued to the phone all the time, and my time so free and flexible that I have to answer it every time it rings?" There was a wealth of sarcasm in her tone, and Jonas did not miss it. It was at this moment that he realized something was wrong. Very wrong.

"That's not what I meant at all," he said carefully. "Is everything all right, Mellie? Are you unwell?" His mind was already racing with the possibilities. 'What happened? Wasn't she all right this morning? Did something happen when she went out with Yulia?' His eyes narrowed dangerously.

"No, I'm fine." Melinda's voice was weary and cold. She sounded as if the past few days they shared in bliss didn't happen at all.

Something had changed. Jonas's worry grew. He scrambled for something to say. "Mellie, I... I've made a clean break with Emily earlier today."

To his memory, every time his wife was upset, it always had something to do with the actress. Perhaps such was the case now. He'd better go ahead and say it outright.

It had been part of the reasons he had been trying to reach his wife in the first place anyway. He had considered it quite an achievement for himself, and couldn't wait to share it with Melinda.

If they had been talking face to face, Jonas would have known what an utterly terrible idea it was. It was exactly the wrong thing to say at the moment. If Melinda were with him now, he would have shivered at the chilly expression on his wife's face.

"Is that supposed to mean anything?" she shot back over the phone. 'So a so-called clean break now constitutes a kiss between lovers?'

She recognized the beat of confused silence over the line, but before Jonas could say anything more, she ended the call.

After everything, Jonas was still lying to her face. To say she was disappointed would be a great understatement.

And yet... it shouldn't have been. She had been in this situation more times than she cared to count. It had become a cycle, and she had always submitted herself to it, never once breaking from it with a firm resolve.

Until now. Truthfully, Melinda no longer saw the point in hanging on to Jonas any longer. The point had flown out the window a long time ago. There was nothing left to do but to break everything off with him.

Seated at his desk in his office and still holding the phone, Jonas came to the unmistakable truth that his marriage was once again falling apart.

He wasn't entirely sure what to do, but he knew he had to see his wife immediately. He made a grab for his car keys and strode out the door.

William had just entered the reception area with a pile of documents in his arms, meant to be delivered to his boss' table, when he saw the man himself all but sprint towards the elevator.

Jonas was wearing a dark scowl, and his secretary could only stare as the elevator doors closed.

What could have possibly happened? His boss had been pleased and rather cheerful only moments ago.

The drive between Soaring Group offices and the Gu's mansion usually took one hour, but Jonas managed to cut it into half.

It was only mid-afternoon, so everyone at the residence was surprised when he burst into the foyer.

Yulia had just come back herself, and was in the living room being served some snacks by Gavin. She had mixed feelings about having to face his brother at the moment.

She knew what she had done, and she could not help the terror she felt at the prospect of Jonas finding out.

On the other hand, she wanted to see her scheme to the end, and wanted to be present to deal the final blow if necessary.

She averted her eyes from her frantic brother's direction, and her quiet guilt became useful in doubling as innocence to the incident she had plotted with Emily.

"Where is my wife?" Jonas demanded, his face flushed, his breathing labored.

"The young madam..." Gavin drifted off as he looked to Yulia. He knew the two women went out earlier, but what was with this recent development?

Jonas's gaze darted towards Yulia as well, and she knew he was about to accuse her of some thing or other about Melinda. She beat him to it.

"Jonas, you've really gone too far today!" she spat at her brother. Everyone, including the servants who were quietly minding their tasks nearby, paused and stared at her in confusion. Jonas narrowed his eyes, his expression darkening. "What the hell are you talking about?" he bit out.

Yulia felt a chill travel up her spine, but she gritted her teeth. "We know you met with Emily earlier."

A look of mildly terrified shock passed over Jonas's face.

"We saw the two of you kissing!" There was a wealth of resentment in her voice, which was genuine, but was rooted on wholly different reasons from what she was implying. The air crackled with tension, and nobody spoke.

The servants' eyes were darting back and forth among each other.

Gavin's hands clenched into fists, and he closed his eyes, wishing he saw nothing and heard nothing.

In the next moment, Jonas was sprinting up the stairs. If Yulia was telling the truth, then it would explain his wife's cold treatment over the phone.

Fearing the worst, he rushed inside their bedroom.

Melinda was on her desk, staring blankly at her laptop screen. She was so quiet, and so still, save for the even rise and fall of her shoulders as she breathed.

Her sobriety infected Jonas to a degree, and his step was cautious as he walked to her.

"Mellie," he said, and his voice shook. He realized he was truly terrified, although of what, he wasn't in a clear state of mind to ascertain.

He had never been so frightened in his life before, but he seemed to always be these days when it concerned Melinda.

He had always considered such emotions unnecessary and worthless, and he hated being under their power. But he was finding himself continuously and increasingly subjected to their ploy.

And while he didn't like it, he couldn't deny to himself that he would willingly succumb to them if it was for Melinda.

His wife finally looked at him, her face still devoid of expression. Even her eyes seemed to have lost their depths, and Jonas felt his fear claw at his throat.

For a split second he wished she would lash out at him, yell and shout, maybe throw a few things, or even hit him. But she remained silent and reserved, and Jonas hated it.

In recent days, he had grown to know her a little bit more, and so was aware that the calmer Melinda was, the deeper her emotions ran.

She would be so far below now, and well beyond his reach.

She had always been like this, and he had realized later on, regardless of whether the matter at hand was a truth or a misunderstanding. But she had always given him another chance, even in the rare occasions when it was no misunderstanding at all, when he had purposely hurt her.

This time around, it was an utter and absolute misunderstanding, and he needed to set things straight before it was too late.

"Mellie, I can explain everything that happened today." The desperation in his voice rang out into the room. He was on the verge of panic.

"I've had enough of your explanations," his wife said to him. Her expression finally changed... to self-deprecation. "I've had too much, I think." What was the use in hearing another one, Melinda thought. They were all lies woven to create a tapestry of illusions that Jonas would eventually disprove sooner or later. Again.

"It really isn't what you think," Jonas spoke hurriedly. "I met with Emily to get rid of the token of our childhood-"

"A token?" Melinda scoffed, interrupting him. "Now I really am quite curious. It seems like you really have a lot between you two, don't you?"

He realized he had lost all credibility in his wife's eyes. His heart clamored to make her understand that it was all a mistake, but his head could not wrap around the idea of Melinda's unwavering rejection.

He could not think of anything to say to salvage the situation. "It's not what you think. It really was an accident..." "You must really take me for a fool, dear husband. How many accidents are you going to have with Emily? There's been so much already, you might as well wear a sign around your neck." Melinda was tired. So, so tired. Her husband had betrayed her again. The scene of him kissing Emily replayed in her head, and a pain shot through her heart.

She immediately closed the door of her emotions. She would no longer put up with any of it. That would only be adding insult yet again to injury. And she had been injured and insulted dozens of times already. This room was suffocating. Jonas was suffocating. Melinda could no longer bear to be in such proximity to him. She rose from her seat and walked to the door, but he grabbed her arm as she tried to go past him.

There was a desperate plea in his eyes. "Mellie, it really is a misunderstanding. Please, believe me, and let me explain. Trust me."