When Love Becomes a Cage (Melanie)

I can barely remember how I ended up leaving the Pattersons'.

Mr. Patterson told me to hold off on panicking; he thought he could figure something out, maybe even talk some sense into Clyde.

But it was as if I was deaf to everything.Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.

Rachel had moved in with the Pattersons, Clyde was defending her, and the disdain in Rachel's eyes...

It hit me then. Everything clicked.

If Clyde had accepted Rachel from the start, and she had used some trick or another, it's no wonder he wouldn't want to remember me.

I'm not sure if there's a psychological term for it, but something felt off.

I couldn't fathom why Rachel would do this. Clyde had to wake up to the truth eventually.

These thoughts haunted me as I went home.

The next day at work, I was completely out of it.

I couldn't understand why Rachel would do such a thing, as if Clyde and I had never wronged her.

During the morning briefing, I misspoke for the third time and had to cancel it.

Seeing me distracted, Jade pulled me aside in the hallway.

"What's up? I heard Clyde caused a scene at Merritt's birthday bash yesterday?"

I nodded.

Then, cautiously, I asked her, "Did Rachel have something against me before?" "Huh?"

Jade was totally taken aback by my question, almost speechless.

I felt stupid asking it. We had shared a dorm for four years in college; if there was any bad blood, we wouldn't have stayed in touch. But I couldn't figure it out.

Seeing Rachel and Clyde heading for the elevator, I rushed over.

"Clyde, the specialists are leaving this afternoon. I really think you should see them."

I thought maybe if Clyde got checked out, everything would become clear.

Before Clyde could refuse, Rachel stepped in front of him.

"Melanie, can you just stop? Clyde's fine. Why do you insist he needs to go to the hospital?"

Her arm was linked through Clyde's, her eyes burning with anger at me.

Jade, witnessing this, stepped in front of me.

"He's fine? The guy's not even in his right mind!"

"Rachel, are you insane? Don't you know he's Melanie's husband?"

"Clyde doesn't love her anymore."

Rachel looked down, whispering.

Clyde quickly agreed, "It's not that I don't love her. I never did."

"Jade,

Aren't you Rachel's best

Goethe one who's sick. are you siding with Met

"Best friend my foot! Melanie has always been my closest friend. What act are you putting on?"

Jade was livid, rolling up her sleeves.

"Clyde, have you lost your mind? Remember when you begged me to bring Melanie her favorite snacks, or to buy her a heating pad? Or when you couldn't make it back and

pleaded with me to bri

umbrella? You've forgotten who you dated for four years in college? Your own wife?"

"Jade, shut up!" Rachel suddenly raised her voice.

But Jade fired back immediately. "Only you can put on an act, huh? You've been after Clyde since college, and everyone knows it.

When you found out Melanie was you

into him, how many times did you try

to sabotage her? You begged me never to tell, remember?"

Jade's revelations shocked everyone, including me.

Everyone knew I was after Clyde, even Eliana eventually backed off.

When did Rachel ever try to trip me up?

Then it hit me, "So the reason Clyde never showed up for our date..."

"It was her sabotage!"

Jade was fuming, pointing at Rachel as if she wanted to punch a hole through her face.