Kent shrugged helplessly. He knew that once his mother made her mind, there was nothing in the world
that could change her decision. Or perhaps, Kent was hiding behind his mother's determination, as his
heart yearned for Melinda to accept the jade bracelet.
"Don't you like us?" Janet asked nervously.
Although their family was making financial progress because of Kent, Janet knew that some girls were
demanding. They looked for financial security before taking any big decision.
Janet could understand Melinda's concern. If she was bothered by their social status, there wasn't
much Janet could do. She knew that Melinda deserved the best and would only wallow about her loss.
Janet looked dejected but tried her best not to show it out. Melinda's cheeks turned red and she didn't
know how to explain to Janet that she wasn't in love with her son.
"I didn't mean that. I..." Melinda slumped her shoulders and blew out a loud breath. She was at a loss
of words. She knew that Janet wouldn't understand no matter how much she explained.
"Well, if you didn't mean that, why don't you accept it?" Janet asked curiously.
Melinda decided to accept the bracelet to make her happy. She could later give it back to Kent after his
parents left. She finally nodded and accepted the bracelet. Janet's face beamed with happiness.
She was happy that Melinda had spent the whole day with them. She and Charles felt that Melinda was
the right match for Kent. "Kent, it's up to you now. Don't do anything stupid and drive her away," Janet
threatened.
She had fulfilled her responsibility as a mother-in-law by passing on the heirloom to Melinda. It was
now Kent's job to impress Melinda and get her married to him as soon as possible.
Kent smiled awkwardly. He knew that things weren't as rosy as they seemed to be. His parents were
blissfully unaware of Melinda's complicated mind and he didn't have the heart to break their happy
bubble.
Charles and Janet were happy. They had planned to go out and spend time with Kent and Melinda.
A City was a commercial city bustling with people. There were many touristic spots and the most
famous of them all was the amusement park.
But Charles and Janet were too old to indulge in fun activities. Therefore, Kent and Melinda decided to
go to the museum. They could go mountain climbing in the countryside as well.
Melinda was traumatized to plan outdoor activities. She seldom went out to have fun when she was
married to Jonas. Even if she did, she would fall prey to Yulia's wicked plans. So, Kent planned
everything without bothering Melinda.
He knew what she had gone through.
Melinda didn't understand her true strength until she met Jonas. She loved him with all her heart. She
was fearless and ready to do anything to win his heart. Unfortunately, their story ended even before it
started.
Janet was happy that Melinda was willing to spend time with them. But she didn't want to disturb the
"couple", so she quickly made an excuse to leave.
Kent took them to the shopping mall and bought a lot of things for them. Charles and Janet were
fussing over Melinda and she was overwhelmed by their love.
Melinda breathed a sigh of relief when she saw them leave. She couldn't be herself around them. The
guilt was consuming her. They had accepted her as their daughter-in-law and were showering her with
love.
But she didn't deserve any of it, for she and Kent weren't in love.
Once Charles and Janet were out of sight, Melinda removed the jade bracelet and gave it to Kent. The
bracelet carried the heaviness of guilt and deceit. Kent's heart sank but he managed to smile at
Melinda.
"I'm sorry. I know that you're having a hard time dealing with my mother. She's been constantly nagging
you." Kent smiled apologetically. But he was secretly thankful to his mother for creating the perfect
opportunity for him to spend time with Melinda.
"It's okay. Your mom is cute."
Melinda smiled. Although Janet was caring and sweet, her vivacity made Melinda uncomfortable at
times.
Kent was aware of it. Melinda's helplessness was evident in her eyes but he never talked about it
because he knew that Melinda would find an excuse to stay away from them. He was enjoying her
company and didn't want to put an end to it.
"Shall we go to the riverside for a walk?"
Kent asked.
"Okay," Melinda agreed.
She wanted to go for a walk as well. The fresh air would take her mind off the things that had been
bothering her lately. Melinda's coat was flimsy and Kent took off his coat and slipped it across her
shoulders.
"Thank you," Melinda said, hugging herself.
She was already weak, so she didn't stop Kent. She didn't want to fall sick again. The wind was strong
by the riverside. It was playing with Melinda's hair and her heart instantly felt light. The sound of water
and the serenity of the night sky seemed to lift her spirits.
Kent's heart skipped a beat when he looked at Melinda. Her tousled hair and flustered cheeks due to
the cold made her look prettier. He loved spending every minute with her.
"Stop... Somebody help me! He has taken my bag!" a woman screamed.
Melinda snapped her head and saw a man running towards them. Kent immediately pulled Melinda to
the side and thwarted the robber.
The robber's eyes widened with shock as he pulled out a knife from his pocket.
Melinda covered her mouth with her hand in surprise. She realized that the robber could use her to
distract Kent, so she snuck to the other side and called the police.
A City was a thriving place and it was easy for the police to arrive immediately.
Although Kent looked like a puny nerd, he was adept at self-defense. But the robber was stronger than
he was.
Seeing Kent struggle with the robber, the people who were hesitant in the beginning came forward to
help. A group of people managed to hold him down.
The police arrived soon and took the robber away. No one was hurt but Kent's forearm was bleeding.
The knife had pierced his skin and the blood continued to ooze out, staining his shirt. Melinda squealed
in fear and grabbed his arm.
"Kent, are you okay?"
The woman thanked Kent for helping her and left with the police as she needed to file a statement.
Melinda wrapped Kent's wound with a scarf and drove him to the hospital. It had been a long time since
she had taken the car and was a little apprehensive about it.
"I'm fine, Melinda," Kent said reassuringly.
Melinda took deep breaths and finally calmed down.
The wound wasn't very deep but Kent had lost a lot of blood. Melinda was with him the whole time,
trying to make him feel better. She knew that Kent couldn't manage things on his own and decided to
stay back to take care of him.
The doctor had prescribed some medicines and Melinda was constantly checking the dosage. Kent's
house was a bit messy because Charles and Janet had stayed with him for a long time.
Melinda cooked bone porridge for Kent and helped him clean the house. Even though Kent was
exhausted, he didn't want to rest. He watched Melinda look after him with a small smile on his face. He
felt as if they were living together and Melinda was taking care of him like a doting wife.
"Kent, it's late. You need to rest."
Kent had taken heavy dosage of medicines. Melinda was worried that he was still sitting on the sofa
without going to bed.
"Melinda, it's already late. You can stay here for the night and leave in the morning," Kent suggested.
There was a guest room in the house. His parents had cleaned it when they were staying with him.
"That's all right, I can manage. But I might have to borrow your car," Melinda said.
She wasn't used to living in someone else's place. She felt insecure about it. She had spent sleepless
nights at the Gu's mansion for several years.
"If you are insistent about going back, I'll drop you home. I can't drive now, so we might have to take a
taxi," Kent grunted.
Melinda felt that Kent had inherited the toughness from his mother.
He was always resolute about his decisions.
"Kent, It's okay. I can go home on my own."
Kent clenched his jaw and grabbed his coat without saying a word. Melinda didn't want to trouble him
and was left with no choice but to stay with him.
"All right, go back to your room and rest. I'll stay here tonight. I'm sorry to bother you."
Kent's face lit up with joy. Melinda replaced the bed sheet with a clean one and went to the
supermarket to buy a pair of pajamas.
She also bought a new set of disposable toiletries. Melinda couldn't fall asleep in a new place. She
went to the balcony and leaned against the window. It was a starry night and the city was quiet except
for the soft whistles of the wind.
Melinda had a night of disturbed sleep and woke up early in the morning. She went to the kitchen to
make breakfast. When Kent got up, an involuntary smile crept on his lips when he saw Melinda in the
kitchen.
He felt as if they were living together.
"Good morning."
Kent smiled. Melinda turned around to look at him. She placed the breakfast on the table and smiled in
return. "Freshen up first and have breakfast. I've tossed some things together and I don't know if it will
taste good or not," she said, grinning sheepishly.
Melinda was not a good cook but Kent enjoyed the food. He saw that Melinda was looking dull. There
were dark circles around her tired eyes.
"Did you sleep well last night?" Kent asked concernedly.
Melinda shook her head. In the following days, Melinda had been taking care of Kent. His wound
healed soon and he was back to normal.
Kent and Melinda had been getting along well. His feelings for her grew stronger, so he decided to tell
her about how he felt.
He had been thinking about it for a while and finally mustered the strength to open his heart to her.
Melinda was in the kitchen, preparing dinner for Kent. Since Kent's wound had healed, she told him
that she would stop coming from tomorrow. She had other important things to attend to.
"Melinda, I have something to tell you," Kent said during dinner.
Melinda knitted her eyebrows and looked at him with confusion. His intense eyes made her heart race
and she strongly resisted the urge to run away.
She knew what it was about and had to deal with it sooner or later.
"Melinda, I think you know what I'm about to say. Well, you'd have figured it out a long time ago. I really
like you. Will you give me the chance to take care of you for the rest of your life?"
Kent's voice was thick with emotion and he could hear his heartbeat ring in his ears. His palms became
sweaty and he was nervous to hear Melinda's response.
The silence was almost deafening and Melinda finally opened her mouth. "Kent, I don't believe in love,"
she said, smiling sadly.
She had given her undivided love, attention, and care for Jonas but got nothing in return. She had
wasted all her emotions on him. Her heart was hollow and she couldn't feel anything, anymore. She
had become numb.
Although Kent had anticipated Melinda's answer, it was heartbreaking to hear it directly from her.
Melinda smiled apologetically and left. The house felt empty without her and Kent was back to feeling
lonely again.
Melinda's racing heart didn't seem to rest. She felt bad for breaking Kent's heart, but she didn't regret
her decision. She didn't want to give him any false hopes.
Kent's voice was thick with emotion and he could hear his heartbeat ring in his ears. His palms became
sweaty and he was nervous to hear Melinda's response.
The silence was almost deafening and Melinda finally opened her mouth. "Kent, | don't believe in love,"
she said, smiling sadly.
She had given her undivided love, attention, and care for Jonas but got nothing in return. She had
wasted all her emotions on him. Her heart was hollow and she couldn't feel anything, anymore. She
had become numb.
Although Kent had anticipated Melinda's answer, it was heartbreaking to hear it directly from her.
Melinda smiled apologetically and left. The house felt empty without her and Kent was back to feeling
lonely again.
Melinda's racing heart didn't seem to rest. She felt bad for breaking Kent's heart, but she didn't regret
her decision. She didn't want to give him any false hopes.
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