Chapter 17 

Melinda’s lips parted, but all she could manage was a broken little whimper–no scream, no real sob, just the faintest sound of pain, like a kitten lost in the dark. The grief and anger inside her pressed so hard against her chest that she could hardly breathe. 

Why? Why would he lie to her like this? Why would he do something so cruel? 

A laugh slipped from her lips, wild and bitter, caught somewhere between heartbreak and hysteria. It echoed through the empty room, a sound that didn’t sound like her at all. 

She had always thought she was the luckiest woman alive. How could she not be, with Patrick at her side? He was the kind of man who would run headfirst into a burning building just to find the charm bracelet her grandmother had given her. He’d risked his own life for her safety, ended a five–year marriage just to be with her, and never once crossed her boundaries before their wedding. When she said she wasn’t ready for kids, he didn’t pressure her, didn’t ask her to take pills–he just went and got a vasectomy. 

He’d made her believe he loved her more than anything. But in the end, all he’d really done was make her his mistress. The other woman. 

The truth crashed over Melinda like a tidal wave, dragging her under, smothering every last bit of hope. At last, a full, raw sob broke out of her, and it felt like the whole world was collapsing in on her chest. 

She thought she might suffocate in that hotel room, wrapped up in her misery. 

That’s when the door swung open. 

Blinded by tears, Melinda looked up and met Patrick’s eyes–cold, unreadable, not a flicker of warmth anywhere. 

It was just a heartbeat, but it felt as if time itself had stopped. 

She had still hoped–stupidly–that he’d at least look guilty or surprised, maybe even a little ashamed now that she knew the truth. But there was nothing. His face was stone. 

“Why?” she managed to ask, her voice thick with tears, her eyes searching his for anything–anything at all. 

She wished, for just a second, that this was all some horrible joke. That she’d wake up and find him beside her, loving her the way he always had. 

But Patrick crushed every bit of hope left inside her. 

“Because I’ve never met a woman as hard to win over as you,” he said, his voice flat and cold. “I wanted to know what it felt like to finally have you. Turns out, you weren’t worth the effort.” 

Something sharp twisted in Melinda’s chest, so deep it felt like a knife had been driven into her heart. 

Patrick looked down at her, his eyes like ice, a hint of impatience flickering in their depths. 

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Chapter 17 

“Now you know. You can leave.” 

He almost sounded bored as he continued, “You took care of me well enough lately. So I’ll give you that apartment, and a million dollars. Just make sure I never see you again.” 

Melinda shook her head, her crying only growing more desperate. “I don’t want any of that! That’s not who I am–I never was!” 

“I only ever wanted you. Why, Patrick? If you loved me so much, why would you do this to me?” 

He gave a short, cold laugh. “Love? Melinda, I was just having some fun. What made you think any of this was love?” 

He didn’t hesitate. “The only woman I’ve ever loved is Maisy.” 

Those words hit her harder than any slap. Melinda went pale, her mind going blank, her whole world shattering in an instant. 

She couldn’t hear, couldn’t see, couldn’t even think. Everything she’d believed was gone–just like that. 

Patrick didn’t even look back. He took a check from his assistant and tossed it at her feet. 

“This is it. If you ever come looking for me again, think about your grandma in that hospital.” 

He didn’t wait for a response. He just turned and walked away, leaving Melinda behind as the darkness closed in around her. 

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