Chapter 11
“If I hadn’t been sent abroad for years, you wouldn’t stand a chance to be Mrs. Palmer! Just look at your face and your outfit! You’re just a dejected housewife, and you can’t beat me!”
Melody launched provocative remarks toward Gabriella, whose face could be clearly seen in the footage. However, the twisted expression on Melody’s face was obvious.
Even before Gabriella’s outburst, the party guests were already gasping.
No one would think that Melody, who carried herself with grace and poise, was secretly a homewrecker who harassed and jeered at the spouse!
To their surprise, Melody suddenly slapped herself in the footage. Soon, a red mark appeared on her cheek. Her misty eyes made her appear even more pitiable. She pitifully demanded to know why Gabriella had hit her.
Alex and Lucas, who happened to return, overheard Melody’s words. The red mark on her cheek fueled their outburst.
Alex shoved Gabriella onto the ground, while Lucas slapped his biological mother ten times on the face.
Finally, the trio left after Gabriella explained that she didn’t hurt Melody and that the security footage could prove her innocence. No one took her words seriously.
The murmur in the event hall was replaced by silence. All eyes were on Alex, Lucas, and Melody–who stood in the center of the hall.
The Ralmer family was one of the most prestigious families in Tramont. Most party attendees had family businesses that relied on the Palmers.
They could talk about Melody however they liked, but they knew it’d be inappropriate to discuss the CEO, Alex Palmer, and Lucas, his heir.
Still, most of the guests looked at the three of them with disdain. They looked down on Melody, the homewrecker, and they were dismayed by Alex, who shoved Gabriella because he believed in Melody’s words. They also did not condone Lucas‘ behavior of slapping his birth mother over a remark made by an outsider.
Under the intense scrutiny, all three members of the Palmer family blushed in embarrassment. Alex felt extremely ashamed. He opened his mouth to say something. But looking around, he didn’t spot Gabriella, which reminded him of the reason she had requested him to hand her gift to Melody.
Overwhelmed by guilt, he sheepishly spoke, “I had no idea. I thought-”
Lucas, who stood beside his father, was dumbfounded. He hated Gabriella and was disgusted by the fact she was his biological mother. According to Alex, Theodore had sent Melody out of the country and later made Alex marry Gabriella.
Alex claimed he was forced to marry Gabriella, and that his true lover was his kind, innocent adoptive sister miles away. Alas, societal constraints meant they were not meant to be, which was the reason he caved in
Before this, Lucas assumed Gabriella was a thief who inserted herself between Alex and Melody. Without Gabriella, he would call his kind and pure Melody his mother.
It wasn’t until the footage was leaked that he questioned his moral bearings.
“So, she didn’t hit Aunt Mel that day?” He looked up blankly at Alex–his only pillar of strength–but he found the same confusion in Alex’s eyes.
How did this happen?
Alex’s head snapped up, and he rested his gaze on Melody, who was quietly attempting to sneak out of the hall. At that moment, he seemed to have found a target to release his anger and frustration
“Why did you lie? I trusted you, Melody! How did you turn out this way?”
He looked heartbroken and disappointed.
Lucas immediately chimed in “That’s right, Aunt Mel. Why did you lie to us? Didn’t we treat you nicely enough?”
A look of disbelief flashed across Melody’s face when the father and son tried to put the blame on them. Still, she kept her emotions under control as there were guests around. Keeping her anger in check, she cried her heart out. “I–It’s a misunderstanding. Hear me out…”
