Betrayed By Husband, Stolen By Brother In Law-Chapter 111: The Past

Melanie glanced down at her watch and harrumphed, resisting the urge to tap her fingers against the table. It had been fifteen minutes since her so-called celebratory partner had vanished into the garden below, leaving her to pick at the remnants of their appetizer in solitude.

From the way he had excused himself—quick, almost distracted—she had guessed already that he had spotted someone familiar, someone he couldn't resist catching up with. But was he still looking for that person? Or if he had found the person, shouldn't he have just met them and then returned.

She tapped her fingers againts her phone's screen and thought about calling him, but the thought barely formed before her gaze landed on the device resting beside his half-empty bowl. The wonderful man had left his phone here on the table

Melanie sighed, rolled her shoulders back as she glanced toward the softly lit garden. So much for that option of calling him.

She had already asked the waiter to put the rest of their sixteen-course meal on hold, but she wasn't sure how much longer she could stall before they ran out of patience. It was already late, nearing closing time.

Just as she reached for her water, a shadow fell over her.

She looked up with a teasing smile, prepared to chide, "You sure took your own sweet—"

But the words withered on her tongue. Her body tensed, breath hitched and her fingers curled slightly against the stem of her glass. The man standing before her was not the one she had been waiting for.

"Spencer," she murmured stiffly.

Spencer smiled, the kind that barely touched his eyes, and slid into the seat opposite her with an ease that set her teeth on edge and made her hands clench.

"What are you doing here?" Melanie asked him trying to keep her voice cool and calm..

Spencer sent her a look, tilted his head slightly and sighed with nostalgia," Don't be so rude, Mel. Doesn't this remind you of our old time together? We used to have dinner just like this, didn't we?"

Melanie sipped her water and gave him a frowning look," Did we? I don't remember. Maybe because it was overshadowed by all those dinners that I had with your mother, picking at me throughout the dinner. Now that is a memory of our time together that I will not forget."

Even though she'd said everything coolly, just saying the words brought back all the memories. Of how Madam Collins had poked and prodded at her throughout the meal, finding faults in her and complaining continuously. There were tumes she'd dreaded going back to the mansion for a meal.

Spencer stilled at the veiled remark, but instead of trying to defend his mother like he did in the past when Melanie tried to talk to him, he changed the topic. "I was here having dinner with some old friends and then I noticed that Adam had abandoned you mid-meal, so I thought I'd do the charitable thing and come console you."

Melanie let out a short, humorless laugh at that. "Oh, sure. Because if there's one person whose consolation I desperately need, it's you," she quipped. "Maybe when I'm dead. Feel free to come and console my spirit. I can even tell you how to do that. Just kowtow a few hundred times..."

Spencer's jaw tightened, his fingers stilled against the table for the briefest moment before he remarked slowly. "I didn't know you had such a sarcastic and vicious streak."

Melanie raised a brow and set her glass down with a deliberate clink. "Well, to know something, you would've had to stick around," she said flatly. "And we both know you didn't do that."

Something flickered across Spencer's face, but it was gone before she could place it. Instead, he gave her an easy smile, the kind that had always irritated her. "Fair point," he admitted. Then, without preamble, he leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice. "But I wouldn't waste any more of your time waiting."

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Melanie frowned, her fingers tightening around the stem of her glass. "What are you talking about?"

"Adam's already gone," Spencer said casually, as if he were commenting on the weather. "If you don't believe me, go out and check."

Melanie's fingers curled into a fist beneath the table as she watched him rise from his seat. He didn't linger, didn't wait for a reaction—just smoothed out his sleeves and walked away, his confidence grating against her nerves.

But she didn't move.

If Spencer had taken the trouble to come all the way over here just to tell her Adam was gone, then it had to be true. And there was no way in hell she was going to give him the satisfaction of looking for Adam. Or letting him know that Adam's disappearance affected her in the least.

Instead, calmed herself and gestured for the waiter and when the man was near enough, ordered casually, "Bring out the rest of the meal. I will be alone for the remaining."

She watched the waiter hesitate for a moment, before the man professionally picked up the setting from opposite her and walked away.

Moments later, the courses resumed, each one placed in front of her with the same meticulous care as before.

Melanie ate.

Or at least, she went through the motions. The flavors that had just been bursting on her tongue, keeping the excited seemed to have disappeared.

The meal stretched on, a slow, silent exercise in patience, but she refused to let the night end with her sitting here, abandoned and pitied. This was supposed to be a meal to celebrate her. And her celebration did not depend on the presence or absence of any man.

Finally, when the last plate was cleared, she asked for the bill, only for the waiter to shake his head. "There's no need, ma'am. Mr. Adam has already settled everything."

Melanie stilled, her gaze moving to the empty space across from her.

Of course, he had. Without another word, she stood up, picked up his phone from the table and walked out of the restaurant.