Chapter 245
Melindaâs parents were worried that she wouldnât be able to cough up with the money due to the pressure. So, Melindaâs mom started trying to guilt-trip
her.
âMelinda, we didnât mean it that way. We all know youâve busted your hump for this family. Your brother finally got himself a girlfriend, and her parents have steady jobs. Itâs an improvement for our family. We canât let him feeling embarrassed.â Melindaâs mom sobbed, âOnce your brother settles down, youâll have someone to lean on. Weâre thinking about you too.â
Melinda wiped away tears, her head held high, trying to hold back her emotions. She didnât say anything. Her dad came back on the line, saying, âYouâve got three days to come up with a hundred grand. If your brotherâs wedding falls through, donât bother coming home.â
Melinda couldnât take it anymore and hung up the phone. She was the black sheep of the family, the one who made her parents and brother feel embarrassed. Her sacrifices had turned into a joke.
!
Meanwhile, Maria and Jay exchanged glances. Jay asked, âDid she hung up?â
Maria said, âYep, she did.â
âSheâs on her own now.â Jay said angrily, âCall her back and tell her to get the money ASAP!â
âYou were too harsh, Jay. No wonder Melindaâs upset.â Maria remarked, âIâll go and comfort her in a bit.â
Just then, Melindaâs brother returned from outside and asked, âMom, dad, is the wedding gift money ready? Lilyâs family is rushing us.â
Seeing her son return, Maria smiled and said, âHold your horses. Iâve called your sister; sheâll gather the money soon. Are you hungry? I can make something to eat.â
âI wonât be eating at home; I have a dinner date with Lily. I came back just to let you guys know to get the wedding gift money sorted. Lilyâs parents are giving us a BMW as a wedding present. Itâll be great for my career too.â Melindaâs brother said.
âReally? Lilyâs family is so generous. Donât worry, weâll get the wedding gift money sorted. Maria was delighted, âNow off you go, donât keep Lily waiting. You need to treat her well. Donât upset her.â
âSheâs a real diva. If she wasnât the only child and her family wasnât giving us a BMW, I wouldnât even look twice at her. Her parents. have spoiled her.â
Melindaâs brother said.
Maria laughed, âJust bear with it. Once Lily is part of our family, Iâll teach her a few things.â
âOkay, guys, Iâm off. Oh, and donât mention my wedding to Melinda. If Lilyâs parents find out about her job, Iâll die of embarrassment.â Melindaâs brother said.
Jay wore a loving expression and said, âDonât worry, we didnât invite her back. You go keep Lily company. Donât worry about us.â
As soon as their son left, Jay urged Maria to call Melinda again to sort out the money.
Melinda was listening to her phone ringing non-stop, it was driving her up the wall. The ringtone sounded like an omen, leaving her on edge. Her roommate knocked from outside the door, âMelinda, why is your phone constantly ringing?â
âItâs nothing.â Melinda couldnât take it anymore and muted her phone, finally getting some peace and quiet. She didnât dare turn it off, in case she missed an important call from a client or her boss.
In adult life, there was no such thing as total freedom. Even if she wanted to relax for a while, she had to consider the potential consequences.
Her roommate didnât think much of it, just said, âIâve got to go to work.â
As the roommate was about to leave, Melinda opened the door, âCould you have dinner with me tonight, itâs my birthday.â
âMelinda, happy birthday. But I canât skip my work hours. How about this? Iâll return early, and we can have a late-night snack to celebrate your birthday. Iâll also bring a gift. Is that okay?â
âAlright.â Melinda said.
âIâve got to go, Melinda. Remember to cheer up, itâs your birthday. Iâll bring you a present when I come back.â Her roommate said.
After watching her roommate leave, Melinda returned to her room, feeling like a soulless shell. Her phone lit up once more; it was her boss calling. She couldnât afford to ignore it.
After picking up, her response was still slow, her voice monotone as if she was a robot, âHello, okay, Iâll be there right away.â