Chapter 7 Broken girl

" Dad, what you did yesterday was rude," Linda said softly. You walked away without uttering a word as if we were the ones who dumped you when your business went bankrupt. We are only concerned about you, that's all but you acted like we are your enemies. " Linda could not help but blurt out, that's was her nature she could not keep quiet when she was punished for a crime she did not commit.

" Yes dad, why did you let her in in the first place? " Shina raised her eyebrow in annoyance, she was very angry. " We told you that she is no longer welcome in this house, she is nothing to this family. She chooses a rich man over us and no one is going to forgive her for that. " Shina said coldly.

Maxwell let out a deep sigh, he knew that this was going to happen but he did not expect his Kids to bring up this topic during breakfast." Linda and you Shina, I understand why you are angry," Maxwell said softly. "I shouldn't have reacted that way, it was wrong of me. Yes, I was upset when your mother left, but it's no excuse for me to vent it all on you guys." He continued. "Shina, I understand why you're so angry too. Understandably, you would feel betrayed by your mother. But always know that I love you both and I'm sorry for making you feel like I don't care about you. I want to be a better father and I want us to have a better relationship. Can we put this behind us and start anew?" He begged, he knew that he should've never thought of letting Tina in when she begged him, but he did and it was wrong of him, he was willing to pay for his mistakes.

" It's okay dad, don't repeat the same mistake. We are cool, now. " Linda said with a smile on her face.

Maxwell pouted his lips anxiously looking at the stern look Shina was throwing at him, he needed no one to tell how hard she was to impress. He could only pity the man who was going to marry her." Shina, won't you forgive your dad?" He asked with a low tone and helpless expression on his face.

"No, I don't think I can. He hurt me too deeply. I need time to heal before I can even consider forgiving him." Shina sighed sternly, she rose out of the chair and went off to her room.

Both Maxwell and Linda felt a deep sadness in their hearts as they watched her go, knowing that it would take time to make her smile. No matter what either one of them said or did, it was too late. She was back to her grumpy and silent mode, and there was nothing they could do to bring her back to her good mood.

"Don't worry dad, she will come around." Linda smiles trying to lighten the air around the dining room. "How is your business going?"

Maxwell smiled proudly, "I'm excited to report that my business is doing well! I recently expanded my team and am seeing a lot of progress as we work on our products and services. We've launched a couple of successful campaigns and are seeing a steady increase in our customer base. We've also been able to build strong relationships with our vendors, which has enabled us to secure better deals and lower our operational costs. I'm really proud of the progress we've made and am looking forward to the future." He said.

" That's my dad!! The richest man in the country. I'm so proud of you dad… ."Linda exclaimed happily." Now it's time for you to move on and get married, " Linda said, knowing that her father did not like this kind of topic.

Her guess was right because Maxwell rose off from his chair rapidly." I forgot that I have a very important meeting, see you in the evening. " He said and walked out of the house.

" I guess I'll have to finish all this food alone," Linda murmured sitting alone in the dining room.

...….

Mellisa sat in the corner of the room, her soft sobs barely audible so that no one would hear her pain. Just moments before, Zick had unleashed his fury upon her, leaving her feeling small and helpless. When she had married him, she had hoped life would change for the better; instead, it had become a living nightmare. The pain in her heart was unbearable, her emotions completely spent, her mind exhausted, and her spirit broken. She felt like she would suffer until her dying breath. Melissa sobbed, tears streaming down her face as she curled up into a ball on the floor. "Mom, why did you leave me alone on this cold, cruel earth? I'm so tired, mom. I can't take it anymore. This is all too much for me to handle." She hugged her knees to her chest, her cries echoing through the empty room. Life was unfair to her, she suffered her whole life without a break, she felt so alone and helpless in the world, her dreams seemed so far away and she could not see a way out of the sadness that had engulfed her.

KNOCK!!!! KNOCK!!!

"Mellisa, open up, are you okay." Riya knocked on the door.

Mellisa jerked to her feet and ran to the bathroom. She slammed the door behind her, breathing heavily. Tears streamed down her face as she collapsed onto the floor. She felt overwhelmed, scared, and helpless. She had no idea what to do or how to handle this situation. All she knew was she needed to get away and think. She stayed in the bathroom for a few minutes, eventually calming down. Once she felt ready, she got up and washed her face, Zick sternly told her that if his grandmother know that he had hit her then he was going to show her hell on earth and she was not ready for that.

Taking a deep breath, Mellisa spoke normally at the door.

"Yes, I'm fine, don't worry granny " Mellisa called out from the other side of the door. "I just need a few minutes alone."

"Are you sure?" Riya asked. "I can come in if you want. We can talk about whatever is bothering you."

Mellisa hesitated for a moment before opening the door. "Yes, come in," she said. "I've just been feeling a little overwhelmed lately and needed some time to think things through."

Riya hugged Mellisa, she knew that even though Mellisa was pretending to be fine, she was old enough to understand people's emotions, she knew that Zick had done something to her, telling by how her face looked. She decided to keep quiet and let her bear with her grandson's behavior, all she wanted was for him to be a better person and if that required Mellisa to suffer then she would sacrifice her at any cost...