Chapter 74 1 year later.

Maxwell's mouth hung open, his breathing constricted. He swallowed hard, feeling as though time had stopped and his world had come crashing down. He stumbled back a step, consumed by despair and disheartenment. Had Mellisa died before his very eyes, and he had been powerless to do anything? No! Mellisa had died today, and it was all because of him. If only he had been more careful, Zick's man wouldn't have threatened him with Mellisa and forced him to come with them. Mellisa wouldn't have stressed herself out, thinking about him all night and forgetting about her condition. It was all because of him that Mellisa had died, and he was alone in his guilt.

Maxwell's chin quivered, and he felt a thickness in his throat, causing him to swallow hard. Tears streamed out of his eyes as he spoke with a cracked tone, "Doctor, please recheck. Maybe you have made a mistake. Please, doctor."

"I'm sorry, there's nothing to check. She is no more. I offer my condolences to you," the doctor replied.

Maxwell stood rooted on the ground, as the doctor covered Mellisa's face with a white sheet and called for the nurses to come and fetch her lifeless body. Her stomach hardened and her chest tightened as she realized the gravity of the situation. She couldn't believe that she had to make this choice. She wished to tell Maxwell the truth, but her love for the hospital was greater. If she lost it because of someone's emotions and didn't follow the instructions given to her, how would she feed her children? Her hands were tied, and there was nothing she could do other than follow the instructions given to her. At least crying doesn't kill anyone, he will cry for a few days and he will be better.

After a few minutes of the doctor pondering about Maxwell's sadness, the nurse came and started pushing Mellisa's body to the mortuary. Maxwell was still standing there like a statue, tears streaming out of his eyes. He didn't even notice when Mellisa was taken away.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Williams. Please be strong," the doctor said, attempting to alleviate her guilty conscience. She left the ward, leaving Maxwell alone. He appeared to be completely motionless, consumed by heartbreak and guilt.

After a few minutes, Michelle, Linda, Mark, and Shayen returned to the ward.

"Dad, where did Mellisa go?" Shina asked anxiously. "Is she in the bathroom?"

Michelle scowled when she saw Maxwell standing there, not moving or speaking, with tears streaming down his face. Her heart began to race. "Maxwell, where did Mellisa go?" Michelle demanded, raising her voice. But Maxwell remained silent, tears continuing to flow. She had never seen him like this before; something terrible must have happened. "MAXWELL!" she yelled, and this time he looked at her.

"Where is she, Dad??" Shina asked.

"She's dead," Maxwell muttered, his voice cracking with emotion. "Melissa is gone. She left us." Maxwell couldn't hold back his tears and broke down, covering his face with his hands. He couldn't accept it. It was just impossible. He had only spent a few months with Melissa, and she had broken her promise. She said she would always be with him, but now she was gone.

Michelle was beyond shocked. She fell to the floor and lost consciousness. She couldn't accept this. It was too hard to believe. Mark quickly ran to her and knelt in front of her, scooping her into his arms. He carried her to the hospital bed where Melissa lay.

Shina felt a coldness hit her core. Time seemed to stop, and her heart started racing. Has she lost someone precious once again? No! Melissa couldn't be dead. "Dad, you're joking, right?" she asked, swallowing hard.

Maxwell's feeble attempt at communication was futile. He hugged Shina in his arms and began to weep uncontrollably. It was then that Shina realized the truth - Maxwell was not deceiving her. Mellisa had passed away, and once again, Shina was forced to endure the loss of someone dear to her. Shina embraced Maxwell tightly and joined him in his sorrow. It was difficult to accept that a virtuous soul like Mellisa had departed from this world so soon.

Shayn and Mark could only watch the scene before them, their eyes glistening with tears. They were strangers to the situation and powerless to interfere.

…..

Shayn, who apparently had a grip on his emotions, drove everyone home. The ride was silent, with each person lost in their own thoughts. The death of Mellisa had left everyone in a state of disbelief. It was just too hard to fathom that Mellisa was gone forever.

After a few minutes of driving, Shayn stopped the car in front of the William mansion. Everyone got out of the car and went inside the house.

"Dad, how is Mellisa?" Linda inquired, but Maxwell didn't respond and went upstairs to his room.

Linda followed him with her eyes. "Shina, what happened at the hospital?" Linda asked, but Shina didn't say anything and went to her room.

Linda was confused, but her face lit up when she saw Michelle entering the house. "Michelle, where is Mellisa?"

Michelle looked at Linda, tears shimmering in her eyes, and ran upstairs.

Linda was frustrated. Why was everyone avoiding her questions and not saying anything? It was all so disheartening.

...

At the Nadia mansion

Zick's personal assistant burst into the dining room as everyone was gathering for breakfast. "Sir, Mrs. Mellisa has passed away," he panted, "she is no more."

Zick was so shocked that he choked on his food and began coughing uncontrollably. Riya, anxious to know what had happened, asked, "What do you mean? What happened to her?"

"Ma'am," the assistant replied, "the doctors said that Mrs. Mellisa had a heart problem, and due to excessive stress, she passed away."

Both Mike and Laila were stunned and exclaimed, "What? She's gone?"

Zick, on the other hand, was furious. "How could she just die like that?" he bellowed. "How could she leave me before I could make her mine? This is impossible! I refuse to believe it!"

"Zick, you are a monster," Liana said, her voice dripping with disapproval. "You don't care about her death, only your obsession. I'm leaving this house. I can't stay with heartless people like you. You will pay dearly for what you've done. This is all because of you, why did you kidnap her husband?"

"You're not going anywhere," Riya spat out icily. "Why do you even care about that foolish girl? It's good that she's dead. It's for the better. May her soul rot in hell for betraying my grandson."

"Mom, are you even hearing yourself? A poor woman died with her children in her womb, and you're saying this?" Liala asked, her voice filled with disbelief.

"Don't act like you're a saint here," Riya replied nonchalantly. "She deserved to die. She was nothing but a useless girl who couldn't even care about my grandson. So why the heck should I care about her?"

"You're right, Grandma. She was nothing but a gold digger. She deserved to die," Zick chimed in. He was relieved that Mellisa was dead, and if Maxwell lost Mellisa just like him, then it was just fine. It was good that she died.

"I am far from perfect, but the death of Mellisa has left me with a deep wound. She was a good girl, and I deeply regret the pain I caused her," Liala expressed with a heavy heart. "Zick and you, Mom, will face the consequences of your actions. Karma is a merciless force, and it will come back to haunt you."

Mike shook his head in disbelief and disgust before leaving the coffee table. "You are cruel and selfish," he muttered under his breath.

Liala's husband followed suit, and even Liana retreated to her room, unable to bear the weight of the situation.

Riya, however, had a different perspective. "Don't listen to them, my dear. Mellisa did not deserve you, and everything that happened to her was justified," she said with a cold tone.

"You are right grandma, she deserves everything that happened to her.." Zick said.

...….

1 year later

After Melissa's death, nothing was remotely fine at the Williams mansion. The entire household was consumed by a pervasive sense of gloom and despair. The once-happy family members had all but forgotten how to smile, eat dinner together, or even engage in basic conversation. Shina and Linda were so utterly heartbroken that their smiles had withered away, and they were now solely focused on their studies. Michelle, on the other hand, was completely devastated by the loss of her dear friend. She would cry herself to sleep every night, tormented by the knowledge that her mother's cruelty had played a significant role in Melissa's untimely demise. Despite her overwhelming grief, Michelle attempted to move out of the Williams mansion, but Maxwell, in a rare moment of kindness, assured her that he held no grudges against her.

Maxwell's sole focus was on his company, but it was all in vain as he could not forget Melissa. Each day, he would drown himself in alcohol or weep until the morning, yearning for Melissa. However, his efforts were futile, and now it was time to avenge her death. For the past year, he has done everything in his power to torment the Nadia family. He stripped them of their companies, wealth, and cars, leaving them with only one mansion, which he planned to seize from them.

…

"Oh, well, well!" exclaimed Maxwell as he entered the dining room of the Nadia mansion. "I have some wonderful news for all of you." He pulled up a chair and sat down, a cold smirk playing on his lips.

Riya, looking pale and thin, spoke up. "Are you not satisfied with all the harm you have caused us?" she asked, her voice trembling.

Zick, unable to bear the situation any longer, begged for forgiveness. "Please forgive me for everything I did to Mellisa and return my belongings," he pleaded. Despite living in a mansion, he was unable to enjoy the luxurious life he once had.

"Not so fast," Maxwell replied with an evil smirk. "This house now belongs to your dear wife and child, Liana. The question is, do you want Zick and his family to continue living here with your son?"

"Zick cannot stay here. I cannot allow him to make me his punching bag," Liana responded firmly.

"Well," Maxwell said, "Zick and your family, I want you all to live on the street as beggars. The money that you will get as beggars, you will use to buy food or else you will never eat. Are we clear?"

"Maxwell, please. My mom and dad killed themselves because of you and you want us to be beggars. What will people say about all this?" Zick begged.

"My Mellisa died because of you," Maxwell said, his voice cold and the air around the room becoming heavy. "I should have killed you long ago, but I want you to kill yourselves as your father and mother, and I will forgive you."

"My men will come and escort you out of the house, and I want everyone to see your faces while begging in the street," Maxwell said coldly. He turned his attention to Liana. "I'm only sparing you because you have a child. Don't do anything stupid, or else you will regret it. Understand?"

Liana quickly nodded her head without saying anything.

Maxwell rose from the chair and left.