Chapter 3

After hearing my fragmented account, my brother's enraged voice came through the phone.

"Dashiell! How dare he!"

"I'll send a plane tomorrow night to pick you up. Until then, don't do anything rash. Don't make Dashiell suspicious. Leave the rest to me."

After hanging up, I restored the study to its original state, went back to the bedroom, and lay down as if nothing had happened.

Early the next morning, when I woke up, Dashiell was already gone.

After lunch, Melody sat obediently at her little desk, drawing something.

I walked over to take a look. Melody proudly held up her drawing for me to see.

"Mommy, look! I drew our family. See, this is Daddy, this is Mommy, and this is Melody."

Looking at Melody's face, my vision blurred with tears.

My sweet Melody, her heart and eyes full of only Mommy and Daddy. How could Dashiell bear to do this?

Just then, Dashiell walked into the room.

"There's a party today. We'll all go together as a family."

I was about to shake my head in refusal when Dashiell gently pulled me into his arms."Today marks the end of my probation period. From now on, we're officially family. On such a joyous occasion, we must celebrate properly."

Melody hugged Dashiell's leg tightly.

"Daddy, will there be yummy food at the party?"

Dashiell lifted Melody high in the air, his eyes brimming with tenderness.

"Of course, sweetheart. The party will be full of delicious treats. Our Melody can eat whatever her heart desires!"

Recalling my brother's words about the plane arriving to pick me up in the evening, and seeing Melody's eager expression, I remembered my brother's warning not to arouse Dashiell's suspicion. I finally nodded in agreement.

As soon as we entered the banquet hall, our family of three became the center of attention.

"Look, the Shaw family has arrived. What a handsome couple they make! Isn't their daughter called Melody? She's such a beauty. I wish I could arrange a marriage between her and my boy."

"You're right. Such a well-behaved and sensible child. I can't help but adore her."

Some of Dashiell's business partners waved at him. Dashiell smiled at me before striding over to greet them.

As soon as Dashiell left, several ladies quickly surrounded Melody and me.

"Mrs.Shaw is truly blessed. Mr. Shaw is so young and capable, and his daughter is so well-behaved and sensible. We're just dying of envy."

"Absolutely! Did you see the way Mr. Shaw was looking at Mrs. Shaw earlier? He couldn't take his eyes off her. To still be so in love after all these years of marriage, it's just too enviable."

In the midst of this harmonious atmosphere, an affected voice interrupted the ladies' conversation.

"Is that so? Wasn't Mrs. Shaw fighting for a divorce from Mr. Shaw just a month ago? I heard she even got into a serious car accident on the way. It seems Mrs. Shaw has quite the recovery ability, to be looking so good after only a month?"

"But I've heard Mrs. Shaw's health is far from what it used to be. After all, even her heart is artificial now. It's the child who truly suffers. Can you imagine? Only seven years old and left with just one kidney. What will become of her future?"

The newcomer was none other than Serenity, accompanied by a little girl of six or seven, presumably the daughter, Lily, who had been mentioned in the study that day.I stepped closer to Melody, gently helping her up from the ground. The room fell silent, all eyes fixed on us.

"How dare you!" I hissed, my voice dripping with venom as I glared at Serenity and Lily.

Serenity stood there, wine dripping from her face, shock and anger battling for dominance in her expression. Lily, on the other hand, looked smug, as if pushing a child to the ground was some sort of victory.

The other ladies at the party were frozen in place, their glasses of champagne forgotten in their hands as they watched the drama unfold.

I turned to address the crowd, my voice steady despite the fury coursing through my veins. "Ladies, I apologize for this unseemly display. It seems some people here have forgotten their manners."

Melody clung to my side, her small frame shaking slightly. I wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders.

"Mommy," she whispered, her voice quavering, "why are they being so mean?"

I looked down at her, my heart breaking at the confusion and hurt in her eyes. "Some people, sweetheart, just don't know how to behave. But don't you worry. Mommy's got this."

Turning back to Serenity and Lily, I fixed them with an icy stare. "I suggest you both leave. Now. Before I decide to press charges for assaulting my daughter."

Serenity, still dripping with wine, opened her mouth to retort, but Lily grabbed her arm, shaking her head slightly. They retreated, shooting venomous glares our way as they left.

As the door slammed behind them, I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding. The other ladies began to murmur among themselves, the tension in the room slowly dissipating.

I knelt down to Melody's level, checking her for any injuries. "Are you okay, sweetie?"

She nodded bravely, though I could see tears welling up in her eyes. "I'm fine, Mommy. But why did that lady say those mean things about our hearts and kidneys?"

I froze, unsure how to answer. How much had she heard? How could I explain this tangled web of deceit and danger to my innocent little girl?