Emily walked into the room and closed the door. Her droopy eyes widened and a smile stretched on her lips. She looked completely sober.
People in the entertainment circle usually had a stronger threshold for drinks. Emily pretended to be drunk just to get closer to Jonas.
Emily pulled out the cellphone from her pocket and immediately texted Yulia, instructing her what she needed to do next.
At the Gu family, Yulia read the message and smiled. She went to the small villa where Melinda lived.
Melinda was all alone in her room, reading books. Yulia couldn't help but admire Melinda at times. She was unfazed by the chaos in her life and read books that were hard for Yulia to understand.
"Melinda, I want to watch a horror movie but I'm too scared to watch it alone. Can I sit here and watch it with you?"
Yulia asked as she walked into the room with a laptop. She placed it afar and wore the wireless earphones to not disturb Melinda.
Melinda glanced at Yulia and continued to read her book.
She was used to Yulia hanging with her and didn't bother to stop her.
Yulia knew that it would take time for Jonas to return home from Emily's house and decided to execute her plans accordingly.
Jonas returned home at ten in the evening. Yulia heard Jonas's car in the yard and came downstairs at once. He got out of the car and accidentally saw a lipstick mark on his face through the rearview mirror. Just when Yulia's plan was about to collapse, she immediately hurried towards him. "Jonas!"
Jonas was taken aback by Yulia's sudden entry. "Why did it take so long for you to return home?" Her eyes widened with surprise and she covered her mouth with her hand.
"Why is there a lipstick mark on your cheek?" she asked before Jonas had the chance to wipe it off. His entire body froze.
Jonas followed Yulia's gaze and realized that Melinda was standing behind him. Her cold eyes seemed to be shooting daggers at him.
"Jonas, are you..." Yulia glanced at Melinda and back at Jonas. "Are you having an affair with another woman?"
she asked cautiously. Happiness bubbled in her heart when she saw that Melinda was staring at Jonas in shock. Yulia shut her mouth and shook her head.
She had left her earphones in Melinda's bedroom on purpose. Yulia knew that Melinda would run downstairs and bring it to her.
Melinda scoffed at Jonas and went back to her room.
Jonas's heart sank when he saw the disappointment in Melinda's eyes. He punched the air in frustration.
Yulia looked at Jonas and opened her mouth to say something but she saw him glare at her.
"Jonas, you..." She cleared her throat and continued, "You shouldn't do this to Melinda. It's unfair. Do you have any idea how upset she would be?"
Yulia grabbed her laptop and immediately left. Jonas rubbed his cheek with the back of his hand until his skin turned sore.
Jonas walked into the villa in a trance. It seemed like a horrible nightmare. The living room was dark and Jonas was too upset to turn the lights on. He followed the dim light in the corridor and went upstairs.
Melinda sat on the bed, staring at the wall. She couldn't shake the image of the bright lipstick mark on Jonas's cheek.
Her husband had been returning home with the scent of a woman lingering on his shirt, and today, he had gone a step further by coming home with a lipstick stain.
"Mellie," Jonas called softly.
He was anxiously standing by the door, hesitant to walk in. His face was pale and he looked uneasy.
Melinda turned around and glanced at him coldly. The disappointment in her eyes was gone. Her face was expressionless as she looked at Jonas like he was just another man.
Jonas didn't have the heart to see her stony face. It looked like she had become numb.
Jonas wouldn't have felt bad even if she had yelled at him but her serene face pricked him like a thorn.
"What happened today was a small mistake. I can explain everything."
Jonas's heart sank when she saw her staring at him with vacant eyes.
But he knew that he had to clarify the confusion, or else it would be too late.
"Emily was drunk tonight. She suddenly kissed me." Jonas swallowed loudly. "It happened too quickly and I didn't have the time to push her away."
Jonas didn't cross his limit with Emily. It was just an accident and he hoped Melinda would trust his words. Melinda stood up and crossed her arms across her chest.
"She was drunk? None of this would have happened if you hadn't gone out for dinner with her. Anyway, you all have your reasons."
She sneered and glanced at Jonas's cheek that had turned red because he had rubbed it too much. Melinda was disgusted by it, so she quickly turned away.
"We are just friends," Jonas said weakly. "We hadn't seen each other for days, so we had dinner together."
"It looks like you guys missed each other too much. That's why you decided to meet her. I know that Emily is a heavy drinker and she wouldn't get drunk easily. How many drinks did you have with her?"
Jonas flinched at her tone. He didn't know how to make her understand that it wasn't his fault.
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