Ex husband's Plea for Forgiveness novel Chapter 125

Leo was smiling the entire time he walked behind Melinda to the entrance of the hotel. Especially when he noted how she held her head high and kept her back straight even after the fun little confrontation they had back there.

They stopped near the doors, and Melinda stood on her toes to see through the tall glass windows if there were any taxis entering the driveway.

"This is a rather difficult location to hail cabs, Melinda," Leo said as he watched her strain her neck. "Let me drive you home."

She turned to smile at him. "I would really appreciate that, thank you."

In all honesty he was expecting her to say no, given the fictitious scandal her in-laws seemed to be concocting. Which was why he was pleasantly surprised at her ready response.

Still, she had lost the glow she was wearing earlier in the evening, when they were just enjoying each other’s company and conversation. He couldn’t help saying a regretful, "Sorry."

"You don’t need to apologize for anything," she replied, looking up at him. He saw the sincerity in her eyes, as well as a stroke of inner strength. "It was all my fault."

Well, not really. But Leo wouldn’t have been dragged into the issue if it weren’t for her. Melinda knew that Emily despised her—the sentiment was rather mutual.

And she knew that no matter what she did, or who she was with, or what the circumstances were, the actress would always devise something to put Melinda on the spot and humiliate her.

Leo took on a pensive look. "Madam Gu was a lot different from what I have heard of her." Queena had made a name for herself during her prime.

She was a contemporary of his father’s, and from what Leo had gathered, Queena had always been a woman of strength and an embodiment of class. She had amassed significant accomplishments that helped catapult the Gu family to its currently high position among the ranks of conglomerates.

And yet tonight, the woman herself contradicted her own legend. She seemed like a force to be reckoned with, true, but not in the way that heroines were usually painted.

She balked before Leo, after all, and her actions were all tactless and lacked the grace befitting her social standing.

Melinda knew exactly what Leo meant, and only she said, "She is just heavily influenced by Emily."

There was a bitter taste in her mouth as she spoke the words. She had looked up to her mother-in-law. She never expected that such an intelligent woman would be so easily manipulated by someone so petty and greedy as Emily.

Was the actress really that good? Or maybe it was because Queena was ageing. Nonetheless, Melinda decided she would no longer put up with their bullying.

Leo sensed the turmoil that was going on in his friend’s mind. He tapped her shoulder to get her attention. "I’ll go fetch my car from the parking lot. Wait for me here. It’s too windy outside the building."

He would have offered his coat to her, but a piece of gossip was birthed just a few moments ago, just around the corner where they now stood, and he saw no reason to nurture the rumor.

Instead he gave her shoulder a little squeeze, smiled at her, and went to get his car.

Queena was still glaring at the direction of Melinda’s exit, her eyes displaying a myriad of intense emotions.

"Aunt Queena," Emily said as she came up at the older woman’s elbow, handing her a glass of water she got from one of the waiters. "Please don’t worry about it anymore. It was all my fault; I offended Mr. Liu. Thank you for coming to my defense."

Queena turned to look at her, just in time to see the repentant expression play at the actress' face. "Oh, look at you. Emily, it is you who have been wronged, yet here you are apologizing and comforting me.

None of it is your fault! It was all because of Melinda. I shouldn’t have brought her to social events; she does nothing but bring disgrace to the Gu family! Oh, I feel so tired."

Emily got the hint; Queena wanted to leave the scene. "Then you must retire now, Aunt Queena. Let me walk you to the entrance."

"There’s no need for that. You have to wrap up things here. Don’t worry about me. We’ll catch up later."

Yulia had already called their driver, and their car was waiting at the entrance when they got there.

The valet opened the door for the women, and as soon as the car door shut, the driver turned in his seat. "Where is the younger Mrs. Gu?" He was, after all, responsible for the welfare of all three women while they were outside the Gu's mansion.

"Someone else is taking her home," Queena snapped impatiently. "Just drive." She slouched on her seat and rubbed her forehead. This entire day was exhausting.

The driver dared not inquire further, and immediately eased the car out of the driveway and headed for the mansion.

Yulia was a bit on the edge of her seat herself, and she kept casting nervous glances at the other woman. "Aunt Queena, don’t be angry anymore."

Her tone was cautious. While she was a little wary, she wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to get on Queena’s good side.

And she had just the perfect timing, it seemed, because the older woman proceeded to give voice to her grievances against her daughter-in-law.

"That girl has some gall! Who does she think she is anyway? She’s just a girl from a lowborn, ordinary family. She was nobody before she married into the Gu family!

How dare she act so high and mighty in public? She lacks proper manners! All she has is that sharp tongue of hers."

The driver struggled not to glance at the backseat on the rear view mirror, and pretended not to hear anything. He knew his place.

In matters like this, it would be better for someone like him to fade into the background and turn a blind eye. He concentrated on driving.

Melinda took a bath upon her return in order to calm herself. If it were up to her, she would have retired for the night after she emerged from the bathroom, but she remembered that Nelson, who had returned from his trip, had gone out for a walk and wasn’t back yet.

She changed into her pajamas and went downstairs to wait for the old man’s safe arrival. She barely got to the final steps of the stairs when the front door opened to admit Queena and Yulia inside.

As soon as Queena caught sight of her daughter-in-law, her fury surged back into the surface, and her eyes shot murderous looks at Melinda.

"I’m surprised to see you back so soon. I would have expected you to stay longer with your dear charming schoolmate." She put emphasis on the last three words, glaring at Melinda with malice.

Melinda made a subtle roll of her eye and answered calmly, "I did say I was tired; of course I went straight home. It was hard to get a taxi at the hotel so Leo kindly drove me here."

She might have let herself be demeaned all these years, but she’d be damned if she let these people insult her friends as well. She had a mind to meet Queena’s vehemence word for word, but decided to handle the situation with grace.