Ex husband's Plea for Forgiveness novel Chapter 4

Silence prevailed in the office of the top floor. There was a soft knock on the door when Jonas was busy checking his e-mail.

He waved his hand without lifting his head. The secretary walked in and handed him a steaming cup of coffee. She had come to report his schedule for the day.

Jonas was looking exhausted. He closed his eyes and rubbed his throbbing temple.

"Leave these things for a while and arrange a driver for me. I need to go back to the mansion first." He hadn't gone home for the past few days and his family was upset about it.

"Sure." The secretary grinned. "You're going back to see Miss Mo, aren't you? I'm sure she'll be happy to see you."

Jonas furrowed his eyebrows as he remembered what had happened the previous day. There were only three people in the office. How did the secretary know that Melinda wanted him to come home to discuss something?

"How did you know?" Jonas arched his eyebrows with suspicion.

A shiver ran through the secretary's spine. She was afraid of Jonas's eyes that were shooting daggers at her. She wondered what she had done that made her boss angry.

"Err... I saw Miss Mo almost faint in the office. So, I thought..." She swallowed loudly. "I thought you were going to see her today," she said in a trembling voice.

Jonas turned away and rested his head on the chair. "Just arrange a car as soon as possible," he said solemnly.

The mansion was empty when Jonas returned. Melinda was nowhere to be seen. He sighed and went to greet the elders of his family. He then waited for Melinda for a long time. After Jonas finished playing a round of chess with his grandfather, he saw Melinda appear. Her face was pale and expressionless. She was trudging in the hallway like a zombie.

Nelson felt sorry for her. He advised Jonas to take care of his wife. Jonas nodded and left with Melinda.

Soon, Melinda and Jonas sat in the living room of the second floor. They were not looking like a married couple, rather like rivals who wanted to defeat each other.

Melinda raked her eyes across Jonas's face. He was the man whom she once fell in love with, but things had changed. She felt strange to be in the same room with him.

There was an awkward silence as none of them spoke. Jonas was annoyed by the disdainful look on Melinda's face. He glanced at the document bag in her hand.

"Where were you this morning? What's in your hand?" he asked, breaking the silence.

Melinda clasped the bag tightly and bit her chapped lip. She remained silent.

Jonas had lost his temper. Melinda's silence was killing him. Moreover, his grandfather had been rude to him for her.

"Don't you know what's in your hand? Why do you have to pretend like you're innocent all the damn time?" He sneered distastefully. "Are you pretending to be perfect and innocent just to win grandfather's heart? Well, if that's the case, congratulations! You have made it!"

"No, I'm not..." Melinda trailed off. The indifference in Melinda's tone annoyed Jonas even more. "Of course, I know what it is."

"What?" Jonas asked. It took a moment for him to realize that she was answering his second question.

Melinda opened the bag, pulled out two papers, and placed them in front of Jonas.

"This is the divorce agreement."

An eerie silence filled the room as if a storm was brewing up, waiting to engulf them. Jonas glared at Melinda.