30 Days Till I Divorce My Husband novel Chapter 315

Melinda rushed over to her mom, helping her up from the floor. "Jesse, mom's our elder, how can you get physical with her? Besides, she's only looking out for you."

Helped to her feet by Melinda, Damita was furious. She charged at Erik with a roar, "You little wretch, I'll teach you a lesson today."

Erik wasn't about to just stand there and get hit. She lifted her right foot and sent Damita flying with a powerful kick.

Melinda's face instantly changed when she saw Erik retaliate. She stood up and pushed Erik. "Erik, are you serious right now? Getting physical with mom?"

Erik pushed back, and Damita, getting back on her feet, charged at Erik again.

Justin, witnessing the brawl among the three women, was initially shocked before hastily intervening. "Auntie, Melinda, let's not stoop to this level. Everyone, stop fighting."

But his attempt to break up the fight only made it easier for Melinda and Damita to hit Erik.

Outside, Bryce had been waiting for a while with no sign from Erik and didn't see Tori's car around, so he decided to enter the house.

Whoa, he was in for a shock.

Inside, he saw Justin holding Erik while Melinda and Damita were hitting her.

Bryce's face darkened immediately.

Without a word, he grabbed a heavy chair nearby and smashed it down on Justin.

Blood streamed down from Justin's forehead, covering his face, neck, and clothes.

Melinda screamed, which only led Bryce to hit Justin with the chair again.

Justin was dazed, unable to fight back.

Bryce's sudden appearance made Erik look at him in surprise. "Bryce, how did you get in?"

Seeing the mark on Erik's face, Bryce was livid. "Who slapped you?"

Erik, still in shock, replied, "Damita."

Hearing this, Bryce glared at Damita, who started backing away. "Bryce, don't be rash, I'm your elder."

Bryce sneered. "I don't have a policy against hitting women or elders."

Before this, Bryce had never hit a woman, let alone thought about striking an elder. But seeing them gang up on Erik, he couldn't hold back his anger or maintain his composure.

To hell with manners and upbringing!

If he couldn't protect his own wife, what kind of man was he?

With that, he struck Damita with the chair, causing her to spit blood and stumble backward, eventually collapsing to the ground.

"Melinda, call... call your dad, tell him to come back," Damita coughed out.

"Okay, okay," Melinda hurriedly fished out her phone to call their dad.

Bryce didn't care about Melinda seeking backup. He stepped forward, pinned Damita down with his foot, and coldly warned, "Damita, if you dare touch Erik again, I'll make sure you regret it."

"Mom, you need to come back," Melinda, trembling, begged Tori over the phone.

By the time they returned to Erik's place, the altercation at the Manning's had settled down, and they chose not to speak of it again.

Seeing Bryce standing in the living room without sitting, Erik urged, "Bryce, please sit down."

Even though they were set to get married, having already crossed the threshold of intimacy twice, every solo moment still felt a tad awkward. After all, transitioning from best friends to life partners wasn't an overnight affair.

"Sure," Erik gestured for him to sit, and with a slight hesitation, Bryce took his place.

It was weird for him, being in her house, a place he had frequented uncountable times before, often overstaying his welcome. Now, it felt as if he couldn't wait to leave, embarrassment coloring his actions.

Once seated, Erik offered, "Let me take a look at that wound of yours."

Glancing at the injured side of his hand, Bryce nodded.

As soon as he agreed, Erik fetched her first aid kit.

She disinfected the cut with some iodine before sprinkling on some powdered antiseptic — a staple in her medicine cabinet — and sealed the wound with a large band-aid.

The silence that followed the nursing session was heavy, a stark contrast to their previously comfortable solitude.

Maybe it was the change in their relationship dynamics or the new thoughts filling their minds, but being alone together now felt inherently different.

Side by side on the couch, Erik was mustering up the courage to delve into family matters when Bryce suddenly reached out, gently adjusting her hair. "North, your hair's a mess."

In that moment, the awkwardness seemed to dissipate, replaced by a glimpse of their old camaraderie, reminding them that despite the new labels, they were still the same people at heart.