Unmasked My CEO Ex-Husband’s Regret novel Chapter 77

"Me?"

Julian thought Elara was being completely unreasonable and scoffed. "Are you just shifting the blame?"

His tone was incredibly hostile, dripping with obvious sarcasm and resentment.

The moment the words left his mouth, Melody felt the shift. She had been leaning against her mother playing on her phone, but she abruptly jerked her head up. Like a fiercely protective little beast, she glared daggers at Julian.

"My mom did not!"

Julian froze, taken aback by his daughter's shout. Realizing his harsh tone had triggered the child, he guiltily averted his eyes.

He was just about to say something to Melody when Elara's voice drifted over from the opposite sofa. It was light, making it impossible to tell if she was angry, but it pinned Julian exactly where he sat.

"Oh? Did I force you to break your promises and back out of your word last night?"

"..."

"For the ten days prior to yesterday, you made promise after promise, only to break them time and time again, completely crushing Melody's hopes. Did I force you to do that, too?"

Elara held Melody securely, comforting her. Her words were slow, steady, and unyielding. Every single syllable felt like a nail driving him into a pillar of shame—lacking the sharp bite of a blade, but delivering a blunt, agonizing pain that felt like death by a thousand cuts.

Julian opened his mouth to speak, but when he met Melody's guarded, furious glare, he couldn't form a single word.

"What did you promise Melody yesterday morning?"

Elara pressed on. "And what did you promise her yesterday afternoon?"

"That you wouldn't break your word again."

"That if you couldn't make it, you'd be honest and tell her."

"That you would absolutely be home before nine-thirty at night."

"Julian, you made all those promises yourself. Which one of them did you actually keep?"

"You broke your promises first. Melody was the one let down and hurt by your lies. Does she not even have the right to be angry with you?"

Even though her anger had cooled slightly once she left the playroom, and she had already decided not to throw his things anymore, the moment her dad protested and tried to get her mom to scold her, panic had genuinely set in.

Because when her mom was doing her hair, she had promised to support her. Melody had been terrified that her mom would get into a massive fight with her dad just to protect her.

She was also terrified that her mom might change her mind and join her dad in criticizing her.

She didn't want to get in trouble, and she definitely didn't want her parents fighting over her.

But when Elara finished speaking, Melody still couldn't believe it. Her mom had effortlessly shielded her from her dad's fury.

Her mom hadn't broken her word. She had kept her promise to support and protect her unconditionally.

And they hadn't even gotten into a screaming match like she had feared.

"Mom."

Melody felt enveloped by something profoundly gentle and warm—something that blocked out all the pain while flooding her with an absolute sense of love and security.