The Marvelous Elijah's Return novel Chapter 33

I never cheated on you

A frown crossed Miss Grace’s face when she snapped out of her shocked state and mumbled stiffly,” Melina… What are you doing here?” 

of course, she wasn’t excited about seeing her since the incident at the hospital, and of course, even though her father is second to Peach’s dad, Melina hardly has a sense of respect for her or her daughter. “Can I come in?!” Melina asked impatiently, seeing that Miss Grace was blocking her way. Although she wasn’t someone who liked confrontation, she knew if Peach knew Melina is here, it would stress her daughter up, and the fact that she was sick, the last thing Miss Grace wanted was to see her daughter upset or her headache worsen. 

“I am sorry… but whatever you have to say, tell it to my face, right out here.” Miss Grace uttered firmly, trying to sound as intimidating as possible because she didn’t want Melina arguing with her about this. 

But just like the brat that she was, a faint laugh escaped from Melina’s lips, making Miss Grace’s eyes narrow with anger. “You don’t expect me to stand under the sun and have this conversation with you,” Melina said, raising one eyebrow. “It’s only nine o’clock in the morning, Melina. The sun is not even shining. So why are you acting like it’s midday already?” Miss Grace retorted in annoyance. 

Sneering, Melina’s eyes narrowed, and with her hands tucked into her pockets, she said, “Can we just take this conversation inside and talk like civilized people, huh, Grace?!” 

“I said, ‘No.’ So if you won’t tell me why you are here, you should leave right now. Don’t waste my time.” Miss Grace replied, crossing her arms. 

Taking a long, angry look at Miss Grace, Melina didn’t plan on accepting ‘No,’ for an answer. So after a few seconds, she decided to ignore her words, and just push past her to enter the motel. “Melina!” Miss Grace yelled angrily, grabbing onto her by the arm and yanking her backward, pulling her back outside. 

The shocked look on Melina’s face was soon replaced by anger when she saw Miss Grace’s fingers wrapped around her arm, and then she yanked her hand lose and glared at Miss Grace with fury and anger in her eyes. 

“What do you think you are doing?! Who do you think you are to put your hand on me!” Melina blurted out angrily. “Why are you acting like this, huh?! Why are you so disrespectful to me?!” Miss Grace yelled angrily. As Melina moved her lips to speak, Elijah appeared at the door since the commotion had attracted his attention, and the moment her eyes rested on him, Melina’s face darkened. “Uncle Tommy was right. You do stay here!!” Melina exclaimed, glaring at Elijah. “I can’t believe this,” 

A dry laugh left Melina’s mouth, and she continued, shaking her head, “What? I divorce vou. and you found the next person to leech off?”. 

Frowning at those words and knowing what Elijah has done for her, Miss Grace shook her head and said, “Elijah is no loafer, and he is not “I was not addressing you, was I?” Melina interrupted her sharply. “Don’t talk to her like that, Melina,” Elijah said calmly, yet his frustration with his ex-wife was evident in his tone. 

The sight of him in a casual t-shirt and shorts with messy hair, and slippers on his feet had irritated her to the point where she couldn’t stop herself from saying something to provoke him. 

“Are you doing this to aggravate me? Moving in with my least favorite people and dangling my cousin in front of my nose to prove something, huh?! What are you trying to prove?!” Melina demanded, taking a step closer to Elijah and looking him directly in the eye. 

“Keep Peach’s name out of your nonsense. I don’t know what is wrong with you, but you should get some help or hire a therapist and stop trying to be a nuisance to everyone around you.” Elijah said, trying to remain calm, but he felt the rage within him rising. 

Those words were so unexpected and so blunt that it made Melina freeze completely at his words, and her eyes widened and her mouth hung open a little in shock. 

For years, he pampered her, took her every whim without complaint, and even went to great lengths to please her whenever she asked him, but the tone and words he used just now, were completely different. There was no warmth or any gentleness in his voice… Instead, it was pure anger, coldness, and disappointment. 

It was clear to Melina, that Elijah was fed up with her behavior, and that he wanted nothing to do with her. It was obvious from the way he talked to her, and from the look in his eyes. 

But her ego hated the fact that he could throw her to the curb so quickly, and she was mad. No, furious that he could turn away from her like that, and she didn’t know whether she was going to burst into tears or explode in anger, “Was it you who got the chief of police down here to interfere with the reporters who were only doing their job?!” Melina pressed, trying her best not to break down in tears or show the anger she was feeling. The truth of who had the guts to challenge her was what she came here to find out, and she didn’t want to leave without getting the answers she needed. 

“Go home, Melina,” Elijah said in annoyance. 

“If you think you are going to get the same advantage with Peach as you had with me just because she’s a Hayes, you are dreaming!!” Melina yelled, clenching her fists tightly. “She is just the wash-out version of me, and will never-” “Will never be you. That’s good then. I never want to meet another woman like you again in my life, ever.” Elijah cut her off. 

Seeing the hurt in his eyes, Melina frowned and said, “You make it sound like I was a terrible 

wife. I allowed you to stay in my house, give.” “You don’t know how you hurt me! Do you have a heart beating somewhere in your chest, Melina? You don’t know how much pain it caused me to know you cheated on me, to find out that I wasn’t enough for you!” Elijah yelled in an enraged voice. 

Stopping in her steps, Peach clenched her fist lightly, hearing the ache in his voice as she tried to control her own emotions. 

Her eyes were fixed on Elijah’s back, and yet from his tone, she could imagine the look of hurt on his face and it broke her heart. 

‘Maybe I should have ignored the noise and stayed in my room because this feels wrong, listening to them fighting,’ Peach thought, clutching her fist tighter before she took a deep breath, forcing her heart to calm down. Darting her eyes from Miss Grace to Elijah, Melina chuckled nervously, shocked that he would express himself like that, and she mumbled, “You are being delusional now. I never cheated on you, Elijah!” 

A bitter laugh escaped from Elijah’s lips, and he turned towards Melina, giving her a cold stare. “Of course, you didn’t. But we both know what the truth is, don’t we, huh, Melina?” Elijah asked with a hint of sarcasm and irritation in his voice. 

Melina’s expression hardened as her eyebrows scrunched together, and she said, “Why are you making it sound like what I said isn’t the truth.” 

“Because it’s not, and I can stand here all day and waste my breath explaining how I feel, but that would be pointless. You never listen to me anyway, and honestly, I am past conversations like that with you.” Elijah said with an emotionless expression. 

A sense of embarrassment filled Melina’s stomach upon realizing that the situation was going south and that she might have gone overboard, so she shoved her hands into her pocket and walked off, heading to her car. 

Sighing out his frustration, Elijah ran his hand through his messy hair and looked at Miss Grace who was still standing there, staring at him with a look of pity on her face.