When Love Becomes a Cage (Melanie) novel Chapter 38

Vinson dropped his apartment address, and I punched it into my GPS.

The ride was in silence except for the voice of the navigation. Neither of us spoke a word.

It was too embarrassing, and I didn't even know how to bring it up.

When we pulled up to his apartment building, he finally turned to look at me. "Melanie, what's going on between you and Clyde? I've been abroad these past few years. All I knew was that you two got hitched."

I stared back at him, at a loss for words.

What could I say? Could I tell him Clyde has been bringing home one woman after another for the past three years? And I'd had a cancer relapse and didn't know how much time I had left.

Ultimately, I shook my head. "Forget it, Vinson. I'm getting a divorce anyway. We might as well not talk about it."

I felt that way. Divorce was inevitable, and my time was precious. I didn't want to waste it on Clyde.

Vinson looked at me for a moment before pulling out his phone. "Fine, let's swap contacts. Send me your number."

I quietly added him and watched him return to his apartment.

But before he left, he sent me a message.

[Whatever you decide, I'm here for you. Call me if Clyde gives you trouble. I'm here whenever you need.]

Reading those last few words, I felt a bit dizzy. Vinson had always been so understanding toward me. Back in college, when he found out I was chasing after Clyde, who paid me no mind, Vinson never stopped pursuing me. Everyone knew Vinson had a crush on me, but I pretended not to notice, keeping my distance on purpose. Yet, he never gave up.

After I got with Clyde, I remembered Vinson drank a lot that day. Later, his roommate called me to check on him. I didn't go, feeling it was inappropriate.

Then, a message from an unknown number told me to reach out if I needed anything, promising to be there. Only after Vinson graduated did I find out that message was from him. He had chased me for so long, and I didn't even have his contact.

Shaking my head to clear it, I quickly drove off. I was a bit out of it, and if I ended up scratching Jade's car, she'd totally flip out.

I hoped to see her when I got home, but she wasn't there.

However, seeing the cupcake that suddenly appeared on the table made me smile. It looked like Jade had come home but had to rush off again.

The thought of Jade and Vinson made my eyes well up a bit. It seemed I hadn't completely failed at life. Aside from picking the wrong husband, my friends and even an admirer like Vinson were great.