Shawn got her drift.
Sweat beaded on his brow.
Heâd been feeling uneasy for a while.
Finally, he halted and confessed quietly, âMelissa, itâs all my fault.
Iâm not mad at Marcus, really.
Even without that woman, Iâd still be trapped one way or another.
Even though Janet barely speaks to me now, sheâs got a life and sheâs happy.
Yvonne and my mom are also living well.
What more could I ask for in life? Iâm genuinely turning over a new leaf.
As long as Janetâs willing, Iâll treat her right for life.
â
Melissa stayed silent, taking it all in.
Eventually, she didnât utter a word but walked alongside Shawn back to the villa.
Marcus lingered by the doorway.
Melissa glanced at Marcus, and then at Shawn.
âYou better stick to your word.
â
âNo more fooling around.
Iâll stand by Janet.
If I slip up again, Iâll be utterly ashamed.
â
Melissa flashed a smile.
Shawn watched her depart, and then waved at Yvonne on the balcony.
âHey, Yvonne, Dadâs off to work.
Iâll get you a Ferrari once Iâm earning.
â
Yvonne stayed put, neither responding nor ignoring him as before.
Shawn kept his gaze fixed on her.
Eventually, he gritted his teeth and left.
In the car, he wiped his face, delivering a self-inflicted slap.
âYou let your daughter Live under someone elseâs roof.
Even if Melissa and Marcus are decent people, they arenât Yvonneâs real folks.
Youâre a real piece of work, Shawn.
Marcus escorted Melissa inside.
As Waylen and Rena prepared to depart, they couldnât resist a few parting words.
With an arm around Melissa, Marcus murmured, âMom, Dad, donât worry.
Iâll look after Melissa.
â
Waylen scoffed.
âYouâre good at taking care of folks.
Look how youâve looked after Julieâs family.
â
There was a deeper meaning behind Waylenâs words.
Only Rena was in the dark, looking puzzled.
Once they settled into the car, Rena scolded Waylen for his comment.
âYou got it all wrong.
Itâs only natural for Marcus to look after Julieâs kin.
Remember how Julie cared for Matthew back then?â
Waylen couldnât bear to recount his inner turmoil.
He couldnât spill the beans to Rena about Marcusâ deeds.
So, all he could manage to say was, âYou donât know the lengths Marcus can go to.
Back in the day, I wasnât half as cunning as him.
â