Chapter 246

Mad Dog Ryan and I turned to see where the sound came from and saw a few people hurrying back into the yard. We exchanged a smile, and he said, “Uh–oh, they caught us!”

I chuckled and playfully took his arm. “Let’s go home.”

Once inside the house, everyone acted as if nothing had happened. However, we knew they were curious.

Laughter and chatter filled the room once again.

Vacations always seemed to pass quickly because they were full of joy and laughter. Before we knew it, the vacation ended, and it was time to return to work. This time, we were swamped.

Ryan’s parents had returned to their small town with plans to reunite for the next celebration.

Ryan and I had developed a better understanding of each other. We had different roles this time: he was in charge of the projects, I handled the suppliers, and Grayson assisted Ryan with his projects and market analysis.

I hadn’t received any news from Atlas in a while. I avoided thinking about him and ignored anything concerning him. But deep down, I knew he was still in the background. I still carried the pen he had gifted 1. me.

It remained in my hand as long as I was in the office.

The first time I saw Matthew after the vacation was at the hospital. I went for an ultrasound to check my gallstones. I occasionally felt some discomfort, perhaps due to the meals that were too oily during the celebration.

The ultrasound room was a shared space, and he had brought Melanie for her prenatal checkup.

Melanie’s belly had grown significantly this time, and she hobbled by Matthew’s side.

Melanie clung to Matthew’s arm as soon as she saw me. It was as if she feared I would steal him away.

Matthew was still in a suit, looking dignified and attracting a few glances. His eyes were restless when he entered the corridor and saw me.

He searched for an opportunity to make eye contact with me and speak. However, I deliberately avoided.

looking at him Melanie’s current appearance was unflattering, and I couldn’t help but question life. I wondered if I looked ke that when I was pregnant. After some thought, I knew I looked better than her, had brown spots on her face and looked highly unattractive without makeup. Her curly hair was despite her trendy hairstyle. Her maternity clothes matched her hair color, which was I couldn’t bear to look at her. She was different from the rest in a crazy way. Melanie fixed her vicious gaze on me the whole time.

Ivanna had always told me to care for my appearance since my divorce. With Lauren in my life, my sense of fashion had improved significantly. I looked refined and elegant in my fitted professional attire, neatly styled hair, and radiant skin.

I couldn’t tell if Melanie envied or hated me, but she rolled her eyes and occasionally made several sarcastic remarks.

“I can’t believe someone still has the guts to seduce other people’s man, even after getting dumped multiple times. She’d still get dumped, no matter how she dresses up!”

I wondered what she meant since anyone would dress up well before leaving the house. I remained calm and utterly ignored her. However, a woman beside me observed the situation, asking, “Do you know her?”

I shook my head lightly and replied, “No, I don’t. Just ignore her. She’s like a mad dog.

The woman smiled. “You’re right. People these days aren’t self–aware. What kind of child do you think someone like her would raise?”

Melanie couldn’t hear us since she was pretty far away. She only saw us laughing. Still, Melanie could guess it wasn’t anything positive. She shouted, “Chloe, what are you laughing at?!”

She let go of Matthew’s hand and approached me. Matthew was shocked and quickly followed her.