When Love Becomes a Cage (Melanie)

The doctor looked at me for a long moment before reluctantly pulling out the consent form for the surgery. "Are you sure about this? It might be tricky to deal with if anything happens during the operation."

"Doctor, I trust you, truly." I grabbed the pen and quickly signed my name on the dotted line. My life, my decision.

The doctor still seemed he had something to say, but suddenly, the office door burst open.

A group of people stormed in, shouting and causing chaos. Someone pushed me hard, throwing me off balance, and my head slammed into the corner of the desk. All I felt was a wave of darkness as something warm and wet trickled down my forehead, blurring my vision.

The room was in complete disarray, everyone yelling at once.

"What kind of chief surgeon are you? We paid a fortune only to be told a second operation is needed?"

"I swear, you're all scamming us for money. Didn't you say you've got the tumor removed? Why is it back?"

"Con artist doctor, sacrificing morals for money. I ought to teach you a lesson myself!"

Struggling to stand, I felt someone step on my clothes, pinning me down.

Eventually, security arrived, and the chaos subsided.

Suddenly, someone screamed, "There's blood. Someone's hurt!"

I could feel everyone's gaze turn to me.

As people stepped back, a nurse rushed to help me up. "Ms. Crawford, are you okay? Let's get that wound treated."

But she was too weak to support me properly. The doctor came over and helped me up. His glasses got shattered, his usually neat hair was a mess, and his face bore scratch marks. He'd got beaten in the fray.

I wanted to smile, but my body felt too weak.

He sighed, "I'm sorry you got dragged into this mess. Looks like we'll have to postpone the surgery."

I shook my head, wanting to tell him it was okay. Living another day or not didn't make much difference to me anymore. No one cared whether I lived or died.

When the police arrived to take statements, I was starting to feel better.

The female officer looked at me with pity. "Your condition seems bad. The troublemakers have been under arrest. You might want to consider seeking compensation. We've contacted your family. They should be here soon."

I was surprised. "My family?"

The officer added, "Yes, though it seemed your husband's secretary took the call. Don't worry. He'll come."

I looked down, doubtful.

Would Clyde come? Maybe he would show up if the police called.

I wasn't the only one affected by the incident. Two other patients were in the office, but only the doctor and I were injured.

A patient nearby remarked on my bad luck. Out of everyone, I was the worst off. I nodded silently. When I finally had the funds for surgery, it had to be postponed. Whether my body could wait, I didn't know.

Seeing families comforting their loved ones in the emergency room, I felt a pang of envy.

The doctor's wife and daughter were by his side, their eyes red with worry while he comforted them. I envied that warmth and support.

Once upon a time, my family was like that, too, but my parents were gone.

I sniffled, trying not to hold onto hope. To my surprise, Clyde showed up with Kayla in tow.

After getting a stitch on my forehead, the doctor kept chattering. "Lucky it's hidden by your hair. It would've been a shame for such a pretty girl to have a scar."

Looking at my reflection, all skin and bones, I wondered what beauty he saw.

That was when Clyde arrived.

"Mr. Patterson had to postpone a video conference for you, really showing your priorities."

The doctor frowned but said nothing.

"Why are you in the hospital?" Clyde stood over me, looking down.

"I need to get admitted." I wanted to say it was for cancer surgery, but the words died on my lips. There was no need to explain.

Clyde snorted, "Admitted for a stitch? You're too much, Melanie."

"Always causing trouble for Mr.

Patterson. One call from you, and he postpones crucial business. Who's going to cover the company's losses" Kayla stepped beside Clyde, playing the part of the concerned partner perfectly.

When the police mentioned calling Clyde, I gave Kayla a meaningful look. "The call wasn't from me. You know that."

Panic flickered in her eyes, but Clyde seemed oblivious, his gaze growing colder toward me.

"Melanie, I underestimated you. To garner sympathy, you'd stoop so low." He leaned in, his eyes narrowing. "Even using a dog, you're something."

Confused, I smiled back, wondering if he finally noticed Rocky was at Brenda's home.

Clyde was pissed. "Melanie! What's so funny now? I never knew you were like this."

He reached out to grab my collar, but the nurse intervened. "Who are you? Do you not realize Ms. Crawford..."

Before she could finish, Kayla pulled at Clyde's sleeve with a look of discomfort. "Mr. Patterson, I think I'm allergic. It's getting worse."

Clyde examined her arm, noticing the redness, and immediately showed concern. "I told you about the dog. Let me get you to a doctor."All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.