Chapter 1

"Ms. Wardolf, you should replace your hearing aid, or your hearing could be affected," reminded Dr. Simon Jangger.

Melody Wardolf was in Simon's office right then, sitting across from him. She had just finished her shift as a nurse and hadn't even had time to change out of her scrubs yet.

"Thank you, Dr. Jangger. I understand," she said as she nodded.

Simon sighed. "Ms. Wardolf, according to your latest check-up, I think it's best you get a cochlear implant as soon as possible. The surgery isn't that expensive nowadays. Everything, including recovery, will only cost about 600 thousand dollars."

He paused, and his smile became even gentler. "That kind of money is nothing to your family, so there's no reason to drag it out."

When Melody first started out at the hospital, the Wardolf family had donated two imported machines to them, so everyone knew that the Wardolfs were loaded.

After leaving the office, Melody took out her phone and used the banking app to check her account balance. It showed "$56,005.83".

This was all the money she had saved this past year.

Simon was right. 600 thousand dollars was nothing to the Wardolf family, but it was an astronomical sum for her.

Melody was adopted by the Wardolf family. From a young age, she could only have what the Wardolfs voluntarily gave her, and she needed to show her sincere gratitude in return.

If they hadn't given her something, she was not allowed to ask for it. Otherwise, she'd be seen as ungrateful and not knowing what was good for her.

By the time Melody changed out of her scrubs and got home, it was nearly 7:00 pm.

The weather had been quite gloomy lately in Jembina. There were constant light showers, causing people to feel sluggish.

Melody didn't live in the Wardolf residence. She stayed at an apartment near the hospital.

She had just opened the door when she noticed the light in the entryway was on. She froze.

Jeremy Chesson was home.

She slowed her movements and carefully checked whether any raindrops or mud had splattered on her.

Jeremy was a well-known miracle worker at Jembina Hospital. He was also the youngest doctor to become the lead surgeon in the neurosurgery department.

He had severe germaphobia and could not tolerate even the slightest dirt.

He also happened to be Melody's fiancé.

In order to help them foster their relationship, the Wardolfs and the Chessons allowed Melody to move in with Jeremy.

After all, it was only because of an accident that they were engaged in the first place.

Melody cleaned herself up before entering. The light in the entryway was on, but the one in the living room wasn't.

However, she could still see a person on the couch. It seemed like Jeremy was asleep as he hadn't shown any reaction to her moving around.

Melody walked up to him and saw that his eyes were closed. While looking at his face, she couldn't help but notice his long, thick eyelashes.

Jeremy's nickname at the hospital was Neuro God. Not only did he have such godly skills that he reached the position of lead surgeon at such a young age, but he also had a godlike appearance.

Jeremy was extremely handsome. He was so good-looking that Melody only dared to stare at him when he was asleep.

She hadn't seen him in quite a while. He went overseas to attend an academic conference and had only returned two days ago. When he returned, he had to perform a major surgery, spending about six or seven hours in the operating room both yesterday and today.

There were faint dark circles under his eyes, and his brows were furrowed slightly, appearing as if he wasn't getting a restful sleep.

The living room window was open, and the cold wind mixed with splatters of rain blew in.

Jeremy only had a shirt on. Melody's eyes fluttered, and her gaze fell on her small blanket that was sitting on the armchair.

She hesitantly reached for the blanket. For some reason, she did not dare to proceed further. She then planted herself down on her armchair, clutched the blanket close to herself, and fixed her gaze on Jeremy once again.

She knew he was tired, so she didn't want to wake him. He rarely had much time to rest.

However, right then, his phone on the coffee table started buzzing. Melody flinched, and she reached her hand out instinctively to mute it.

That was when a low voice sounded. "What are you doing?"

Melody spun around, and she found herself locking eyes with Jeremy. Her heart lurched.

Jeremy's eyes were big and bright even in the dimly lit living room. His expression was blank as he continued to stare at her.

Melody had completely frozen. She stammered in a soft voice, "I… I wasn't going to do anything. I just saw you sleeping, so… I…"

She wanted to explain, but she was so nervous that she was getting tongue-tied.

Jeremy's gaze shifted downward, stopping at her outstretched hand. Melody followed his gaze, suddenly feeling as if her right hand was scalded.

She abruptly pulled her hand back and helplessly wiped her fingers on her sleeves, as if her fingers were dirty.

She then looked back up at Jeremy and said cautiously, "I… I didn't touch your stuff."

Jeremy raised his head as Melody continued to stand there, dazed.

A flash of indifference crossed his emotionless eyes.

"Don't touch or even get close to any of my things. How many times do I need to repeat myself?"

Melody was at a complete loss. She wanted to explain, but she didn't know where to begin. She had never been good with words.

Before she moved in, Jeremy had stressed that she was not allowed to touch any of his belongings.

Even though they had lived together as an engaged couple for over half a year, everything in the apartment was clearly labeled. She could only touch the things that had her name on it. Everything else was off-limits.

She wasn't even allowed into the areas where Jeremy hung around the most. Just like in this large living room, the only thing she was allowed to use was this small armchair.

He really did have severe germophobia.

Jeremy glanced at his still-buzzing phone, and his eyebrows furrowed with clear displeasure. However, he held it in and answered the phone.

Before the person on the other end could speak, he ordered, "Help me buy a new phone and send it over immediately."

He then glanced at the couch before continuing, "Also, find someone to replace the couch and do another round of disinfections."

He had said all that while maintaining a blank expression.

Melody followed his gaze. That was when she realized that a small corner of her blanket had ended up resting on Jeremy's couch.

She lowered her gaze, not daring to speak or even look at him. Instead, she stared at her right hand. Then, she slowly hid both her hands behind her back.

Her left hand rubbed her right hand vigorously. She wanted to tell Jeremy that she wasn't dirty.

Chapter 2

The air around Jeremy was frigid.

Melody stood stiffly in the living room, not daring to move a single muscle. She pursed her lips and even made her breathing shallower.

Everything about her was tense. It was as if she were a child who had done something wrong and was now waiting for her punishment.

As for Jeremy, he had promptly hung up the phone after speaking, then stood up to leave.

When he walked past Melody, he didn't stop or even spare her a glance, only leaving a soft breeze in his wake.

The front door opened, then closed again. Only the light in the entryway was still on, attempting to bring some brightness into the dimly lit living room.

Melody was left standing alone in the middle of the living room. She knew that Jeremy had likely returned to the hospital.

It wasn't the first time something like this had happened. They lived together, and as careful as Melody tried to be, there were still times when she accidentally touched his things.

There was once when Melody was cleaning the house and accidentally touched the glass that Jeremy regularly used. He then had someone replace everything in the house with new ones. Melody's belongings were also disinfected thoroughly.

Jeremy didn't return to the apartment for a whole month after that incident.

At the time, Melody was still clueless as to why. It was not until she was at the hospital that she overheard a colleague teasing Jeremy for being so dedicated to his work that he had not gone home for the past few days.

Jeremy answered nonchalantly, "Someone touched my stuff and got them dirty."

That was when Melody finally realized that Jeremy had such disdain for her.

Since then, she developed the habit of being extra cautious lest she touched anything of his again.

The rain continued for quite a long while.

Melody had assisted in a surgery earlier that day and was feeling quite tired. She didn't even have dinner and went straight to bed after washing up.

When she woke up the next morning, the place was the same as the night before. Everything was still quiet.

Jeremy clearly had not returned after leaving.

While washing up, Melody stared at herself in the mirror. Simon's words from the day before rang in her head.

Her hearing impairment wasn't a birth defect.

The Wardolfs were actually quite good to her. Andrew Wardolf, her adopted father, bought her the hearing aids she was currently using. They were a gift to celebrate her acceptance into Jembina School of Medicine.

The Wardolfs were great benefactors to her. She would never dare to ask for anything more.

After Melody got to the hospital and completed the shift change, she went to her patients' rooms to measure their blood pressure. On her way back to the nurse's station, she saw that the doctors were preparing to start their rounds.

It was a Monday, so rounds started a little later than usual.

Melody immediately caught sight of Jeremy standing amongst the crowd. He was wearing his white coat, and his eyes were lowered as he listened to the person beside him speak.

In this department, the experienced doctors weren't as young as him, and those younger than him weren't as capable. Thus, despite standing in a crowd, anyone would still notice him at first glance.

After what happened the night before, Melody felt a little nervous to see Jeremy.

The group of doctors stood in front of the nurse's station, blocking her way forward. So she lowered her head and stayed quiet, planning to wait for the doctors to leave before returning to her station.

That was when the head nurse saw her and called out, "Melody, are you done taking the patients' blood pressure?"

Melody nodded. "Yes, there are no changes, but the patient in Bed 29 has a fever. The patient's family asked me to get a doctor to check."

"How's the older gentleman in Bed 4?"

Melody checked her notes before answering carefully, "Everything looks normal, and he's also not resisting treatment anymore. However, he is constantly asking when he can be discharged."

Suddenly, a low voice sounded beside her. "The patient in Bed 4?"

Melody pursed her lips ever so slightly before she turned to Jeremy.

"Yes, the one with the acute cerebral infarction."

"I know," Jeremy interrupted, his dark eyes focused on her. "Why did you say he was resisting treatment?"

The older gentleman in Bed 4 was admitted after Jeremy had left for his conference. After resuscitating him, the man rejected further treatment as he believed that he was merely a burden should he continue to live.

Before Melody could respond, another doctor jumped in.

"Dr. Chesson, you don't know how difficult that patient has been. We've dispatched nearly everyone in this department, but no one was able to change his mind, at least not until Ms. Wardolf here. Thank goodness for her.

"Ms. Wardolf has a good personality and is good-tempered, too. It's no wonder all the patients in our ward like her," the doctor praised with a smile.

Melody only lowered her head and didn't respond.

After a while, though, she murmured softly, "It's all part of the job."

Though her head was lowered, she stood upright. Her scrubs were clean and neat, as if they were brand new.

Melody could feel a certain gaze on her. She pursed her lips and tried to appear calm and collected.

Since starting in this department, she had always been the most responsible one. It was because she wanted to do better whenever she was in front of him.

Even if that gaze would only linger on her for a second before shifting away, she still wanted to excel and be more diligent. At least, she wanted him to think she wasn't that bad.

However, in the next second, Jeremy spoke up, sounding apathetic.

"As medical personnel, it's our duty to do everything we can to save our patients. So there's nothing to applaud here."

The air surrounding them seemed to freeze. Melody unconsciously clenched her fingers as she responded softly, "I understand."

By the time she looked up, Jeremy had already turned to leave. She only caught a glimpse of his cold-looking side profile.

Most working at the hospital knew Melody and Jeremy were engaged. After all, when Melody first started work, the Wardolf family had made donations to the hospital to bolster their reputation. It even ended up on the news.

A close colleague couldn't help but feel sorry for her.

"Dr. Chesson is too unfeeling. How could he say that?"

Melody pursed her lips while she worked on her paperwork. In the end, she still spoke up for him.

"He's right. It is our duty to treat patients, so there's nothing to make a fuss about."

"Goodness, Melody. You're always defending Dr. Chesson, regardless."

Everyone in the department knew that Melody was Jeremy's biggest fan. No matter what he did, she would always be the first to support him. Even when, most of the time, he didn't even need her to do so.

Someone once joked that while others might be idealistic or materialistic, Melody was only ever Jeremy-istic. No one dared repeat these jokes in front of Jeremy because everyone knew that Jeremy did not like Melody.

More accurately, Jeremy didn't even pay an ounce of attention to her.

Chapter 3

That afternoon, Melody received a call from Andrew right as she finished her work.

"Dad," Melody greeted respectfully.

"Come over to Regallo Villas tonight. I have something to discuss with you."

"Okay." Melody was always meek and obedient toward the Wardolf family.

"Bring Jeremy with you."

Melody did not have a chance to respond before Andrew hung up the phone. The dial tone that followed sounded unfeeling and impatient, like it was rushing her.

She looked toward the direction of the doctors' offices, hesitating slightly.

In the end, she headed over. Just as she was about to knock on the door, Harold Franklin walked up next to her.

Harold was none other than the doctor who had praised her earlier that day. He had a patient's file in hand and smiled at Melody when he saw her.

"Ms. Wardolf, are you here to see Dr. Chesson?"

Melody nodded. "Yes, I've something to tell him."

Harold handed the file over to her. "Everyone's gone to grab a bite. He should be inside resting. Since you're going in anyway, could you hand Bed 4's patient file to him? The chief is waiting to discuss something with me."

Harold had spewed out the words rather quickly, seeming to be in a real rush. While he was at it, he even opened the door for Melody before he turned around and left.

Thus, she had no choice but to head inside with the patient file.

The moment she walked in, however, she heard an alarmed gasp and a suppressed sob from a woman.

Melody was startled. Instantly, she heard Jeremy's low voice asking, "Who let you in?"

Melody froze and turned to look at Jeremy. A female patient came into view. She was sitting in front of Jeremy's desk, her face covered in tears.

Melody immediately snapped back to her senses. Most patients in the neurology ward had major issues. Most of them struggled to accept the reality of their conditions and would have meltdowns.

It was natural that these people didn't want others around to witness their breakdown.

Melody immediately lowered her gaze and apologized softly, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

Jeremy didn't respond and turned to comfort the patient before him. His lowered voice had a reassuring quality to it.

"How about you go back to your room first, or you could go down for a walk to clear your head. Feel free to come find me if you have any questions."

The female patient was soothed by his gentle voice. She then hurried out of his office with her head down.

Melody continued to stand there, feeling helpless.

She had always known that Jeremy's gentleness could get anyone to do anything. Unfortunately, his gentleness was never directed at her.

With her head hung low, she softly explained, "Dr. Franklin asked me to give this file to you."

She did not mention that she wasn't the one to open the door.

"The door was closed. Do you not know how to knock?"

As always, Jeremy was dressed impeccably. His face was emotionless as he continued to question her. "Did no one tell you about the rule of not invading the patients' privacy?"

"I didn't."

Melody wasn't someone who shirked responsibility, but right then, she didn't know how to explain herself either. So, after denying it, she fell silent again.

Jeremy was holding a pen in his hand, and his eyes were so dark that they looked like the abyss. He rarely showed any outward emotion, but in that moment, Melody could clearly tell he was angry.

She bit her bottom lip and placed the file on the desk. She spoke slowly because of how nervous she was. "I won't do it again."

Jeremy tossed his pen onto the table, and it landed with a dull thud. "Remember to use your brain when you do things," he said, his tone unpleasant.

As Melody stood there, a deep sense of embarrassment surged within her. She had never known how to communicate with others.

After her hearing was impaired when she was young, her speech soon became affected as well. So, she usually talked slowly.

She had even been mocked by others for stuttering. Since then, she became more quiet and withdrawn.

Jeremy, naturally, didn't notice any of this. He just spat coldly, "Get out."

Melody bit her lip again before speaking in a small voice, "Dad called earlier. He asked us to go to Regallo Villas for dinner tonight."

The only thing that answered her was Jeremy's silence.

She thought he hadn't heard her, so she repeated herself. "Dad said—"

This time, however, Jeremy interrupted her before she could finish.

He grabbed the patient file and then put it down again. His sharp gaze fell on Melody, visibly irate. "You're very noisy."

Melody abruptly fell silent, not daring to say anything more.

Under Jeremy's icy stare, her fingers clenched together slowly. Her usual smile was plastered on her face, and she fought to keep it there, not daring to let it falter.

She sniffed, then blurted out softly, "Then, I'll wait for you to get off work."

With that, she rushed out of the office. Even in her rush, she did not dare make too much noise. She shut the door carefully and gently, worried that she'd disturb Jeremy.

The hospital was as busy as usual that afternoon. By the time she finished her handover, it was already 6:00 pm.

Melody hurriedly changed out of her scrubs and went to find Jeremy.

However, when she arrived at his office, she noticed the door was slightly ajar. There seemed to be a meeting going on inside, so she could only wait outside.

When colleagues who had just gotten off work saw her waiting there, they all chuckled knowingly and teased, "You're waiting for Dr. Chesson to get off work again? Keep going at it, Melody! We're still looking forward to your wedding!"

Melody pursed her lips and didn't respond, but her lowered head looked slightly flushed.

She waited outside the office for about half an hour before the door opened. A swarm of doctors came out, but not Jeremy.

Just as Melody was feeling lost, she saw Harold walking over to her. "Ms. Wardolf, why haven't you left? I remember you being on the day shift today."

"Where's Dr. Chesson? I don't think I've seen him," said Melody.

Harold blinked in surprise. "Dr. Chesson left a while ago. He had a meeting this afternoon, so he left a little after 2:00 pm. Did he not inform you?"

Melody's breath hitched for a second. "I guess he didn't tell me because I didn't ask him."

Harold looked at her a little sympathetically and sighed. "It's okay. He's busy, after all. There are times when he doesn't even reply to my messages."

Melody smiled and thanked him before leaving the hospital herself.

She didn't call Jeremy or text him to visit Regallo Villas. She knew that Jeremy would always pay attention to matters with the Wardolf family.

And, as expected, when she arrived at Regallo Villas, she found Jeremy already there.

Chapter 4

Jeremy was always well-mannered in front of the Wardolfs. There was no particular reason for this other than that they were Cheryl's parents.

Cheryl Wardolf was the Wardolf's biological daughter and Melody's older sister. She was also the one who was supposed to be engaged to Jeremy.

However, she died due to an accident on the eve of the engagement party.

Jeremy and Cheryl had once been a couple envied by everyone.

Lately, they were in the middle of the rainy season. Melody had gotten slightly wet in the short time frame to open her umbrella after getting out of the car. She instinctively shivered when she walked into the heated private room.

She walked up to her parents and greeted them respectfully.

Her adoptive mother, Laura Luden, ignored her while Andrew said indifferently, "Have a seat since you're here."

"Okay," Melody meekly answered before heading to sit next to Jeremy.

However, she had barely sat down when Laura's displeased voice rang out.

"You sat down just because you're told to? Do you think there's a seat for you here?"

Melody stiffened.

Jeremy, in that emotionless tone of his, reminded her, "Krystal's back."

A look of confusion crossed Melody's eyes. She was about to ask when the sound of high heels clicking on the floor sounded behind her.

Laura got to her feet, a big smile on her face. "Are you done with your phone call, Krys? Come here. We can ask them to start serving the food now."

A crisp, pleasant-sounding voice came from behind. "Excuse me, could you move? You're in my way."

Melody turned around belatedly, only to freeze in her spot when she saw who was standing behind her.

The woman standing there was tall and stunning, but her neat bob made her strikingly beautiful face appear slightly colder.

However, what made Melody freeze was that this lady closely resembled Cheryl.

Krystal Finnigan, the lady in question, frowned slightly. It is likely because of how blatantly Melody was staring at her.

"This is my seat," she said in a cool voice.

Melody finally came back to her senses, and in the midst of it all, the dots connected for her.

Cheryl had a younger twin sister who went missing when she was very young. It wasn't until recently that Andrew brought her back.

Melody continued to study Krystal. Her face was so similar to Cheryl's that there was no denying it. That, and Laura's attitude, made everything clear.

Laura was getting impatient. "Why are you still standing in the way? You're so oblivious."

Melody lowered her gaze and reflexively took a few steps back, giving her seat to Krystal.

Krystal then walked right past Melody and sat down next to Jeremy.

Melody looked at Jeremy and parted her lips, wanting to say something. However, Jeremy gave her a look so apathetic that she could only swallow her words back down.

Jeremy had never been patient with her, so he naturally wouldn't care about the awkward situation she now found herself in. He also wouldn't bother to explain anything to her.

He found all that to be troublesome.

Regallo Villas was the Wardolfs' property, and this private room was specifically reserved for them.

When Cheryl was still alive, there were four people in the family. When Cheryl died, Jeremy joined them.

Andrew didn't like it when there were empty seats, so the room only ever had four chairs.

Now that Andrew, Laura, Jeremy, and Krystal were all seated, Melody could only stand helplessly to the side. Without Andrew's word, she didn't dare leave either.

Melody seemed completely out of place, surrounded by the opulence of her surroundings. However, no one seemed to notice her discomfort.

Laura only had eyes for Krystal. She looked at Krystal, her gaze dripping with pity and affection. "Krys, I'm so sorry for everything you've suffered through all these years. We've never stopped looking for you."

Krystal's expression didn't change, and her tone stayed indifferent despite Laura's concern. "I've been fine. My parents love me very much."

Laura's eyes instantly misted over, but her smile remained. "It's all thanks to Jeremy. He ran into you when he was traveling for his conference. If he did not bring you back to do a paternity test, then who knows how long I would've needed to wait until we are finally reunited."

"Yes, it was quite the coincidence," Jeremy answered nonchalantly.

After a beat of silence, he added, "They look very much alike."

As for who "they" meant, they all knew very well.

"Indeed." Laura chuckled. "However, I still want to thank you. You've been busy because of Krys these past two weeks or so. I heard you even applied for leave from the hospital and skipped an important meeting. Hopefully, that won't affect you much."

Jeremy was unbothered. "It was just a small meeting. It won't matter."

A dozen thoughts ran through Melody's mind, and she clenched her fists so tightly that her fingernails dug into her palms.

This was the first time she heard Jeremy say that work wasn't that important.

He had always been meticulous, especially when it came to his work. He could be more demanding than the Chief of Neurosurgery. People would often say that he was like a machine that never tired.

In all the years he had worked at the hospital, he had never once taken leave or been absent.

As it turned out, he hadn't been to the conference for the two weeks or so while he was away. Instead, he had been going about bringing Krystal home.

So, there were still things and people more important to him than work.

Chapter 5

Melody was somewhat lost in thought until Andrew turned his attention to her. "Melody, how have you been doing at the hospital lately? You haven't made any mistakes, right?"

Melody snapped out of her daze and responded softly, "No."

This was practically the routine each time Melody had dinner with them. Andrew would inevitably ask her this question and say the same things.

As expected, the next words out of his mouth were, "You have problems with your hearing, so there's bound to be inconveniences at work. Always be extra careful. Don't assume that just because you've got the Wardolf family behind you, you can act carelessly."

Melody lowered her gaze, appearing obedient and meek.

This was what pleased Andrew the most about his adopted daughter. It was then that he seemingly realized what was happening and said sternly, "Melody, why are you still standing there? Have someone add a chair for you. We're having a family meal. It's silly that you're just standing around."

By the time Melody took her seat, she found herself sitting opposite Jeremy.

The moment she looked up, she happened to meet his eyes. His gaze was as distant as usual, like he was looking at someone insignificant.

Even though Jeremy had always been cold toward her, she still felt a sharp pang in her heart when she saw him looking at her like this.

Moreover, she felt inexplicably nervous from the moment she laid eyes on Krystal.

There was a brief silence at the table before Laura broke it.

She looked at Jeremy with a pleased look on her face. "Krys is a doctor too, and coincidentally, she's also in neurosurgery. Her father and I have already found a way to transfer her to Jembina Hospital. You'll need to help me watch out for her in the future."

"Okay," answered Jeremy in his low voice.

This delighted Laura even more. However, when her eyes fell on Melody, displeasure immediately colored her expression. "Why is there an outsider here at a family gathering," she grumbled.

She hadn't spoken loudly, but there were only five people in that room, so everyone still heard her loud and clear.

Melody stiffened at her comment.

Andrew looked at Laura, frowning. "What are you talking about?"

Laura didn't want to put on a front any longer. "Krys is my biological daughter! Now that my biological daughter is back, I naturally don't want to see the knock-off who enjoyed her privileged life in Krys' stead parading in front of me!"

Since it was out in the open, Laura couldn't be bothered to hold her real thoughts in. "And Melody was engaged to Jeremy only because she took Cher's place. Now that Krys is back, Melody and Jeremy's engagement can be canceled! Don't you agree, Jeremy?"

Melody's breath hitched, and her whole body stiffened. In fact, she felt as if her heart had frozen over, too.

She sat there in a daze, watching as Laura continued to mumble on, but she heard nothing more. The only thing that rang through her mind was how Laura wanted to call off the engagement.

She glanced at Jeremy, but he remained expressionless, as if it had nothing to do with him.

Melody didn't even dare to blink, fearing she would miss any subtle changes in his expression.

After her hearing deteriorated, she enjoyed studying other people's expressions and attempting to find ways to communicate with them.

She studied Jeremy carefully, hands fisted tightly as she waited for Jeremy's response.

She didn't have a choice in this matter. She could only wait for the Wardolfs to finish their discussion, and then inform her of everything. She had never been an active participant in this family. She was merely an obedient and docile adopted daughter.

The sound of a glass being placed on the table broke the silence. Jeremy's emotionless gaze lingered on Melody for a second before shifting away.

His long fingers tapped on the table as he said, "It was always Cheryl whom I was supposed to be engaged to."

Melody's eyelashes trembled, and she unconsciously bit her lip. She heard Jeremy say, "Other than her, everyone else is the same."

Melody couldn't quite put her feelings into words right then. It was true that the person Jeremy had always liked was Cheryl.

If it weren't for Cheryl asking Jeremy to care for Melody, Jeremy would never have agreed to the Wardolfs' suggestion of getting engaged to Melody.

The person he had feelings for had died, so anyone else other than her would not make a difference to him.

Melody carefully explained this reasoning to herself.

Moreover, Cheryl had also been the best person she had ever met. Even she was still hung up about her death, let alone Jeremy.

Melody felt like she wasn't worthy compared to Cheryl.

However, right then, Krystal's icy voice rang out. "What's the meaning of this? What do you mean he can cancel his engagement since I'm back?"

She crossed her arms over her chest and raised her chin slightly. Her gaze was cold and hard as it swept across everyone at the table, finally landing on Laura.

"You had me come back so I can be a pawn in your family's marriage arrangement?"

Her gaze then shifted to Melody. In a clearly mocking tone, she said, "Isn't your pawn already sitting right there?"