The man placed Melody on the bed and cleaned her face, hands and legs with a wet towel while Melody was still unconscious.

“Hello, Miss? Can you hear me? Are you alright?” The man bent over Melody’s face and gently patted her cheeks trying to bring her consciousness back.

“Mmmm…” Melody slowly stirred a little and tried to open her eyes but she was hardly conscious. She felt as if it was a dream and she had no control over her body. She could hear faint voices, feel touches but not move or talk much. Her situation reminded her of that one time she was completely drunk in a party where Charlotte spiked her drink and Henry carried her to her bedroom. That night, she could hear voices and feel the touches but not do anything at all!

“W-Where………am…….I?” Melody might have been able to mutter in a groggy inaudible voice. “My head..” Melody crunched her nose, knitted her eyebrows and mumbled.

“I have to change your dress.” The man said with a sigh and then after hesitating a few times, he turned Melody half and unzipped her dress upto her lower spine, exposing her bare back. The man’s breathing suddenly fastened. He was blowing air through his mouth and it was warm on Melody’s skin. “Your skin is so smooth……!” the man whispered before turning Melody back on the bed.

“I will have to open your dress……. And……… I will try not to……” he gently pulled down Melody’s dress, leaving her body completely bare under his gaze and just at that moment Melody unconsciously turned and twisted her body, arching slightly and moaning, “Mmmmm …..!” The man stopped. His gaze lingered on Melody’s……

“NO!!! Nothing like that happened! NO!” Melody involuntarily frowned and stopped herself from losing more in that stupid imagination of hers! “Why would someone even feel attracted to me like that! Besides, the man must be kind to bring me home. Will he do something like this? I am not beautiful or attractive that he wouldn’t be able to control himself! I am not Charlotte!”

Melody’s chest was heaving up and down and she was sweating. She looked at a glass of water that was placed on the side table. Melody drank some water and placed the glass back. “I don’t think he might have done anything wrong to me. No!”

“Charlotte is tall, slim and so beautiful. Her attitude, style and even the branded dresses and accessories she uses, makes her stand out in the crowd. Whether I like it or not, she actually deserves to be called the daughter of Businessman Jake Taylor and the General Manager of J.A Taylor Bailey Group. Every man Rich or poor is attracted towards her. Even Henry……….” Melody sighed lowering her face and her eyes became wet remembering how her sister seduced her boyfriend.

“Huh! I should not be sad. It was strange for Henry, to even agree to date me, in the first place! Had it not been for my dad, would he have accepted to date me for so long?”

Melody leaned back supporting her body on her extended hands that she placed on the bed and sat looking at the ceiling. “It is a shame that I couldn’t even date anyone other than Henry. Why did Henry agree to date me? Was it only because Henry needs to get married soon to show how responsible he is? Or was it because he wanted a woman who has never been touched by another man?”

---

---

The previous night..

It felt like the saddest day in Melody’s life. She was walking with a small trolley bag through the dark road in the middle of the heavy rain, completely drenched but she was unbothered. The rain cannot hurt her more than she already was hurting! The few cars that passed by her honked and the drivers cursed her for walking on the main road instead of taking the side walk but Melody wasn’t even present! She walked almost in a trance thinking about how her life changed in a moment! Not that she had a very smooth life throughout, but at least she was hopeful and happy in her own way. However, her happiness was short lived.

The incidents from the evening, played in her head again and again….

Memory

“Your sister is nothing like you, Charlotte! Ufff….you are so…..” Henry’s voice was clear through the sounds of moans and panting.

“Ohhh!! Ahhh….yes Henry….like that….” Charlotte didn’t care to control her voice either. “You can still stop the engagement with Melody! I am sure if you insist, Dad will allow you to marry me instead of her……Mmmm……wait….I think….Ahhhhh…Gosh!”

“I can’t wait…..I am going to……Hmmmm…”

Melody froze at the stairs. Her jaws dropped in shock and tears won’t stop from rolling down!

“Melody, let us go back and tell everything to your father. You cannot marry this bast*rd!” Casper held Melody’s arm and hissed angrily. She was the only friend Melody had.

Melody couldn’t move. Through her tears she kept on watching Henry, her soon to be fiancé pounding into Charlotte, her step-sister, in the semi-lit corner of the stairs. Only a small faint mumble came out of her mouth, “Why? Why Henry Why?”

“Melody!” This time Casper no longer held back and forcefully dragged Melody away.

“Wait Henry! I think Melody was here.” Hearing Casper’s voice and shuffling sounds of footsteps, Charlotte became alert.

“Let me finish. I am almost done.”

“Why? Why? Why Henry? Why? How could you!!!” Melody kept on repeating in murmurs as she walked in trance like a corpse, through the rain, pulling her suitcase along.

A while ago, she was at home where she was about to get engaged to the man, her father chose for her. They dated for two years! Henry claimed to love Melody the most in the world once, but just an hour ago, Melody caught Henry cheating on her with her step-sister Charlotte, in her own house! She already had the feeling that something was not right in their relationship since the beginning but still she decided to marry Henry out of a sense of responsibility. She trusted him. Partly because it was what her father, Jake Taylor, wanted for the good of their family and their business.

“Rich men can never be trusted! Mom, look! Just like Dad left you, Henry dumped me too! He did it just before our engagement! He betrayed me, Mom! I should have never agreed to marry him. I should have never overlooked that Henry is the only successor of the rich Mathew Walker! He is rich, very rich!” Melody kept on mumbling as the excruciating pain in her heart made her mind and heart numb.

Melody was dumped, homeless and alone! Well, not homeless exactly because her father’s decently big house was still there, that sheltered her since birth. It was however, just that. Not a home. It was the last place Melody wanted to be!

Melody was so devastated that she decided never to go back to her father’s house. She would not live with those selfish people. She won’t see the same faces, shameless and greedy.

She didn’t want to see Henry who was supposed to be engaged to her this day and marry her in a couple of months, but now, was happily engaged to her step-sister whom he has been screwing for more than one year, behind Melody’s back!

Henry was from a rich business family and even though he didn’t have a father, yet his uncle, Mathew Walker was extremely rich and powerful and Henry was like a son to him. His uncle trusted Henry a lot in business! Henry often boasted.

Melody remembered once again what her father Jake said….

Memory

Casper dragged Melody out of there and strode angrily towards the front lawn where the guests were waiting for the engagement ceremony.

“You have to fight for your rights Melody! You cannot just accept everything! If you can’t say anything, I will scream and let everyone know how your step-sister Charlotte who your father loves so much and that basta*d Henry whom he trusts so much, have been screwing behind your back! Come with me!” Casper was in a fit of rage. They could just reach the door of the house when Melody forced her hand free from Casper’s grip and cried, “I don’t want to do anything! I will just leave and never return! I know, they are rich and they have no heart! My dad won’t do anything about this. He is more interested about his business than my happiness. Let me go!” saying that Melody ran to her room and shut the door. She took out the small suitcase that she could see first and stuffed randomly some clothes in it. Tears didn’t stop from flowing as she kept on shuffling through her stuffs, her mind though was foggy and she could hear her father’s and Henry’s loud voices outside…

“What the hell is going on Henry?” Jake’s loud yelling came but soon it was suppressed by Henry’s confident voice, “I am sorry Mr Taylor, I can’t marry Melody. She has a severe heart condition. Besides, she is too simple! Unlike Charlotte, Melody is not cut out to be my woman. She is not the type who can support me in my business and make me happy! But Charlotte is! Either I get engaged to Charlotte your younger daughter or I am leaving! Our family tie will be over then!”

“Dad! Please Dad! I love Henry and Henry loves me. How could you even match Henry with Melody? She is not fit to walk beside Henry. A plain Jane like her cannot handle the responsibilities of such a powerful family like that of the Walker’s! I can Dad. Please, let me get engaged today in place of Melody!” Charlotte’s voice broke Melody a little more than before and she stopped involuntarily curious to know what her father would say. Part of her knew the answer but part of her hoped that she was indeed the apple of her father’s eyes!

Marrying Henry would mean indirectly winning support from a grand family like that of the Walkers and in the future, whenever Taylors would need financial or political help, having the Walkers as relatives would be a huge benefit! Who didn’t know the Walkers? Not only they were rich but they were also very influential. Besides, Henry will inherit most of their property and business as Mathew’s successor. Henry was very proud of this and always boasted.

But Melody still had a faint hope that her father would refuse. However, what she heard next, made Melody’s knees go numb and she fell on the floor like a sac of flour!

“I…….” Jake sighed. “You could have told me before Henry. I don’t know how to face my daughter Melody now.” Silence fell for a moment and then Jake’s voice trembled. “Okay. If you both want to marry each other, I have nothing to object about. Go and get ready Charlotte. You will get engaged with Henry tonight in place of Melody.”

Melody closed her eyes shut remembering that moment. The rain lashed against her already wet body but after standing still for a moment, Melody resumed walking again!

Melody has been living a life devoid of love of a family. She was an eyesore to her step-mother, Abiguel Taylor and her step-sister, Charlotte Taylor. Jake, her father cared a lot for Melody but not enough to choose her over his business and his youngest daughter Charlotte. After finding out about Henry and Charlotte’s secret affair, instead of supporting Melody, Jake happily agreed to let Charlotte marry Henry in order to crawl in the Walker Family and within not even an hour, he completely forgot about what Melody went through! Melody wondered if her father ever had any real feelings for her in the first place? Did he even try to understand her or was she not worth his time and efforts?

Melody had endured the pain of her parent’s divorce, her father’s betrayal and still she stayed with her father because she had a heart condition that involved a very important and expensive surgery and Melody’s mother forced her to stay back since Jake had the money and resources to take care of Melody.

However when Melody saw Henry and her step-sister, Charlotte having s*x secretly with her own eyes, just before their engagement, she was left feeling betrayed by both Henry and Charlotte! On top of that her father Jake chose not to do anything about it and allowed their engagement in place of Melody, the same night at the same place! It was such an embarrassment for Melody!

Melody left her house where no one stood beside her. Even after such a betrayal, everyone seemed to be perfectly fine and rather happy without Melody. She didn’t know if she should have been sad that no one even tried to stop her from leaving or should be happy!

Melody was feeling so devastated that she lost sense of direction! She kept walking and walking and walking…..and suddenly…….

SCREEECHHH!!

Her eyes flung open like saucers as she found herself about to be hit by a car!!

When she thought it was finally the end, suddenly someone pulled her from the back and she bumped into a hard chest! For a moment, Melody was unable to react, completely flabbergasted and was in shock.

“Are you alright miss?” a very deep masculine voice asked her. Melody slowly looked up blinking her eyes several times, trying to decipher what just happened! Her eyes met with a pair of beautiful black orbs. She has never seen such attractive deep black eyes ever!

“Are you alright?” the man asked again but she could only focus on his thin lips moving. His jawline strong and his body smell woody and masculine! Melody has never felt something that strong and unique for anyone. Ever! She wondered if a human being can be so handsome or was she seeing an angel!

“Am I ……………..…dead?” She asked in a low mumble before her eyelids felt heavy, slowly everything turned completely hazy and Melody fainted in his arms!

Dear Readers,

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2024!!

I am back with a new book to start this new year with all of you, beautiful souls. I wish you all health, prosperity and happiness in your journey ahead.

With Love

Apsia