Page 28 of Overdosed: Her Dark Side
He loomed over me, his eyes pleading. “Melanie, wait. I wasn’t lying when I said I developed feelings for you. I’ve never been more honest in my entire life.” His eyes searched my face as if seeking some form of forgiveness, any feelings. Perhaps even love. “Please, stay.” His voice cracked. He hesitantly caressed my cheek and released a breath. “I’m begging you. Stay with me.”He spoke so quietly I could barely catch his words. A single tear escaped his eye. I had never seen him in such a vulnerable state before. It was such a contrast to his usual behavior. “I don’t even care about money or power anymore. We could leave New York if you want. We could even go overseas if you wish. I’ll do anything to make you happy.”
I took a deep breath, brushing away the tears that blurred my vision. Inhaling heavily, I redirected my gaze toward Anders.
“Even if I wanted to, I can’t,” I said with a firm shake of my head. “My entire life has been one big misery, orchestrated by the wrong men, starting with my father. Do you know what he said to me on the day I left New York three years ago?”
The pain in my voice was palpable. The memories hurt like a sharp knife cutting through my heart. “I went to California first, to my parents, before I accepted your deal. Back then, I had no idea what I was supposed to do with my life. I thought, ‘Hey, I’m their daughter after all. They’ll surely help their grandchild and me.’ I couldn’t have been more wrong.” Tears welled up again as the past flashed back in my mind.
“I told you that you would come back to us, crawling for our help!” My father’s words echoed with wicked satisfaction. My mother didn’t speak. She never did. She just stood there by his side, blindly following his orders. She was a prisoner in her own life.
“I’m not even surprised he only wanted to use you,” my father continued, spitefully glaring at me. “That’s the only thing you’re good at. You’re only good for being a pawn in other people’s games! Other than that, you’re useless!” The barrage of his words felt like punches, and I wondered, not for the first time, why he harbored such intense hatred for me. I was his daughter after all. His own flesh and blood.
“Dedrick, stop saying such horrible things, or—” my mother finally chimed in, attempting to intervene. But her efforts fell short.
“Or what?! Her affair with that fucking Vergoossen already tarnished my reputation and ruined a contract between the Ledfords and me!” my father spat, his volume escalating with each word. “I lost the elections because of that stupid girl! I have nothing else to lose, and I won’t be raising the Vergoossen’s bastard! I regret that she survived after that day when I—”
“When he pushed her down the stairs,” I hardly managed to repeat my father’s words. The memory tore at me, and I hid my face in my hands. Recalling this scene broke me every time.
Anders instinctively pulled me into a comforting embrace. “What the fuck, Melanie? What are you talking about?” The anger in Anders’ voice simmered beneath his words. I couldn’t muster a response, only allowing my tears to sink into the fabric of his shirt.
“What a son of a bitch. I’ll—” Anders hissed, drawing me closer.
“It doesn’t matter anymore,” I managed to say, gently pulling away. Wiping away the tears, I took a deep breath. “I have a daughter, Anders. She’s everything to me. She’s my whole world, and I’ll do everything I can to ensure she’s safe and happy. I’ll do whatever it takes so that she doesn’t have the miserable life as I had. Therefore, I can’t stay here. I won’t make the same mistake again, choosing the wrong man.”
Anders let me speak, merely staring at me with pain filling his eyes.
“It all started for the wrong reasons. We’re toxic to each other. You’re toxic. I don’t want that for my daughter.”
He heaved a sigh. “Melanie—”
“No, Anders. You have issues. I see how jealous you are of Shane, and I won’t sacrifice my daughter’s life so that you can feel better.”
He rubbed his temples. Then his head ran through his dark brown hair. “I know I have issues, but it feels like you could change that, Melanie. Your love, it could be my medicine. My cure.”
He advanced but I stepped back, maintaining a distance. “Love... it can be your medicine, yes. But real love, Anders. And I could never give you that. No matter what, there would always be Shane between us. I can’t stop loving him, no matter how hard I try,” I quietly confessed.
Anders didn’t take that well. The anger in his eyes anger flared, and his jaw tightened as he hissed. “He’s a playboy, Melanie. He had a dime a dozen women like you, and you think he would settle down for you?!”
“He already did once.”
“You’re so naive,” he scoffed bitterly.
“I am,” I stated, my gaze never leaving his. “I am naive for trusting your lies.” I turned on my heel and made my way upstairs.
Anders followed again. “You can’t leave me! I’m not that easy to get rid of! And we have a fucking deal!”
I halted midway on the stairs. Anger was boiling inside me. I slowly turned to face him. “Don’t even try to threaten me, or I’m going to make a public statement on our deal. I won’t hesitate to ruin you!” I warned. “I’m not the same Melanie as three years ago! I wouldn’t hesitate to play the dirtiest moves to keep my daughter’s life safe. You must know that. Look what I did to Shane to keep her safe. Do anything that harms her or my life, and I assure you, it won’t end well for you. You wouldn’t want to end up disinherited and with no reputation, would you?”
“Suite number 1028. Have a nice stay,” a woman with a neat, low, blonde ponytail said, handing me the keys at the black stone reception desk of the hotel room.
“Thank you.” I smiled, turning to Betty, who offered me a comforting smile. She helped me carry our luggage while I held Hope in my arms. We made our way to the elevator, crossing the hotel lobby adorned with marble, gray, and gold accents. The elevator pinged on the eighth floor, and we searched for our room.
“There it is.” Betty pointed to the other wing of a hallway.
We walked into a spacious suite with a double bed area separated by an open wall from another site with beige couches and chairs.
“I’ll be sleeping here on the couch, so you and Hope take the bed.” Betty smiled.
“We’ll stay here only until I figure out what to do with my life next, okay?” I assured, feeling slightly guilty.
