Her fingers stilled on the cutlery as her eyes shifted between the blonde-haired woman and her boyfriend, Ethan. Melody couldn't wrap her head around what she was witnessing. The sight of Natalie, of all people, calling Ethan "baby" was shocking—an understatement. How could she be here, and how could she be so brazen?
Ethan attempted to brush off the tension, his eyes locking onto Melody. "It's not what you think, Melody. I can explain," he said, forcing down his food to avoid adding fuel to the fire.
Natalie's gaze flicked from Ethan to Melody. "Oh, hi, supervisor! I had no idea you were out with my boyfriend," she mocked, her eyes narrowing and her gleaming red lipstick failing to hide her displeasure.
Surprisingly, Melody held her composure despite the whirlwind of betrayal. Her thoughts raced to Ethan—he had cheated on her with Natalie, who turned out to be her teammate. Dismay washed over her as she witnessed Natalie cling to him like a bee to honey.
"Ethan, tell me that what I'm thinking isn't true," Melody demanded, her voice steady as she turned to him.
Ethan tugged at his tie, a frown etching his features. "Of course, It's not true. I don't even know her," he insisted, glancing at Natalie with a hardened gaze before shoving her away, causing her to crash to the ground.
Natalie's eyes widened in shock, but she immediately got to her feet.
"What do you mean you don't know me? Ethan Stuart? Aren't you the same man who took me on a date just three days ago?" Natalie protested, her voice growing increasingly frantic as she drew the attention of nearby patrons, phones already poised to capture the unfolding drama.
"I don't know you. Why are you ruining my date?" Ethan shouted in frustration, turning back to Melody, who sat watching the chaos unfold.
"I swear to you, I do not know her," he muttered, reaching for her hand. But Melody pulled away before he could make contact, leaving him with his hand suspended in the air, speechless.
With a hiss, Natalie grabbed her phone and played a video, dropping it in front of Melody. There it was—Ethan and Natalie, tangled together, roughly going at each other. It was unmistakable. Ethan had cheated on her.
Melody's eyes glistened as the pain of betrayal washed over her. She could hardly fathom the reality that had hit her like a freight train. All along, she had assumed work was the barrier between her and Ethan, but now she saw the truth: he had been two-timing her without a second thought.
"Ethan, why are you making a fool of me in front of everyone?" Natalie continued confronting him, her voice sharp. "All because of her? You told me I was your one and only. How can you be here with another woman?" She attempted to grab his arm, but he forcefully pushed her aside, sending along a furious leash on her cheek.
It left an angry mark on Natalie's cheeks as she crashed to the ground.
Natalie's eyes widened, her cheeks burning with anger. Even Melody was taken aback by Ethan's reaction; she had never seen him behave this way. Despite her complicated feelings toward Natalie, who had been sleeping with her boyfriend, Melody rushed to Nat's side to help her up.
"Are you okay?" she asked, placing a gentle hand on Natalie's arm.
Natalie swallowed hard, her fists balling up as she shot a piercing glare at Melody. "This is all your fault! If it weren't for you, Ethan would be mine!" she shouted as if possessed by rage. It astonished Melody that Natalie seemed more focused on blaming her than processing the fact that she had just been hit. Instead of confronting Ethan or even reflecting on her betrayal, Natalie was ready to escalate the situation.
Melody, for her part, felt crushed by the realization that the man she loved, the one she thought she would marry, was unfaithful. But even amidst the chaos, she didn't want to create a scene. She desired to leave SkyView immediately and retreat to her apartment, wanting to forget everything that had transpired.
Seizing the moment, Natalie arose, her heels clicking assertively against the floor as she snatched the water from the table and splashed it directly onto Melody's face. "If it weren't for you, Ethan would be mine!" she declared once more, her aggression evident as she extended her hand, ready to provoke a fight. Melody swiftly blocked her attack, grabbing Natalie's hair and the two of them soon started fighting.
Ethan's heart raced as he looked from one woman to another, his heart racing in confusion. Who was he supposed to help and who was he supposed to push aside!?
The two of them were serving him, but it was clear that Natalie handled his physical desires while Melody was his true girlfriend. He knew he had to keep both women, but Natalie's obsessive nature didn't concern him as much. Melody, on the other hand, was different. He understood that if she left, she would break up with him, and the thought of that was unbearable. Despite having cheated, he was determined not to lose her; his ego depended on it.
When security arrived, they quickly intervened to separate the women from their fight.
Melody was trying to regain her composure as her chest heaved. Her hair was a mess, with mascara streaking down her face—she was an absolute wreck.
Natalie was no better; her blonde hair seemed everywhere on her head, her red lipstick was smeared, her eyes burning with fury, and her fists still clenched, ready to throw fists again.
"Calm down, Miss," a security guard said, getting in her face to stop her from glaring at Melody.
Taking a deep breath, Melody pushed her hair behind her ear and turned on her heel to grab her bag from the chair.
"Melody, just let me explain!" Ethan rushed to her, worry etched across his face as he prepared to apologize.
Melody shot him a piercing glare. "If you don't get your hands off me, I'll have them chopped," she warned.
Ethan gulped and quickly withdrew his hand. He knew at once that Melody wasn't playing games—she could be dangerously unpredictable, and the fire in her eyes was a clear warning.
"Bastard," Melody spat at him, spinning on her heels and striding toward the exit of SkyView Tower.
The romantic dinner she thought she would have with her boyfriend was completely ruined. As she swallowed hard, feeling her chest tighten, a tear escaped her but she quickly wiped it away as she made her way to the door, the sounds of cameras clicking behind her.
How could she not have seen that Ethan was like this? A cheating, lying bastard!
Maverick was right, she thought as she went to get her car before driving home.