Chapter 3

Melanie's POV

Chloe said it warmly, moving to link her arm through mine.

I pulled my arm back with force. "What are you doing here?"

Damien stepped through the door right behind me, immediately placing himself in front of Chloe and looking at me with tension written across his face.

"Chloe just got back to the country, and she starts work at the Lawrence Corporation tomorrow. Staying in a hotel is too lonely, and this place is close to headquarters. I brought her here to stay for a few days."

A bitter laugh tore from my throat.

"Damien Lawrence, I bought this apartment with my own money. You're merely staying here. What gives you the right to bring whoever you want into my home?"

I hadn't wanted to live in the Sterling residence, so throughout my university years, I saved up a sum through part-time jobs and start-up ventures to buy a place of my own.

After graduation, Damien had me join the Lawrence Group, so I picked an apartment near their headquarters.

To keep me company, Damien had moved in with me.

Damien frowned in displeasure. "Chloe isn't just 'whoever.'"

Looking pitiful, Chloe tugged at Damien's sleeve, her eyes rimming with tears.

"Damien, it's all my fault. I just hadn't seen Melanie in so many years and missed her, so I came over to see her. If Melanie doesn't want me here, I'll just leave."

With that, she turned to reach for the suitcase standing against the wall.

Damien caught her arm at once.

"Why should you leave? You're staying here tonight. Let's see who dares kick you out. Come with me."

He hoisted her suitcase, shot me a warning glare, and walked straight toward the guest bedroom.

I pulled out my phone and scrolled for property management's number, ready to have security come and escort Chloe out.

Chloe didn't rush to follow him into the guest room. Instead, she lingered in the living room, flashing me a smug, triumphant smirk.

"Melanie Sterling, so what if you bought this place? I can still come whenever I want, stay whenever I please!"

"Heiress of the Sterling family? Is there even a place left for you in that household?"

Refusing to entertain her, I was about to hit the call button.

Chloe's expression shifted in an instant. She suddenly tilted the mug and poured the scalding water straight over her own arm.

Her fair skin flushed an angry, blazing red in a heartbeat.

The mug shattered against the floor, and she dropped with it, wailing at the top of her lungs.

"Melanie, if you don't want me here, I'll go right now! I was wrong! Please, stop throwing water on me!"

Hearing the commotion, Damien rushed out from the guest bedroom immediately.

He pulled Chloe up, nervously gripping her arm to inspect the burn. "Chloe, are you hurt?"

Chloe gasped from the pain, yet she shook her head frantically.

"Damien, I'm fine. Don't blame Melanie, it's all my fault!"

Damien raised his head and glared at me, fury blazing in his eyes.

"Melanie Sterling! Look at what you've done! Apologize!"

I stared at him with cold detachment.

"Damien Lawrence, if I tell you she poured it on herself to frame me, who do you believe? Her, or me?"

Damien's brow furrowed tightly, and he didn't answer right away.

Chloe leaned into his chest, tears streaming endlessly down her cheeks.

"Damien, please don't be mad at Melanie anymore, I beg you! I'm just a housekeeper's daughter. It's not worth ruining your relationship over me. Just... just pretend I poured it on myself..."

The warmth vanished from Damien's face entirely, leaving it cold as ice.

"Melanie Sterling, you're not even fit to stand beside Chloe!"

My heart plummeted into an abyss.

We grew up together for more than twenty years, yet he would rather believe a crying Chloe Carter than trust me even once.

With reddened eyes, I screamed at him, "Fine! I can't compare to her! Then go comfort your precious Chloe! Both of you, get the hell out of my sight and out of my home!"

Damien snapped, pushed past his limit.

"Chloe's brother died saving our lives! Do you have any concept of gratitude at all?"

I laughed, though tears spilled down my cheeks.

"Haven't I shown enough gratitude? Over all these years, have I given her too little money, or have I stepped aside too few times?"

"If you want to treat her well, give her your own things! Why do you always have to rob me of mine? This is my apartment! Take her back to your own place—take her into your own bed for all I care!"

Rendered entirely speechless by my words, Damien stood there, his face livid.

Chloe Carter sobbed, tugging at his sleeve.

"Damien, Melanie just doesn't like me. Please don't fight with her. I'll leave right now..."

Without a word, Damien Lawrence bent down and scooped Chloe Carter into his arms.

"I'm taking you with me!"

He paused at the door, glancing back to throw a parting warning at me. "Don't you regret this!"

The door slammed shut, cutting off the view of Chloe Carter resting against Damien Lawrence's shoulder, raising her eyebrows smugly at me.

I took several deep breaths, forcing down the sharp ache in my chest.

Unlocking my phone, I opened the home security system's backend.

When I was little, I was too naive. Whenever Chloe Carter framed me, all I could do was sulk or throw a fit on the spot.

In the end, I was always the one who suffered, earning nothing but a reputation for having a foul temper.

But the me now had learned how to protect myself.

The living room camera had captured every single thing Chloe Carter had done.

In crystal-clear high definition—not a single expression missed.

I saved the video clip to the cloud.

A short while later, Maggie returned holding grocery bags.

The moment she stepped inside and saw the shattered glass and puddle of water across the floor, she hurried over.

"What happened here? Downstairs, I just saw Damien storming off carrying some woman in his arms. Did you two have a fight?"

Maggie was the nanny who used to take care of my mother, and she had lived with us at the Sterling estate before.

After Mother passed away, Maggie became the only person in that house who genuinely cared about me, which was why Wendy Wilson constantly ostracized her.

The very first thing I did after buying this apartment was bring Maggie here to live with me.

Wiping away my tears, I said, "That woman was Chloe Carter."

Maggie gasped in shock.

"What? Chloe Carter is back? Then what are you going to do?"

Having watched me grow up, she knew better than anyone how much injustice I had endured over the years because of Chloe Carter.

Maggie let out a heavy sigh. "Damien is wonderful in every other way, but whenever it comes to Chloe Carter, he loses all common sense."

"Melanie, did you tell him about your miscarriage?"

I shook my head and pulled Maggie down to sit on the sofa beside me.

"No. He doesn't deserve to know."