Cage

Chapter 45 

Vinson led me to a quaint vegan restaurant, a choice that left me visibly puzzled. 

“Why here?” I asked. 

“You seemed a bit off, maybe not up for anything heavy,” he reasoned. 

He pulled a chair for me and poured a glass of water, its coolness somewhat reviving my spirits, though my appetite remained absent. Eventually, I settled for a bowl of oatmeal, eating it slowly. 

Patient and seemingly amused, Vinson watched me eat. 

Suddenly, he reached out with a napkin to dab at my lips. I instinctively pulled away, and he quickly withdrew his hand. 

He explained with a smile, “You’ve got oatmeal all over your face. Looks like you were hungrier than you thought.” 

I took the napkin with an awkward smile, feeling a sudden chill down my spine. 

“Ah, Melanie, sneaking off from work for a date with the senior, huh?” Kayla’s sneering voice broke the silence, earning an eye roll from me and a chuckle from Vinson across the table. 

Dissatisfied with my reaction, Kayla sauntered over with Clyde in tow. 

“Only oatmeal? Melanie, feeling under the weather?” she prodded. 

“With Mr. Russell here, we needn’t worry, right? But aren’t you forgetting you’re a married woman? Out like this, it’s quite scandalous.” 

Clyde watched silently, allowing Kayla’s barbs to fly unchallenged. 

I wiped my mouth, nodding earnestly. “Well, you two aren’t exactly being discreet, flaunting your affair. Vinson and I are just having a meal. What’s so wrong about that?” 

Sometimes, I admired Kayla for her sheer audacity. If I had been as bold back then, things with Clyde might not have soured so badly. 

Clyde finally spoke up, defending his darling Kayla. “Melanie, watch your language. You’re going out with Vinson and you’re accusing others?” 

His glaring almost set me off laughing. 

off! 

“What should I say then? Adulterers? Sorry, my vocabulary as a designer is limited, Mr. Patterson, my apologies.” Grabbing my bag, I looked at Vinson. “Done eating? Let’s go.” 

As we stood to leave, Kayla blocked our path relentlessly. “Melanie, you should be laying low after your recent scandal. Still playing the field while married, do you find yourself