Forgive My Ex-husband

It was his grandfather's decision. Jonas trusted his grandfather, so he didn't dare to oppose it anymore.

Melinda had been recuperating from her injuries. Since her wounds were severe, the doctor suggested her to undergo a minor surgery. So Melinda was shifted to the hospital at night and Jonas had accompanied her.

The reporters were fast enough to capture pictures of Jonas and Melinda in the hospital. They had received the information about Melinda's surgery and had been following them all night in order to take pictures at the right time. Since pictures spoke a thousand words, the news about the couple spread like a wildfire.

While there were people who questioned their relationship, many of them believed that Jonas was a doting husband who cared for his wife. They believed that he was still in love with Melinda. Nelson was glad to see Jonas taking care of her. Melinda was shocked by his behavior. Jonas wouldn't care even if it was a risky surgery. She couldn't help but wonder why Jonas was willing to be by her side when it was nothing big.

Melinda stole glances from time to time, which irked Jonas. If not for his grandfather, he wouldn't have bothered coming to the hospital.

Holley was sipping on a glass of wine when she saw the news gushing about Jonas and Melinda. Many of them had reported that Jonas was a loving husband and that Jonas and Melinda were couple goals. Holley became furious and smashed the glass that she was holding in her hand. She needed to do something about it, or Jonas and Melinda would end up being the talk of the town. She picked her phone and sent an anonymous email to the entertainment department. She had attached an intimate picture of her and Jonas in the mail.

Keeping Melinda's privacy in mind, the doctors had allocated a VIP ward for her. Her family members were also given separate beds to rest. Jonas's expression instantly changed when the door was closed. "Don't think that I'm staying here because I worry about you. I don't give a damn even if you die," Jonas said coldly.

He instantly felt uncomfortable because part of him knew that he didn't mean it. He couldn't understand what was going on.

"Don't worry, I know that I don't have a place in your heart. I'm not flattered," Melinda replied.

Jonas glanced at her and said nothing.

It was a long day and Melinda was exhausted.

For the first few years of her marriage, she tried hard to stay up when Jonas was at home, but now she could ignore her indifferent husband. Her eyes became heavy and she drifted into a deep sleep. Jonas had been busy lately so he closed his eyes to get some rest. He didn't know that he had fallen asleep until his phone blared in his pocket. He slowly opened his eyes and attended the call. "Mr. Gu, check out the latest entertainment news."

Although the secretary was calm, Jonas could sense a trace of fear in his voice. The secretary was shocked by the news and felt that he needed to inform Jonas about it.

The secretary sent the link of the news via wechat. A frown lined on Jonas's forehead. When he clicked the link, it led him to a new page that revealed an intimate picture of him and Holley. The comment section was flooding with hate comments.

The image of a doting husband that he had tried hard to build crumbled in an instant.

He pursed his lips and skimmed through the comments for a long time before he turned to look at Melinda who was fast asleep.

Melinda was already thin and she was looking scrawny in the oversized hospital gown. She shifted in her sleep and her frail arm fell out of the quilt. Jonas involuntarily walked over, pulled her arm inside, and tucked her in.

Jonas asked his secretary to arrange a press conference and left the ward quietly. The image of him tucking Melinda in flashed in his mind. He didn't know why he did that. Jonas couldn't understand what he was feeling. He had been acting weird lately.

The reporters had managed to capture the pictures of Jonas leaving the hospital, early in the morning. They had slandered his reputation, turning him from being a loving husband to a ruthless cheater. The secretary had contacted the PR manager, arranged a press conference and notified several familiar media houses.

The sleepy reporters were woken up by the phone calls. They were eagerly waiting to hear what Jonas was going to say. But many of them were disappointed because they needed an invite to enter the Soaring Group, which meant only trustworthy media houses were allowed to attend the conference.

"Mr. Gu, everything is ready. The press conference will commence at half past ten," the secretary said. He also briefed Jonas about his schedule.

"All right. I want you to wait by the entrance and keep an eye on the reporters. Don't let anyone enter without the invite. I don't want any anonymous reporter to walk in. Do you get it?" Jonas ordered. The media looked for every possible way to find juicy gossips. It was possible for some of the channels to sneak people into the conference and ask questions that were capable of ruining his reputation. "Yes, Mr. Gu. I've already prepared a list of possible questions. So don't worry."

The secretary handed a document to Jonas that had all the possible questions that the reporters might ask him. He had also mentioned in detail about how Jonas needed to address the questions, even though he didn't need it. Jonas was quick-witted and he always had spontaneous answers to even the trickiest question.

It was 10:30 in the morning and the reporters were waiting for him. Jonas arrived on time and surveyed the conference hall. Everything was arranged and the secretary had instructed the reporters to maintain their dignity and decorum.

The reporters were throwing questions at Jonas but were left speechless by his sophisticated answers.

"Mr. Gu, what do you have to say about your affair with Holley and the intimate photo of you two last night? You are a married man. How do you think your wife would react when she finds out that you are having an affair with Holley?" a reporter asked sharply, looking pleased with himself.

The secretary's eyes widened with shock. The reporter was perhaps uninvited and he had failed to notice it because the reporters he had arranged wouldn't ask such delicate questions.

"Holley and I have got nothing to do with each other. She has her life and I have mine. I'm sure you all know how the entertainment industry works. I don't have to tell you about it. There are people who resort to cheap techniques to increase their viewership. I don't know who is behind all this, but I just want to tell one thing. What you see isn't always true."

The reporter's face turned red. He was shocked by Jonas's blunt answers. He thought that powerful men feared reporters' pen, but Jonas seemed unfazed by his questions.

"The technical staffs have proven that the photos were not morphed. Moreover, I feel that you're deviating the topic to avoid answering my question," the reporter said.

"It's just an imagery illusion created by the camera angle." Jonas shrugged nonchalantly.

Jonas had effortlessly answered all the questions. No matter what they tried, the reporters couldn't pull any information that could work to their advantage. Therefore, the press conference had come to an abrupt end. The reporters were disappointed and decided to interview Holley.

She neither accepted nor denied their relationship; rather, she gave some ambiguous answers. The reporters were glad because they could spin their own story based on their interpretation. "Jonas, I'm really sorry. I didn't know that the company would take photos. What do I do now?" Holley whined.

The damage was already done and Jonas didn't seem to care about it. Holley was rambling over the phone so as to not give him the benefit of doubt. But Jonas was not in the mood to talk with her so he disconnected the call.

Ever since the previous incident, Nelson had been paying more attention to the entertainment news than the financial news. Therefore, he was quick to find out about the gossip. He was mad at Jonas for constantly disappointing him. He asked Jonas to deal the matter with dignity and warned him to behave well.

Melinda's surgery was scheduled for the next day. Jonas obeyed his grandfather and arrived at the hospital on time. Anger rose from the pit of his stomach when he saw Kent waiting outside Melinda's ward. "Mr. Jiang, don't you have anything else to do?"

Jonas sneered. He hated the mere sight of Kent. He still remembered how kind Melinda had been to him.

Kent and Jonas were poles apart. Kent was a kind man with gentle features. He was cordial and made everyone feel at ease. Whereas, Jonas was intimidating and unapproachable.

"Mr. Gu, Melinda is hospitalized and is going to have a surgery. I'm her friend. I've come to see if she's doing okay." Kent smiled. He was aware of what Melinda had gone through over the past few years. He couldn't help but feel sorry for her.

"Well, you seem to have a good relationship with her," Jonas said bitterly.

Kent frowned at Jonas's remark. He disliked Jonas's attitude. Jonas had always been arrogant and rude. It had taken all these years for Melinda to make up her mind to leave him. But Jonas was giving her a hard time.

A couple of minutes later, Emily walked in. Nelson was infuriated by her arrival.

"It's a minor surgery. There is no need for many people to wait. Jonas will stay back. You guys can leave," he ordered.

Nelson felt that it was inappropriate for Kent and Emily to stay here. He was particularly worried about Emily who looked like she had come with a plan.

Emily was disappointed and looked at Jonas.

But Jonas was having a tough time. He already frustrated and ignored her.

When the surgery was over, Jonas was waiting outside the operation theater. A couple of minutes later, the nurse wheeled Melinda back into the ward. Melinda was still under anesthesia. It would take a couple more days for her to fully recover.

During her stay in the hospital, Melinda was almost isolated from the outside world. She didn't know what was going on. Melinda felt an unusual happiness to be in her own world. Every evening, she would happily watch a drama on the television.

"You've finally gotten the chance to do what your peers do."

Kent walked in with a bouquet of baby's breath. He couldn't help but smile at Melinda. It was rare to see her happy. Melinda turned to look at him. "Do you mean to say that I should lie on the bed all day long?" she asked quizzically.

"You know exactly what I mean. Don't twist my words," Kent said. After the surgery, Kent made it a point to visit Melinda every day. Melinda's ward was filled with bouquets of baby's breath because Kent brought one every day.

"Kent, why are you bringing these flowers every day?" Melinda smiled. Baby's breath was her favorite flower. She felt that they smelled of hopes and possibilities. The scent of baby's breath would always lift her mood.

"Because you like it," Kent said, shrugging casually.

Melinda averted her gaze. There was an awkward silence. Kent's heart was drumming in his chest.

He bit the inside of his cheek and finally broke the silence. "Melinda, I remember how happy you were. Your entire face glows when you smile. I haven't seen you genuinely smile out of joy after you got married to Jonas. I miss the twinkle in your eyes." Melinda's smile was only a hazy memory because Kent hadn't seen her smile in the last few years.

There were only bitterness and pain in her bright eyes. He missed the lively girl Melinda once used to be.

"Melinda, you don't deserve to be with a man like Jonas. I really like you and I think you should divorce him as soon as possible."