Episode 20

The door swung open. Mel slipped inside unnoticed, closing it quietly behind her.

Carlos's apartment wasn't very large, but it was quite cozy, featuring two bedrooms, a small kitchen, and a spacious living room...

She placed her bag on the kitchen counter near the entrance and, surveying her surroundings, quickly realized that something felt off.

The apartment was clean, airy, and very well-organized, with the windows wide open.

Mel instinctively placed her hands on her hips, trying to make sense of what was happening.

"What happened here? Did Carlos hire a maid while he's in Italy?" she murmured, taking four steps forward to reach the fridge.

She peeked inside the refrigerator and saw plenty of recently purchased food. On the sink, two dirty glass cups stood, remnants of milk lingering in them.

"Something's going on here!" Mel began to contemplate what she might find in the moments to follow.

Quickly, she moved out of the kitchen and into the living room.

"Everything's fine in here. Carlos is hiding something from me."

Everything was neatly arranged.

"Carlos wouldn’t clean like this; a woman's hand is involved."

Mel could already foresee what was happening in her boyfriend's apartment.

Slowly, she entered the bedroom, opening the door gently.

Mel beheld clothes strewn across the floor—both men's and women's garments that weren't hers—and a large suitcase open on the bed, its contents haphazardly arranged. Suddenly, she heard moans coming from the bathroom.

Her eyes welled up with tears.

Now Mel was certain. Carlos was really in the apartment... He was cheating on her.

She felt an overwhelming urge to cry, not because she felt something for him, but because she finally recognized many things she had once found odd, but had blindly trusted him.

Mel approached the bathroom door, the moans growing louder inside, filling her with revulsion.

"That's it, darling, enjoy it while looking at me..."

She realized that the man's voice belonged to Carlos.

"Bastard! What a terrible man... How could he arrive in New York without telling me anything?"

Mel remained silent, straining to hear their conversation within that confined space.

"Tomorrow I’ll come back, Carlos... I want to see you..."

Mel caught the woman's voice.

"Tomorrow's Wednesday, and I already have a date with another woman..."

"But Carlos, why does it have to be like this? Why can't you just be with me?"

"Sara, I've told you since we met that I'm not a one-woman man... I just want to have fun without being tied down."

Carlos was chatting with the woman while Mel listened to it all.

"How could I have been so foolish?" she thought, as the bathroom door swung open, revealing Carlos with a towel around his waist and wet hair.

"Mel?" The color drained from Carlos's face when he saw her standing at the bathroom door, casting a dark glare at him.

"How was the trip? Didn’t know that Tuesday is now called Friday?" she said with sarcasm. "Was the hookup good? Who will be the next one in your bed?"

She shouted furiously at him.

"Calm down, sweetheart. I can explain what happened..."

"Explain? I don’t need explanations... It's all crystal clear. But you know what? I don’t care... You can be with whoever you want. Our relationship ends here."

Sara emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a towel.

"Carlos, who is this woman?" she asked, looking at Mel.

"Mel, I can explain... Just calm down and give me a minute..."

"I don't need to talk to you anymore..."

Mel stormed out of the bedroom with Carlos trailing behind her.

"Sara, get dressed and go home!" Carlos called out, trying to catch up with Mel.

Mel headed towards the living room. Sara began to dress quickly, grasping the situation.

"Darling, let me explain..." Carlos moved closer to Mel.

"Carlos, I was about to break up with you."

Mel spoke mockingly, her gaze fixed on him.

"What do you mean? You don’t like me anymore, is that it?"

His eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Exactly! I want nothing to do with you anymore."

Just then, Sara appeared in the living room.

"I'm leaving now!" She glanced at Carlos, who looked upset at Mel.

She also leaves upset because he didn’t pay attention to her.

In the apartment, only Mel and Carlos remain.

"" I’m leaving too. I don’t have anything else to say to you.

Mel walks over to the counter, grabbing her purse.

Unyielding, Carlos grips her tightly, kissing Mel forcefully.

"" Let me go, Carlos! Mel screams desperately.

"" I’ll take you by force… You’ll be mine once again.

"" Let me go, you scoundrel! Mel yells, struggling to avoid his touch.

Suddenly, the apartment door swings open abruptly, making a frightening noise.

Dennis appeared beside Elliot with a dark look and charged at Carlos, hitting him with a powerful punch to the face.

Mel’s tormentor collapses to the floor of the apartment, bloodied.

Leaning against the counter, Mel cried in fear.

"" Who are you? Why did you hit me?

Carlos asks.

Dennis looms over him and delivers two more heavy punches, making his rival's face even bloodier.

"" Dennis, it’s not worth dirtying your hands with this scoundrel.

Mel approaches the CEO, worried about him.

"" This woman has an owner! Listen here, you trash, to what I’m about to say… If I find out you’ve come near my wife again, I’ll kill you with my own hands.

Dennis was unrecognizable… And Carlos trembled on the floor in fear.

"" Come on, love! Dennis stands, holding Mel’s hand firmly.

She grabs her purse and looks at him.

"" There are a few of my things here that I need to get.

"" I can buy everything and much more that you need… Now let’s go, my love.

He held her hand tightly.

They exited the apartment… The curious residents who were at the doors of their respective buildings watched the commotion but quickly rushed back inside when they noticed two men leaving, one of them holding a woman’s hand.

Dennis entered the elevator with Mel by his side.

Elliot faithfully followed them silently.

Dennis remained quiet during the elevator descent.

When they reached the garage, he kicked the car tire in fury.

Mel looked at him, unsure of what to do.

"" I just want to go back and kill that bastard.

"" Please, my love! Try to calm down… Mel held his face, trying to soothe him.

She embraced him tightly, feeling his heart pound strongly.

"" Calm down, my love. I’m okay… Now let’s go home.

"" Alright!

Dennis held her face and kissed her deeply.

Elliot observed them silently.

"" What happened that made you go to the apartment?"Mel asked curiously, yet relieved at the same time."

"" I felt that something was going to happen to you… I even asked Elliot to take me home, but that bad feeling lingered… So I could no longer proceed; that’s when I returned and found you.

"" Thank you, my love… Mel held him tightly, tears in her eyes.

Dennis heard her muffled sobs.

"" I’m here for you! I love you so much, Mel! I still can’t calm the rage I’m feeling… That worm deserves to die.

"" Dennis, let’s not talk about this anymore, please… Take me to your apartment.

Dennis looked at Elliot, who immediately opened the car door.

The couple got in, and Mel rested her head on Dennis’s chest, quickly falling asleep.

HELLO CUTIES, I ASK FOR EACH ONE OF YOU TO CONTRIBUTE… LEAVE YOUR VOTES, YOUR COMMENTS, LIKE EACH CHAPTER… AND FOLLOW ME TO KEEP UPDATED ON NEW UPDATES.

I CONFESS THAT YESTERDAY, I WAS QUITE SAD REGARDING THIS WORK… BECAUSE IT’S NOT EASY TO UPDATE DAILY WITH TWO TO THREE CHAPTERS EVERY DAY AND THE WORK DOES NOT MEET MY EXPECTATIONS REGARDING VIEWS, LIKES, VOTES, AND COMMENTS.

Sometimes it crosses my mind that you might not be enjoying what you’re reading.

I’m sorry for the venting, but I needed to express this.

Thank you to each one of you who has contributed.

See you in the next chapter.

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