Betrayed By Husband, Stolen By Brother In Law

"Did you ever try to find out if whatever Grandmother had accused Mrs Thomas of had actually been true or even if it held a grain of truth?" Melanie asked quietly, her voice almost hesitant as she wondered if there could really be such a clueless person in the world. If there was, then she knew one thing. Her habit of 'burying her head' in the sand and not seeing the faults of someone was inherited from him.

As expected, Richard's head moved instantly, as he answered without a doubt.. "No. At first, I'll admit, I was a little doubtful. Yes. After all, Marianne was a stepmother, and you know how people talk. But later, when Melanie went missing and I was searching everywhere like a madman, I saw something I couldn't ignore. I saw how much Marianne missed her. I saw how she blamed herself, over and over, as if the guilt was eating her alive. Her love for my daughter was… it was real. Not an act, not convenience. Truly real. And even you, Melody—look at you. You've grown up into such a wonderful person. Tell me, how could Marianne have raised you this way if she didn't truly love you?"

Melanie almost scoffed. What a wonderful person. Accused of bullying and almost murdering a classmate. All paid off? That made her a wonderful person. But at least this gave her more insight. Richard Thomas was not just a fool. He was a blind fool.

And that was further proven when he continued in a voice filled with guilt, "You don't know. A few years ago, I asked Marianne if she had ever wanted children of her own-her own flesh and blood. Do you know what she told me? She said that even thinking of such a thing would feel like betraying the pure love that little Melanie and you had already given her, as if you weren't truly her children. She said that wanting a child of her own would mean rejecting you both in some way, and she could never do that."

Richard's gaze softened for a moment, but then he straightened. "Tell me, Melody. How could such a woman have the heart to hurt a small child? No. It wasn't her. It was your grandmother's paranoia, twisting things that weren't there."

"Then," Melody said after a pause, "do you blame Grandmother for taking Melanie away? After all, even though she separated her from you, she did give her a good upbringing. Did… did Melanie ever recover from those panic attacks? Did you ask her?"

Richard's brows drew together, "I never asked Melanie about that. It never came up. As for resentment-of course I resent her! Good upbringing or not, she still took my daughter away from me. Does that count for nothing? Did she not take away her father's love? Her mother's love? If she had just let Melanie stay by our side, would it really have been the end of the world?" He exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "Yes, I told her to stay away from our lives, but that… that was said in the heat of the moment. I never meant to keep her away forever. Never. But look at what she did to us."

Melanie sat quietly for a few seconds after his outburst, letting his words hang in the air, before quietly asking him, "Do you love her, Richard? Do you love Marianne?"

He blinked at her sudden question, his lips parting slightly as if she had caught him off guard. "Love?" he repeated, his voice low, almost thoughtful. "After all these years, it's… not just about love. It's trust. Respect. A bond we've built together." He leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping once against the armrest. "She has been my partner in every sense. She has cared for my children, stood by me in times. That's not something you can measure by a word like 'love.' I have only ever loved Melrose in all these years."

Melanie tilted her head slightly and clenched her hands, feeling an overwhelming pity for the man who was her biological father . "And if one day you were to discover that she had lied to you?"

Richard's brows drew together again, but this time his frown carried more irritation than thoughtfulness. "That's not going to happen."

"It's not what I asked," she pressed, "I'm asking—if it did happen. If you found out she had lied to you about something important, something that changed everything you thought you knew about her… what would you do?"

His hand stilled, the faint tapping against the armrest stopping abruptly. "Melody, there's no point in playing these 'what if' games. Marianne has never lied to me. Not about anything that matters."

Melanie didn't move, didn't blink. "Answer the question."

For the first time in the conversation, Richard's eyes lost their warmth. The coldness in his glance was sharp enough to make most people falter, but Melanie held his gaze without flinching. He studied her for a moment, then leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping lower. "If I ever knew-if I ever truly believed- that the woman I have trusted with my children more than I have trusted myself had betrayed me… I would never forgive her. And I would not spare her."

The words were heavy, not just in tone but in the way they seemed to settle between them like a solid, immovable weight. He didn't look away as he said it, and Melanie didn't either. For a heartbeat, they simply stared at one another, the air between them tighter than before.

And then she smiled. It wasn't a warm smile or a friendly one- it was measured, quiet, and edged with something he couldn't quite place. Before he could speak again, she stood, moving with deliberate slowness as she reached into her bag. Her hand came out holding a small USB drive, the same one she had taken to carrying with her everywhere for the past few days. Since today was the day, Melody planned to deal with her, Melanie decided that she would leave the mess for this man to handle. Lets see, how her father holds up.

She placed it gently on the table between them, her fingers lingering on it for just a moment before she drew her hand back.

"Here," she said simply. "This is a gift for you, Mr Thomas. From Melanie. I hope, you will stay strong."