Maxwell's face was twisted in grievance as he entered the dining room and saw Melissa slumped over the table. He placed the plate of cake down and pulled out a chair to sit next to her. "What's going on here, Melissa? Are you feeling tired?" Tina, who had been watching from the doorway, felt a wave of hatred for Melissa swell inside her. She quickly turned away and left the house, her heart heavy with resentment.
Melissa raised her head and faced Maxwell, her eyes filled with tears. She had been trying to forget the events of the past and the pain inflicted by Zick, but she couldn't seem to get it out of her mind. It was like a movie playing on a loop, and she felt helpless to make it stop. The rejection from her husband was the worst, and watching him make love to someone else in her presence was unbearable. "Sir, am I ugly, disgusting, or unlikeable?" she asked, her voice shaking with emotion. "Please tell me honestly," she pleaded, her heart broken.
