Pure Chaos
Knox's POV
My raging jealousy aside, Susie looked like she was about to choke in her drink just because Melissa was actually getting married, and her fiancée was rich.
"How wonderful," Susie said, her voice was extremely tight though. "But I was wondering sister—why didn't you bring the children with you today? Surely they would have loved to see the festival."
Melissa tensed up immediately and her eyes flickered away from Susie for a moment. It was subtle, but I noticed it.
She was very uncomfortable to hear Susie mentioning her sons, and I couldn't really guess why. Sure Susie was unpleasant, but Melissa reacted like she had just heard a death sentence.
But as I already expected, Melissa quickly composed herself and shot Susie a tight-lipped smile.
"My boys are too young for this kind of event. I didn't want to overwhelm them."
"Of course, of course," Susie said, nodding as if she agreed, but the glint in her eyes told me she didn't believe a word of it. "I can't wait to see them, though. I'm sure they're adorable."
Melissa's nod was curt, and I could see the utter discomfort in her eyes. She didn't want her children anywhere near Susie, and I couldn't blame her for that part. Susie had a way of getting under people's skin, of finding their vulnerabilities and exploiting them in the worst ways possible.
She already did that once, and it ruined what I had with Melissa.
And then, as if to twist the knife further, Susie suddenly started recounting old stories to guests around us, she was making sure her voice was loud enough for those nearby to hear. "Do you all remember when Melissa used to scrub the toilets here? Oh, she was such a diligent little maid, wasn't she? Always on her hands and knees, making sure everything was spotless. I can't believe people let those germ infested hands to treat their children."
The shameless insult in her words was disgustingly clear, she wanted to embarrass Melissa as much as possible and I could not let that happen.
I could feel the anger rising in me.
Melissa was no longer that weak Omega girl, but hearing Susie drag her down like that in front of everyone made my blood boil.
But Susie continued her insults until I finally lost it.
"That's enough, Susie," I snapped, unable to hold back any longer.
The room instantly fell silent, all eyes turning to us. But Susie was undeterred as she simply raised an eyebrow at me, her lips curving into a smug smile.
"Oh, I'm just sharing some good old stories darling.," she said, feigning innocence. "I mean, Melissa was always so close to you, wasn't she? Always kneeling beside you, always eager to please, like a pathetic little dog."
Melissa didn't miss a beat as she retorted. "Yes, Susie, I was just a maid. But I must have done something right because your husband seemed to be quite fond of me. In fact, he couldn't seem to keep me away from him."
Her words dropped into the room like a bombshell, the message behind her words was also very clear.
The room suddenly went deathly quiet, and every single eye in the hall now focused on us. I could feel the heat of their stares, and all their unspoken questions that lingered in the air.
It was no secret that I'd been close to Melissa, because she was my maid but hearing her say it like that so bluntly in front of everyone… it made people start assuming things that would definitely embarrass Susie.
Susie's face turned a shade of red I'd never seen before and She looked between Melissa and me, her eyes blazing with fury. "You stupid bitch—" she started, but the words seemed to stick in her throat.
"Susie, that's enough," I said firmly. I kept my voice low but commanding. "This isn't the time or place."
But she wasn't listening. "You think you can just waltz back in here and act like you're better than me huh?" she hissed at Melissa, her voice shaking with rage. "You were nothing more than a servant, and you'll always be nothing more than that!"
"Susie—"
"No!" she snapped, cutting me off. "You think I don't see what's going on here? You think I don't know what you're trying to do?"
Melissa met her gaze calmly, but I could see the tension in her stance. "I'm not trying to do anything, Susie. I'm here to help, nothing more."
"Liar!" Susie shouted, her voice echoing in the now silent hall. She turned to me, her eyes wild. "And you! You think I don't know? You think I'm stupid? You're trying to replace me with her, aren't you?"
I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could, Susie let out a frustrated scream and stormed out of the hall, her heels clicking sharply against the floor.
The doors slammed shut behind her and the sound echoed through the awkward silence that followed.
I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding and ran a hand through my hair. This was a disaster, and the looks I was getting from the pack members around us only confirmed that.
I turned to Melissa, who was still sitting there. Her expression was unreadable.
"I'm sorry," I said quietly, knowing that it wasn't nearly enough to cover the insults and embarrassment of the night.
Melissa shook her head slightly but her lips were pressed together in a thin line. "Don't be," she replied, her voice soft but firm. "I've dealt with worse."
But as I looked at her, standing there with that same quiet strength that had always drawn me to her, I couldn't stop myself from feeling a giant void of regret. Regret for how things had turned out, for the choices I'd made, and for the damage that had been done.
And as the whispers started to rise around us, I realized that the rumors that would undoubtedly spread like wildfire through the pack.
This was only the beginning of the chaos that Melissa's return would bring, to the pack and to her, and it was all my fault.
She had every right to be mad at me, so I prepared myself for the worst.