Double Life of the Useless Son-in-law

Chapter 3

Coulter watched as the bedroom door opened. The flowers he had kept by the bedside were all shrivelled up now, the candles he had decorated the room with had gone off, and the hot bath he had run was now cold, the petals soggy.

The dinner he had prepared downstairs had gone untouched, and his heart was stiff.

He looked up from where he was sitting on the edge of the bed as Melissa walked into the room.

It was past ten a.m., and he bit down on his lips to stop himself from exploding. He had barely been able to contain all of the anger he felt since last night, and seeing her just nonchalantly dropping her things everywhere, it made his teeth clench.

"Come give me a massage," Melissa said as she peeled off the heels she was wearing, then pushed her dress to the floor and wrapped a towel around her body.

She started to walk to the bed but stopped and turned to him.

Coulter hadn’t moved an inch since she came in, and her brows furrowed.

"I said, come give me a massage."

Coulter looked up to her but still didn't move.

"Oh, for God's sake," she said, rolling her eyes. "I had a hard time at work, trying to provide for my family, and you can't even do a fucking massage? You can't even oblige your wife once? What sort of husband are you?!"

Melissa cursed under her breath as she walked to the bathroom to freshen up. Caleb would have done whatever she wanted. Hell, he always did. Why did she somehow end up with Coulter when a far more capable man like Caleb was at her beck and call?

She cursed again as she walked out of the shower, wrapped a robe around her body and walked back out to the bedroom.

Coulter was still exactly where he was, his eyes watching the view from their window, his shoulders slacked.

Melissa started to get into bed, set on just ignoring him.

"Where were you last night, Melissa?"

She stopped moving the sheets and turned to him, her brows drawn. "What?"

Coulter turned to her, his eyes solemn. "Last night. Where were you? What were you doing, and don't tell me it was work because we both know it wasn't. Tell me. What were you doing? What was do important that you neither came home nor picked up your calls?"

Melissa cursed, her hands going to her waist. A pang of guilt filled her, but she knew she had to stand her ground. "For fuck sake, Coulter. I qorked hard! There was a celebration banquet, I had a few drinks and I was far too tipsy to drive so late! Why are you interrogating me like I have given you reason to distrust me?"

Coulter stood up, his eyes still holding hers as he pulled out his phone. He opened it to the video and pushed it on the bed so she could see it.

Her eyes widened as she took in the video, recitation dawning on her. There was no lie that could get her out of this one.

"I need an explanation, Melissa. I have seen a lot of celebration banquets, and that doesn't look like one. What was going on there? Tell me."

Melissa swallowed hard, then grabbed the phone, hurling it away to the dresser. It hit the dresser mirror, and the glass of the screen shattered at the same time as the glass of the dresser mirror shattered.

"How dare you secretly film me?! How dare you invade my privacy like that?!"

"So it's true?" Coulter asked, taking a step towards her. "You were really proposed to and you accepted, Melissa?"

"So what if it is?!" She yelled, her fingers pushing into het hair. "Look in the fucking mirror, Coulter! Look at your damn self! How do you expect to have me and then expect loyalty? How do you even believe you are worthy of me? I need a man by my side. Someone that I can be proud of, not some little ambitionless servant who only knows how to cook amd do laundry like a bitch!"

Coulter bit down on his lips hard, as he struggled to keep calm. This wasn't the Melissa he loved. This wasn't the Melissa he would have done everything for. This wasn't the Melissa he married.

"Is that why you cheated? Why didn't you just leave me? Why cheat?"

Melissa's lips parted, but no words came out of them. She turned away, her eyes leahing his. Panic filled her, and her fingers nipped at her skin. Divorce? Would he really be able to bring up a divorce?

But this was what she wanted, right? If he left, she could be with Caleb. But hell, why did it feel like she wad losing something too important? Like she was losing way too much?

"Yes. Believe whatever you want to believe. I don't care." Her voice was low, and she tried her hardest not to let her voice give away the turmoil on the inside.

Coulter nodded, his heart aching as he turned to the small drawer by the bedside. He brought out a divorce agreement that he had already signed, then dropped it on the bed between them.

"Then, this should be simple."

He watched as she took in the papers. A part of him had hoped it was a lie. That it was fabricated, edited, anything, as long as his wife was innocent. He hoped it was some ploy from her competitors.

But seeing her like this, a hickey on her neck that she hadn't even bothered to cover up, guilt in her beautiful eyes, it made it so much easier to let her go.

If all she saw of him was a servant, then he would bow out of her life like one.

"What is this?"

"A divorce," he said, his voice stiff. "I signed it already. You do not have to worry, CEO Melissa. The details of the divorce will not leak to anyone, neither will I cling to you for anything. We shall go separate ways."

Melissa was distraught. Her fingers trembled as she let go of the papers, her chest heaving hard. Coulter used to be such a pushover. How would he suddenly want a divorce? How could he suddenly grow a spine?

"Have you always wanted this?" She asked, her voice shaky. "Is this what you always wanted?! Yo divorce me?! I did everything for you! You were waiting for one slip up, weren't you? You have some other woman on the side, don't you?!"

Coulter simply shrugged. "I guess it is time for you to believe whatever you want to. I will be back in three days for the papers. Please endeavour to sign them."

Melissa's eyes widened as Coulter grabbed a small bag and his broken phone, and made his way towards the door.

"Don't you dare!" She screamed, stopping him just as he grabbed the doorknob. "Don't you dare go out that door."

Coulter nodded, but opened the door and walked out.

"Don't ever think of coming back!" Melissa yelled, flinging the withered roses away. "You will regret doing this, Coulter. You will regret it!"