Melissa's POV

"Chop chop!" he barked like I was a dog. The laugh that followed from the circle around him sounded like knives in my chest.

As bitter as the truth is, licking his shoes already felt like I was a dog but I had no choice. My hands were still stinging from the fall, and my dress smelled of spilled wine. I crawled forward on my palms and knees, each inch a small defeat, and pressed my tongue against the leather of his shoe the way he wanted.

He smirked and glanced around the room like a man watching an audience applaud. "There you go. Good girl," he said, loud enough for everyone to hear. "See? She's so obedient."

The word obedient landed like another slap. I wanted to lift my head, to spit in his face, to shove him and the rest of them and run until the city swallowed me whole. Instead I stayed low and tasted leather and shame.

Sophia's pale laugh leaned in, eyes glinting with triumph. "Well, Melissa," she cooed, the tone so sugary it made my skin crawl, "truly, you are Tony's obedient little tramp."

Her voice was a deliberate blade. I had known her since college: the same girl who'd failed her finals and got kicked out, the same girl who'd tried and failed to charm Josh, my boyfriend at college back then. She'd always had this way of pretending our lives were a competition and I'd never even entered the race. She'd wanted Josh but when he refused her, she'd never forgiven me.

Now she was here, polished and cruel, and she took delight in my ruin.

Tony tossed his cigarette butt my way and it landed near my hand and hissed on the carpet. He watched me with interest, as if he'd staged all this for his own entertainment. The men and other ladies around him hooted and clapped like it was a show, and in turn, my throat tightened.

Sophia moved with a slow, deliberate grace and produced a plate, having a terrible, knowing grin plastered across her face. She set it down with finality. "Here's your reward," she announced. "Peanut cake."

My heart sank at once. Anyone who knew me knew the simple fact she chose to ignore: I was allergic to peanuts. I could get sick and I could stop breathing if I dare eat that. And that shouldn't have been secret and I could bet that Sophia knew. Of course she knew, as that could explain her smile widened like she was proud of herself.

"I can't eat that," I managed to say, the words thin and measured. "I'm allergic."

Her eyes narrowed as if I'd lied. She bent forward, with mock concern on her lips. "But that's the more reason you must eat it," she purred. "It'll be all fun."

There was nowhere to go as the entrance here was already closed as the thought of running away went through my mind. Aside from that, the guards who came with Tony were inside, mostly watching the spectacle. Those who should have stopped it, the senior men who owed favours to Tony, only watched. Even Mrs. Morgan, Tony's mum was nowhere to be seen and the truth was that she tended to be absent most times when Tony wanted to humiliate me the most because of her schedules.

I lifted the plate slowly because resistance had become heavy and dangerous. If I refused, Tony would do something worse. If I obeyed, I could... survive this moment. That was the calculus I had become good at: small bets for safety.

"Need some help?" Sophia's voice came from behind. Before I could pull back, her hand closed over the cake, and she shoved it roughly into my mouth. She laughed as I choked.

I gagged as my tongue fought the texture. She had smeared crumbs across my cheeks and thought it a masterpiece. People laughed, a low sound that felt like a storm. Someone pulled out a phone and I could see the glint of recording. 

In no time, it was like my throat began to tighten.

"I-" I croaked.

"Hospital," I managed, the word felt terrible and raw. My fingers scrabbled for the tablecloth, for air, for something to steady me. My breath came short and hot and a prickling tightness crawled into my chest. My thoughts scrambled. 'Don't panic. Breathe!! Breathe!' And so, I tried to push the panic away with everything inside me.

My hand brushed Tony's shoe by mistake while I clutched at the table to rise. He jumped back as if burnt. "Get your filthy hands off me!" he snarled, shaking his shoe like I had dirtied it. Then he dusted it in a show of disgust, flicking tiny crumbs away with theatrical revulsion.

"Disgusting," he spat. The word was a verdict.

The world narrowed and it was as if my hearing muted at the edges. I heard the distant hum - someone's laughter, the clink of a glass but I guess those noises belonged to another place. My vision tunneled and I could feel my pulse pounding against my temples. My fingers tingled as I tried to stand, and the floor tilted.

"Please..." I whispered to anyone who could hear but my voice left me like smoke.

They moved like a pack leaving the scene of a hunt. Tony clapped once which felt like a signal, and the small group cheered, like they were already eager to go to the next party he'd arranged. I think that his cruelty had served its purpose and then the show continued for him.

The crowd thinned out quickly as I particularly noticed Sophia swept past me, smirking, as if victorious. Tony rose, straightened his cufflinks, and called out in that bored, satisfied voice, "Okay, I'm getting bored. Who wants to go to the next party?"

They answered like trained seals. "Me! Yeah!"

They moved toward the door in a ripple of laughter, leaving the room smelling of smoke and arrogance. In that instant, my body finally protested with the kind of honesty words could not reach as my chest tightened further, and my breath hitched into a thin and ragged gasp. My knees gave slightly beneath me and I slumped back, sliding against the sofa base.

For a few seconds the villa was a blurry imagination as my fingers found the carpet and dug in, seeking comfort or anything. 

Then, faintly, a voice cut through clearly, "Melissa." It was close and steady. At first I thought my mind was inventing it out of need. Then the voice came again, softer and urgent, "Hey... Melissa."

It was a small sound, not loud enough to fill the room, but it hit me straight in the ribs. Someone was moving toward me and my heart tried to respond in a weak and hopeful thud.

My eyes moved, trying to focus on the approaching figure.

"Hey... Melissa," the voice repeated, closer now, and it sounded like rescue.

But before I could say anything, the pancake reaction must have taken the better side of me and then I passed out.

Melissa's POV

When I woke up, the first thing I heard was a tender voice which felt calm and low, almost whispering beside me.

"You were glowing three years ago," the voice said softly, "so full of visions and dreams that we planned on both achieving together. Now, you're covered in bruises."

For a moment, I wasn't sure if it was real or just part of a dream. My eyelids felt heavy, like they'd been glued shut. The voice carried something familiar - something that pulled me closer to consciousness. Then a gentle touch brushed my arm which seemed all warm and careful, like whoever it was didn't want to hurt me.

My eyes fluttered open with the bright hospital light stinging a little. Yeah, I could predict it was a hospital with the environment and I instantly recalled that I passed out because of some allergic reaction. I squinted, trying to adjust. At first, everything was blurry with the faint hum of machines and the smell of antiseptic. But when I finally turned my head, my breath caught.

'Josh.'

The same face I hadn't seen in three years. His hair was a bit shorter now, his jaw a little sharper, but his eyes - those eyes that once made me feel safe, hadn't changed one bit.

For a split second, it felt like I had fallen back into time - back to college, to late nights in the robotics lab, to laughter over instant noodles, to dreams written on scrap paper and stuck to our dorm walls. That same warmth rose in my chest, heavy and painful. I missed him - the version of me that smiled freely beside him, the life that could have been ours if things had gone differently.

But then reality crashed back. This wasn't the time to feel that way. I pushed those memories down quickly, burying them beneath layers of control I'd learned to perfect.

"Melissa." His voice was firmer now, a little worried. He leaned closer the moment my eyes opened fully. "Hey, you're awake."

I blinked, still trying to find my words. "Josh... are you back?" I whispered. The sound of his name on my tongue felt strange, unfamiliar after all this time.

He nodded slightly, his gaze tracing the bruises across my face and arms. I saw his expression change with his concern deepening and hardening into something close to anger. "Melissa," he said again, slower this time, "are these bruises... are they from your husband?"

My stomach tightened but there was no right way to answer that. Silence filled the space between us which felt all heavy and uncomfortable. I shifted on the bed, trying to pull the sleeve of the hospital blanket back down to cover the marks on my wrist. The doctor must have rolled it up for the injection earlier, which must have saved me from the allergic reaction Sophia had caused.

I could feel Josh's eyes studying me, searching for an answer I wasn't ready to give. My silence only confirmed what he feared. The bruises told their own story, one I had tried so hard to keep hidden.

He stood abruptly, fists clenching. "They're from your husband, aren't they?" His voice rose slightly, anger breaking through his calm this time. "I'll find him, Melissa. I swear I'll teach him a lesson. Nobody deserves to be treated this way."

Panic flashed through me. "No, Josh!" I said quickly, reaching for his arm. My voice shook. "Please don't do that."

He froze, looking down at me with his jaw tight.

"It's just... it's a thing of three days and I..." I stopped myself before saying too much. He didn't know about the contract that had trapped me in this nightmare. He didn't know that this marriage wasn't born out of love but out of obligation - a deal that cost me my freedom.

If he found out, he'd look at me differently. He'd see not Melissa the dreamer, but Melissa the woman who sold her own peace for survival. I couldn't let that happen.

I swallowed hard, forcing a small, shaky smile. "You know what, Josh," I said, softer this time, "I'll handle this. I can deal with it myself."

His brows furrowed as he stepped closer, the anger melting into worry again. He sat back down beside me and gently reached for my right hand. His touch was careful, almost hesitant, like he didn't want to cross a line.

"Three days?" he repeated quietly, his thumb brushing my knuckles. "Why wait for three days, Melissa?"

I looked at him, like I really looked at him. His face was filled with the same sincerity that had drawn me to him years ago. And for a moment, I almost wanted to tell him everything. That I was counting down to the day the contract ended. That freedom was so close I could almost taste it. 

But I couldn't.

So, I looked away and gently slipped my hand from his grip. "Nothing really," I lied with a small laugh that didn't sound like me. "It's just... the robot launch for the company I work for is in three days, and I have a lot to put together before then."

He studied me for a moment, clearly not buying my excuse, but he didn't push further. He'd always been like that - patient when I built walls around my feelings.

I stood up from the bed quickly, pretending to be fine, pretending I didn't feel weak. "Besides," I added, adjusting my gown as I turned to him, "thank you for saving my life, Josh. I mean it. I really appreciate it."

He rose too, his expression softening. "You scared me, you know that?" he said quietly. "When I found you there, barely breathing..." His voice trailed off. He didn't need to finish... the memory in his eyes said enough.

I tried to smile, even though guilt pressed heavily on my chest. "I'm sorry you had to see me like that."

"You don't have to apologize for someone else's cruelty," he said, stepping closer. His tone was calm but firm. "You deserve better, Melissa. You always did."

His words sank deep into me, stirring feelings I thought I had buried. For a split second, I saw flashes of what could've been like mornings spent laughing in our dream apartments, long talks about our dreams, growing old beside someone who actually cared.

I shook it off before it could take root and I couldn't afford to feel that right now.

As I reached for my shoes beside the bed, a sudden dizziness hit me. The world spun slightly, and before I knew it, my knees gave way.

"Whoa, hey-" Josh moved fast, catching me before I hit the floor. His hands gripped my arms which felt firm and steady, pulling me close against his chest.

For a brief moment, I froze there. His scent was all clean and familiar, surrounding me. My heart reacted before my mind could stop it, beating faster and heavier. It felt like all those years apart disappeared in that single second.

"I'm fine," I whispered, even though I wasn't.

He looked down at me, his voice barely above a whisper. "You don't look fine."

I forced a small laugh, trying to lighten the air that had grown tense between us. "Guess the allergy took more from me than I thought." I teased.

He didn't laugh or at least chuckle like I had envisaged. Maybe, he didn't find all of it funny. Rather, his eyes stayed locked on mine, searching, like he was trying to read everything I wasn't saying. The silence that followed was thick - the kind that holds all the words people are afraid to speak.

I quickly pulled away, steadying myself. "Thanks," I said, forcing my tone back to something neutral. "But I can stand now."

"Melissa..." he started, but I cut him off gently.

"This isn't the time for all of this, Josh," I said, trying to sound stronger than I felt. "Please."

He looked like he wanted to argue but stopped himself. He exhaled deeply, running a hand through his hair. "You've changed," he murmured. "

I didn't respond. I just reached for my bag from the side table, pretending to check for my phone. My throat tightened again - not from the allergy this time, but from the ache of everything unspoken between us.

"I have to go," I finally said. "There's something I need to handle before it's too late."

He nodded slowly, but the look on his face told me he wasn't done trying. "Melissa," he said, his voice low and steady, "whatever you're caught in right now, I hope you know you can still choose to walk away. You're stronger than you think."

I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded without saying anything.

Because if I spoke, I might break.

And breaking wasn't an option for me at the moment.

Tony's POV

"Mum, I heard the urgency in your voice and I decided to come over. What could it be?" I said, already annoyed I'd been dragged from a meeting with Sophia for this.

"You know, it's just a day to the robot launching of the Morgan Group. But unfortunately, I won't be around as I have a business matter outside of town. I'll be leaving late this evening so that I can be there first thing tomorrow."

That was her way of putting pressure on me without sounding like it. She thinks absence makes her commands louder.

"It's fine," I answered, trying to keep my tone even. "After all, your attention isn't really needed for the launch tomorrow. I can handle everything."

She didn't let me off that easy. "That's the point, son. I have to call your attention to something I have never failed to tell you before..."

Her voice had that slow, measured cadence when she wanted to make sure I caught each word. I braced because somehow, I already knew where this was heading.

"Mum, I hope this isn't about Melissa again," I snapped, cutting her off. My mouth was sharper than I'd meant it to be. "I'm sick and tired of hearing how she's a goddess over a mere robot."

After I'd said it, it felt good for only half a second. And then the guilt came because the truth was never so convenient.

She let out a small, tired sound. "Tony, that is not a mere robot. Melissa developed the humanoid prototype that put the Morgan Group on the map as a tech leader."

Her words should have been a relief and they should have reminded me of the truth like, 'that the company was ours, that legacy mattered,' but all I could hear was her praise shoved at me like an accusation.

"I just feel you give her too much credit," I said, forcing the argument. "She got lucky, maybe."

"You give her too little credit," Mum replied, softer now. "You have never liked admitting that you needed help. But you and I both know the truth. If it weren't for Melissa, you would be fumbling press conferences, begging for funding. She kept this company afloat."

That stung. It actually did but I had to swallow it like pride.

She continued, the tone turning firm this time. "So I've decided to give Melissa five percent of the company and make her your official partner after the launch."

I stopped breathing for a beat. "Mum! Have you suddenly lost your mind?" I heard how loud I'd become and tried to rein it in. "Five whole percent? That's huge and I think that she doesn't deserve that."

"Maybe you think she doesn't," she said, not angry but steady. "But I did the inquiries myself, Tony. Your staff-they respect her and she keeps the team grounded, so I know that she's earned it."

"You're being ridiculous." I paced the room. "Five percent is too generous. We can use that capital elsewhere. She doesn't deserve shares besides she's... transient. She's temporary."

Her sigh came sharp down the line. "Temporary? Son, I put you where you are because you are my son. That doesn't change how the company grew. You don't have to like her, but you will respect what she's done. This partnership with her is a way to secure the company for the future and to keep her happy. I bet you, companies would be lining up to recruit Mellisa if she decides to leave ours' today and so you should know that she is crucial, so please always value her and treat well her well as much as it lies in your power."

I rubbed my forehead. All this sounded like a conga line of lectures that I had heard so many times from her and I was tired of it already.

"Right now mum I think that you don't only think highly of her, you also imagine the impossible. I mean, which companies are lining up, that is simply blowing something out of proportion so let's even go there because there are no such things.That's a big claim, you know. No one's going to just walk in and hand us more capital because she's pretty good with code. We have infrastructure to worry about and also people to placate. As much as I know, she is nothing less than a burden to any company that will hire her. The only thing she does best is to sleep around while at work like a bum."

"You lied about that. I have made my inquiries from the workers and they all said that Melissa is the best worker all around the company and she has funded extra deals for the company."

"I am sure that Melissa paid her team for their loyalty." I retorted quickly.

A thought swept through my mind at that moment, 'once I get back to the office, I would definitely cut their salaries in halves, for siding with her in this manner.'

"Nothing close to that, son. I did the inquiries without her notice. I am sure that most of them must have quitted due to your harsh behavior on your staff but I believe Mellisa good treats to them just have made them to stay." Now this was becoming so much of her but she continued regardless, "Son, if only you know the potential in Melissa, you wouldn't be spewing such trash against her. You know what, let's end this here as I have things to attend to knowing that you would hardly believe any truth about Melissa. Just do as I instruct you by tomorrow, is that clear? And when you do, send he soft copy of the new contract."

I could feel my jaw clench. She had a way of saying things that made them final. I could argue until noon and she'd keep her calm but then, her calm was a weapon. "Yes, Mum," I said finally. It tasted like defeat, but I needed my space more than she did because I was already tired of her giving me management tips and constantly praising Melissa over little things money can simply do. Besides, we pay her for the services. To think that she's the one person that my mum and I usually disagree a lot while discussing even though I am my mum's favorite and only next of kin. But then, it's one thing to say something and another to carry the instructions. And now, she has said what suits her more and so I will do what I know suits me better. And as much as I know, Mellisa doesn't deserve any company's 5% shares and therefore she isn't getting any.

I stood still for a while as if I could find logic in a blank stare. 'Five percent,' was not just money as it was a seat at the table. More like a vote and an anchor for Melissa. The idea made my chest tighten.

Inside, I was boiling. Not because she was right but because she always found reasons to be right about Melissa that irritated me and that I couldn't stand the idea of being upstaged by an engineer who didn't know her place.

I turned and approached the entrance door to exit her house and her voice called me back, "Tony! I have drafted the partnership agreement with the lawyer. And so I will email it to you this evening. By tomorrow, give it to her to sign it at the launch tomorrow."

That was wild imagination but then, I had to act accordingly so that she wouldn't suspect anything.

"Ok, mum. I will do just that."

Besides, this isn't the first time I take decisions against what she says about Melissa. I mean, I made Mellisa get a place for herself where she paid for her rent. I wouldn't stand her living with me in the same house, I only ordered her to come over whenever my mum informed me that she was coming to my house.

And also, I am even planning to bring Sophia to live in my house with me as she makes me feel like a complete man that I am but I knew that my mum wouldn't buy the idea and I need to let the idea lie low for now.

But for now, what mattered more is that, 'Tomorrow's launch is my day and I will make sure that Mellisa doesn't take some praise when she doesn't deserve any. I will make her stand aside and watch quietly.