Since that incident, Melody didn’t speak or talk to him. Damian tried everything to confront her, try to talk to her about it, but she wouldn’t let him. He even asks the servants to move every belonging of hers to his room.
Yet…
Nothing.
He felt… somewhat hurt.
Melody sits down, ready to eat her breakfast. Damian tried to occupy himself with his paperwork on the table and tab. Matthew and Victor, who had breakfast with them, felt the tension in the air.
Usually, every breakfast, Melody will cause a scene, and Damian will scold her, or she will tease him, and he will threatened with an empty treat.
“What is going on?” Victor leans to whisper.
“Well, something happened. Melody accidentally heard Damian talking about that divorce. You know how he is when he feels he is being challenged,” Matthew explains.
They’re talking in a hushed tone. But, their voice is clear to Damian since the dining room is silent and only the sound of their silverware. He sends sharp glares toward those two, causing them to clear their throat and eat.
After a while, Melody put down her spoon and fork. She was about to get up but stopped when Damian spoke.
“You done? You just eat… a little,” he glances at her plate, which is still filled with food.
“I’m full,” she simply replies.
“I notice you haven’t eaten much these past few days,” he says firmly. “Sit and finish everything in your food.”
“I said… I’m full. Did you hear it or not?” Melody getting irritated.
Damian gritted his teeth, “I hear it. I’m not deaf.”
“Oh thank goodness, you are not deaf. Because I thought you were,” she chuckles in sarcasm.
Damian’s finger twitched.
“Melody, eat before I shove it in your mouth,”
“I dare you. Let me warn you first, don’t expect me to stay still,” she crossed her arms on her chest.
“What? Are you to fight me off just because I’m taking care of you now?” he scoffs.
“I don’t need your pity, old man,” she spat out.
“Don’t be too stupid with your ego, Mel. I’m taking care of it right now. You didn’t eat much this past few days,” Damian says, it seems like he wouldn’t back off until she ate.
Melody glares at him, “I don’t need your ‘taking care’ behaviour. I can take care of myself!”
“Oh yeah? Sorry to break it but you are under my wing. You are my wife. I have reason to take care of you,” he chuckles and leans on his chair.
“Wife? I’m sorry. Did you just say wife?” she laughs. Damian’s gazes darkened. “As far as I know, we are just husband and wife on paper.”
“Besides, you said that you don’t need me. I am no one. We just using each other. You don’t need me… not… even… a bit,”
Her tone fills with anger. Every word she spat was her anger. Right now, she didn’t care if it hit his nerve or if he wanted to kill her. She would rather die than face him. That’s what she wants. Or so she thought.
Damian, clenched his fist, trying to hold himself from lashing out right now. He felt this table would flip over any minute right now by him.
Matthew and Victor exchange looks when they notice the atmosphere is becoming even more tense. The way those two glare at each other, wishing they could choke each other, is too crystal clear.
“Should we… leave?” Matthew whispers.
“We can’t. Damian needs to discuss something with us,” Victor sighs. As much as he wants to leave, he knows they can’t.
“Are you going to be like this? Are you going to remind me of what I said?” Damian asks, his tone laced with anger.
“Why? Can’t take it?” Melody arches her eyebrows. “You know what? I have no reason to be mad about it. You are right after all.”
“What do you mean?”
“You are right. You finally got what you wanted, so why do you bother to keep me? I can’t wait for the divorce,” she gets up harshly.
Her words stung his heart. Divorce. The word that keeps hurting him whenever he mentions it is it or mentions it. But when it came out of her mouth, it hurt even more.
Yet, his expression stays stoic.
“You… want a divorce, huh?” he questioned, his tone was quiet and low.
Melody didn’t answer it right away. Her mouth is open, but no words come out. She clenched her fist, knowing she said that out of anger. Somehow, she felt something heavy in her heart.
Tears welled up in her eyes.
“I…. I-I am….” she stammered.
By that, she turned around and left the dining room. The only thing left is Damian with two men who shifted in awkwardly. They didn’t know what to say right now. Should they comfort their friend or just act like nothing happened?
“I hate it when we have to be in this situation…” Matthew mumbles to himself.
After a long pause, Damian stares at the table and speaks, “Victor.”
“Yes?” Victor’s ears perked up.
“Prepared the divorce paper right away. I want it fast,” he orders.
Victor and Matthew exchange looks. It was an unexpected move.
“Um… Dam. Why….” Matthew tries to ask.
“This is the best for both of us. I’m not born for love. I told you… I live alone.” He sighs deeply. “If she wants a divorce, then… we will.”
The way he says it sounds like he is holding so much pain. Damian didn’t look at them when he said it. Which is a rare thing coming from him. They know he’s forcing himself right now. So does Melody.
“I will… do it, Dam,” Victor bowed his head.
“Yeah… thanks,” he gets up and grabs his stuff before leaving.
Matthew’s eyes slightly widen. “Did he just… say ‘thanks’?”
“He does,” Victor answers.
“That… unexpected but why I’m not even surprised?” he chuckles.
His friend pauses for a moment before speaking, “Because we all know… we all see the changes in him.”
___
Damian typing on his laptop. His eyes might look like he is focusing on the laptop screen, but his mind wanders off. When he finally gives up, he grunts loudly. He throws his head backwards.
He stares at the ceiling, thinking, why this bothers him so much? Why does the thought of him and her divorce bother him?
Is he getting attached?
Did he…
“No. It’s just… impossible,” he mumbles to himself, rubbing his face with his palms hands.
The living door opens, and a guard appears. “Sir, someone wants to meet you.”
“I’m busy,” he grumbles.
“But sir… he seems eager to meet you,” the guard confronts him.
“Fine. Who?”
“His name is Riccardo Bolenzo,”
When he hears that name, Damian grunts even louder. Now, he doesn’t even have the mood to meet that man. He just wants to be alone right now. But he knew Riccardo wouldn’t leave until he met him.
That man is stubborn.
“Let him in,”
The guard bowed his head. The living room door opens once again, and there he is, Riccardo. He is standing in casual clothes.
“You look grumpy as always, dude,” he grins.
“Don’t call me that. Sit,” Damian glares at him.
Riccardo raises his hand, surrendering. “Geez, you’re really in a bad mood today. I shouldn’t have come today,” he chuckles.
“You shouldn’t and never will,” Damian’s eyes follow his figure to sit at the opposite couch of him.
“What do you want?”
“Chill. I’m coming just to visit you,” he smiles.
Damian shut his eyes try to calm himself down. “If you come here without any urgent or important thing to say, leave now.”
“Is it wrong to meet my old buddy? Come on, I just arrived from my outstation,” Riccardo chuckles and leans forward, putting his elbows on his knees.
“I got no time for your shit, Riccardo,” he said through his gritted teeth. “Leave before I kick you out.”
Riccardo let out a deep sighs. Usually, he will talk back, but he could see Damian seems serious about it. He is really in a bad mood right now. He is about to say something but stops when Melody walks in.
Melody walks in to grab the book that she left on the table. She doesn’t even glance at Damian or say a word. She grabs her book and walks past Damian.
Meanwhile Damian, he just stares at his lap, clenching his fist and looking tense. The door shut closed.
Even Riccardo didn’t know what happened but he could sense something is happened between them.
“What’s wrong with both of you? I can see you guys give each other cold shoulder,” he speaks up.
“Nothing happened. It’s none of your business,” Damian leans on the couch and continues typing on his laptop.
“Leave now,”
He let out a deep sigh. It seems like Damian wants him to leave. He gets up, “Fine. Can I visit you on another day?”
Damian didn’t say anything.
He smiles and shrugs. “I take that as a yes.”
Riccardo is about to leave, but his eyes catch on something. It was a file with the label ‘divorce’. The file is still empty with no paper in it yet. He furrows his eyebrows in confusion.
Would Damian and Melody divorce?
“Well, do you need me to drag you out or you do it yourself?” Damian’s voice snaps him out of his thoughts.
“What? Oh. Yeah… sorry,” he clears his throat.
Before he leaves, he looks at him over his shoulder, “I… I’m not anyone to you anymore but… I just want to remind you of something.”
“Please… don’t destroy something that makes you smile.”
Damian’s finger stops from typing. He stiffed when Riccardo said that. The living room door shut closed as a sign he already leaving. He didn’t know why but Riccardo’s words hit him.
Don’t destroy something that makes him smile.