"It''s bad that you''ve moved out, but you''re now airing our family''s dirtyundry online too? Do you know how furious your father will be when he sees that?! Are you trying to kill me?" Helen eximed. Melody frowned. ''What does she mean, airing their family''s dirtyundry online? Wasn''t the gossip online about me and Thalia?''


    Melody gestured for Lucas to bring the phone from the table over to her.


    "You do know the reason I moved out was because of how you guys treated me, right? Am I the only one at fault here? You can''t just dump all your anger on me because you''re afraid of your husband getting mad. I''m not your punching bag."


    This was a realization that Melody came to muchter.


    In that household, Helen had to endure pressure from both Ethan and Wendy. She did not have any other choice but to transfer her own pressure onto her only controble daughter. As the sole punching bag, she naturally bore all the burdens.


    Melody became the scapegoat that kept their family harmony intact, but she had long grown tired of this kind of life. Thus, on the day she left her family, she actually felt relieved as if she had never been closer to freedom.


    Lucas unlocked the phone and was bombarded with all sorts of entertainment news, but he had not expected that eight out of ten were rted to Melody. He squinted and noticed there was a mention of Melody''s sister, Wendy.


    Lucas held the phone up to Melody.


    Melody nced at it briefly, then became utterly enraged.


    Ignoring the slight pain in her ankle, Melody stood up abruptly. "Aren''t you guys ever going to stop? Is Wendy spreading rumors online


    again? She''s the one who stirr


    things up online! Doesn''t she know I have enough on my te already? You can''t control your precious daughter, so you call me to scold me?!"


    Helen shouted back at her, "How is it a rumor when you''re guilty of the thing people are using you of? Your sister lost her job because of you! If she doesn''t step up to rify things, how will she ever find work in the entertainment industry again?" Melody felt both heartbroken and enraged at her mother''s words. "Is this what you think of me? Do you really believe I''d do those things? Ha, you''ve never believed in me for a moment, have you? Wendy isn''t your


    biological daughter, yet you


    rather


    believe her words over mine! Please, don''t ever call me again!"


    Melody shouted until her voice cracked, then there was silence on the other end of the phone.


    Feeling utterly defeated, Melody sank back onto the couch, burying her head in her hands, unsure of how to face it all.


    Lucas immediately felt a surge of sympathy and gently lifted her injured foot onto hisp. He carefully examined it.


    Only when she felt Lucas'' touch did Melody finallye back to her senses.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    "It''s okay. I''m used to all this. It''s like I''m just some random child they''ve found in the dumpster. Since the day I moved out, I''ve epted this reality. Neither you nor anyone from the Sander family should call me anymore."


    After hanging up, Melody quickly covered her eyes, her lips quivering downward, tears streaming down her face.


    Lucas immediately hugged her, having deduced a thing or two from Melody''s reaction just now. He would not have signed a contract with Melody either if it were not for a family that only seemed to drag her down and did not believe in her.