Chapter 4 Breakthrough

Sabrina thought I was cracking, so her eyes lit up. "Jay, is she about to cry? I knew she couldn't keep up that act for long."

She pulled out her phone and aimed it at me. "Come on, Melanie. Admit defeat on the camera. Admit you're not good enough for Jay, and I'll open the door."

I looked up at her. "Sabrina, are you sure you want to keep going?"

She froze for a moment before sneering derisively. "Are you still threatening me? Melanie, do you think you are still the Ms. Roxen everyone at Harrison Group looks up to? Jay gave you that position, which means he can also take it back."

I slowly straightened up.

"In that case, ask him whether Harrison Group can still take my position back."

Something dark crossed Jay's eyes. "Melanie, what is that supposed to mean?"

I looked at him through the rain. "It means you'd better pray I'll get out of this unscathed tonight. Otherwise, there won't be an engagement banquet at Harrison Group tomorrow, only a reckoning."

The crowd burst out laughing again.

They thought I was bluffing.

Sabrina laughed until she doubled over. "A reckoning? Who are you going to settle accounts with? The Harrison family? Melanie, has the cold got to your brain?"

Jay's face sank. "Enough."

He looked up at me and lowered his voice. "Melanie, don't overestimate yourself. Every project in your hands belongs to Harrison Group in the end. You made those connections you have through Harrison Group's platform. You're nothing without Harrison Group."

I looked at him and felt the last bit of hope in my heart burn to ash. "Fine, Jay. We'll see tomorrow as to which of us is truly nothing once we're apart."

Sabrina hated that look in my eyes. She wanted to see me cry, beg, and lose every shred of dignity in front of everyone.

Sadly for her, I was never going to give her that.

The smile on her face faded bit by bit.

"You're tougher than I thought, Melanie." She handed her umbrella to someone beside her and walked over to the electronic lock herself. "Since you won't admit you're wrong, let's raise the difficulty."

She pressed another button as she spoke.

In that split second, the automatic shades around the conservatory suddenly dropped. Soon, thick black curtains were inching down to cover the glass walls.

As the light was cut off, my breathing fell apart.

Enclosed.

Dark.

The sound of water.

All three pressed down on me at once, and my vision went white.

Sabrina stood outside the door, watching me through the closing gap. "Weren't you going to make us pay? Go ahead. Walk out of there first."

The curtains finished falling, and the conservatory sank into dimness. Only the white light overhead flickered on and off, as if it were broken. The water kept falling, each drop like rain leaking into that old warehouse.

I heard my mother calling me.

"Melanie, crawl toward the exit. Don't look back."

I bit my lower lip hard, and the taste of blood spread through my mouth.

I refused to go down. Not now, at least. Those wretched rats were still outside, waiting to see me disgraced. Jay was still standing there, waiting for me to admit defeat.

I groped my way toward a corner.

A decorative wrought-iron plant stand stood there.

I heaved it up with everything I had and smashed it into the glass door.

The first blow left only a single crack.

The people outside flinched.

"Is she insane?"

"That's shatterproof glass. She'll never break it."

"Melanie, quit thrashing around. Wouldn't it be better for you to admit that you were wrong?"

I didn't stop.

Soon came the second blow, and then a third.

My wrists had gone numb from the shock. I felt a sting as the skin between my thumb and forefinger split open. Blood mixed with the water and dripped onto the floor.

The cracks in the glass grew denser.

Sabrina finally panicked. She slammed the door and shouted, "Melanie, don't do anything crazy! If that glass breaks, you'll get hurt!"

I scoffed. "Are you only now afraid I'll get hurt?"

Her face went pale. She looked back at Jay, saying, "Jay, she's really going to break the door."

Jay's brows were furrowed as he barked, "Melanie, stop. You're only making this uglier."

I swung the stand up and brought it down again.

Finally, one corner of the glass door split open with a loud crash.

Cold wind rushed in as I lifted my foot and kicked hard at the crack.