Melinda slipped out of bed quietly and checked her phone, nearly having a heart attack.
It was 10:20!
No way she was making it to work now!
She debated calling Delilah. She couldn't just skip work because she was with Raymond!
She'd definitely get her pay docked!
Melinda quickly called Delilah to check in. "Ms. Lewis, I'm so sorry! I overslept."
"Sorry for what?" Delilah's voice came through. "What happened?"
"Didn't Sam get hurt yesterday? He didn't go to daycare today, so I overslept," Melinda quickly made up an excuse.
"Oh, I see!" Delilah sounded surprised. "You're not out with Mr. Thomas, are you?"
"Of course not!" Melinda coughed nervously. "Ms. Lewis, you're too nosy."
Delilah laughed on the other end. "You didn't do anything with Mr. Thomas last night, did you?"
"No, no!" Melinda quickly interrupted, her face turning bright red. "I have to go!"
She opened her phone to find a dozen messages and missed calls, all from Kathy.
Her phone had been on silent last night, and she hadn't expected to miss so many calls.
She opened the messages: [Ms. Sharp, pick up your phone!]
[You have no idea, the news about you and Mr. Thomas is all over the internet!]
[Everyone knows you're dating Mr. Thomas. Were you with him last night?]
[Congratulations, Ms. Sharp.]
Panicking, she called Kathy back.
"Hello? Kathy."
As soon as the call connected, Kathy started talking a mile a minute.
"Ms. Sharp, where are you? Are you with Mr. Thomas?"
Melinda felt like she was going crazy. She forced a laugh. "No!"
"Ms. Sharp, don't bother explaining. We all saw you and Mr. Thomas kissing!"
Melinda's mind went blank for a few seconds. "You saw what?"
Could someone have taken pictures of her and Raymond at the restaurant last night?
"Ms. Sharp, check the news. The whole world knows you're dating. The photos of you two kissing were taken by a reporter and are all over the internet!"
Melinda's phone slipped from her hand and fell to the floor. Her mind was a complete blank. The reporters had caught them?
"I have to go!" Melinda quickly hung up on Kathy.
She opened the internet and saw the headlines. One caught her eye.
With trembling hands, Melinda clicked on it and covered her mouth, her mind racing.
The photo showed her and Raymond close together, with Raymond nuzzling her neck, and they were clearly about to kiss.
Melinda wanted to die. She was on the verge of a breakdown. How could this happen?
Her mind was a mess.
She thought about Delilah and Connie's missed calls, her ears burning with shame.
Oh my God! She wanted to disappear, right now.
There was no denying it now. Even God wouldn't believe her.
Melinda took a few deep breaths. Since it had already happened, what else could she do but accept it?
Just then, her phone rang again. It was Connie.
She took a deep breath and answered, "Hi, Mom."
Connie laughed on the other end. "Melinda, I saw the news about you and Mr. Thomas. Why didn't you tell me you were together?"
Melinda felt it would be unfair to Raymond if she didn't admit it to her mom.
"Yes, we just started dating."
Melinda shyly admitted, not expecting her first confession to be to her mother.
"You have good taste. The Thomas family is quite a catch." Connie's voice was filled with excitement, something she probably never dreamed of.
"Alright, I wish you both the best. Take care." Connie hung up, clearly overjoyed.
Melinda let out a long sigh of relief, just about to put her phone away when a male voice startled her from behind. "Admitting our relationship?"
She turned quickly to see Raymond standing there in a bathrobe, his chest partially exposed, thankfully wearing shorts.
He crossed his arms, leaning against the doorframe, his deep eyes twinkling with amusement.
Melinda was about to speak when Raymond was suddenly in front of her, taking her phone. "Hold it properly, don't drop it."
Seeing him joke at a time like this, Melinda couldn't help but relax a bit.
Before she could fully exhale, he placed his hands on her shoulders, leaning in with a gentle, affectionate gaze. "Melinda, you meant what you said, right? No backing out?"
His sudden confession left Melinda stunned. She stammered, "I... I won't."
Who would joke about their reputation, especially now that everyone knew?
Her seemingly simple confession made Raymond very happy.
Raymond's lips curled into a pleased smile, his eyes filled with tenderness. "I love you."
"I... I love you too!" Melinda's face turned bright red at his straightforward declaration.
His unexpected "I love you" made her heart flutter.
He looked at her with deep affection, his gaze tender.
"The whole world knows now," Melinda couldn't help but say.
Raymond hugged her from the side, seriously saying, "Don't worry, I'm here. If you don't like it, I'll have it all taken down."
Whether it was taken down or not didn't matter anymore. Everyone who needed to know already knew.
Melinda thought, it's been hours, dealing with it now wouldn't change anything. Raymond's casual words made her feel oddly dismissed.
"Forget it, just leave it," Melinda said. "But the photos are pretty good, they made me look nice."
Raymond's lips curved into a smile. "You're sure you don't want to pursue it?"
The news had been out for so long, what was the point of pursuing it now?
Melinda shrugged, not answering.
Raymond laughed meaningfully.
His teasing successfully made Melinda laugh.
She turned her back to him, her eyes crinkling with amusement. "I never go back on my word, unless you leave me first."
"I won't leave you." Raymond hugged her slender waist from behind, nuzzling her neck affectionately. "You'll see my sincerity."
His warm breath on her neck made her feel ticklish.
Melinda shrank her neck. Even though they were dating, it felt like a secret affair.
But considering Raymond's status and his caution, she understood.
On the other hand, he was so considerate, making Melinda feel he was more than just a good boyfriend.
The next morning, after dropping her child off at daycare, she walked into the lab's break room, where everyone looked at her with envy and jealousy.
Finally, they had witnessed Mr. Thomas and Melinda's relationship, a piece of news that would boost the lab's reputation.
Celestia didn't come to work, and Tenley was furious, scolding several assistants. She was frustrated, having tried everything to get Melinda out of the lab.
Now, even if Melinda left, she'd become her boss, Raymond's fiancée.
Her status was something Tenley could never reach. While Tenley was still striving for a promotion, Melinda had already snagged Raymond, becoming the ultimate winner.
Celestia was in her apartment, shaking with anger at the news. She was convinced Melinda had seduced Raymond, causing this media frenzy.