Chapter ten.

Max Xanderson, Chloe and her daughter got back to Melissa's home.

"What is this supposed to be?"

Max Xanderson immediately asked as he alighted from the vehicle, his face was laced with confusion and bewilderment as he stared at the house.

"What is it?... Don't tell me you are ashamed of our home too."

Melissa Stevens asked as she pressed the doorbell of the discoloured iron door.

"What happened…I thought I had told…"

Max Xanderson immediately realized that he was about to blurt out who he really was, he paused and stared at Melissa and the shabby place she now called home.

"You thought what Max?"

"Ever since you disappeared into thin air, did you ever care about how we had been surviving?"

Melissa Stevens immediately asked, her voice was laced with a mixture of anger and frustration as she stared at Max who had a rather shocking face as he saw the slum Melissa's family was now living in.

"If you think our house isn't good enough for you, you could as well not come in."

Melissa Stevens further continued now holding Chloe Maxwell closer to her.

Max Xanderson immediately understood that Melissa Stevens had misunderstood his reaction upon seeing the dumpster of a house.

He had sent some of his secret loyalists to aid out his wife's family while he was away in the Military, apparently, they didn't or something else happened.

"Melissa…it's not what you think…"

"It's not about your home…it's just why all this suffering?"

"We used to live in a better house than this before I left, what really happened here?"

"I will tell you what happened, you animal!"

The cold and detached voice of an older woman came through the door as it was opened.

"What are you doing back here?"

"I thought you had decided to finally let go of my daughter, you dirty gold digger."

The voice of Mrs Sophia Stevens was laced with anger and disdain as she stared into the eyes of Max Xanderson.

"Mom, just calm…"

Max Xanderson was interrupted immediately as Mrs Sophia Stevens ran back into the house with great speed.

Moments later she raced out with a knife and threatened to stab Max Xanderson.

"Mom!!!"

"What are you trying to do?"

Melissa Stevens yelled as she held her mom back.

"Melissa, leave me, let me teach this gold digger a lesson!"

"This animal is the reason why I'm a widow today.

"If he hadn't impregnated you and left and went to only God knows where, your dad wouldn't have died trying to save Chloe from that car accident."

Mrs Sophia vented, her eyes were laced with tears as she stared at Melissa and her granddaughter, Chloe Maxwell.

Max Xanderson stared askance at Melissa and Mrs Sophia, his countenance changed from surprise to gloomy.

"Wait…Mr Walter is dead?"

Max Xanderson immediately asked, his eyebrows furrowed in bewilderment as he plopped onto the dirty pavement not minding his cream-coloured trousers and held his head with his hands.

"When and how did it even happen?"

Max Xanderson asked as he stared into the muddy waters in front of Melissa's slummy home.

"It was after you had left, that I found out that I was pregnant for you, obviously."

Melissa Stevens said her voice was a bit quaky as though she was trying to hide something, but she managed to get her composure back together.

"3 years after little Chloe's birth, My dad was walking Chloe down the road when an unknown driver dashed into the street, as he was almost about to hit Chloe, My dad had to jump in and save her."

Melissa Stevens explained as she dabbed tears off her eyes with the hem of her gown.

"The driver? Did anyone identify the b*stard that did this?"

Melissa Stevens stared at her mom who was still gazing disdainfully at Max Xanderson and turned and shook her head in disapproval.

"No one knows who my dad's killer was."

"My mom and I had tried everything possible even with the Westerville police department, and nothing."

"But we believe it was planned."

Melissa Stevens continued, her voice was barely above whispers.

"Melissa, Mom, I promise I will find that b*stard and…"

"And do what?"

"Tell me and do what?"

"What can you do?"

"You don't have any influence, no one knows you, how do you possibly think that you can find that man?"

"Obviously the reason you came back from wherever you ran to is to complete the ruining you did to my daughter."

"You are an ingrate and a low life and you deserve nothing but curses."

"I really wished my daughter Melissa hadn't gone ahead to save you from that river, her selfless actions are the results of all this suffering we are going through right now."

Mrs Sophia Stevens couldn't hold back anymore as she continued venting her anger.

"Grandma, it's okay, daddy has promised to fix everything."

The little voice of Chloe Maxwell broke through but was by no chance able to calm Mrs Sophia Stevens down.

"Mrs Sophia Stevens I will fix all these problems just hear me out and let me help you."

Max Xanderson added, but all to no avail.

Just then the phone of Mrs Sophia Stevens rang immediately.

The ringtone was so low that everyone stopped talking immediately.

"Hello, Lady Megan…yeah…Melissa is back."

"What!!!"

Dropping the call immediately, Mrs Sophia Stevens had a gloomy expression all over her face.

"What is it, mom?"

Melissa Stevens asked, her voice laced with trepidation and anxiety.

"Your grandmother said the grand general's wedding has been moved to tomorrow."

"Plus she just ordered the both of us to go to Stevens Fort."

"I hope it's not what I think it is…"