Melissa could barely hide her shock, her voice a mix of dismay and urgency. "Mr. Waston!"

Overwhelmed by the weight of the conversation, Melissa couldn't suppress her outrage. "Don't you think that's too cruel to her?"

Albert's silence stretched painfully long.

Just as Melissa thought he wouldn't respond, he finally said, “Perhaps this is for the best."

With that, he ended the call, leaving Melissa standing alone, grappling with the harshness of the situation.

Reflecting on the cruelty of Albert's decision-to marry another for the sake of consolidating his position within the company-Melissa's sympathy for Jessie deepened. It was a stark reminder of the ruthlessness that sometimes lay behind the facades people maintained.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she noticed Jessie on the staircase, her expression eerily calm and devoid of the turmoil Melissa had expected.

"Jessie?"

Melissa's voice was tinged with concern, her body frozen, unsure how to approach her.

Jessie, however, seemed to have arrived at a serene acceptance.

“Thank you for making that call, Melissa. But there's no need to plead with that man on my behalf," she said, her tone light but firm.

"So, he's chosen to marry on the same day, hasn't he?"

Melissa was at a loss, unsure of what to say.

With a dismissive flip of her hair and a carefree smile, Jessie declared, "Don't worry about me. I've made up my mind. I'm going to live for myself from now on. The engagement is off."

Jessie's voice, shaky and raw, broke through the tense silence. "I'm going to Heron."

"Jessie," Melissa began, her voice trailing off into uncertainty, unsure of how to articulate her swirling thoughts.

With a resigned yet defiant smile, Jessie assured her, “Don't worry.

I have no intentions of causing a scene at his wedding. I just need to see it for myself-close this chapter, so to speak. After that, even if Albert were to beg for my forgiveness someday, I wouldn't spare him a second glance."

Her voice softened, vulnerable. "Would you... could you come with me, Melissa?"

It was clear, in that moment, that Melissa was Jessie's anchor in the storm.