Game Over No Second Chances

Cole didn't stay for long. He rushed out again.

Melissa knew exactly where he was headed-to clean up whatever mess Eric had made this time.

Sarah, meanwhile, was seething with jealousy.

Cole left because Serena had rejected him, didn't he? That had to be it.

Sarah was the one carrying his child. She was the one wearing his engagement ring. So, why did everything he did still revolve around Serena?

If Serena told him to come back, he would come running. If she pushed him away, he would disappear without a word.

Melissa noticed the sour look on Sarah's face. "You got in the way of Cole's work, and you still have the nerve to sulk around here? Who do you think you're putting on that attitude for?"

Sarah shot her a glare. "What? Am I not even allowed to be upset now? You've had a kid before. Don't tell me you don't know what pregnancy hormones do to a

woman.

"Yes, I was a bit bloated and made a scene-but what if all your yelling actually causes a problem with the Larson family's heir? What then? You'd have no one to blame but yourself!"

Melissa's temper flared again, but for once, she held it back. As furious as she was, she didn't want to say something that might really trigger a crisis.

She grabbed her bag and stormed out, snapping at the maids on the way, "I'm done dealing with her! Just make sure that baby stays safe. Give her whatever she wants, and let her act however she wants. I don't want to hear a word about it!"

And with that, she slammed her bedroom door shut.

What she didn't know was that news had already spread-Sarah was staying at the Larson residence during her pregnancy.

The Larson relatives assumed she was being spoiled rotten. One after another, they came to visit and fawn over her.

Some of them, not long ago, had tried to cozy up to Hugh by tearing Sarah down and singing Serena's praises.

Sarah hadn't forgotten a single one of them. Now, suddenly, they were smiling like they were old friends—just because she had earned a position in the Larson family.

Anger brewed in her chest. When those same relatives showed up, she fought back on the spot.

When one relative gushed about how lucky she was compared to Serena, she retorted coldly, "Didn't you use to say I'd never measure up to her? And now I'm the lucky one? How funny. I wonder if blessings from a mouth full of lies even count in heaven's eyes."

The uncle was speechless.

Then, a distant aunt came by, her arms full of gifts-baby clothes in both pink and blue. Sarah glanced over them.

"So, are you trying to curse the

Larson heir into being a girl? Every generation in this family has had a firstborn son. Where exactly do you see a daughter fitting in? If the gift isn't sincere, maybe don't bother."

The aunt huffed and stormed out without another word.

By the time Sarah was done "greeting" everyone, Melissa's front door had nearly

been knocked off its hinges.

The relatives didn't dare confront

Eric, and they wouldn't scream ata pregnant woman, so Melissa became their outlet. In less than a day, the stress sent her straight to the hospital with a high fever.

Even then, she didn't dare breathe a word to Calvin. Cole had already caused enough of a mess. If she added that their new

Vel

daughter-in-law, Sarah, had d

half the family, Calvin might drop dead from rage.

So, she swallowed it all and soldiered on.

But the next morning, Sarah was relentless. She ordered Melissa to fetch things and even demanded limited-edition snacks from specific shops.

Melissa ended up hiring over 20 couriers. By midday, the living room's coffee table was stacked high with desserts and treats.

Her voice was hoarse from talking. She had a fever patch stuck to her forehead

as she said, "Everything's here. Eat whatever you want. I'm going to lie down."

"Aww, don't go just yet," Sarah said.

Watching Melissa look completely run down only made Sarah feel more triumphant.noveldrama

She couldn't beat Serena, and she didn't dare yell at Cole. But Melissa? Melissa was a pushover.

Sarah tossed a half-eaten dessert into the trash and smiled.

"It's getting late. I'm not a fan of the food here. Take me out to eat, will you?"

"Go by yourself..."

"And if something happens to me out there, who'll take the blame?" Sarah asked, blinking innocently.

Melissa clenched her jaw so hard she nearly cracked her teeth. But in the end, she still accompanied Sarah out to dinner, fever patch and all.

Serena watched the whole circus unfold over the past two days and just shook her head.

"She's digging her own grave," she muttered.

Especially with someone like Melissa, who never forgot a grudge.