Chapter 6

After dinner, I tidied up and grabbed the leftover rabbit, then headed over to the dumpsters by my building.

A bunch of stray cats had already gathered there. I opened the plastic bag. "Go ahead; it's all fresh."

A few kittens sniffed at the food, took a half-hearted bite, then strolled away like the meat wasn't even good enough for them.

I couldn't help but laugh. Melanie had been pampering these guys a little too well.

Honestly, they were so spoiled, even fresh meat didn't impress them.

Since they were giving me the cold shoulder, I just dumped the meat into the trash and clapped my hands, walking off without looking back.

When I came back to my room, Melanie was already waiting at the door.

"Hey, Ella, I was about to take out the trash anyway. If you give me the leftovers, I can just toss them for you," Melanie offered.

I shook my head, feeling amused.

"No need. I already tried to feed the cats downstairs. Turns out they're way too fussy, so I just tossed the meat in the dumpster," I explained.

Melanie looked a bit let down. "Oh, okay. Well, next time, don't bother doing it yourself. I can take care of it for you."

"No need, Melanie; you've got a baby on the way, remember? It's really not convenient for you," I said, brushing off her offer.

*****

For the next few days, I guarded those leftovers like a hawk, making absolutely sure Melanie never got her hands on them.

I just knew she'd sneak a bite when I wasn't looking and then go around playing the victim, saying I was starving her.

Honestly, with Melanie's track record, I wouldn't put it past her.

Melanie was so hungry that she could barely stand it, but she still insisted on feeding those cats every day. So, she went and picked up another job just to make it work.

Honestly, I had to give it to her; now that was what I called real self-reliance.

Took her long enough to figure it out. If one wanted to show how kind one was, one had to put in the effort oneself, not expect other people to pick up the slack.

As Melanie's belly kept getting bigger, she started going to prenatal check-ups more often.

She and Alaric started spending a lot more time together, and it was clear things were getting serious between them.

One day, Alaric walked Melanie home again. Once inside, the two of them locked eyes.

"Alaric," Melanie called out.

"Hey, Melanie?" Alaric answered.

"Alaric?" Melanie murmured softly, her eyes filled with affection.

Then the two of them shared a long, passionate kiss, wrapped up in each other for what felt like ages. When they finally parted, both were breathless.

Alaric looked at her with genuine worry, pulled out a stack of bills, and said, "You're way too skinny. The ultrasound says the baby's not getting enough nutrition. Here, take this money and get yourself something good to eat."

But the moment Melanie saw the cash, she recoiled like she'd just been provoked.

She snatched the money and practically smacked the bills right across Alaric's face, almost shouting, "What's that supposed to mean? Are you trying to turn our relationship into some kind of transaction?"

Alaric looked stunned. "Melanie, I swear that's not what I meant. I'm just worried the baby isn't getting enough nutrients."

Melanie wiped her tears away, her voice shaky. "I don't want money getting mixed up in our bond. If it does, then our feelings aren't pure anymore."

Alaric quickly apologized, his voice full of regret. "I'm sorry. I didn't think it through. It's all my fault. Yell at me, hit me, whatever—just don't cry, please?"

Melanie pulled Alaric into a tight hug. "Alaric, I really cherish what we have. Please, don't ruin it; don't let anything come between us, okay?"

Alaric's voice trembled with relief. "Thank you for forgiving me, Melanie. I was wrong."

Their hearts found peace again as they melted into another tender, lingering kiss.

I just rolled my eyes and switched off the camera.

After Alaric left, Melanie tracked me down.

"The doctor said the baby needs better nutrition. Come on, spot me some cash. You wouldn't want my kid turning out sickly, would you?" Melanie pressed, her eyes full of expectation.

I looked at her in disbelief. Melanie was seriously shameless.

She literally just threw cash in Alaric's face, putting on her whole strong, independent woman act for show.

And then, not even five minutes later, she showed up, mooching off me like I was some idiot.

I shut her down cold. "You chose to have this baby, so don't expect me to pay for your decisions. If you really care about your health, maybe stop dropping all your cash on cats and actually buy yourself something nutritious."

Melanie's eyes instantly turned red, filling up with tears.

Melanie choked out, "Those stray cats are poor. What's so wrong about helping them?"

I threw up my hands. "Those cats didn't need rescuing before you showed up, you know. So, what's it going to be—are you feeding the cats, or are you taking care of your baby? Pick one."

I didn't lend her a single cent.

In the end, Melanie chose to keep feeding the cats.

Because of that, she got even skinnier—totally unrecognizable compared to her previous life.

And if that wasn't enough, Blaise forced her to give blood again.

It was just another lazy day, and I was wandering aimlessly around the apartment complex when—bam,—out of nowhere, Melanie stumbled out of a shiny black luxury car, looking so pale.

Without missing a beat, she grabbed a suitcase and hurled it onto the pavement with a loud crash. Then she practically spat out, "Tell your boss I don't need his filthy cash."

The suitcase busted open, spilling a big pile of cash all over the ground, and instantly, everyone nearby started gawking at the scene.

A bodyguard dressed in a slick black suit leapt out of the car, scrambling to scoop up the cash. "Okay, I'll let the boss know."

The luxury ride sped off with a deafening roar, leaving the whole crowd totally dumbstruck.

"What the heck just happened? She threw away all that cash like it was nothing. Talk about guts."

"I know her. She's not just pretty. She's got a heart of gold. She's always out here feeding the stray cats."

"Mom, is this like those stories about women who aren't obsessed with money? I want to marry someone like her one day."

"Oh, sweetie, don't be naive; everyone wants money. She's probably holding out for something bigger, and that's all."

Melanie staggered, her face turning even more pale.

Clinging to what little strength she had left, she hurriedly stumbled away from the crowd, desperate to escape.

For the next two months, Melanie was forced to give blood over and over again.

And with almost everything she earned going straight to feeding those cats, she couldn't even afford the most basic supplements for herself.

By the time her pregnancy reached seven and a half months, she was so thin she barely left a shadow—walking as silent as a ghost.

She looked so much older than her age, her face lined with exhaustion.

Even seeing her looking that pathetic, I couldn't bring myself to feel the slightest bit sorry for Melanie.

My time-travel wasn't about me turning into some bleeding-heart martyr.