ENCHANTED LOVE, VOLUME 3 - Season 11 Episode 86

Melissa neglected Sheryl. Turning to the other side, she tucked herself in and went back to sleep. Since Sheryl was on the other side of the bed, she couldn’t see the triumphant smile on the old lady’s lips as she closed her eyes.

This was just the beginning. Melissa had already made plans to make the couple sleep in different rooms from this very night.

Noticing that Melissa went to sleep, Sheryl didn’t say anything more. She lay down on the bed quietly and tried to sleep.

Melissa didn’t have any nightmares that night. Charles got up early and freshened up. Worried about Melissa’s condition, he hurried out of the room in an attempt to check on her. No sooner had he reached her room than he saw his wife open the door slowly.

“Why are you awake so early? How did you sleep?” Charles whispered to her as he glanced inside the room. Noticing that Melissa was still asleep with a serene look on her face, he closed the door gently and pulled Sheryl to their room on tiptoes.

“Not bad. It was a bit odd since I’ve never slept with her before.” Sheryl blurted out her true feelings. But she decided to not complain to him about Melissa’s indifferent attitude towards her.

“I know. I’ve called the doctor. He will be here soon. Once she gets better, you don’t have to keep her company every night,” Charles comforted her.

Sheryl smiled at him silently. She was lucky to have a caring husband like him. Even though Melissa was hostile to her, she was willing to do anything to please her for Charles’ sake.

Moments after Sheryl had left the room, Melissa woke up. She got out of bed and headed for the bathroom. As she walked past her son’s room, she saw that the door was slightly open. She halted and peeked though the slit. Charles and Sheryl were whispering to each other intimately. She couldn’t overhear their conversation, but the sight of their intimacy got on her nerves.

“Ouch!” she screeched deliberately. Her voice was so loud that Nancy, who was setting the table downstairs, heard it.

With a rattled expression, the maid ran upstairs in a flash. When she reached the top of the stairs, she saw Melissa slouching over, covering her stomach. Worriedly, she asked, “What’s the matter, Mrs. Taylor?”

Melissa swiftly cast her a threatening stare, and Nancy backed off. The baffled maid stood still, and her leg froze in midair on the stairs. She was at a loss.

“Are you all right, Mom?” Charles asked anxiously, rushing towards Melissa. Charles and Sheryl hadn’t noticed Melissa’s angry stare since they had been in their bedroom when Nancy had shown up.

“My stomach hurts, Charles,” Melissa replied weakly, feigning to grimace in pain.

“What? Did you eat something out of ordinary?” Charles gently held her in his arms.

Melissa was touched that Charles cared so much about her, and her heart was filled with joy. She lifted her head, gave Sheryl a momentary glance, and continued to pretend to look uncomfortable. She replied, “No, I didn’t. I probably caught a cold last night. I want to go to the bathroom. Could you give me a hand, Sher?”

“Of course, Mom. I will escort you,” Sheryl agreed immediately. Charles left his mother unto Sheryl’s care. She held Melissa’s arm and took her to the bathroom.

Watching the anxious Charles, Nancy opened her mouth to speak to him. She attempted to say something, but held it back.

Charles was so focused on his sick mother that he didn’t notice the changes in Nancy’s expressions.

It took Melissa and Sheryl a while to leave the bathroom. When they came out, they saw Charles standing in the corridor with the doctor.

“How are you feeling, Mrs. Taylor? I’m here to check on you,” the doctor addressed respectfully.

“Let’s go to my room,” Melissa proposed. Melissa had butterflies in her stomach due to her untold tension. She was afraid that the doctor would see through her fake illness and expose it to her son. At last she said, “Sher, Charles, why don’t you go have breakfast? You two might get delayed for work.”

“That’s okay, Mom. You’re our priority. We need to figure out what’s wrong with your health,” Charles said, transfixing his eyes on his mother. He noticed that Melissa was treating Sheryl better than the day before. She had even allowed her to lead her to the bathroom. And more importantly, she didn’t ignore her anymore.

Sheryl also found Melissa’s behavior strange, but for a different reason. When they were in the bathroom, Melissa had paid no attention to her, pretending like she was not even there. But now, she was being nice to her again. However, she didn’t have time to dwell on the matter because the doctor had already followed Melissa and Charles into the room. She joined them quickly. The young couple settled the ‘patient’ onto the bed and Charles tucked his mother in carefully.

“Doctor, please go ahead. Other than the symptoms I told you during our last call, she probably has stomach problems as well. I think it would be better to give her a full check-up,” Charles urged the doctor in a worried tone. “Don’t worry, Mr. Taylor. Let me check on her first,” the doctor nodded with a reassuring smile.

Melissa turned pale. Sheryl and Charles thought she was still being tormented by the stomach pain. “Are you all right?” they asked in unison.

“I am fine. Don’t forget that we have a doctor here,” Melissa replied with feigned composure. She looked up at the doctor, and he met her gaze. The doctor didn’t read much into his patient’s complicated expression.

Sheryl and Charles couldn’t read Melissa’s mind either.

They kept their eyes fixed on the doctor. He took out the medical kit and started to check on her.
“That’s strange,” the doctor uttered with a frown as he finished the primary examination. “What’s wrong?” Charles asked, anxiously. He felt his heart in his throat. When he saw the doctor’s scowl, he was overwhelmed with fear. “There’s no need to panic. Mrs. Taylor is not in any serious threat as you imagined,” the doctor replied patiently.

“Not serious? Are you kidding? If that was the case, then why hasn’t she been able to sleep at all?” Charles fumed.

‘I saw how scared and helpless she looked last night. How could he say that it’s nothing serious?’ he thought.

“Take it easy, Mr. Taylor. From my primary observation, Mrs. Taylor isn’t sick. Well, she isn’t physically sick. If what you said is true and she hasn’t been getting proper sleep, then we need to deal with this differently,” he explained in a calm tone.

“What do you mean?” Charles asked with knitted brows. He was angry at the doctor’s irresponsible statement, but he was more concerned about his mother’s well-being. “Mrs. Taylor seems completely normal. But if she has been having nightmares for years, it means that she has been under a lot of pressure and it has caused some psychological damage in her. If she is suffering from mental impairments, it will be difficult to work out a treatment right now,” the doctor analyzed frankly.

Melissa’s worries vanished promptly, and a small smile crept onto her thin lips.

On the other hand, Charles’ and Sheryl’s hearts grew heavy. They let their imagination run wild and pictured Melissa’s miserable life in prison. Charles frowned and asked desperately, “What if she does have some mental impairments? Is there any medication?”

“Mr. Taylor, with all due respect, there is no solid treatment for this. But luckily, these symptoms have appeared before it’s too late. The patient shouldn’t be exposed to heavy mental pressure. You should avoid getting on her nerves or displeasing her. If that doesn’t work, you’ll need to take her to a psychiatrist.”