Melody Strikes Back by Myra Walker

“I’ve learned my lesson, I swear I’ll change!” Mabel vowed. 

Maria sighed, her eyes filled with conflicting emotions. “Melody, we’re all family. About yesterday.” 

“Yesterday is water under the bridge, Grandma. I promise, Mabel and I are gonna get along just fine, Melody responded with a sweet smile that somehow seemed to deepen Maria’s discomfort. 

Just as they were speaking, the car arrived. Maria brushed aside her mixed feelings. There’s your ride. Don’t forget, you 

need to be back by eleven. 

“Got it, Grandma, Melody replied, giving her a reassuring wave before slipping into the car. Mabel slid in right after her. 

As soon as Mabel ducked into the car, she snootily said to Melody, “Don’t think for a second you’ve won Grandma over. She still favors me, no matter what. And sitting next to you, looking like that? It’s a freaking curse!” 

With that, Mabel made a beeline for the front passenger seat, leaving Melody alone in the back. 

Melody, unbothered, just closed her eyes and settled in for a nice, peaceful ride. She tuned our Mabel’s petty jabs, 

Mabel, planning her grand entrance at the party, thought to herself, With Wilmot Sherman’s makeup wizardry and my stunning outfit, I’m gonna shine like the star of the show tonight 

In comparison, Melody would be the troll lurking in the shadows next to Mabel’s radiant fairy princess. 

Half an hour later, they arrived at Epoch Plaza. Both sisters stepped out of the car simultaneously 

Mabel, fearing Melody might embarrass her, hurried ahead into the building “Listen up, keep your distance and pretend you don’t know me. I’ll come get you after I’m done with my makeover, then we can look for your dress. Just stay out of my way until then,” she warned before storming off. 

Epoch Plaza was a familiar haunt for Mabel, a place where she was known as a leading socialite. The idea of being seen with Melody, who she considered an eyesore, was mortifying 

“Fine by me.” Melody shrugged nonchalantly and followed at her own leisure. 

Mabel rushed ahead to Wilmot’s shop. Upon arrival, she found worried crowd. She overheard people anxiously asking if the doctor had arrived yet. 

Mabel stopped one of the receptionists and asked, “What’s going on here?” 

Initially reluctant to engage, the staff member recognized Mabel and explained. “Mr. Sherman’s son is very ill. We’ve called. for the building’s emergency doctor and are waiting for him to arrive. 

In fact, Epoch Plaza had a doctor on duty who would only be summoned in the event of a real emergency. 

Realizing Wilmot’s son could be in a dire state, a worried Mabel pushed her way through-the crowd and saw an anxious- looking Wilmot knelt beside a boy on the ground. The boy was drained of all color and looked critically ill. 

Ugh, why does this have to happen now? What am I goona do with my makeup then? Mabel thought with annoyance, eager to get Wilmot to do her makeup as soon as possible. 

Just then, someone burst in and blurted out, “Mr. Sherman, there’s trouble! The on–call doctor is off today.” 

Wilmot’s expression instantly dropped, and he scooped his son into his arms, preparing to dash to the hospital. 

Luckily, Melody happened to be in the right place at the right time – she caught wind of the commotion and took one look 

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at the boy, immediately realizing he was in no shape to be moved around. “Put him down right here, I can take care of him!” Melody said without hesitation. 

Mabel turned around, surprised to see Melody behind her. She thinks she can play doctor! Fat chance, Mabel thought, disdainful of Melody’s offer. 

Before Mabel could say anything, Wilmot’s eyes lit up as he scanned the crowd and asked, “Who said they can help my son?” 

The crowd parted, and Melody stepped forward with a serious expression. Wilmot’s hope dimmed slightly upon seeing just a young woman, barely looking old enough to be out of college, claiming she could help. Yet with his son’s limbs stiffening by the second, he was willing to grasp at any straw 

“Excuse me–let her through,” Wilmot said, stepping aside to let Melody near his son. “Miss, please, check my son. He was fine just moments ago, playing with the dog, and then suddenly he couldn’t breathe.” 

Melody gave Wilmot a reassuring nod and knelt down next to the boy to examine him. 

“It’s a collapsed lung! We need to take care of it right away, or he won’t even make it to the hospital, Melody declared with 

urgency. 

Wilmot was struck dumb by what she said as he knew that was a serious, potentially fatal condition. With concern etched on his face, he asked, “Can you treat him?” 

“Absolutely!” Melody responded firmly, already digging into the medical bag she always had on hand. 

Mabel, however, was not convinced and grabbed Melody’s wrist in panic. “Are you out of your mind? This is a life–or–death situation! Can you even comprehend the responsibility here? What if you make it worse?” 

Wilmot was well–connected within the elite social circles in Silverlake. If Melody got in his black books, Mabel feared the entire Fox family would be dragged down as well. 

“Let go of me!” Melody snapped, frowning with displeasure. Tim trying to save him!” 

“Save him? Who the hell do you think you are?” Mabel retorted, then turned to Wilmot. “Mr. Sherman, don’t be fooled by her. She’s just a country bumpkin without any real training. She never even went to college. let alone medical school Handing your son to her would be like sending him to his grave 

Wilmot was shocked to hear that. He glared at Melody and flemanded, “Is that true! You don’t have any medical knowledge?” 

“No, that’s not true!” Melody said, starting to sweat nervously, “Please, you have to trust me. I can save your son’s life!” 

Time was running out the boy was in critical condition, and Melody only had a few minutes to perform the emergency procedure he needed. 

Wilmot was in a bind, not knowing whose words to believe. 

Mabel pressed on. “Mr. Sherman, don’t listen to her! She’s a nobody from nowhere. If she’s so skilled, why hasn’t she cured. that hideous rash on her own face?” 

Wilmot’s gaze turned to Melody’s face, and when he saw the angry–looking red blotches all over it, he too started to wonder, “Yeah, if she is truly a medical professional, why havn’t she taken care of that herself?” 

“Get out of here! We don’t want your ‘help‘!” Wilmot concluded that Melody was a fraud, and he pushed her aside, causing her to tumble to the ground. 

Just as Wilmot was about to scoop his son into his arms, the boy suddenly started vomiting blood. Horrified, Wilmot cried 

out, “Shane! Oh no, Shane, don’t scare me like this!” 

“There’s no time left!” Melody shouted as she scrambled back to her feet. “If you don’t let me treat him, he’ll die!” 

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Next, she whipped out a thick needle and decisively plunged it into Shane’s chest. 

Wilmot and Mabel were both stunned by Melody’s sudden move. Mabel was quick to recover from the shock, and she began to yell, “Murder! She’s killed him!” 

Shane suddenly started to convulse violently and was foaming at the mouth as well. It was a scary sight. Shortly, his convulsion stopped and his lips turned ghostly white. It seemed he had lost all signs of life. 

Wilmot pushed Melody away and wailed despondently. “Shane! Wake up, Shane!” he cried. 

“Don’t worry. He’ll be fine,” Melody comforted him, even though she was suffering from back pain caused by her fall. 

Mabel was furious that Melody had brazenly attempted to treat the boy, resulting in his death. 

“Fine? He has stopped breathing and you call that fine? Why do you have to disgrace the whole family with your stupidity?” Mabel was on the verge of breaking down. 

If Wilmot ended up holding a grudge, it wouldn’t just be against Melody, but the entire Fox family. Mabel’s reputation in Silverlake’s high society circles was hanging by a thread. 

Wilmot’s grief–stricken wailing was cut short by Mabel’s furious ranting. Snapping out of his sorrow, he lunged at Melody grabbing her by the neck and tackling her to the floor. “You killed my son!” he screamed, his bloodshot eyes burning with rage. “You’ll pay with your life!” 

Melody tried to explain herself, but Wilmot’s hands were clamped tightly around her throat, choking off her words. She thrasfied and struggled violently, desperate to free herself from his strangling grip, but he only squeezed harder in response 

Melody’s face flushed red, then started to turn blue as her oxygen was cut off. She could feel her consciousness slipping 

away.. 

Just then… 

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