Melody Strikes Back by Myra Walker

Melody’s visit to Herbathrive was not for Margaret Swanson, but for her own dignity, 

However, David Chen shook his head and said, “The boss isn’t here. She’s gone to Myanmar to procure herbs and won’t be back for at least a week.” 

“A week…” Melody murmured. 

A week would be just enough time for Margaret’s situation to be settled. Perfect. 

She nodded and said, “I see. I’d like to ask you for a favor, Could you get in touch with me when your boss gets back!” 

“Of course!” David agreed, but then he couldn’t help but ask, “What do you need my boss for?” 

Melody simply replied, “It’s not about you. If you don’t say a worl, no one will know you mixed up the herbs.” 

Melody’s words reassured David. He shook his head sheepishly and said, “Sorry… I was just so scared. I’ve always dreamed of becoming a skilled traditional medicine practitioner, and if I got kicked out of Herbathrive, my dreams would be crushed…” 

Melody gave a sympathetic nod. This kid clearly had a real passion for traditional medicine. 

He didn’t have any formal education, nor could his family afford to put him through a proper traditional medicine program. Working at Herbaihrive was his only viable option for the time being. 

After a brief pause, Melody decided to be upfront with David. In actually here to buy some herbs from your boss, some… very rare ones. Your staff probably aren’t authorized to sell them, right?” 

David’s eyes widened in surprise. He nodded. Yeah, that’s right, We keep the high–quality stuff elsewhere. We don’t have access to it either, But how did you know that? It’s your first time buying from our store, isn’t it?” 

“You don’t need to know that.” Melody affirmed. 

David refrained from asking any more questions. All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

After exchanging contact details, Melody said her goodbyes and left. 

David watched as Melody walked away, puzzled. 

He had a feeling that this young woman knew much more about Herbathrive than even he did. 

After leaving Herbathrive, Melody made her way to the mall. 

It was the same mall that the store Wilmot Sherman had given her was located. Melody told the driver not to wait up for her after she got out of the car, and that she would take a taxi back later. 

Yolanda Fox snatched the contract for Wilmot’s store from her hands. She would settle the score with her today. 

As she waited for the contract to return to its rightful owner, she thought, “Yolanda’s expression would be quite amusing, wouldn’t it?” 

However, the driver insisted, “Mr. Fox said I must ensure that you reach home safely before I can leave. Your safety is now Mrs. Fox’s safety. Please excuse the inconvenience.” 

Melody reluctantly agreed. 

It was better to have a driver on standby anyway. Open confrontations were easier to deal with than hidden threats. Who knew when Astrid Swanson would lose her mind and take the chance to kill her? 

“Then please, wait for me here. I’ll be back soon,” she said. 

“Of course, Miss Fox, the driver replied respectfully, opening the car door for her. 

As soon as she stepped out of the car, the chilly air enveloped her. Melody clutched her jacket and briskly entered the mall, making a beeline for Wilmot’s salon. 

Wilmot had five outlets in Silverlake. Recognizing that Melody was rather young and inexperienced, he figured she would have trouble managing them all at once, and so he made it a point to drop by whenever he had the time. 

Just as Melody had arrived, Wilmot was finishing up a lesson with an apprentice. 

“Miss Fox!” Wilmot exclaimed as soon as he saw Melody, rushing forward to greet her. 

Melody returned the greeting and asked, “How’s your little one doing? 

“Thanks to you, he’s all better now, The doctor said he’ll be out of the hospital in two weeks so he can finally go back to school You’re our savior!” Wilmot said. He was just about to kneel before Melody. 

Melody quickly helped Wilmot up 

“You don’t need to do that. I’m medically trained, and it was just a coincidence. Besides, haven’t you already given me enough? You’ve already gifted me this store. 

That’s simply not enough. My son’s life is more important than my own. If you really want, I’m more than happy to offer. you all of my assets” 

“No, it’s really more than enough.” 

“It’s not enough! If you won’t accept anything, please let me at least kneel to express my gratitude…” 

“Please don’t… 

It just so happened that several older, affluent ladies, who had just finished their hair appointments, walked out to witness the scene. 

These ladies, by pure chance, had attended Margaret Swanson’s birthday banquet the previous evening. Witnessing Wilmot kneeling before Melody, they rushed over in surprise, exclaiming. “Mr. Sherman, what on earth are you doing?” 

You see, they had all practically begged Wilmot to style their hair. In spite of that, there had never been any guarantee they’d secure an appointment. 

Seeing Wilmot kneeling for the country bumpkin from the Fox family, they were convinced that Melody was causing trouble for Wilmot. They marched over, looking far from happy 

“Melody, what’s going on here? Are you bullying Mr. Sherman because you think no one’s watching?” 

“Bullying someone in public like this, has your family not taught you any manners?” 

“Country bumpkins like you need to know their place! Your family shouldn’t have brought you back here!” 

The Fox family wasn’t what they used to be; they’ve fallen on hard times. If it weren’t for Mrs. Maria Fox’s support, wouldn’t have even been invited to the Swanson family’s birthday banquet yesterday. 

they 

The Melody Fox who stood before them was nowhere close to meeting their standards. 

They were thinking about how to stand up for Wilmot and how they’d give Melody a good scolding, so they spoke as harshly as possible. 

But immediately, Wilmot rushed to clarify, “No, Miss Fox isn’t bullying me. You’re all mistaken…. 

He quickly explained the situation, and the store assistant chimed in to sing praises, insisting Melody was the best doctor in 

the world. 

When they heard that Wilmot had gifted the store to Melody, the ladies suddenly appeared embarrassed and hurried to make amends. “Miss Fox, we sincerely apologize for the misunderstanding. Please accept our apologies.” 

“I must apologize as well. I’m sorry, Miss Fox. It was my mistake 

If it meant that she could continue getting her hair and makeup done at Wilmot’s salon, saying sorry wasn’t really a big deal. 

Melody shook her head and said, “It’s okay. It really was just a misunderstanding” 

Noticing Melody’s calm demeanor, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Some even took the chance to add her as a contact before happily asking, “Miss Fox, may we consult you for any styling services in the future?” 

Seeing this, Wilmot, who was standing close by, chimed in, “As long as it’s someone you introduce, Miss Fox, I’m at your service, 24/7” 

Hearing this, the ladies‘ eyes lit up with a new respect for Melody 

“Miss Fox, we may need to ask for your help in the future… 

“I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I’m going to have to disappoint you all Melody said apologetically. “As much as Mr. Sherman has gifted me this store, I have given the contract to my stepmother She said I’m too young and know nothing about running a business. So in the future, if you need anything, please speak to my stepmother.” 

After Melody was done speaking, she took a glance at Wilmot. 

Wilmot’s face fell the moment he caught the word “stepmother. His brows furrowed together in a deep frown.