No one else

"Hello, mother".

Mrs O'Brien removed her hand from Nadia's and pointed at Melissa.

"You... what are you doing here"?

Melissa smiled although it didn't look honest, I just kept looking.

"Oh come on Mother, I had to come see Grandfather since I heard he was hospitalized".

She said looking as though she actually felt bad for the old man.

Mrs. O'Brien could not hide the disdain on her face as she saw the pretentious behavior that Melissa was displaying.

"You went to grandpas room"?

I asked and she looked at me with a belittling eye.

"Are you asking because you did not understand what I just said, or because you are just too dumb"?

She asked with the condescending look she always had on her face whenever she was talking to me.

"Watch your tongue Melissa".

Mother said and began looking at Melissa for a few seconds before grabbing my hand and pulling me away.

"Let's go, she isn't worth the conversation".

Mother said and we left Melissa standing in front of the hospital.

Melissa did not look sad at all about how the conversation had gone. The look on her face showed that she had already accomplished what she wanted to accomplish.

A few minutes after Nadia and Mrs O'Brien left the hospital room, Melissa knocked and walked in with a basket filled with flowers and a smile on her face.

The men in the room looked indifferent seeing her walk into the room. Derrick and Grandpa were smiling just before she walked in and Jason also had a relaxed and happy face but as soon as she walked in, the atmosphere changed completely.

Melissa didn't mind the effect she had on them, as long as she had an effect altogether. She was planning to change their notion of her anyway.

She bowed politely and greeted everyone who was in the room.

"Grandfather, I rushed to see you as soon as I heard you had been hospitalized. I am so sorry about how our conversation went the last time".

She then tried to make an innocent face.

"It seems you all got a wrong idea about me back then. Maybe because of how my father sounded".

Derrick couldn't help it anymore, he began laughing really hard. He was laughing so much that everyone in the room looked at him surprised and confused at the same time.

"I'm... I'm... I'm so sorry... did you just... did you just try to defend yourself with such an innocent face by blaming your father? Hahaha!!!"

Grandpa smiled a little but Mr O'Brien, Jason, and Melissa didn't seem to find it funny at all.

Derrick looked at the people in the room as he tried to stop his laughter.

"Aish!! I guess I'm the only one that finds your innocent face funny".

He then raised both hands as though he was trying to surrender.

"My bad, I apologize. You may continue your speech".

He said and this time, it was not just him, but him and Grandpa that burst into laughter.

"Continue your speech".

Grandpa said amid his laughter.

They laughed for a while before Jason's dad decided to intervene.

"Dad, Derrick, can you both stop? We have a guest. You both are being too rude".

He said and moved closer to Melissa.

"She is here already. At least let us hear what she has to say".

He concluded.

"Did you ask her to come here, father"?

Jason asked in a voice that sounded anything but pleased.

"What are you talking about, of course not".

His dad defended himself. Grandpa noticed that the atmosphere was getting a little too stuffy so he decided to speak.

"Enough, your father is right. Since she is here, we might as well hear what she has to say".

Grandpa said and everyone was finally quiet again.

Melissa tried as much as possible to swallow the humiliation she was feeling at the moment. She felt so embarrassed that she wanted to walk out there and then, but she consoled herself with the fact that she was now sure that she had someone she could win over.

She looked at Grandpa and smiled again.

"I guess I said something wrong again".

She then chuckled and pretended to ruffle her hair gently.

"I apologize, I tend to speak out of turn sometimes. Regardless..."

She moved closer and dropped the flowers on the side stool close to Grandpa's bed.

"Please get better soon".

She said, bowed politely, and walked out.

"Well, one thing is for sure, that family has a clown for a second son".

She said as she walked towards the elevator.

Reminiscing on what had happened earlier, Melissa turned around and looked at Nadia and Mrs O'Brien with a one-sided smile on her face.

"I'll let you have all the attention you want for now. Enjoy it while it lasts because all this... will soon be mine".

She then gave an evil smile that did not stay long before disappearing as she turned and left.

Mrs O'Brien and Nadia soon got back to Grandpa's hospital room.

When we got in, we heard them arguing about something.

"Oh please, she left already. Why are you making a big deal out of it"?

Grandpa said.

"That is the daughter of the prime minister's father. We can't all just shoo her away like she is some fly".

Jason's dad said, obviously trying to defend Melissa. I already knew from day one that he was in support of Melissa. I mean, she isn't just the prime minister's daughter, she is also a very successful woman.

"Honey!!"

Mrs O'Brien yelled and that way when they all noticed our presence.

I stood by the door like I was invisible while Jason's mom went closer to her husband.

"What do you think you are doing? Are you planning on forcing your son into marrying that girl"?

Mr O'Brien tried to explain.

"Honey, listen to me. This isn't Anita, this is Melissa. You know she is a very good girl".

Mrs O'Brien scoffed.

Jason could not stop looking at Nadia as she looked like someone who did not fit in. She looked like she wanted to leave but did not get the courage to do so.

He did not like how she looked and worse, he did not like the side his father was trying to take.

"Enough!!!"

Jason said, shutting everybody up.

"It's Nadia, or no one else".