Betrayed By Husband, Stolen By Brother In Law

Chapter 78 - Fish

She could have kicked herself. Just this morning, when she had barely opened her eyes, a nagging voice in the back of her mind had reminded her—trusting Adam was a mistake. After all, that is how she had ended up in this hotel.

And yet, what had she done? She had gone ahead and made the same mistake all over again immediately after breakfast, as if she had learned nothing from past experience.

She had envisioned a peaceful afternoon by the lakeside, maybe stretched out on a lounge chair, sipping something cold while enjoying the gentle breeze. Instead, she found herself standing at the edge of a bustling lakeshore full of water sport activities. Granted, the place was not too crowded but it was definitely not too quiet. There were people trying jet skis, paddle board, etc and she was sure she saw a large inflated water slide in the distance.

"Come on, Melon," Adam said, grinning like a kid in a candy store. "Tell me, what do you want to try out first?"

"There. That." Seeing Melanie point towards the direction of a sun lounger, Adam grabbed her wrist and pulled her along. "Melon, do you want me to change your name to boring Melon? Hmm? Or an old woman? Come with me."

Melon exhaled heavily and pointed toward a sun lounger tucked under a large umbrella. "That one," she said. "I want to go there and lay down like a salted fish."

Adam barely spared the lounger a glance before shaking his head, a wicked grin spreading across his face. "Yeah, no. Not happening, Melon. Come on, don't turn into an old woman. That place is only for old people and kids."

Before she could protest, he grabbed her wrist and began pulling her along.

"Adam—!" she yelped, digging her heels in to stop herself but it made no difference. He was far too determined, and she was far too unwilling to cause an actual scene.

"I didn't kidnap you and bring you all the way out here to be a salted fish, Melon," he said by way of an explanation while guiding her past the line of waiting kayaks, and straight toward the wooden dock.

Her stomach dropped the second she realized where he was taking her. A sleek speedboat bobbed lightly on the water. Oh no.

"Oh yes," Adam said, as if reading her mind. Before she could even think about bolting, he encircled her waist and effortlessly 'helped' her onto the boat. As she wobbled from the sudden shift beneath her feet, he jumped onto the boat as well, making the boat rock even more.

"Adam, I swear—"

"You'll thank me later," he interrupted, still grinning. He motioned to the driver, who wasted no time starting the engine. The motor roared to life and speeded towards whatever direction Adam seemed to have decided.

The wind rushed past her, whipping her hair into her face along with droplets of water as they sped across the lake.

"This is the worst!" she shouted over the engine.

"This is the best!" Adam shot back, laughing.

Melanie gritted her teeth, clinging onto the small handle for dear life as the boat continued to bounce under her. And once again, accepted her fate—laying around like a salted fish was officially out of the question. Now she could only wish that the ordeal would come to an end...

However, as they reached the middle of the lake, Melanie forgot all about her irritation. Well, at least here, with the boat slowing down, it was tranquil. She smiled as she noticed a small flock of ducks paddling by. Sigh! This was so much better.

As she started to relax, however, her tormentor was not satisfied. He shook the boat violently, almost causing her to lose her balance and fall into the water. She glared at him," Are you trying to throw me overboard?"

Adam grinned and shook his head," Come on, Melon. Why are you so suspicious of me?Take a look around. This is one of the best spots on the lake. The water is deep and clear, and if you're lucky, you might even see some fish jumping out of the water to greet you. I was trying to attract fish..."

Melanie rolled her eyes, not believing for a minute that a fish would come near them.

But then, without warning, a fish leaped out of the water right beside their boat.

It was a big one—probably the size of her forearm—and it soared through the air in a graceful arc before splashing back down with enough force to send a spray of water right into her face.

Melon gasped as the cold droplets hit her skin. Adam, of course, burst into laughter.

"Well, that was lucky!" he said, wiping a few stray drops from his own face while grinning at her like an idiot. Dam* it! Even the fish were conspiring againt her now! She narrowed her eyes at Adam, who was laughing at her expense and then suddenly smiled.

in a voice as sweet as she could make it, she called out, "Adam?"

He blinked even as he looked at her suspiciously. "Yeah?"

Her hand, which she had dipped in the water, reached up and flicked a handful of water straight into his face.

"Hey!" He sputtered, shaking his head like a wet dog while Melanie grinned. "Now this is what I call fun!"

Adam wiped his face with his sleeve, still grinning. "Ha! Just for this I might really dunk you into the water!"

She eyed him warily. "Don't you dare..." Even as she warned him, he was already closing in as he said, " Ever tried swimming in the middle of a lake..."

"Adam..."

He laughed," Come on, Melon! Where is your sense of adventure?"

"At the sun lounger." Melanie answered seriously as she slid towards the other side of the seat, wary of being pushed into the water.

Thankfully, he did not throw her into the water, as the driver spoke up, " We need to go to the shore."

She sighed. Yes. Yes. It was better to go to the shore... But she had a feeling that things would not be so simple...