Melinda: fidgets, voice shaky "He forced me, ya know? Him 'n her. Just... can't take it anymore."
takes a deep breath, tears welling up in her eyes "I don't know what to do, Graham. I'm scared for their safety, but I can't turn my back on them."
grabs her hand. tugs her away from the edge of the garden your emotions are gonna lead you off a cliff if you don't have a care.
sniffs, wipes away tears "I know, I know... It's just so complicated. But I can't ignore their pleas for help.
wipes her tears away did he hurt you?
swallows hard, voice trembling "N-no, he never laid a hand on me... physically. But emotionally... it's been a living nightmare."
looks at her face It’s okay to feel overwhelmed, Melinda. You've been through a lot. If you want to talk about it, I'm here for you.
bites her lip, hesitates for a moment before speaking softly "I... I don't know if I can trust you anymore, Graham.
nervously fidgets with her hands "Start over? But how? How can I believe anything you say when everything I thought was a lie?"
takes a step back, eyes searching Graham's face for any sign of deceit "Prove it. Show me that you're sincere about wanting to make things right."
look. I can’t change the past. I can only focus on now
narrows her eyes, voice filled with determination "Fine. I'll give you a chance, but you have to prove yourself.
crosses her arms, voice firm "First things first, I need some space. I can't just drop everything and forget about my own life."
starts packing her belongings, speaking briskly "I need time to figure out who I am outside of this toxic relationship.
Melinda takes some time to focus on herself and heal from the emotional turmoil caused by her ex-husband and his sister-in-law.