Madeline asked curiously, only to find a bitter smile on his gentle features.“Do you know how I became an amateur artist?” Ryan asked.Madeline shook her head and smiled. “Do tell.”Ryan turned to look at Madeline. “You made me who I am today.”“Me?” Madeline was confused as Ryan began to tell her what happened years ago.Back then, Madeline had just graduated high school. It was the summer break before university started.Madeline had found a part-time job at a dessert shop, and when she walked out one day, she found an art stall by the road.At that point in time, Madeline had not begun to pursue jewelry designing just yet, but art was something that piqued her interest. Walking over, she found the artworks rather interesting.As such, she picked one up to take a look. Just then, a boy came over to ask calmly, “Do you want it?”She was shocked, but the boy continued before she could reply, “Just pay however much you think it’s worth.”“...” Madeline was still an innocent
It had been an entire month and Madeline did not know where Jeremy was. She heard from Fabian that Yorick had given Lana a scolding and she was back in F Country now. Still, how could a scolding be the end to the things Lana had done?Madeline had not forgotten her parents’ tragic end.While Lana spent the month in F Country mingling with her ‘bosom friends’, they would sometimes ask her about the woman with the name of Eveline Montgomery who she had knelt and apologized to. Whenever Eveline’s name was brought up, Lana would be ashamed of herself.No one had dared to make fun of her ever since she was born, yet now she was everyone’s laughing stock!Lana did not want to stay in F Country anymore. Everywhere she went, it felt as if everyone around her knew of how she had knelt by Eveline’s feet to apologize.The more Lana thought about it, the angrier she felt. Without telling Yorick or Fabian, Lana secretly returned to Glendale.Upon her return, the first thing she did was ask
Lana thought she misheard him, but she watched clearly as Jeremy’s pretty thin lips parted to speak. “Cigarette.”Cigarette.He had come to ask her for a cigarette.Lana’s eyes shone, the franticness within them vanishing at that moment.She chuckled to herself. Not even the most determined man would be able to survive the torture of poison slowly killing them from the inside.Lana walked toward him to smile appreciatively at his slightly hollowed features.“I can give you the cigarette if you want, Jeremy, but you must willingly become mine.” Lana gave her requirement as she stared at Jeremy with desire in her eyes.Jeremy stared at the heinous smile and replied, “Fine.”Lana was elated, staring at him with her intoxicated eyes as she lowered her voice. “If that’s the case, then how about you prove your determination? I’ve gotten a little scared of you since the day you treated me that way because of Eveline. Console me?”Her words heavily hinted at Jeremy, and he understood.
Madeline did not understand but quickly found the news about Jeremy entering a hotel with a short-haired woman in the middle of the night before leaving separately.It had been a month since Madeline received any news of Jeremy. She never expected to receive it in such a way.Others may not recognize her, but Madeline knew that it was Lana with just one look.Madeline felt her vision darken for a while, but she was soon pulled back to reality when Ava called her name through the phone.“Is Jeremy crazy, Maddie? Why would he get together with Lana?” Ava pitied Madeline.Madeline gripped her phone and forced herself to calm down. “We’ve already gotten a divorce, Ava. Who he decides to spend his time with has nothing to do with me.”Madeline hung up nonchalantly despite the shaking in her heart.‘Why, Jeremy? Have you truly gone mad?’Dazed for the entire morning, Madeline only came back to reality when Ryan came to bring her out for lunch.They arrived at that restaurant.Madel
Madeline loosened her balled-up fist and washed her hands nonchalantly.However, Lana walked up to her to provoke her. “Jeremy sure is charming. I’ve never been so happy. Now I understand why you used such lowly methods to get him to marry you.“But we’re not the same, Eveline. I didn’t do anything at all. Jeremy was the one who came to me instead.”Proud of herself, Lana turned it up a notch with the taunts when she saw Madeline’s lack of response. “Do you think I’m joking, Eveline? You can go and take a look if you want. Jeremy still has the mark I bit on his shoulder last night! Haha… Ugh?” Lana laughed freely, never having expected Madeline to reach out and grab her neck with a domineering look in her eyes.“There’s a limit to my tolerance, Lana Johnson. For my kids, perhaps I can still maintain a shred of rationality, but there’s no limit to the things that I can do if you completely piss me off. You’ll stop bragging in front of me if you know what’s good for you.”Madeline
Guessing what had happened, he quickly placed the menu down and ran after Madeline.Standing in an empty corner in the underground car park, Madeline trembled and shook as her heart ached with no sign of relief.Watching Madeline try and suppress her feelings alone in the corner, Ryan quickly made his way over. Seeing her agony, Ryan reached out for her. “If it’s too much, you can always choose to lean on my shoulders. I may not be the person you want to rely on the most, but I think I qualify enough as an escape.” Madeline slowly looked up to stare at the gentle features in front of her as her tears began to fall.Ryan took a step forward and opened his arms to pull Madeline into his chest. Jeremy watched the scene from afar and felt his heart clench as pain consumed it. Yet another uncomfortable feeling within his body reminded him that giving her away was the best and only choice he could make. Madeline cried for a long time before her emotions began to calm. Getting
Madeline drove away.Rooted in place, Jeremy waited until Madeline could no longer see him from her rear-view mirror before he let go of his facade. His slender fingers picked up the cigarettes on the ground.These were custom-made cigarettes, a replica of the ones Lana gave him. However, they were not from her. Someone had costumed these for him. They were made with ingredients that would balance the slow-acting poison inside his body. Although, he had to say that they were not very effective.He thought of Madeline’s words. “Not even in your death will I let my heart hurt for you again.” He leaned against his car lifelessly, his peach blossom eyes staring dimly at the ground. ‘That day might just come sooner than you think, Linnie… ‘But I sincerely hope that you would have completely given up on me by then so that at least you won’t be hurt by it.’Leaving April Hill, Madeline had no idea what mindset she was in as she drove away.Passing an intersection, Madeline had not
Eve’s heart lurched, but she made sure to keep her expression disdainful. “Why would I be afraid of her? She can fire me if she wants, but I can still ask her to pay me five times my salary as compensation!”She got up and rolled her eyes, crossing her arms as well. “Not to mention that I’m our department’s representative with the press for every year’s annual charity gala. I’m in charge of an important segment. I’m also the only one who can do the segment. So no, I don’t think you-know-who would have the guts to fire me.”‘You-know-who’ obviously referred to Madeline.Eve’s expression turned arrogant at the mention of the annual charity gala. “Not even Mrs. Montgomery made me leave back then, so who is Eveline to do so? Does she really think that she’s the president just because she has taken over the company? You guys might not know this, but she used to be an inmate…”Eve lowered her tone slightly as the female colleagues in front of her widened their eyes. In the midst of liste