Trevon was immediately filled with regret. He had promised himself he would not get into another fight with her. Why could he not just hold back?Madeline's hands were balled into fists so tight that her nails were cutting into her flesh, but she did not even wince at the pain."Mr. Gibson, you had really bent over backward for Lydia. I value my own well-being too much. Maybe we should just get a divorce now?" He had just said it in a fit of anger, but was she actually taking him seriously?Trevon's brows knitted together in frustration. "That's not what I was trying to say."Madeline shrugged it off. "Whatever your intentions are, they don't interest me."She handed Trevon the hospital bill. "Just take it out of the 1.5 million dollars from the divorce settlement."Trevon examined the bill, his expression changing as he understood what it was. Looking up, he said, "You checked out because of the bill? The Gibson family can easily cover that. Stay a few more days, rest up properl
It was a while before Daniel came up to Trevon. "Mr. Gibson, Mrs. Gibson caught a cab and left."Madeline had not given Trevon a second glance, nor had she waited for Caleb to offer a ride. She simply hailed a taxi and disappeared into the city. Trevon's eyes briefly met the kimchi noodles then abandoned them in the trash can. His lips tightened, but he remained silent.Sliding into the backseat of the car, he loosened his tie and said, "I need you to dig into my mom's bank transfers from the last three years. Check Madeline's deposits too.""Got it." Daniel asked, "Mr. Gibson, are we heading to the office?"Trevon hesitated, his eyes catching the sign of a noodle shop serving sour beef and cabbage soup. With a reluctant sigh, he decided, "To the office."Tears rolled down Madeline's cheeks as she sat in the back of the cab, unable to stop them. She had always known it was a long shot, hoping for Trevon's love, for a place in the Gibson family. She had given it her all, never allo
Daniel laid out the last three years of Madeline's financial ins and outs."Here's the breakdown of Mrs. Gibson's earnings for the past three years. The hefty chunks came from selling her paintings, mostly during her first year of marriage. Later on, the cash flow was mostly smaller transfers from a buddy named Yeneth, one thousand here, three thousand there. Not big amounts, but they came through pretty often. Other than that, Mrs. Gibson didn't have any other income."So, it was clear as day—Riley had not contributed a dime to Madeline's finances. Madeline's life, which looked good on the surface, was actually funded by her mother's art and her own hustle.Trevon's face was a storm of colors, anger and shock battling for dominance. "Then where the heck did the extra seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars from my account vanish every month!"When he got back in the business saddle, Riley had been siphoning off a cool seven hundred and fifty thousand a month, claiming it was for
Madeline had been swamped with work all day at home. By the time she checked her phone and saw Yeneth's message, night had fallen.Yeneth had sent a screenshot with a ranting voice message. "Can you believe her? Showing off her new ring like it's no big deal, as if she's not worried about being outed as the mistress."The screenshot showed Lydia's latest post. "The salesperson said this ring means 'faithful love.' Mr. Gibson, that's exactly how I feel about you."Accompanying the post was a photo of a ring being slipped onto a finger. The hand placing the ring, Madeline knew instantly, belonged to Trevon. His fingers were long and well-defined, the middle one calloused from years of writing. Madeline responded with an indifferent detachment. "Looks nice. And she's not exactly a mistress, so let's not call her that anymore.""How can you say that? She's totally the mistress. She knew Trevon was married and still got involved. If she's not a mistress, what is she?"Trevon's just a
His response was met with a pillow to the face.Madeline, livid, hurled it straight at him. The blow actually hurt Trevon, who quickly snatched the pillow away and seized Madeline's hand, pinning her to the bed. "Madeline, I'm warning you, stop pushing my buttons!"In doing so, he yanked away the blanket, leaving her completely bare.Madeline was a mix of rage, frustration, and shame, and she broke down crying."Trevon, you're a creep! A jerk! A total loser! Why don't you just drop dead!" She sobbed uncontrollably, her words laced with venom.Trevon felt like his head was about to explode with frustration, unable to focus on Madeline's seductive presence. "Enough," he snapped.Madeline's glare could have cut glass, her tears still falling steadily. His anger dissipated, replaced by a softer tone, "I didn't mean to. How was I to know you'd change without shutting the door?"I've seen it all. It's not like I can gouge my eyes out for you. Or maybe I should strip too, let you have
The next morning, Madeline and Trevon opened their doors at the exact same moment, as if drawn by an unseen force. The instant Madeline laid eyes on him, she let out a derisive snort and averted her gaze.Trevon's jaw tightened with annoyance. She could really get under his skin.There was Madeline, sipping her water, when Trevon approached, his expression icy. "You were home all day and couldn't even clean up a bit? This place is a disaster. And make sure you wash the clothes I left out."Madeline, barely out of bed and already in a sour mood, responded with a sharp "hmph" and slammed her water glass down on the table. "Mr. Gibson, I'm not your maid."Trevon shot back, "You're the one who said you didn't need a maid, that you could handle it."She had said that, had she not? Madeline wished she could go back in time and give herself a good slap. "Regardless, I'm done with it now!""You!"Without another word, Madeline slammed the door shut, leaving Trevon to stew. He could grin
Madeline gave a nod. "I'll see if my senior, Caleb, has a moment."Yeneth teased, "Look at you, casually hitting up your senior. I like it."Madeline shot her a look. "Cut the snark. He was a huge help while I was in the hospital. Without him, everyone would've known about the baby. I owe him thanks.""Don't give me that. You can't tell me you're clueless about how he feels." Yaneth said.That was the unspoken crush that had not wavered since their college days.Madeline paused, her voice softening. "You know my deal. No money, a sick mom to care for. If Madam Gibson hadn't pushed for it, using the excuse of chasing away bad luck, I'd never have made it into the Gibson family."Three years on, nothing's better. Now I'm a divorced mom with a kid in tow. Think I stand a chance with the Jabs family, another high-society clan?""Who knows, maybe the Jabs are different from the Gibsons. Plus, you're a senior..."Madeline quickly covered her mouth. "All these fancy families, scratch
So, her heartfelt plea was all about getting those papers.Madeline could not help but smile at the irony. "With all your charm, Ms. Sanders, why don't you ask grandma yourself? You're so devoted to Mr. Gibson, and with grandma's soft spot for her grandson, she's bound to say yes."Lydia's fists were balled up tight as she spat out, "So, Madeline, you're really not going to do us this solid? How can you be so wrapped up in yourself? Your selfishness is screwing all three of us over!"The whole table was stunned into silence by her outburst."Ugh, I'm about to hurl my dinner." Yeneth could not take it anymore and blurted out, "Will you let us eat in peace!"Caleb signaled for the waiter. "Could we get a quiet booth, please?"The waiter, looking sorry, quickly bowed and went to set it up. Trevon dismissed the idea with a wave of his hand. "Forget it." Lydia opened her mouth to argue, but Trevon's frosty stare stopped her abruptly. She was seething inside. She was always the one f