"I don't need to go back. I'm fine here by myself," said Madelyn confidently.In her painting, Madelyn depicted a field of sunflowers under a bright blue sky. The sunflowers reached toward the sun, full of hope and light.People's feelings often showed in their art. When someone was sad, their paintings might show a cloudy sky and a stormy night. And Madelyn's painting was full of the brightness she felt inside.Her painting was really good. With this talent, she could easily get into the art school she wanted.Hayson had told her not to paint, and Zach knew that too. He wondered how she could make such great art. Then he remembered that Madelyn never followed rules.Zach sat down on the couch and looked at the paper on the table. It was for a parent-teacher meeting notice and a camp application form. Madelyn had filled out everything, but she needed a parent to sign.Zach's eyes glinted when he saw this.Madelyn looked at her painting, feeling like something was missing. She st
As Forrest poured oil into the frying pan, his hand trembled at Zach's words.In an unexpected moment, Madelyn's finger got nicked by a shard of glass, and a trickle of blood started flowing. She calmly wiped it away with a tissue, showing no signs of discomfort, and spoke with composure, "But hasn't he already paid a price? Compared to your actions, Forrest's deeds were just minor clashes among classmates."Madelyn thought, 'Forrest had been hurt, stuck in a hospital bed for months. Yet, Zach, who did wrong, faced no consequences.'Preferring not to dwell on the matter, Madelyn managed a faint smile at Zach, "Would you stay for dinner, Brother? Forrest's cooking is delicious."Zach met her gaze, glimpsing a hint of distance.Beyond her composed exterior, Zach yearned for Madelyn to unleash her anger openly, to let her emotions free instead of wearing a facade."However, we might not have extra plates at home, Brother. Forrest bought his own plate."Zach stood, fastening his bla
After lunch, Madelyn spent time helping Forrest with his studies. She had noticed his improvement in recent days.He had prepared for the geography test ahead of time, following his notes, and had achieved a respectable score of 89. He lost a few points while analyzing the last two questions.Humanities subjects were mostly about memorization, and they were quite straightforward and not too hard for him.His previous low grades were mainly because he wasn't interested in studying. If he decided to learn, Forrest could do even better than others.At three in the afternoon, Madelyn went for her after-school lessons, while Forrest packed his things and went back to school.Upon entering his classroom, his attitude underwent an immediate shift. Swiftly, he pulled a chair, nonchalantly flung his backpack onto his desk, and settled into the seat. With a relaxed air, he extended his legs, letting them rest leisurely upon the desk's surface. His uniform pants, a bit too loose, slid down t
Adrian lowered his head and chuckled, "Timothy... You've gone too far!"If Madelyn's suffering were to happen to you, and everyone mocked you for your suffering, would you still find it funny?"Adrian tried his best to make Timothy understand the weight of his words, since Timothy could not put himself in other people's shoes.Timothy remained silent.Adrian continued, "Besides, a child shouldn't be held responsible for their parent's wrongdoings. We're living in a society governed by laws. All those crimes that Hayson committed will eventually be exposed to the public, and he'll receive legal punishment. Madelyn's done nothing wrong, but you're blaming Hayson's wrongdoings on her. Do you really think that makes sense?"Timothy still did not speak.Adrian said, "Forrest may look reckless, but he always has his reasons for what he does. He isn't as bad as you think. It's true that he looks like a jerk, since he doesn't study and just hangs out with pretty schoolgirls, always drink
Having learned from the previous lesson, Madelyn returned home before eight at night. Before that, she also went to the hospital to get her stitches removed. Her wound was healing and had scabbed over. It was prominent but thankfully it did not reopen just from minor pressure or movement.The atmosphere in the study of the Arnold residence was tense. Ethan was sitting at the desk. After the video conferencing ended, he lifted his eyes to look at the person standing in front of him, who was dressed in an untidy school uniform. Ethan asked, "You haven't been home these days. What've you been doing out there?""What else could I be doing? Don't you already know?" Forrest tilted his head as he replied, reaching into his pocket and fidgeting with the lighter inside.Ethan lazily leaned back. He responded, "You're right. Indeed, I do know everything that you do. I have people watching you, but not because you're a threat to me. It's just to keep you from causing me trouble out there. Do y
Sylvia looked at Forrest as she said, "What did you get up to again? Didn't I tell you to behave yourself and stop causing trouble for Owen? He's got his hands full with his position in the Arnold family too." She did not actually blame him.Forrest understandingly nodded, "I know. You should go to bed."After Sylvia left, Forrest kneeled down in front of the study.It was already eleven-thirty at night, but Ethan still had not stepped out of the study room.Suddenly, Forrest's phone rang. He reached into his pocket and after seeing who it was, he rejected the call.Madelyn was coming out of the bathroom just then, drying her hair with a towel. She thought, 'Forrest usually starts fooling around at this hour. I'll check on him and see what he's up to."However, the call was disconnected as soon as she called him.Madelyn frowned, 'Why'd he hang up so quickly? Was he feeling guilty or is he in the middle of something?'She tried again, but Forrest still did not answer, so she ke
At two in the morning, Forrest was walking back to his room as he noticed a faint light peering through the slightly open door, along with a soft weeping. Whoever it was, they were trying their best to retain control of their emotions but failing.He raised his hand and was about to push open the door, but he thought better of it. Instead, he took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and walked out to the balcony at the end of the corridor before lighting up a cigarette.He looked at the night sky with a solemn expression as he felt the cold breeze blow past him on the poorly lit balcony. Yet, he felt somewhat hopeful.The next morning, the light from the sun shone into the room through the window.Madelyn woke up early and went to water the plants on the balcony. She looked down at the street and watched the hustle and bustle of people going about their daily lives. She smelt a faint aroma of cooking but could not tell where it was coming from.The people here lived tough and
The skiing area was a few minutes' walk behind the hotel. After Madelyn changed into the skiing gear, she hesitantly used the ski poles and slid clumsily.Marcel said, "Don't worry. Just move with confidence and try to control the rhythm of your movements. I'll catch you if you fall."Madelyn had never done any extreme sports before this, so naturally she felt somewhat nervous. Even with protective gear on, she was terrified of falling, but she was looking forward to skiing. She wanted to be like the people down there sliding gracefully down the slope, but she did not dare to even move...Marcel walked beside her and taught her how to control the snowboard. He said, "Stop thinking about how painful it'll be if you fall. Otherwise, you won't learn.""Okay."She clenched her teeth and started to learn. However, after half an hour passed, she still had not gotten the hang of it, while the eight year old boy nearby had already gotten used to it.There was also a delicate-looking girl