Madelyn's heart raced as she rushed back to her room, not sure what to do next. She closed the door with shaky hands and locked it. Leaning against the door, she shivered, wiping her lips over and over like she was trying to clean them.She had kissed Zach before, but she couldn't forget how he had looked at her with disgust when he pushed her away last time.But Madelyn had changed. She wasn't the same girl anymore. She really didn't want anything to do with Zach.A sick feeling came over her. She rubbed her lips hard until they got puffy and numb. Lost in thinking about everything that had happened, she tried to understand how she ended up in Zach's arms like that.Normally, something like this would be really strange. But Zach was drunk, so Madelyn didn't want to think too much about it. She tried to tell herself that it was just an accident and not a big deal. But lying in bed, unable to sleep, Zach's face kept coming back to her mind...Downstairs in the living room, Zach sat
The next day, Madelyn woke up pretty late because she'd only fallen asleep around three or four. She got out of bed, put on her bra, and changed into comfy clothes. She covered her mouth and let out a big yawn before heading downstairs."Hey, Rosario, what's for breakfast?" she called out.Rosario, who was busy in the kitchen, answered, "Mr. Jardin caught a cold, so I made some carrot ginger soup. I'll take some up to him first. There's more if you want."Madelyn was surprised. "How did he get sick so suddenly? He seemed fine yesterday.""It's kinda my fault. I thought he'd left, so I put away his bedding," Rosario explained while getting the soup ready. Then she remembered something. "Oh, I almost forgot. We're out of fever medicine. I need to go buy some. Madelyn, can you take the soup to him?""Sure, Rosario. Go ahead! I'll take care of Zach."Inside, Madelyn felt a bit guilty. Somehow, Zach getting sick seemed like it was her fault. Without eating anything herself, she took t
BANG!A super loud noise came from upstairs, and Madelyn looked up at the ceiling. She quickly put on her slippers and raced up the stairs. She was worried something had happened to Zach.Filled with concern, Madelyn opened the bedroom door. Her heart was racing because she thought there might be an accident. "Zach, what's going on?"Zach was bent over on the bed, trying to pick up the broken pieces of a bowl from the floor."I'm handling it. Just lay down and rest," Madelyn told him. She went over, fixed the pillows behind his back, and then got a broom from outside. She swept up the mess on the floor really quick. After that, she got down on the floor and wiped away the stains with some tissues.Zach watched her, looking puzzled. If he hadn't seen it himself, he wouldn't believe Madelyn would do these things. He knew she had never done these things before. He wondered why she was acting this way. Did something happen?Madelyn had changed because of Zach.In their other life, s
"Why would I mind? That's nice of you, knowing how to take care of me," Zach said, reaching out to mess up her hair.Madelyn grinned, "You're my brother, and I'm here to look after you, especially when you're sick."She gave Zach a spoonful of soup, and he ate it up without any fuss.Taking care of Zach was Madelyn's usual job, even though she didn't really mind unless he stared at her too much. Right now, she just wanted to finish up and leave.But it turned out that feeding Zach was taking way longer than she thought. He was eating super slow, coughing a lot, and there wasn't much Madelyn could do to help. She felt a bit better when Rosario finally came back..."Mr. Jardin, let's check your temperature first!" Rosario gave Zach a thermometer, and he put it in his mouth for a bit before taking it out. The number on it said 39 degrees.Rosario looked worried, "That's a high fever, Mr. Jardin. Maybe you should go to the hospital!"Zach said, "Nah, going to the hospital is a hassl
Zach woke up drenched in sweat from a dream that felt totally real. When he opened his eyes, he was still feeling sad about losing Madelyn.He felt like his heart was being squeezed and he couldn't really breathe. He never thought a dream could make him feel like this. And what was even weirder, in the dream, Madelyn died, and he felt like he was broken too. It didn't make any sense."Zach, you're up!" someone said softly next to him.It was Jadie.Zach looked at the clock on the wall and thought to himself, 'It's afternoon already? It's getting dark outside. How long did I sleep?'Jadie's eyes looked a bit red, like she had been crying."Jadie, aren't you supposed to be at school?" Zach asked.Jadie sounded a bit sad when she said, "Zach, remember? You said you'd pick me up after school on Friday. I waited, but you didn't come. I called Kevin, and he said you were sick. So, I came here as soon as I could.""Oh, I'm sorry, I totally forgot," Zach said, closing his eyes for a mo
'This is so unfair to Rosario,' Madelyn silently cursed."If this happens again, don't think I'll remember all those years you worked for my dad. I won't hesitate to let you go," Hayson's words echoed in the room."Yes, sir!" Rosario responded.Hayson furiously dropped the cane he had been clutching and stormed off to his room upstairs, leaving behind a tense atmosphere.With a heavy heart, Madelyn led Rosario back to Rosario's room, determined to tend to her injuries. She just couldn't believe what happened. 'How could he hit Rosario like that with a cane?' she thought angrily. 'She must be in so much pain. After all the good stuff she did for our family, how could he be so mean?'After Madelyn applied the medicine on Rosario's wounds, Rosario tried to make her feel better. "Don't cry, silly. I'm okay," Rosario said gently."But he hit you! That meanie! How could he do that?""Hey now!" Rosario's eyes got all cold suddenly, and she sounded serious. "He's your dad. You can't say
Madelyn got herself a glass of water from the fridge and quickly went back upstairs to her room.Jadie glanced back, watching Madelyn's figure disappear on the stairs. "Maybe I should bring her a bowl now. I'm worried she might feel uncomfortable."Zach reached out and affectionately ran his hand through Jadie's hair. "I'll go," he offered, getting up from his chair.Jadie hesitated, biting her lip and staying quiet. Inside, she didn't really want Zach to be alone with Madelyn. But she also didn't want to face Madelyn herself. Just as Madelyn was about to close her door from her bed, the lock clicked, and Zach just walked in.Zach had many admirable qualities, but the fact that he never knocked before entering her room slightly annoyed her."Jadie made some gnocchi soup. It's delicious. Care to give it a try?""I..."Before Madelyn could finish, Zach was sitting by her bed. He had a spoon and was stirring the soup. "Want me to feed you, or do you want to eat on your own?""I-I'
Hey, you're gonna be taking those college entrance tests soon, and I don't want that messing up your mood," Zach said.Madelyn spoke softly, "You know, I actually really liked Ms. Manning. She watched out for me in school. If she's gonna be with my father, it's cool with me."She went on, "Oh, and my exams? Don't worry, I've already decided where I wanna apply."Zach asked, "Yeah? Where?"Madelyn answered, "I wanna go to Lorville University and study to be a teacher. After I graduate, I wanna teach in rural places through a volunteer program."Zach's eyes flicked at Madelyn, who was looking at the ground. He said, "Lorville's far, like really far from Ventropolis. Even the fastest plane takes over ten hours. Why go so far when things are good here?"Madelyn thought to herself, 'What's up with him not wanting me to leave? It's not about me leaving; it's about him trying to control me.' She said, "Well, my mom did this volunteer teaching thing in the countryside, and that's how she