He Chose His Love, I Chose My Career

"Mr. Dawson, about that farmhouse construction project in Hattensburg… I've decided that I'm willing to go there." Gary Dawson, on the other end of the line, sounds fairly surprised. "I've been asking you to go there for ages, yet you refused every time because you said you wanted to be with your boyfriend, Timothy. Why the sudden change of mind?" Madeline Carlton lowers her reddened eyes and pretends to chuckle nonchalantly. "I guess I hit one too many walls and just decided to come to my senses afterward." Hearing this, Gary sighs and says sternly, "This is a highly classified mission. You will be assuming a whole new identity when you start working on this project. Before the mission ends, you will not be allowed to have any contact with the rest of the world. "Madeline, are you sure that you've thought things through?" "Yes. I just want to escape this place as soon as I can." There is a long silence on the phone. However, Gary answers right after the pause. "Alright. I'll send the classified contract to you in a while. It should take about a month for the paperwork to be finalized. Use that opportunity to say goodbye to your friends and family." The call disconnects. An email pops up in Madeline's inbox. Right after reading through the classified contract, she signed her name with a flourish and submitted the file with a click. At the same time, Bloomberg Group's new product launch plays on the television. Timothy Bloomberg, wearing a tailored white suit, slowly leads Lacey Houston up the catwalk stage. Chapter 1 A week ago, the CEO of Bloomberg Group released a single evening gown featuring only the finest materials in the entire world and the most complicated and impeccable needlework ever. He wanted to create the most unique gown ever created for his lover, and he named it "Lovelace". Lacey Houston was currently wearing "Lovelace" on her. Of course, "Lovelace" had to mean "Love" and "Lacey". He had simply named the gown after her, making it a bold proclamation of his eternal love for her. The cameras were pointed at both their faces. He was tall, dark, and handsome, whilst she was beautiful and stunning. They also seemed intimately close to each other. Madeline Carlton's lips tugged upward slightly in a self-deprecating grin when she saw that. They were perfect for each other. But that only made Madeline's situation seem even more like a sick joke. Half an hour later, footsteps sounded at the door. Madeline remained seated on the couch and didn't get up to welcome the newcomer home. Instead, she just waited in the dark, watching as the bright overhead lights buzzed to life and pierced into her eyes. Timothy Bloomberg changed into his indoor slippers and walked into the living room. It was only then that he realized Madeline was still leaning against the couch. He glanced up at her and said, "It's late. Why aren't you asleep yet?" "Something interesting came up on TV. I forgot the time," Madeline said, her voice tight. She didn't even spare him a glance as she continued watching the TV screen. "I thought you hated watching TV," Timothy said after a pause. He then glanced at the TV screen and walked over to Madeline, exchanging the cold glass of water in her hands for some warm water. Then, he held her hands and said, "You're almost on your period. Maybe something warm would be better for your stomach." Timothy expertly avoided the TV topic and made it seem like it wasn't a big deal. Madeline was stunned. She felt a wave of emotions surging in her heart. However, she ultimately just responded dryly with, "Alright." She then continued sipping on the water, avoiding his gaze. Timothy realized that something was wrong with her. But, he simply patted her on the head and said warmly, "Go up to bed if you're getting sleepy." The warmth in his fingertips sent Madeline into a daze. By the time she returned to the present, Timothy had already taken off his coat and gone into the bathroom to wash up. Madeline was the only one left in the living room once more. "Congratulations, Mr. Bloomberg and Ms. Houston!" The TV was still replaying the product launch. Timothy had seen it. He knew that Madeline wasn't pleased with it. Yet, he didn't even bother to try explaining things to her. It wasn't that he didn't know. He knew; he just didn't care. That was the only reason why he just couldn't be bothered about Madeline's sulking or subtle ways to attract his attention. The water turned on in the bathroom, and Madeline felt her emotional resolve crumbling as she listened to the sound. She couldn't help thinking about the past, before she got together with Timothy. Chapter 2 Madeline and Timothy had grown up together in the same neighborhood. They could be considered childhood friends. She had started liking him as soon as she'd hit puberty. However, he only ever treated her as the younger sibling he never had, who just lived next to him. When she learned that Timothy harbored no feelings for her, Madeline decided to hide her affection for him. She was worried that they wouldn't even be able to stay friends if she confessed to him. After entering high school, there was a long queue of teenage girls waiting in line to confess to Timothy and hoping to get together with him because he was cold, brooding, and mysterious. Fortunately for Madeline, Timothy was just as cold as his reputation and didn't think any of the girls at school were good enough for him. He left a trail of broken hearts wherever he went. As they grew older, Timothy furthered his studies abroad while Madeline went to a local college. When he finally called to catch up with her, she'd then learned that he had found himself a girlfriend while studying overseas. That was the first time Madeline experienced heartbreak. She had wanted to buy a plane ticket and fly over immediately to confront Timothy, but her parents stopped her. When Timothy returned home, he'd come back alone. And as soon as Madeline learned that he'd broken up with his girlfriend, she could feel her heart coming back to life again. It was like she was finally able to breathe once more. She felt lighter than she'd ever been. After having suppressed her feelings for him for such a long time, she didn't bother hiding her feelings for him anymore. She never stopped showering him with her love ever since he came back. She did everything she could to stage coincidences and find excuses to meet him more often. She kept worrying about his well-being and often prepared breakfast for him. But that was just the beginning—she also wrote him a love letter, expressing her love and adoration for him, and telling him that she'd never once thought of giving up on him. Her efforts eventually paid off. With how diligently she pursued Timothy, he finally agreed to get together with her a year later. After confirming their relationship, Timothy didn't let Madeline tell anyone that they were dating. He said that it just wasn't the right time to announce it and worried that both their parents would get awkward with each other if they knew. Madeline had felt upset about it at first. However, Timothy took great care of her and paid attention even to the smallest details about her. Gradually, Madeline forgot about it and thought of herself as the luckiest woman in the world. Half a year ago, however, when Madeline borrowed Timothy's laptop for work, she unintentionally clicked on the wrong folder and found hundreds of photos of the same woman in it. Was that woman Timothy's ex-girlfriend? Or worse, his side chick? Madeline didn't know how to put her emotions into words at that time. She felt both angry and upset. However, after crying about it for a while, she decided to pretend it never happened and continued lying to herself to keep up with her facade of being the luckiest woman alive. Still, she couldn't truly be at peace with her life as her suspicion grew. A few months ago, a model had suddenly gained immense popularity in the entertainment circle overnight, and her name was Lacey Houston. She was appointed as the official ambassador for Bloomberg Group's wedding gown business. Madeline had been frozen for a long time when she first saw Lacey. She felt a chill creep into her body as she shivered uncontrollably. Then, it finally dawned on her that Timothy had never once truly loved her in the three years that they'd spent together. She never had a place in his heart. Ultimately, the woman in the photos managed to cause ripples in Madeline's otherwise peaceful life. Lacey began attending various public events with Timothy. They were almost always seen together, and everyone assumed that she was his girlfriend. But he had never once denied the rumors, nor did he offer Madeline any explanation for his actions. It was fairly obvious that Timothy never loved her. The answer was right there, but Madeline refused to acknowledge it. Instead, she just decided to suppress her feelings. It wasn't until today, with the revelation of "Lovelace", that Madeline finally knew for sure that her so-called happiness was nothing more than a figment of imagination in her head. As she gradually eased out of her thoughts, the sounds coming from the bathroom also diminished. Madeline grabbed the remote control and turned off the TV. It had been three years, but this was the first time she'd felt exhausted. She wanted to give up. She didn't want to be Timothy's backup plan anymore. Even more so, she didn't want to continue waiting for a man who still only had eyes for his first love. She would soon be leaving in a month's time. She wanted to break free from the peatland that was Timothy and leave him behind for good. Chapter 3 A short while later, the bathroom opened with a soft click. Timothy walked out, still drying his hair with a towel. He found it weird when he realized that Madeline was still sitting in the living room. Just as he started walking toward her, Madeline caught sight of him and immediately shifted her gaze away. She quickly got up and went into the bedroom first. However, as soon as she got into bed, a firm, strong hand grabbed her by the waist as Timothy's chest rested against her back. He held her in his arms and asked in a low voice, "Has work been exhausting for you? You don't look too happy today." "A little," Madeline answered perfunctorily. She drew her arm out from his hug and tried to shake him off, but Timothy only hugged her even tighter than before. His lips traveled dangerously close to her earlobes as he whispered, "Don't worry. I know of a way to cheer you up." Then, Timothy's hands started wandering down Madeline's body. She immediately froze, her eyelashes shaking under the light. A flash of mockery appeared in her eyes. She really wanted to ask him how he still managed to act so close and intimate with her, knowing that he'd just been flirting openly with another woman on national TV, with such a straight face. Still, the words never came out. Timothy's phone pinged with a notification just then, and it sounded very different from his other notification pings, as if it was specifically set for this contact only. He stopped touching Madeline at once and got up to read his message. A while later, he grabbed his clothes and went back into the bathroom. Madeline thought of the launch earlier that night and felt her arms shaking even though they were pressed together. She then got up slightly and reached for Timothy's phone, which was still pinging nonstop with notifications. She unlocked the phone with ease and familiarity. The person sending Timothy text messages hadn't been saved under a name, just a pink heart emoji. Still, Madeline could tell straight away that it was Lacey. "Timothy, I really liked that dress you designed for me. Thank you so much for still remembering all of my preferences even after so many years. "I'm home now. Drive safely back!" Madeline read the messages, noting how close they sounded. She then scrolled upward in the chat window and saw that those messages were received at 9:00 pm. Then, the next few messages were the ones that just came in a few minutes ago. "Timothy, my stomach kinda hurts, but I'm the only one at home. I don't know what I should do," Lacey had texted. Timothy had instantly replied, "Hold on. I'll be there in a second." Madeline's lashes shook again. She bit her lips and then carefully put the phone back like it was untouched. Her mind was in a mess. A short while later, Timothy emerged from the bathroom fully dressed. Just as he pulled his coat on, Madeline tugged on his hand and asked, "It's late at night. Where are you going?" He hesitated and paused just for a fraction of a second. Then, as if suddenly coming up with an excuse on the spot, he turned around and pressed a chaste kiss on Madeline's forehead, saying gently, "Something really urgent just came up at the office, and I need to go there and take a look. "Go to bed first. Don't wait up for me." Then, Timothy walked out of the door without another backward glance. However, Madeline didn't feel like sleeping anymore after that. Around 2:00 am, about an hour after Timothy left, Madeline couldn't hold it in anymore and called him on the phone. Lacey was the one who answered the call. "Timothy just went down to get medicine for me. If you have a message for him, you can tell me and I'll forward it to him." Lacey's voice was saccharinely sweet. However, the sound of it felt like a knife that plunged straight into Madeline's heart. Just before the call ended, she heard Timothy's low, scratchy voice on the other end of the line. "Babe…" As if on instinct, Madeline hung up at once. But just a second later, she had already calmed down. Maybe it was because she had been hurt far too often in the past. She was already numb to the heartbreak that happened afterward. The only discomfort she felt was a stuffy feeling in her chest. She was upset that she'd been lied to and kept in the dark for such a long time. She'd wasted all of her youth and emotions on someone like him. … Madeline was woken up by her usual daily alarm on her phone. Her pillow was soaked with tears. Timothy only returned at night the next day. Madeline was having dinner when he came back. As soon as she'd heard the key turning in the lock, her first reaction was to get up and welcome him home. However, she quickly came back to her senses and stopped herself from doing it. In the past, every time Timothy came home from work, the first thing she would do was to run up to him and hug him tightly. But now, there was no need for that anymore. Timothy was a little surprised when Madeline didn't even acknowledge his return. "Why didn't you wait for me for dinner?" Madeline set down her fork and turned to look at him. He had changed into a new suit, and he smelled clean and fresh. She pretended as if nothing had happened as she got up to grab his plate and utensils. "I thought you wouldn't be coming back since you were so busy at the office," she said nonchalantly, without a hint of dissatisfaction in her voice. It was like she was calmly describing the weather. Still, it was vastly different from how she usually treated him. Her calm demeanor now made Timothy raise his eyebrow in confusion. He quickly went up to her and held up a shopping bag in his hand. Hugging her with his other arm, he apologized and said, "I'm sorry, but there was just too much work at the office. I was wrong for not coming back home last night. Don't be mad at me anymore, alright? "I visited a few of our branches today and brought you a gift. Look! Do you like it?" Timothy lowered his head as he retrieved a box from the bag, his collar falling open slightly since he hadn't buttoned the first one. His chest and collarbones were littered all over with red scratches and bite marks, which pierced straight into Madeline's eyes. Timothy brought out a bracelet for her, with different types of heart-shaped charms hanging from it. However, he didn't know that Madeline never wore bracelets and actually hated heart-shaped items. He also didn't notice how her eyes dimmed as soon as he brought the bracelet out. Seeing that Madeline didn't make a sound, he grabbed her hand and put the bracelet on for her, not letting her pull away. After the bracelet was clasped around her wrist, he then slid his hand into hers and held her tightly, refusing to let go even though Madeline tried to shake him off. He grabbed her hand and said with a smile, "Maddie, now that you're wearing the bracelet, that means you're locked by my side forever. You'll never be able to leave me anymore." Never be able to leave him? Madeline thought, "You were the one who let go of me first, Timothy Bloomberg. You'd already lost me a long time ago." All the love she'd had for him that burned brighter than the sun had now backfired on her, leaving her burned to ashes and soot. Madeline had already thought it through. She was going to smother out the fire with her own hands and throw Timothy out from the depths of her heart. Chapter 4 Timothy must have realized that Madeline was starting to behave coldly toward him. The next day, probably in an attempt to win her back, he sent her a screenshot of a restaurant reservation he'd made for them both that night. Madeline knew that he was only doing this to make things less awkward between them. Every time they had a disagreement and gave each other the cold shoulder afterward, Madeline was always the one who made the first move to apologize and break the ice between them. In the meantime, Timothy's role was to give her a hug or a gift after they'd made up. After all, he only had to console her just a little bit, and Madeline would be all over the moon and forget everything that made her mad in the first place. She would then act warm and enthusiastic toward him all over again. This had always been the case in the last few years. As long as he gave her a carrot every time after giving her a stick, Madeline would forgive him no matter what he did. Timothy had always been in control of their relationship, whether it was a warm one or a cold one. Madeline was just his puppet on a string that he could play with, and she could never escape his control. But now, even after seeing the reservation receipt, Madeline didn't express her usual warm and overjoyed response. She simply replied with a text, "Okay. See you tonight." After locking her phone, Madeline continued with the rest of her work. She didn't dwell on his actions nor swoon over how sweet he was being like she used to in the past anymore. Right after work, Madeline headed for the restaurant. The time they'd reserved for their seats was at 7:00 pm, but she was already there half an hour earlier. Still, she waited until 9:00 pm, and Timothy was yet to arrive. She figured that he'd already forgotten about dinner. So, Madeline ate her steak slowly, sipped on her red wine gracefully, and gradually made her way out of the restaurant at 10:30 pm. She'd been stood up so many times before that her calmness was unnerving at this point. Since the restaurant was quite close to Timothy's office, Madeline decided to walk over and visit him there. A stroll would be good for digestion anyway. When she arrived at the company, Timothy's office lights were still switched on, so she went to the door and prepared to enter. Right before she turned the knob, however, she heard him talking to someone else inside. "I thought you were still mad at Lacey for leaving you without a word in the past, Timothy. I didn't think that you'd both get back together so quickly as soon as she returned. Tell me the truth—have you never forgotten about her?" Timothy took a long drag of his cigarette and exhaled a cloud of smoke. There was a look of sadness in his eyes. "You can't just forget someone you've loved for years." "Then what about Madeline? You're stringing her along while getting back together with Lacey. You can't continue keeping her in the dark. "You'd better watch out and stop playing with fire. If it ends up consuming you, nobody's going to be able to help you win her back." "Madeline…" Timothy muttered under his breath and sighed. Then, he chuckled aloud and said, "Madeline? She'd never get mad at me. She's the one who threw herself at me, after all. Trust me, she'd never leave me even if I told her to. "But also, I've been doing a good job at hiding this from her," Timothy said coldly and confidently. He had probably already rehearsed how he'd easily handle and control Madeline if need be. Madeline's heart stopped. She felt her blood freeze over. She peered through the crack in Timothy's door and stared at him, not knowing whether she should feel sorry for him or herself. Timothy continued chatting with the other person in his office, but she wasn't interested in their conversation anymore. So, she left as silently as she came. … Days passed, and from the looks of it, Timothy never recalled his dinner date with Madeline. It was fine; Madeline never told him that she'd been to his office either. One day, an auction was held in Gremlich, and Madeline took the day off work to attend it. She only had one objective, and it was to buy a birthday gift for Timothy's father, Joseph Bloomberg. The auction was held in a basement. As soon as the antique emerald vase was brought onstage, its exquisite design and intricate carving immediately brought a round of sighs from the audience. The bidders kept raising the bid prices, and Madeline raised her bidding paddle three times before she successfully won the bid for the vase. Since she had already accomplished what she'd come here for, Madeline rose to her feet to head over to the back to fill in her details for the item to be sent to her. Just as she'd reached the exit, however, the next item up for auction was revealed. As the red satin cloth fell, Madeline was frozen to her spot. The item was a priceless antique ring. It was a ring that Timothy designed, first revealed to the world when he broke into the fashion design industry. When he and Madeline had just gotten together, he had proudly shown it to her and said, "Next time, I'm going to propose to you with this ring." He had held Madeline in his arms back then while saying it. She'd felt a little conflicted and asked, "But what if something better comes along the way?" Timothy chuckled and leaned down to press a kiss on her forehead. Then, he said seriously, "This is the first design of mine to win an award. It's priceless to me, and you're the only one who deserves it." So, what was the ring doing here at the auction? Why would Timothy donate such a precious thing to the auction? There had to be a mistake somewhere! Chapter 5 Madeline's mind was in a mess. She went back to her seat and listened as the auctioneer introduced the origin of the ring as a video played overhead, explaining the intricate design work woven into the ring. The video went on for quite a while, and Madeline was dazed all throughout. It wasn't until everyone started raising their paddles and an assistant asked Madeline whether she needed any help that she finally snapped back to the present. She couldn't help thinking that the ring being there had to be some kind of mistake. She raised her paddle at once, intending to get it. "13,500,000 dollars!" A familiar voice suddenly shouted the price, and Timothy walked out from behind the video screen with his paddle in the air. With three strikes of the auctioneer's gavel, he easily won the bid for his own ring. Everyone on the ground was confused. Why would someone donate their belongings only to bid for them again? Timothy grinned and took the microphone from the auctioneer's hands to explain himself. "There was a mix-up, and the ring accidentally appeared in today's auction. Luckily, I came just in time. "To me, this ring can only belong to one person, and it should only appear on her finger. I'm sorry, everyone, but I'm going to have to take away something you all have fallen in love with." Then, Timothy went up to the platform, took the ring, and turned to leave. He didn't see Madeline in the audience. Meanwhile, she heaved a silent sigh of relief and hurried out of the venue. However, she still felt confused in her heart. She went to the bathroom and turned on the tap to wash her hands, still feeling confused and uneasy. At that moment, someone started speaking in a stall, and they sounded like they were in awe. "Did you see the look in Mr. Bloomberg's eyes just now while looking at the ring? I swear I saw hearts in his eyes. I wonder who the ring belongs to? She must be so happy to have a man like him." Madeline felt a gust of warmth in her heart when she heard that. However, one second later, another person spoke up, sounding very surprised. "Don't you know it? Mr. Bloomberg has been going in and out with Lacey all day, every day. Of course it has to be her!" "Lacey's so lucky. I heard that they used to be classmates at the same college, and she was even his first love. She's got him wrapped around her little finger even when she wasn't around. I mean, who wouldn't be envious of their romantic love story, having found each other again since their college days?" The water continued running from the tap, splashing against Madeline's fingers and turning them icy-cold. She didn't know why, but she suddenly felt panicky all of a sudden. She had a bad premonition that something was going to happen. She flew home at once, hoping that Timothy would come home to her and bring her the ring. However, she waited until it was dark out and the stars hung brightly in the sky, and yet, Timothy never showed up. She wasn't able to stop herself from calling him. The call was picked up at once, and this time, it was Timothy himself, not Lacey, who answered the call. Madeline felt her anxiety die down just a little. However, there was the sound of loud gasping and panting right afterward. She was an adult, and it was impossible for her not to know what was going on at the other end of the line. "Timothy?" Madeline called out his name with bated breath. The line went silent for a few seconds. But Timothy's voice appeared once more, low, scratchy, and sultry. "Maddie, you'll have to go to sleep by yourself tonight. I'll try to get back as early as possible tomorrow." He hung up right after that. Madeline took deep, deliberate breaths, forcing her palpitating heart to slow down and trying her best to remain calm. However, as soon as she got her phone, she saw that Lacey's recent Twitter post from two hours ago was trending. Lacey had posted a selfie, showing a man on his knees, carefully applying ointment onto her wound. Even though the man's silhouette was blurry in the photo, Madeline could still feel the pain in her chest intensify. Even more so when she caught sight of the ring on Lacey's left hand, which looked like she'd tried but failed to hide on camera. Madeline shuddered. The ring Timothy had promised her had now appeared on Lacey's finger. Before she could even make sense of that, her body beat her to it as tears welled up in her eyes and began dripping down. Lacey had captioned the photo, "You are my safe space." Had this been in the past, Madeline would have immediately felt jealous, burst into tears, and called Timothy on the spot to demand an explanation. But now, Madeline's heart was still. She didn't make a fuss. From the looks of it, she guessed that Timothy had never made room for her in his heart in the first place. Everything he promised her was just perfunctory. Madeline turned off her phone, going to bed feeling exhausted all over. Chapter 6 Bloomberg Group suddenly received a lot of orders for one of its overseas projects, so Timothy only came home the next day in a rush to pack some of his suits before leaving for his business trip. He never mentioned a word about not coming back home the previous night to Madeline. And, just like that, she was left alone at home once more. The second day after Timothy left, Madeline started preparing her paperwork. Too many cases had happened during the few days she'd taken off work, and they were now stressing her out. After a few back-to-back meetings in the morning, she'd then gone to every department to run through the cases with them one by one. When she got home after work, Madeline removed her makeup, freshened up, and changed into a set of activewear. She put her hair up in a ponytail and went out. She jogged along the path close to the forest garden, stopping occasionally to take in large breaths of fresh air, remaining calm all throughout. She ran for a little over a mile before stopping at a stone bench to stretch and cool off. She even received a call from Timothy then. He sounded like he was outside, and there was a lot of background noise too. She even heard a female voice on the line, and Madeline couldn't help but feel sensitive toward it. She asked him, "Where are you? Who are you with?" Timothy just answered, "I'm at the garment factory." Madeline said nothing. She hated it whenever he answered her with perfunctory responses like this. He knew very well what she meant by asking that, and yet, he always pretended not to know. Sensing Madeline's silence, Timothy changed the topic to something more lighthearted to cheer her up. "Miss me yet?" She didn't bother humoring him. "You just left. I don't miss you." "Really? You're not missing me?" he asked again, slower this time. He then quickly changed the topic and asked, "Are you outdoors? Nobody answered the phone at home." Timothy changed the topic so suddenly that Madeline couldn't quite keep up with his train of thought. "No? I just came back from work." Just then, a woman in pink knitted activewear was jogging in Madeline's direction from afar, with a Samoyed on a leash. As soon as Madeline caught sight of her, she could feel her blood begin to boil. She got worked up at once, but amidst her heart beating more quickly than ever, she still felt unusually excited at the same time. The rush of adrenaline had nothing to do with anything joyful—it felt more like she was actively anticipating something she was immensely curious about, even though she knew that it wasn't a good thing to happen. Madeline gripped her phone a little harder and said in a hurry, "I'm jogging at the park near our place." Hearing this, Timothy's tone suddenly turned stern and slightly anxious. "Don't jog anymore and hurry home." Madelin didn't seem to hear him, however. She just stared as the woman and her dog came closer and closer to her. Timothy was still going on and on about something on the phone, but Madeline wasn't listening to him anymore. She hung up on him and greeted the woman, who had slowed to a stop before her. "Hi, do you know if there's a convenience store nearby? I just moved here, and I'm not too familiar with the neighborhood yet," she said. Madeline looked at Lacey and the huge dog she was walking. Then, she smiled at Lacey and said, "Just go straight for one block and turn left." Lacey was dressed up very youthfully today. She looked very much like a college student. Her activewear jacket was only zipped up halfway, revealing her black sports bra and refined collar bones underneath. A heart-shaped pendant hung from her clavicle, the diamonds on it sparkling brightly under the light and looking eerily like a set with the bracelet Madeline was wearing. Lacey thanked Madeline for the directions, but she still remained standing before her. "Are you living nearby too? We must be from the same neighborhood after all!" The Samoyed in her hand wouldn't stop sniffing around Madeline's feet as soon as it saw her. Madeline's smile remained on her face. "Possibly." She then stared at Lacey for a long while, a half-smile on her face, giving Lacey a curious once-over from head to toe. She wanted to know what sort of tricks this woman was up to. Lacey didn't seem like she wanted to move at all. She sat down on the stone bench next to Madeline and asked, "Are you out here jogging on your own? It's not safe for a woman to be jogging by herself. Why isn't your boyfriend with you?" As soon as the words were out, she pretended to have just thought of something and apologized. "Oops, sorry! I just meant that you look like someone who should have a boyfriend, seeing how pretty you are. That's why I…" Madeline didn't even bother exposing her. She replied in a low voice, "He's out on a business trip. What about you? Married? Or single?" After all, when dealing with a hypocrite, Madeline couldn't appear to be just like them. Otherwise, their topic would soon digress, and she wouldn't be able to get the answers she wanted to hear. All she had to do was to be straightforward and catch her off guard instead. Still, Madeline didn't know if her tactic would be effective in a situation like this. She was also testing the waters, trying to see how deep it went before throwing herself into it. Lacey lowered her head and let out a melodious laugh. "I'm still single, but I do have a lover. Unfortunately, we aren't able to be together because of some circumstances, so I've been alone for the past few years." She then raised her head and looked at Madeline. "Do you get what I mean?" Madeline blinked. "I get it. So, are you still waiting for that lover of yours?" "Of course! I've always been waiting for him. I believe that he will return to me one day." Madeline looked at her. "What if he's already found himself a girlfriend? Maybe he isn't waiting for you anymore." "It won't happen," Lacey said confidently. "There's still a place for me in his heart. We've been together since our college days. We were in Jadesville back then, and we always went to church together with his friends. "After that, we would volunteer at the local shelter and care for the stray animals in need. We also worked part-time together. We love each other very much. Had it not been for… for some issues to rise, I believe that we would never have separated for the past few years." Madeline felt her throat constricting. "How are you so sure that he still loves you?" "Why wouldn't I be? He has been paving the path for my success ever since I came back home. He even rented a place for me to stay that's really close to his own home, just so that he could easily come and take care of me. If that's not love, what would that be? "I came from a very ordinary household, and my family isn't rich or famous. If it hadn't been for him, I would never have been able to overcome the many years of being alone in a foreign country and become the person I am today. "That's why I think that we were meant to be together," Lacey said lightly and happily, as if she was suddenly feeling a lot better after getting things off her chest. "Nobody will be able to keep us apart. We belong together. It's fate." The cold evening air wasn't kind to Madeline at all. Gusts of wind blew around her until her hands and heart grew icy-cold. She had thought that Lacey moved nearby on her own. She never thought that it was Timothy who brought her here instead. So, she repeated herself. "What if he already has a girlfriend?" Madeline's tone this time was stiff. Lacey could hear the difference in her voice and turned to look at Madeline with cold, indifferent eyes. "What's that got to do with you?" Madeline's eyes were calm, however. She kept quiet and said nothing, as if she really wanted to know Lacey's answer. Lacey was unable to hold her gaze and shifted, looking away from Madeline. "So what if he already has a girlfriend? Even if he were already married, I have ways to get them divorced." Her last line was both a provocation and a threat. The corners of Madeline's lips upturned as she smiled silently. This was the first time she'd ever seen a woman admit that she was a side chick so proudly and confidently. Madeline's gaze shifted to the Samoyed who had run off nearby and was having the time of his life. Suddenly, she shouted, "Mimi!" The Samoyed heard his name and immediately came running toward them. He obediently circled around Madeline's feet, then stuck out its tongue and put both its paws in her lap. Madeline held Mimi's paws and let him climb halfway into her lap. She then reached out and scratched the dog's chin. "Aww, you still remember me, don't you?" Lacey's face turned stiff immediately. Her expression was one of panic, surprise, and being caught completely off-guard. Never in her wildest dreams had she ever expected something like this. Meanwhile, Madeline had never felt any better. She continued petting Mimi's head and hugged him a few more times before gently guiding him back to the ground. Lacey never uttered a single word the whole time. Chapter 7 When Mimi ran off again, Madeline said slowly and surely, "Mimi was my birthday gift. It's just that I was immunocompromised at that time, and I'd get itchy rashes all over my skin as soon as Mimi came near me. "My boyfriend felt sorry for me, so we decided to give Mimi away, although it broke our hearts. He told me that he'd given it to his old college friend. Turns out, it's you! "Maybe I should reintroduce myself to you, Ms. Houston." Madeline then straightened her clothes and flashed Lacey a smile as she formally said, "Hello, my name is Madeline Carlton, and I'm Timothy Bloomberg's girlfriend." Lacey looked elsewhere and said faintly, "Ha, I never thought you'd be smarter than I imagined." Madeline chuckled self-deprecatingly and said, "Well, if my boyfriend's ex-girlfriend did everything she could to make public appearances with him, made up random excuses every time to call him away, or even pretended to bump into the actual girlfriend and called it a coincidence… Any woman with a sixth sense would be able to figure it out at once. You must have really thought I was daft." Madeline said everything in an unhurried way, the corners of her lips lifting upward in a half-smile. Sure, she'd already decided to leave Timothy before this, but it didn't mean she'd allow herself to be belittled or picked on by Lacey. "Ms. Houston, I don't know what motive you have in trying to get close to me. Is this premeditated 'coincidence' a special way you use to make friends?" Lacey couldn't hold back anymore. "What do you mean by that?" Madeline shrugged. "Nothing. I don't care about your past with Timothy, but I hope you stop disgusting me with whatever is going on between you and him right now. If you keep loitering around and appearing in my life like a homeless stray again, I swear that I will not be treating you as civilly as I am right now." Her tone was hostile and aggravating, but her eyes were still smiling at Lacey. The stark contrast was enough to send a chill down anyone else's spine. She turned to leave, but Lacey called out to her, her expression calm. "I pity you." "What did you say?" Madeline said, stopping and turning back. Lacey got to her feet so she was on eye-level with Madeline. Then, she repeated in her infuriatingly soft and gentle voice. "I said that I pity you. "You keep saying that you're Timothy's girlfriend, but that's all that you're ever going to be. What else do you have other than that empty label? Do you dare to bet that he's truly in love with you? Have you ever truly owned his heart?" Madeline wanted to slap Lacey out of instinct, but she suppressed it with all her might. She stilled for a few seconds, her raised hand clenching and unclenching in silence. "I think you're the pitiful one instead," Madeline said. "You sacrificed your dignity and the most basic human decency to try and rob other people of their boyfriends. How shameless is that? "As for whether or not he truly loves me, or if I've ever owned his heart—I honestly don't know. But I do know that at least, you still don't have it yet." Madeline turned around to face Lacey and punctuated each of her next words. "As long as I am still dating Timothy, you will forever be his shameful side piece." Lacey's face paled. All sorts of colorful words and curses immediately appeared in her head as she felt immense hate and discomfort toward Madeline. However, Lacey ultimately listened to her rationale and suppressed them all. Madeline's eyes shone victoriously when she saw that Lacey was beginning to lose her composure. She then waved at Lacey and said, "See you, Ms. Houston." The way back home was supposed to be short, but it felt long for Madeline. She kept walking away as her smug facial expression gradually faded away. The smile on her face disappeared. She drew her lips in a thin line and bit on them as a sad expression gradually took over. She wanted to pretend that she was happy, but it just turned out weird. Had she truly won in that exchange just now? If she hadn't won, then why did she feel so good about it? But if she had won, then why did her heart still hurt so much? Chapter 8 After getting back home, Madeline stared at the lit-up night light by her bed while a flash of sadness appeared in her eyes. There was a picture of a couple leaning against each other on the night light, reminding her of the times when Timothy used to protect her in his arms back in their earlier days. However, everything was now in the past. Madeline just sighed softly before turning off the night light. She found the suitcase she used when she was a college student. If she was going to be stationed overseas at a project site, she didn't need to bring with her any of her non-essential belongings. She hadn't packed the daily necessities in the room yet. However, she began packing all of her other items into her suitcase. There was a lucky amulet on the glass shelf that Timothy had gotten for her in Icehill, and a bottle of perfume that he had personally concocted for her in Furlough. Plenty of other limited releases, luxury items, jewelry, and even designer clothing were laid down on their bed. Needless to say, Timothy had been very generous in showering her with all sorts of expensive gifts. "Maddie, I can give you the entire world if that's what you want. "Maddie, this will be our home from now on!" "Maddie, you used to be alone in the past, but it's not the same anymore. You've got me now." Madeline felt as though she could still hear those touching words from him. However, the more she thought of it, the more hilarious and pathetic she realized it was. She grabbed a pair of scissors and destroyed all of the jewelry and designer clothing that she hadn't even touched before throwing them into the trash. Every snip was firm and decisive. The suitcase started filling up with her belongings, but ironically, her heart grew emptier instead. It felt as though a hole had been torn in the walls of her heart, and a cold draft was blowing in through that hole. She suppressed the melancholy in her heart and opened the bottom drawer of her dresser. There was a diary inside with yellowing pages, filled with her younger self's handwriting as they jotted down memories of her childhood. The contents of the diary started off being about mundane bits and pieces in her life. Gradually, the messy handwriting turned neater, and the pages began describing more and more of her interactions and daily musings about Timothy. Madeline flipped through the pages one by one, her vision gradually blurring with tears. The last page was a line from Timothy, written there after their high school graduation, just before he flew abroad for college. "Maddie, don't forget to eat healthily and live happily while I'm overseas. Take good care of yourself. If anyone dares to bully you, you can just tell me and I'll immediately fly back to beat them up for you." Two teardrops slid down silently and dripped onto the diary page, smudging the writing. Madeline put her thoughts away and suppressed the noise in her head. Then, she tore every page and letter in that diary into tiny pieces. With every page torn from her diary, that meant another memory with Timothy had also been destroyed. After tearing through every single page, she threw the scrap papers into a box and sealed it up. Then, she brought the box downstairs and threw it out. She wanted to erase every last trace of her existence, including the memories she once shared with him. Possibly due to the constant stress from the last two days, or maybe it was the change in the weather—but ever since throwing the memories away, Madeline couldn't stop shaking. Her stomach also started hurting from time to time. Thinking that it was just her period arriving earlier than usual, Madeline went on a hunt for a cafe nearby to grab a warm, soothing drink. However, as soon as she reached the cafe entrance, she suddenly found the two people sitting by the window looking a little more than familiar. Timothy, who was supposed to be away right now, was currently on a date with Lacey. Madeline felt her heart lurch. She froze in her spot on instinct. It wasn't until she snapped back to her senses that she walked slowly to the corner and stood there, watching them. Timothy wasn't wearing his formal suit today. He was in casual clothing instead, wearing a baggy gray jersey with a pair of black leather shoes on his feet. He had a suitcase right next to him too, so he must have just gotten off his flight and come here at once. Madeline didn't know what they were talking about because of the window between them. However, judging from the fond look on Timothy's face, they seemed very happy to be together. Timothy held Lacey's hand in his own almost too naturally at this point. Every intimate action between them both was like driving a spear through Madeline's eyes. He had just called her and told her that he wouldn't be back for another few days. But minutes later, she caught him red-handed on a date with another woman. What was going on? Did Timothy like going out behind her back now? Madeline's hand, still holding her phone, began to shake. She looked up again and immediately was met with Timothy's smiling eyes, just as he looked at Lacey with great fondness. Suddenly, his eyes flashed with a hint of anxiety when he saw Madeline. She felt as though someone was crushing her heart from the inside. It hurt so badly that she clutched a hand to her left chest and gasped for breath, unable to breathe. Chapter 9 Timothy sensed something was off and bolted out. "Maddie, what's wrong?" The concern in his eyes didn't seem faked. It was almost as if he would die on the spot if something were to go wrong with Madeline. He was seemingly desperately in love with her, yet he was also the one who'd kept so many things from her. Madeline tried to rein in her emotions. "Nothing's wrong. I just couldn't catch my breath for a second." She looked up at him. "Weren't you away on a business trip? What are you doing here?" Timothy looked rather diffident as he smiled and said, "I wanted to surprise you. I didn't expect you to run right into me." He helped rub her chest. Then, he took her home so she could rest until he was sure she was fine. On the way home, he kept talking about interesting things he'd noticed, not mentioning Lacey even once. However, nothing he said cheered Madeleine up. He asked carefully, "Maddie, are you angry?" "No," she said, finally breaking her silence. "I'm just thinking about an article I read today." Timothy looked relieved. He smiled and asked, "What was it about?" Madeline turned to look into his eyes. "The man and the woman in the article were initially very much in love, but the man later fell for someone else…" She scrutinized him, wanting to catch even the most minute changes in his expression. However, he hastily cut her off before she could continue. "You're the woman I love most, Maddie. I swear I won't betray you." He sounded confident and assuring, but the words only made her feel like she'd been stabbed in the heart. He claimed he loved her, yet he'd still cheated… Timothy put his things down when they got home. Then, he looked around and frowned. "Why do I feel like many things are gone?" Madeline said, "We weren't using them, and they were only taking up space. I cleared them out." He nodded, taking her word for good. He didn't notice the mockery in her eyes deepen. Timothy was perceptive, and he usually noticed even the slightest change at home. Yet now, his senses seemed to have dulled when it came to her. In truth, if he took a closer look, he would realize that the things that had been cleared out were all Madeline's. It all boiled down to the fact that he didn't care. But after that day, Timothy seemed to become a different person. He turned down dinner plans with his friends and came home on time every day after work. When he returned, he would bring Madeline her favorite chestnut cake. Meanwhile, to avoid alerting him and letting him learn that she was planning to leave, she started learning how to care for him. She would tie his tie for him before he left for work every morning. He was tall, so she had to stand on her tiptoes to reach him. Whenever this happened, he would chuckle and lean down slightly to kiss her. They acted like a genuinely loving couple, not knowing that each harbored their own intentions. The illusion didn't last long. On Joseph's birthday, Madeline went to the parking lot to wait for Timothy after getting off work. They'd agreed to head over together. However, he never showed, nor did he reply to her messages. It was only when she was almost going to be late that she headed upstairs to his office to look for him. It was empty—no one was in sight. Madeline's expression darkened slightly as she asked an employee who was still working. "Where's Timothy?" The employee was taken aback. "Mr. Bloomberg left ages ago. He was with his girlfriend, Lacey Houston." Madeline swayed on her feet. Did everyone at the company already know that Timothy and Lacey were an item?