Chapter 12

“Bro, have you finished your work for the day?” she asked.

Zach had returned an hour before she had fallen asleep, even taking Jadie for a stroll at the mall. But upon returning, Zach had noticed something amiss in their room, specifically the teddy bear—her birthday gift to him.

Jadie stood there, her eyes red-rimmed and pitiful. “Madelyn…” she began.

Zach stepped in front of Jadie, his face a mask of composure, though his narrowed eyes held a hint of frost. “Madelyn, I’m sorry. I accidentally damaged the bear you gifted me. Jadie wasn’t aware. She thought it was something useless and threw it away.”

Rosario also stepped forward. “It’s partially my fault as well. I didn’t inform Miss White in time.”

Everyone awaited Madelyn’s tantrum, her wrath, her grand spectacle. But all Madelyn did was quirk an eyebrow, smiling with nonchalance. “Is that so? What a pity, that bear was a limited edition.”

In this world, the one who cries gets the sweets. It was not her fault; if Jadie wept, and Madelyn did not forgive her, it would appear as if Madelyn herself was in the wrong. In her past life, she had detested Jadie—detested how she had ensnared Zach’s heart, detested her weak and tearful demeanor. In this life, her feelings had not changed, but she just did not care anymore.

Zach stared at Madelyn, his expression chilling. He was about to say something when Madelyn cut him off.

“If you liked it so much, I’ll get you another one for your birthday this year. That way, I won’t have to fret over choosing a gift,” she said.

Jadie stepped up. “Madelyn, I’m truly sorry. I didn’t mean to.”

Madelyn blinked, sweeping her gaze over Jadie’s face. “It’s just a small thing, and it wasn’t mine anyway. Even if it’s lost, there’s no need to apologize to me.” To divert the topic from the insignificant bear, she asked, “Rosario, is dinner ready? I’m quite hungry.”

“It’s been ready for a while. I was about to call you,” Rosario replied.

“I’ll just get dressed and come down for dinner,” Madelyn said, returning to her room. When she descended the stairs after changing, she noticed that their usual seats were empty.

“Rosario, where are Zach and Jadie?” she asked.

Rosario, bringing in the last bowl of soup, replied, “Mr. Jardin and Miss White left. They said they had already eaten, so they didn’t stay. Oh, and Mr. Jardin left some dessert for you. He asked me to remind you. He truly does care for you, you know.”

Rosario’s final words were an attempt at consolation, and Madelyn could tell. Rosario served the strawberry mousse cake Zach had bought. Madelyn thought initially it was just a ruse to appease her. Knowing that Zach and Jadie had left the house, and staring at the cake Zach had purchased, her heart remained strangely steady, devoid of the usual chaos. At that moment, she realized she had finally found closure from her past. She sampled the mousse cake, finding it sweet but not cloying – just like the one from her favorite place.

“Rosario, you should stop fussing around. Sit and eat with me,” she said.

Rosario declined. “I’ve eaten earlier, and besides, it’s not appropriate for the help to dine with the mistress.”

Madelyn pulled Rosario to sit next to her, putting on a pitiful face. “It’s just us in this house. Please, have dinner with me. After all, there’s no one else left aside from you.”

‘Zach and Jadie might never return to this house,’ she thought.

Rosario had no choice but to comply. In her heart, she felt sorry for Madelyn, a child with no real friends by her side, doing everything all by herself.

‘Even Mr. Jardin, the only person Madelyn had leaned on, only had eyes for Miss White,’ she thought.

Madelyn had been resting at home for the past couple of days, recovering from her injuries. The stitches on her wrist had been removed and the wound was almost healed. As long as she did not get it wet, it would not reopen. Zach had not come home since he had left. Hayson, who was out of town, had been delayed by a storm, and his return would take some time.

With her mind becoming more active, Madelyn realized she needed to change her path. In her previous life, she had devoted all her attention to Zach, causing her to perform poorly in her final exams and attend a subpar local university. Now, being in her senior year, she decided to focus on her studies, aiming to attend a reputable university and carve a different path for herself.

Madelyn attended Ventrocloud High School, a private institution renowned for its stellar faculty and top-tier infrastructure. Naturally, the tuition fees were steep, costing at least six figures annually. The vehicles picking up and dropping off students were no less than luxury cars. Students studying there were either from affluent families or were exceptionally bright students who had earned scholarships through their academic excellence. These high achievers were generally rewarded by the school with full scholarships and generous stipends.

The chauffeur dropped Madelyn at the school gate, reminding her. “Ms. Jent, please call me after classes are over.”

Madelyn nodded. “Alright.”