“She’s so pathetic. Jane is classy and beautiful. Maddie is just… nothing.”
Maddie’s fingers hovered over the screen as she read the comments. Her throat tightened, but she refused to cry. Not again.
***
Setting her phone aside, Maddie leaned back in her chair, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Was this how the world saw her? A pathetic hanger-on, clinging to someone who no longer wanted her?
She had given up so much for Rico—her independence, her family, even her dignity. And now, the only thing she had left was the memory of what they once shared. Maddie’s heart burned with shame and anger.
For years, she had tried to preserve their bond through her writing, immortalizing their moments in a fictional world where love conquered all. But now, the reality was too stark to ignore. Rico had moved on. He had Jane.
And Maddie? She had nothing but the echoes of a past that no longer existed.
She exhaled shakily, turning back to her laptop. The comments section of her latest chapter was still open, filled with eager pleas from her readers:
“When will they finally realize they’re meant for each other?”
“Please don’t let the hero leave. The heroine needs him!”
“If you give them a sad ending, I’ll cry for a week!”
Maddie’s lips twisted into a bitter smile. They wanted a happy ending, but her life wasn’t a novel. Sometimes, the hero didn’t choose the heroine.
Sometimes, he walked away.
***
Maddie stared at her phone, her hand trembling as she scrolled through the venomous comments flooding the screen.
"Does anyone else think Maddie looks a bit like Jane? She has a tear mole under her right eye, too!"
"Seriously? Tear moles aren’t rare. If every girl with one looked like Jane, the world would be overrun with wannabe rivals."
"Let’s pressure Rico to get rid of her! Someone like Maddie doesn’t deserve to stay around him."
"If she doesn’t leave, let’s protest outside their neighborhood. She won’t dare step out!"
The cruel words made Maddie’s chest tighten. Her gaze shifted to the group photo from the orphanage sitting on her desk. Only two people could have leaked it: Rico or Jane.
Rico rarely mentioned his past in the orphanage to anyone. The only person who had been in her room recently was Jane. The betrayal hit her like a punch to the gut.
***
“Maddie, are you alright?” Lucy’s voice was laced with concern.
“I’m fine,” Maddie replied, her voice steady despite the storm brewing inside her.