And then Jane’s message, dripping with mockery: [Wow, Maddie. It must be nice to have Rico spend so much money to clean up your mess. How did you manage that?]
Maddie clenched her jaw, her emotions roiling. The cleanup wasn’t for her sake. It was to protect Rico’s image.
***
Maddie sat in silence, rereading the messages. Each one brought a different weight to her chest—her sister’s protective nature, her mother’s concern, Lucy’s optimism and Jane’s taunts.
She had spent her life believing in the strength of her bond with Rico. Now, it felt as though every piece of that connection had crumbled.
For years, she had been his shadow, supporting him, waiting for a place in his world. But Maddie realized something now: Rico had outgrown their shared past. And if she didn’t walk away, she would be stuck in a version of herself that no longer existed.
***
Maddie sat on the edge of her bed, staring at her phone. The social media frenzy that had consumed her yesterday was now eerily silent. Every scathing post, every cruel comment and even the leaked photo were gone, wiped clean as if they had never existed.
But Maddie knew this wasn’t Rico’s doing. This time, the one standing behind her wasn’t the man she had spent years trusting—it was her sister.
"Thank you," Maddie texted, her fingers trembling.
A moment later, she sent another message to her mom: [Don’t worry about me too much. Once I’m back in Haichester, I’ll let you introduce me to someone new.]
Her mother’s reply came almost instantly: [Alright, sweetheart. Mom is counting down the days until you’re home.]
The image of her mother waiting by her phone, anxious for a response, made Maddie’s eyes sting. This was what she had been missing all along—a sense of family, love without conditions, a place where she was wanted.
***
Maddie was about to reply to Lucy when her phone buzzed with an incoming call.
“Maddie! You scared me half to death,” Lucy exclaimed, her tone frantic. “Why didn’t you answer my messages? I thought something had happened to you!”
“What could possibly happen to me?” Maddie replied with forced lightness, trying to put her friend at ease.
“Well, Rico took down the hot search, didn’t he? That must mean something. You’re not as upset now, right?”
Maddie hesitated, her voice softening. “Lucy, it wasn’t Rico. It was my sister who handled it. And honestly, I’ve stopped caring about Rico. I’m getting ready to go home.”