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He Faked Amnesia to Cheat, She Vanished With His Heir
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"I want to divorce Joel. I'm pregnant, and I need you to keep it from him." Phyllis Delgado was struck by equal measures of heartbreak and shock. The woman who had loved her son so fiercely was now ca...
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第1章
On their third wedding anniversary, the gift Madison Maddox received was a video of her husband and his secretary going at it in a car, trending number one across every platform.
Every guest in that banquet hall had their eyes locked on her, waiting for the notoriously fierce Mrs. Delgado to shatter, to scream, to make a scene worthy of the headlines.
Instead, she calmly arranged for the guests to leave. Then she drove straight to the Delgado estate and said the words she'd been holding inside.
"I want to divorce Joel. I'm pregnant, and I need you to keep it from him."
Phyllis Delgado was struck by equal measures of heartbreak and shock. The woman who had loved her son so fiercely was now carrying his child, asking for a divorce, and refusing to let him know.
Madison let out a bitter laugh. She had loved Joel. When his car accident left him broken, she'd abandoned her own future and career to walk that long road beside him.
But after the wedding, Joel's "amnesia episodes" became routine. He'd forget her, forget their marriage, and lose himself in one woman after another.
She'd thrown away her dignity and her pride. She'd fought, she'd wept, she'd threatened. He'd come back to his senses and apologize, and the very next day he'd be kissing someone else on the street.
She kept telling herself he was sick. Then, the day before, she'd heard the truth.
The voice on the other end of the phone had been teasing, amused. "You really found yourself a brilliant excuse. But seriously, you don't love her anymore?"
Joel had scoffed.
"I used to. But I got bored. She's not young anymore, and she's suspicious of every little thing. Besides, what man can love just one woman his whole life?"
In that single moment, her mind went blank, and something inside her died.
Fine, then. She would leave. And she would take the child growing inside her with her.
But after the divorce, when Joel learned the truth, he would lose his mind and drop to his knees, begging for her forgiveness.
——
Their third wedding anniversary. Madison Maddox received a very special gift.
A video of Joel Delgado and his secretary tangled together in the back of his car, rocketing to the top of every trending list online.
Half an hour earlier, he had been holding her hand as they cut the anniversary cake together. His voice had been tender. "Every year from now on," he'd murmured. "Just like this."
Now every pair of eyes in the banquet hall was fixed on Madison. Curiosity, mockery, pity, all braided together. They were waiting for the famously fierce Mrs. Delgado to crack, to crumble, to give them a show.
"Ma'am, should I pull up his location?"
Spencer's expression was strained, his voice dropping lower with every word. "I'm sure it's just Mr. Delgado's amnesia flaring up again."
The old Mrs. Delgado had given strict orders: nothing was to upset the young madam today. All Spencer could do was invoke Joel's condition and hope she'd stay calm.
Madison's face showed nothing at all.
"Don't bother. The footage is grainy. Just get it taken down."
Spencer stood frozen, unable to believe what he'd heard.
The murmurs among the guests erupted like a kicked hornet's nest.
"She's not going after him? Did I hear that right?"
"Last time Joel was spotted on a date with some influencer, she'd just come out of surgery. She literally dragged herself out of bed and threatened to end herself if he didn't come home."
"And on her birthday, when he brought that little starlet? She blacklisted the girl from the entire industry and had their wedding photos playing on loop at the venue to mark her territory."
"But it's just his post-accident condition acting up. He forgets the marriage, forgets her. And every woman he goes after looks at least seventy percent like Madison."
"Exactly. That proves she's the one he really loves. But does she care? No. She makes a federal case out of every little slip. Zero compassion for what he's going through."
Every cruel word, every mocking laugh, landed in Madison's ears without missing a syllable.
They all assumed the same thing: she'd finally learned that making scenes risked losing her Mrs. Delgado title, so she was swallowing her pride at last.
Madison didn't argue. Her gaze had drifted to the wedding portrait hanging nearby, and for a moment, she lost herself in it.
Back then, his eyes had been full of love. But now she finally understood that love and vows were the most fragile things in the world. The most easily broken.
One day ago, she had overheard Joel on the phone with his best friend.
There was no intermittent amnesia. There never had been. He was simply tired of loving one woman. He wanted novelty, excitement. He remembered everything.
He remembered they'd grown up together. He remembered she was his wife.
He remembered her hysteria, her red-rimmed eyes, her begging him to come home. He'd watched her forgive him like a fool, over and over again.
Countless nights she had cried herself into exhaustion, unable to sleep.
Now she was done crying. And she was finally ready to let go.
When the dinner ended, Madison drove straight to the Delgado estate.
Phyllis had already seen the trending story. She looked at Madison with aching eyes, her hands trembling with fury.
She'd sent people to bring Joel home.
Within minutes, the phone rang. The household aide's voice came through shaking.
"Ma'am, the young master's episode has passed, but he says he's busy. He threw our people out. He asked us to pass along a message to the young madam. He says he feels terrible that his episode exposed the girl publicly, and he needs to stay and make it up to her."
"He also said the young madam handled it well, very sensible, getting the story taken down so the girl wouldn't be embarrassed. He said she's finally starting to show some—"
Phyllis hurled the phone to the floor. Her hands wouldn't stop shaking.
"That ungrateful boy! When is this so-called illness of his ever going to end? What you've endured, Madison... it's beyond what anyone should bear."
Madison stepped forward and steadied Phyllis by the arm. When she spoke, her voice was calm, but threaded through with a bone-deep weariness.
"Mom, I came tonight because I need you to agree to something. I want to divorce Joel."
"Five years ago, the Maddox family went bankrupt. My father was critically ill. The Delgados stepped in and saved us. Your family will always be our benefactors."
"Then Joel had his accident, and he changed completely. He was reckless, self-destructive, impossible to control. You asked me to stay, to be by his side, to pull him out of that pit and help him settle down."
"I agreed. I turned down my acceptance to one of the best schools in the country. I gave up my career, my education. I gave him everything I had. And just when I thought things were getting better, the relapses started. He kept forgetting me."
"I fought. I screamed. I tore myself apart trying to hold on. But I can't keep him anymore, and I'll never make him remember me for good."
Phyllis's eyes went red. She pulled Madison into a tight embrace, her voice breaking.
"Our family has wronged you. When your parents entrusted you to us, I promised them I'd keep you happy for the rest of your life. I never imagined..."
"After the accident, he didn't recognize a soul in this world except you. He searched for you like a man possessed. He refused to marry anyone else. And now this condition of his flares up and the only person he forgets is you."
Madison opened her mouth. He never lost his memory. The words rose to the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed them back down.
She just smiled, a small, self-mocking curve of her lips.
"Mom, I'm just... so tired."
Phyllis let out a long, heavy sigh.
"All right. I respect your decision."
Madison lifted her hand and rested it against her lower belly.
"There's one more thing. Please help me keep this from him. I'm pregnant."
Phyllis froze. Her eyes went wide, dropping to Madison's stomach, and then the tears came in a flood.
"You foolish girl. You're pregnant, and you still have the heart to talk about divorce?"
A mist rose in Madison's eyes, but she held the tears back by sheer force of will.
"Mom, this baby isn't a bargaining chip. I don't want my child born into a family with no love. I don't want him growing up looking at his father and learning to regret. I can protect him. I can give him a future. Don't tell Joel about the baby. After all, he can't even remember me."
Phyllis looked at the resolve carved into every line of Madison's face. Her tears fell harder. She nodded, firmly.
"I'll handle the divorce. Don't worry. I will keep the pregnancy hidden. This is what our family owes you. What Joel owes you."
Madison dipped her head in a small nod and turned to leave.
Behind her, she heard Phyllis's choked sigh drift through the hallway:
"How did everything go so wrong..."
Madison's steps faltered for just a fraction of a second.
How did it go so wrong?
She would never forget the Joel from before the accident. Eyes full of nothing but her, treating her like she was the center of his universe.
After the crash, he'd become someone twisted. Cold and obsessive. During his episodes, he would hurt her. When he came back to himself, he'd slap his own face over and over, drop to his knees, beg her to forgive him, swear he hadn't meant it.
She had never blamed him. She had loved him with unwavering certainty.
Now she knew the truth. And her heart would never beat for him again.
She had barely made it down the front steps when her phone lit up with a massive wire transfer from Joel and a string of voice messages.
In the background, she could hear faint, breathless panting.
"Babe, you actually didn't make a scene tonight. Good girl. Keep that up."
"My headache hit again just now, and I mistook the girl for you."
"Send over that 'Only You' set, will you? The girl says I was too rough, and nothing I do is calming her down. She's obsessed with that jewelry collection of yours."
第2章
Madison listened to the voice message without a flicker of expression, then lowered her gaze to the diamond ring on her finger—the matching piece to the "Only You" perfume.
Joel had designed it himself. His proposal gift to her.
He'd been hiding behind his so-called amnesia, giving away things that belonged to her—things meant only for her—to someone else. Again and again. Then he'd watch with cold detachment as she broke down, as she screamed and raged, before tossing her just enough sweetness to pull her back in line.
The cycle had repeated so many times she'd lost count.
But not this time. She didn't want the ring anymore. She didn't want Joel, either.
Madison didn't reply. She slipped the ring off her finger and dropped it into the trash.
Then she had someone take the jewelry away.
The next morning, Joel came home before dawn.
He changed into fresh clothes, scrubbed away the scent that didn't belong to him, and climbed into bed. His arm curled around Madison from behind, his chin nestling into the curve of her neck, fingers tracing lazy circles along her waist. His voice was low and tender.
"Madison, I'm sorry. My amnesia flared up yesterday, and the whole thing went viral. I know it must've hurt you."
A pause, then: "But she's young. Spending a little time with her is the decent thing to do. Don't take it to heart."
Madison gave a calm nod. "Okay."
Joel froze. The carefully rehearsed words he'd prepared to coax her died on his tongue.
"Babe, you're really being good about this?"
Madison offered a faint smile. "Isn't this what you wanted? Obedient and proper."
Joel smiled, looking pleased. He produced a bottle of perfume and held it out to her, as though it were a reward for good behavior.
But the cloying sweetness hit her nostrils, and her brow creased instantly.
Less than an hour ago, Alexis Pruitt had posted this exact bottle on social media.
"My darling boss bought me perfume. Hate it. Making him take it back to his frumpy little wife as punishment."
There was a time Joel would have scoured the world for the finest things just to see her smile. Now he was handing her another woman's castoffs.
Madison bit the inside of her cheek until she tasted copper.
"I don't want something that's been dirtied."
Joel's brow twitched, barely perceptible. He tossed the perfume into the trash without hesitation and pulled her into his arms, his voice soothing.
"If my good girl doesn't like it, we throw it away. I've got a full physical booked at the hospital later. Madison—it's time we had a baby of our own."
A baby?
A sharp ache bloomed behind her ribs. She dropped her gaze, hiding the storm in her eyes.
Once, they had both longed for a child with everything they had. But now she would never tell him.
A long silence stretched between them. Madison was just about to offer the excuse she'd rehearsed when Joel's phone rang.
"Joel, I twisted my ankle. It really hurts."
Joel glanced at Madison, then spoke into the phone, his tone clipped and cold.
"Can't you get yourself to the hospital?"
He hung up.
Then he turned back to Madison, all smiles, and helped her gather her things.
"Today, wifey comes first!"
The car pulled away from the house. Minutes later, the phone shattered the quiet again.
Joel answered. Madison couldn't hear what was said on the other end, but he slammed the brakes so hard her seatbelt locked. He threw open his door, rounded the car, and yanked open the passenger side, pulling her out.
"Babe, just grab a cab to the hospital."
He was gone before she could blink, tires screaming against asphalt.
Madison watched the car shrink into the distance. A bitter laugh escaped her.
She'd actually believed, for half a second, that there was a shred of sincerity left in him. In the end, the only fool here was her.
She went to the hospital alone. After her prenatal checkup, she turned a corner and walked straight into Joel and Alexis.
Alexis was curled against his chest, eyes red-rimmed, a cartoon Band-Aid plastered across her ankle.
The moment she spotted Madison, Alexis lifted her face from Joel's embrace.
"Mrs. Delgado, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. I just twisted my ankle, and I shouldn't have bothered Mr. Delgado to come all the way here. He should have been with you for your checkup. I feel terrible."
The sight sent Madison's stomach lurching. She gagged, pressing the back of her hand to her mouth.
"Secretaries are a real bargain these days. The job even comes with a side gig as a mistress."
Joel's jaw tightened at her words, anger flashing across his face—but then he saw her. The color had drained from her skin. Her lips were bloodless. She was swaying on her feet.
Something twisted in his chest. He reached for the papers clutched in her hand, thinking she was sick.
"What's wrong? Are you ill?"
His fingers had barely grazed the report when Alexis let out a sharp whimper.
"Joel, my foot—it hurts so much…"
Her voice snapped his attention back like a leash. He released Madison's hand immediately and turned to fuss over the woman in his arms.
"Shh, it's okay. We'll get it checked right now."
He let go so abruptly that Madison, already unsteady, stumbled backward. Her legs buckled, and she nearly hit the floor.
Her palm caught the wall just in time. She steadied herself against it, fingers pressed white against the cold surface.
By the time she looked up, Joel was already walking away with Alexis in his arms.
Her heart clenched with a pain she couldn't contain. She dug her nails into her palm, hard enough to draw crescents into the skin, forcing herself to stay composed.
She didn't look back. She turned and left.
The moment she stepped outside the hospital, a message from Phyllis lit up her phone.
"Madison, the divorce papers will be ready in a week."
第3章
After leaving the hospital, Madison drove straight to the jewelry studio.
Joel had opened it for her after the wedding. He'd felt guilty that she'd given up her career to care for him while he recovered from the accident, so he'd set this place up as a gift.
She wouldn't take a single cent of Joel Delgado's fortune in the divorce. But this studio she would claim. Every piece inside it was born from her own hands, her own sleepless nights, her own talent. She needed it to build a future for herself and the baby.
She hadn't been there long when her assistant handed her an outgoing inventory log.
Her necklaces. Her bracelets. Her archival collection pieces. Every last one of them had been transferred out, gifted to Alexis Pruitt on Joel's orders.
Rage surged through her chest. She reached for her phone to call him.
Then she saw her own name trending online.
The video was already everywhere. In it, she sat alone in the hospital waiting room. And there was Joel, cradling Alexis in his arms, murmuring to her like she was something precious.
The comments section had erupted.
"So even Madison Maddox knows when to keep her mouth shut. Guess she's terrified of losing her Mrs. Delgado title."
"Alexis is clearly the one Joel actually loves. Did you see how panicked he looked holding her?"
"Madison only married him because she nursed him after his car accident. She leveraged a favor into a wedding ring, and now reality's catching up."
The words were sharp as needles, but they couldn't pierce a heart that had already gone cold.
Joel saw the trending video too. His response was a seven-figure wire transfer and a single message.
[Alexis had nightmares and needed me there. Be good.]
Madison stared at the number on her screen. Nothing stirred behind her eyes.
She dialed his number. When he picked up, her voice was ice stripped of every last trace of feeling.
"Joel, you gave my designs to your mistress. Did you think to ask me first?"
On the other end, Joel sounded utterly unbothered, even irritated, as though she were being unreasonable.
"Isn't the money I sent you enough to cover it? You were so well-behaved yesterday. What happened?"
Madison laughed. She hung up without another word and went back to packing.
She didn't leave the studio until the following day.
Once she finished gathering her things, she would never set foot in that place again.
But when she pushed open the front door of the house, she found Alexis curled up on the sofa, nestled against Joel, cooing up at him. They looked every bit the picture of a devoted young couple.
Alexis heard the door and turned. The moment she spotted Madison, her expression shifted into something small and frightened, and she shrank deeper into Joel's arms.
"Hey, sis."
Madison's body trembled before she could stop it. She looked at the scene and let the words fall, razor-edged.
"How thoughtful of you, Mr. Delgado. Bringing your mistress home to convalesce. Was the house feeling too big and empty? Needed a little extra warmth?"
Joel's expression darkened in an instant. He straightened, his gaze locking onto Madison, disappointment heavy in every syllable.
"Madison, I actually thought you'd learned your lesson. And here you go again with the passive-aggressive nonsense. Alexis's foot hasn't healed. I don't feel comfortable leaving her out there on her own. I brought her back to rest for a few days. What's the problem?"
His words snuffed out the last faint ember of anything she'd still been holding onto.
She looked at the man in front of her, the man who had once loved her down to the marrow of his bones, and felt nothing. Not anger. Not grief. Just a vast, hollow indifference.
She didn't argue. She swept one cool glance over the two of them, turned, and walked toward the bedroom.
The door closed behind her, sealing out Alexis's soft, theatrical sobs. Sealing out the last fragile thread that still connected her to Joel Delgado.
Madison slid down against the door until she was sitting on the floor. Her hand drifted to her stomach, and she whispered into the quiet.
"You won't blame Mommy for not giving you a whole family, will you, little one?"
第4章
It was a long time before Madison could bring herself to stand. She moved slowly, gathering her things. The closet held everything she'd prepared for the baby—tiny clothes, little shoes, and the handmade patchwork quilt her mother had sewn stitch by stitch. She was taking all of it with her.
But the moment she opened the closet doors, her blood ran cold.
Everything inside had been ransacked. The clothes were gone. Every last piece.
She went straight downstairs and found the housekeeper. Her voice came out trembling and ice-cold.
"Where are my things?"
The housekeeper's eyes darted away. She stammered, wouldn't lift her head, and glanced involuntarily toward the garden.
Madison's stomach dropped. She followed the faint sounds of laughter across the lawn, and what she saw made her vision blur red.
Alexis stood on the grass, cooing at the dog at her feet. The dog was wearing the baby clothes Madison had prepared for her child.
The patchwork quilt her mother had sewn was cut to ribbons. One piece had been tied around the dog's neck as a drool bib.
And the good-luck charm—the one her mother had prayed for at the temple and given to her for protection—was clamped between the dog's teeth, being torn apart.
Alexis giggled, scratching behind the dog's ears.
"Little Maddie is such a good girl! You look so pretty in your new outfit!"
"Good dog, Maddie."
Maddie.
That name—it was the pet name Joel used for her alone. His word. He used to hold her close and murmur it against her ear.
Madison's fists clenched so tight her knuckles went white. The rage crawled up her spine like something alive.
Every ounce of fury she had swallowed, every humiliation she had endured in silence—it all shattered at once.
She crossed the distance in three strides and slapped Alexis across the face.
The crack rang out, sharp and clean.
"Madison Maddox, have you lost your mind?!"
Alexis clutched her cheek and shrieked, tears spilling instantly.
Joel came storming out of the study at the commotion. The first thing he saw was Alexis, sobbing, hand pressed to her face.
The moment Alexis spotted him, she threw herself into his arms, trembling.
"Joel! She hit me—and she hurt little Maddie!"
Joel's expression darkened. "Madison, you—"
Madison's voice tore out of her, hoarse and shaking.
"How dare you let her touch my things!"
Joel's face turned to stone. "Your things? A pile of rags and scraps. Alexis letting the dog wear them was more than they deserved."
Madison's chest heaved. Her eyes burned as she lunged past him toward the dog, desperate to save the good-luck charm.
Before she could reach it, the dog bared its teeth and launched at her, snarling, sinking its jaws into her calf. White-hot pain shot through her leg. Its front paws clawed at her knees, scrambling upward toward her stomach.
In that instant, Madison forgot the pain. She summoned every ounce of strength she had and kicked the dog away.
It yelped, tumbled across the grass, and curled into a whimpering ball.
Blood seeped from the wound on Madison's calf. Warm liquid trickled down her shin. A sharp cramp seized her lower abdomen, and she doubled over, unable to move.
"Madison!"
Joel hadn't expected her to actually fight a dog for that charm. Seeing her crumpled on the ground, his mind emptied of everything but alarm. He rose to his feet and started toward her.
He hadn't taken a single step before Alexis grabbed his arm, wailing.
"Joel! Maddie's mouth is bleeding—what's wrong with her? Is she going to die?!"
His hand froze in midair. His gaze drifted to the dog whimpering on the ground. He hesitated for one long moment, then steadied Alexis on her feet.
"Don't be scared."
He picked up the dog, took Alexis by the arm, and walked out the front door without looking back.
Madison watched him go. She bit down on her lip until she tasted iron, refusing to let herself cry. She told herself over and over that he wasn't worth it. He wasn't worth a single tear.
She staggered upright, called a cab, and went to the hospital alone.
The moment she walked through the emergency room doors, everything she'd been holding together finally gave way. Her vision went black, and she collapsed.
When she opened her eyes again, it was the next day. Her wound had been bandaged. She was cleared to leave.
第5章
When Madison walked through the door, Alexis was nestled against Joel's side, playing lady of the house as she barked orders at the servants.
Joel heard the sound and lifted his gaze toward Madison.
"Starting today, Alexis is the woman of this house. Everyone answers to her." His eyes settled on Madison. "Including you."
His stare was ice. Not a trace of warmth.
Because she'd kicked Alexis's dog, he was using his so-called amnesia as an excuse again, handing her title as Mrs. Delgado to someone else.
He expected her to rage. To lose control. To break down and then give in, the way she always had. He expected her to still care.
But she no longer wanted to be Mrs. Delgado. And she no longer cared whether his amnesia was real.
Madison said nothing. She turned and headed for the stairs.
Alexis stepped into her path, eyes glittering with triumph and contempt.
"There's still so much I don't understand about running this house. I was hoping you could teach me, sis."
Before Madison could respond, Alexis grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward the bar counter.
Madison's custom coffee machine, the one she'd waited months to have shipped from Italy, had been wrecked beyond recognition.
Rage blazed through her. She wrenched her hand free.
"Who told you you could touch that?"
Alexis only smiled, smug and unhurried, lifting a steaming cup of coffee from the counter.
"You still think you're the high-and-mighty Mrs. Delgado? Joel stopped loving you a long time ago. You're nothing."
The words barely left her mouth before she hurled the coffee straight at Madison.
Scalding liquid hit her neck and slid beneath her collar. Madison flinched, her skin burning.
The bitter-sweet stench of coffee flooded her nostrils. Her stomach, already wrecked by morning sickness, revolted instantly. She clamped a hand over her mouth and doubled over, retching.
Everything in her stomach came up, all over Alexis.
Alexis froze for a few seconds, then let out a piercing scream.
Joel came running. He found Madison half-collapsed on the floor, dry-heaving, tears squeezed from the corners of her eyes by sheer reflex.
His body moved before his mind caught up. He rushed toward her, reaching out to help her stand.
Instinct. The kind carved into bone. For a split second, he forgot he was supposed to have amnesia.
Alexis watched him and felt her chest seize. She cranked up her sobbing.
"Joel, I only asked her how to use the coffee machine, and she threw coffee at me and vomited on me."
Her voice cracked into a pitiful whimper. "I know she doesn't like me. If she wants me gone, I'll go. But why does she have to humiliate me like this?"
Joel's brow furrowed. The concern drained from his face, replaced by cold disgust.
"Madison, you never learn. I told you she's the woman of this house."
Madison wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. She looked up at him, and when she spoke, her voice could have cut glass.
"The woman of this house? Whose name is on the marriage certificate, Joel? Hers?" She held his gaze without flinching. "Did you forget how to read along with everything else?"
Joel went still. He had never seen this version of Madison before.
Alexis recovered first.
"Joel, she's deliberately provoking you. She doesn't respect you at all."
That hit the nerve it was meant to. Fury swallowed whatever was left of Joel's reason.
"Drag her outside. She kneels for one hour and thinks about what she's done."
Two bodyguards moved immediately, seizing Madison by the arms.
She struggled against their grip, staring at Joel's cold, indifferent face. It overlapped with the face in her memory, the one from before.
The Joel who used to hold her like something precious. Who stayed up all night at her bedside when she was sick. Who noticed every small thing about her.
Who once whispered, in a moment so tender it ached: "Madison, I'll love you until the day I die."
His love had been so brief.
Numbness and pain crashed through her in equal measure as the guards forced her to her knees outside the front door of the villa.
Then Madison raised her voice, sharp and clear, aimed straight at the living room.
"Joel Delgado. If you make me kneel out here, and your mother finds out how you've treated me, do you really think your little secretary will live to see tomorrow?"
Her voice wasn't loud, but every word landed with absolute certainty.
Joel's eyes narrowed. His mother had always taken Madison's side.
And the Delgado family's rules left no room for a woman like Alexis to set foot through the front door, let alone claim the house as her own.
The air went still. They stared at each other, neither willing to look away.
第6章
The sky split open without warning, and rain came crashing down in sheets.
Water soaked through Madison's clothes in seconds, plastering the fabric to her skin like ice. Yet she stood in the downpour with her spine ramrod straight, her gaze fixed on Joel through the living room windows. There was no plea in her eyes. Not a trace.
Something twisted in Joel's chest, sharp and unbidden. A terrible thought surfaced.
Did she want to leave him?
He crushed it almost instantly. She couldn't leave him. She loved him too much.
His eyes went cold.
"Madison, you really think this is your house to throw tantrums in? Don't you dare use my mother to strong-arm me!"
He wrapped his arm around Alexis's waist and headed for the stairs without a backward glance, leaving Madison standing in the rain.
The downpour only worsened, each drop hammering against her body like a fist.
The bodyguards moved toward her, ready to force her to her knees. Madison lifted her gaze and pinned them with a stare that could cut glass.
"You know what Mrs. Delgado is capable of. If I kneel today, do you really think you'll be alive tomorrow?"
The color drained from their faces. They exchanged a look, and the old woman's reputation did what Madison's words alone could not. They released her, stepping back with grudging reluctance.
Madison stumbled back inside. Every step sent a dull, dragging ache through her lower abdomen.
She made it to the second floor. Joel's bedroom door was ajar, and through the gap she saw something that made the world tilt sideways.
Joel had Alexis pinned against the headboard. Their bodies were tangled together, moving in a rhythm that left nothing to the imagination.
Alexis looked up. Through the crack in the door, her eyes met Madison's.
A slow, triumphant smile spread across her lips, mockery spilling from her gaze like venom. Then she draped her arms over Joel's shoulders and let out a breathy, theatrical moan.
Something hot and metallic surged up Madison's throat. She clamped both hands over her mouth, barely keeping the blood from spilling past her lips.
She couldn't watch. She turned and fled to her own room like a hunted animal.
The moment she locked the door behind her, a mouthful of blood poured into her cupped palm. Bright red. Violent against her skin.
She slid down the door and crumpled to the floor, still wrapped in her soaked clothes. The cold seeped into her bones as pain folded her body in on itself. Her vision blurred at the edges, then began to dissolve.
Time lost its shape. The chill burrowed deeper.
She fumbled for her phone and dialed Joel's number on instinct. Once. Twice. Again and again. No one picked up.
She dragged herself out of the room on her hands and knees. From behind the bedroom door, the sounds hadn't stopped. Rise and fall. Rise and fall.
When she opened her eyes again, she was in a hospital bed. A doctor stood beside her, his expression grim.
"Miss Maddox, you spiked a hundred-and-two-degree fever. Between the rain exposure and the severe emotional distress, your pregnancy is extremely unstable. You cannot endure any further stress. If you do, we may not be able to save the baby."
Madison stared at the ceiling and nodded.
Not long after, a commotion erupted in the hallway. Every member of the medical staff was summoned away.
The nurses chattered as they rushed past her door.
"Mr. Delgado's Miss Pruitt got admitted. Apparently things got too rough in the bedroom. He called in every doctor in the hospital to see her!"
"And look at Mrs. Delgado in there. Pregnant, burning up with fever, and not a single person looking after her. That amnesia of his sure is selective. Seems like the only person he forgot is his wife."
"When it comes down to it, the one who isn't loved is the real other woman. Miss Pruitt is the one Mr. Delgado actually cares about now."
Every cruel word found its way into Madison's ears, precise as a blade.
She turned her head toward the window. Outside, the rain had stopped. Her eyes held nothing but emptiness.
In the days that followed, Joel stayed at Alexis's side, tending to her every need. He never once learned that his wife was in the hospital too.
第7章
On the third day, Madison checked herself out of the hospital against her doctors' protests. She had a finals competition to attend.
This was her gift to her unborn child, and the foundation on which she and her baby would build their future.
Backstage at the venue, she ran into Alexis Pruitt.
Alexis sauntered past her with a look of unbridled triumph.
"Madison, surprised to see me here? So what if you two were childhood sweethearts? So what if you sat by his bedside after the accident? In the end, you couldn't hold on to any of it. His body, his heart, the title of Mrs. Delgado. It's all mine now."
"And today, I'm going to destroy what's left of you."
The finals presentations followed a randomized order. Alexis happened to be slotted right before Madison.
She walked onto the main stage and unveiled her finished designs, and the blood in Madison's veins turned to ice.
The collection Alexis presented was her Starlight Memories series.
Alexis held the microphone and shamelessly narrated every design concept and creative inspiration that Madison had poured countless sleepless nights into developing.
In the audience, Joel sat front and center in the VIP section, his face radiating undisguised pride.
"Alexis has a real gift for design," he remarked.
The judges nodded in agreement, murmuring their approval.
Madison's mind went blank. She never imagined Joel would take designs she treasured like her own flesh and blood and hand them to another woman.
The host called her name several times before she snapped back to reality and walked onstage.
She drew a deep breath, presented her designs, and met the stunned gazes of the audience head-on. Her voice came out clear and unwavering.
"Esteemed judges, hello. My name is Madison Maddox. This Starlight Memories collection is my original work. The pieces Miss Pruitt just presented are a complete plagiarism of my designs."
The moment the words left her mouth, the venue erupted.
The judges exchanged uneasy glances, their eyes drifting toward Joel in the VIP section, waiting for him to weigh in.
Joel rose slowly to his feet. His gaze swept over Madison, cold as a blade, and his lips barely parted.
"Madison, what do you think you're doing?"
"Look at yourself. What kind of spectacle is this? You call yourself Mrs. Delgado? You're an embarrassment."
Madison swallowed the agony churning inside her.
"I'm making a spectacle? You took the work I poured my heart and soul into, night after night, and gifted it to your mistress. And I'm the one making a spectacle?"
Joel's expression remained glacial.
"Is your heart really that ugly? Just because we're married, no other woman is allowed to exist near me? When did you become this person?"
Madison laughed out loud. "Who changed here, Joel? You or me?"
"In your eyes, everything I am is worthless. But of course it is. You can't even remember your own promises."
"You said you'd love me until the end of your life." Her voice dropped. "Turns out your life was shorter than I thought."
She turned to Alexis, who stood there glowing with satisfaction, and the corner of Madison's mouth curved upward.
Then, in front of everyone, she walked to the fire safety station, grabbed the extinguisher, and brought it down on Alexis's counterfeit pieces. The display shattered into wreckage across the floor.
Alexis shrieked the moment she processed what had happened. Her fans surged forward, lunging at Madison, screaming at her to drop dead.
The venue descended into chaos. Madison was hopelessly outnumbered and shoved to the ground.
Joel's first instinct was to pull Alexis into his arms and rush her out of the building.
Madison curled into herself on the floor, both hands locked over her lower abdomen, objects raining down on her body. She trembled with pain but refused to let go.
It wasn't until security regained control that she was finally pulled free.
Her hair was tangled and wild, her appearance wrecked, and a thin line of blood seeped from a gash at her temple.
Reporters lifted their cameras in unison, capturing every frame of her humiliation.
Mockery and vicious remarks swirled around her. She seemed to hear none of it. She simply kept walking, steady and resolute, toward the exit.
第8章
She had barely stepped outside when a message from Phyllis came through.
"Tomorrow is Grandpa's birthday. I'm hoping you'll come one last time. I'd also like to hand you the divorce papers in person."
Madison stared at the screen for a long time before typing back a single word: "Okay."
The next morning, she arrived at the Delgado estate early, planning to offer her well-wishes and leave.
She never expected Joel to walk in with Alexis on his arm.
The courtyard erupted. Guests turned to one another, whispering in disbelief.
Phyllis's face drained of color.
"Who told you to bring her here? Security—get this woman out of my house!"
"I dare anyone to try."
Joel stepped forward, shielding Alexis behind him. His gaze swept the crowd, every word razor-sharp.
"Alexis is carrying my child. A Delgado heir. I brought her here today so everyone can acknowledge that."
The teacup slipped from Madison's fingers. It shattered against the floor, hot tea splashing across her legs. She didn't feel it.
Joel's expression was hard as stone as he pulled a folded document from his jacket pocket.
"Madison is infertile. The child Alexis is carrying is the Delgado family's only heir."
Phyllis stumbled back a step. She snatched the report with trembling hands, her face white with shock. The relatives erupted into chaos, voices overlapping, gasps rippling through the room.
Madison steadied herself. She stepped forward, her gaze locked on Joel like a blade.
"Where did you get this report?"
Joel's voice shook.
"If Alexis hadn't found out, were you going to hide this from the Delgado family forever? Let the bloodline die out?"
Madison let out a bitter laugh. No words came.
Alexis turned to her, eyes glistening with tears.
"I know my background isn't good enough. I know I'm not worthy of Joel. But this baby is innocent. All I want is to keep it..."
"This family does not recognize that child, and it certainly does not recognize you!"
Phyllis's voice cut through the room like a whip. She moved to Madison's side and stood there like a wall.
"Anyone who tries to set foot in this house with that woman will answer to me first!"
Joel raised his voice.
"Mom. Alexis is carrying a boy."
The room went still.
"I will make sure Alexis delivers this child safely. He is my only heir. As for you, Madison—you'll always be Mrs. Delgado. Once the baby is born, he'll be handed over to you to raise. That should be enough."
Let Alexis bear the child to continue the bloodline. Keep Madison as the legitimate Mrs. Delgado to preserve the family's reputation.
Madison laughed. A cold, hollow sound.
Enough?
"What a perfect little arrangement, Mr. Delgado. You really do want it all."
Across the room, Elijah Delgado heard every word. His whole body trembled. He clutched his chest and sank into his chair.
Madison looked at the grotesque farce unfolding before her. She drew a long breath, forcing the storm inside her down, and turned to face Otis Delgado, Phyllis, and Elijah. She bowed deeply.
"The Delgado family's affairs are no longer my concern."
She turned and walked away.
"Wait! Please, wait!"
Alexis rushed after her, catching her by the arm. Tears streamed down her face, the picture of fragile, rain-soaked beauty.
"Please, I'm begging you. Let me have this baby. I'm begging you..."
"Let go of me."
Madison wrenched her arm, trying to break free.
Alexis only gripped tighter. She leaned in close, her voice dropping to a whisper meant for Madison's ears alone.
"Madison Maddox. I never thought he'd still insist on keeping you as Mrs. Delgado."
The words landed. In the same instant, the grip on Madison's arm vanished.
Alexis's body pitched backward. She hit the stone steps with a sickening thud, and a piercing scream tore through the air.
"Ahhh—!"
"Alexis!"
Joel burst through the door to find Alexis crumpled on the steps, both hands clutching her stomach, her face chalk-white.
"Joel... she pushed me. My stomach... it hurts so much... the baby... my baby..."
第9章
A shocking bloom of crimson seeped across the hem of Alexis's dress.
Joel's eyes were bloodshot. He lunged forward and locked his hand around Madison's throat, his voice a raw, ragged snarl.
"You vicious bitch! You can't have children of your own, so you had to kill hers? How can you be this heartless!"
The suffocating pressure crushed inward. Madison clawed at his fingers, desperate to say she hadn't pushed anyone, but his grip sealed her windpipe shut. Not a single word escaped.
Then he released her—not gently, but with a violent shove that sent her flying.
She hit the ground hard. Instinct curled her body inward, arms wrapping around her stomach before she even registered the pain.
Joel was already gone. He scooped Alexis into his arms and ran for the door, his voice cracking with panic.
"Don't be scared. I'm taking you to the hospital. The baby's going to be fine…"
Phyllis rushed out after them. The moment she saw Madison crumpled on the floor, white as paper, tears spilled down her face.
"Madison, I'm so sorry…"
Madison braced one hand against the wall and dragged herself upright. She managed a thin, brittle smile.
"I'm sorry I ruined Grandpa's birthday."
Phyllis's eyes were red and swollen. Her hands shook as she reached into her purse and pressed the divorce certificate into Madison's palm.
"From this day forward, you are not Mrs. Delgado. You are my daughter. You always will be."
Madison's nose burned. She nodded once, turned, and walked away.
She hadn't made it far before several bodyguards in black closed in around her and shoved her into a waiting car.
The car tore through the streets and screeched to a halt at the hospital.
Inside the private room, Alexis lay propped against the pillows, tear tracks glistening on her cheeks. The moment Madison was dragged through the door, her sobbing intensified.
Joel rose from the bedside and walked toward Madison. He towered over her, looking down with glacial contempt.
"The baby is gone. Get on your knees and apologize."
A bodyguard seized her shoulders and forced her down. Her kneecaps struck the tile floor so hard it felt like every bone in her legs shattered at once. The pain ripped through her, and her whole body trembled.
But her gaze didn't waver.
"I didn't do it. Why should I?"
Fury twisted Joel's face. He had told her—no one would replace her. The child would have been given to her to raise, and Alexis would have been sent away afterward.
So why did she have to kill his child?
He pulled out his phone and dialed.
"That ten-figure contract Maddox Group is counting on—pull it. Have Legal terminate the partnership immediately."
He hung up and fixed his stare on Madison, every syllable laced with threat.
"You won't apologize? Fine. Then I'll bankrupt your family by morning. Your father barely survived last time. This time—"
Madison's heart plummeted.
She knew Joel meant every word. He had the power to reduce the Maddox empire to rubble in a single phone call.
Her father was older now. His health couldn't withstand another blow. She would not let her family be destroyed because of her.
The cramping in her lower abdomen was getting worse—sharp, twisting knots of pain. She bit down on her lip until the taste of iron flooded her mouth. Only then did she slowly bow her head.
"I'm sorry."
Behind the curtain of tears, the corner of Alexis's mouth curled into a triumphant smirk.
"Get out."
Joel spat the two words without an ounce of warmth left in his eyes.
Madison stood. Her knees screamed with every step, each one unsteady, lurching. She didn't look back.
Behind her, Joel's voice turned impossibly soft as he soothed Alexis.
"Don't be afraid. I'll stay right here with you."
The hospital doors opened to a wall of cold night air. Madison lifted her hand and pressed it gently against her lower belly. Her fingertips were cool against the fabric. She lowered her head and whispered.
"It's okay, baby. Mommy's taking you away from here. We're never coming back."
She didn't go home. There was nothing left in that house she wanted.
She drove straight to the airport and bought a one-way ticket on the next international flight out.
Then she opened her phone and sent a single file to a reporter.
Release this in three days. Front page.
The plane lifted off the runway. Madison watched the churning sea of clouds roll past her window, and her eyes held nothing but certainty.
Joel Delgado. This is goodbye.
I loved you for so many years. Consider this my parting gift.
After that—a new beginning.