The turmoil in Maddie’s life began long before Rico came into it. As a child, her family had been torn apart by greed and betrayal. Her uncle, desperate to force Maddie’s father into splitting the family fortune, kidnapped her one night. His plan unraveled quickly. Maddie’s uncle, drunk and reckless, died choking on his own vomit in a dingy bar, leaving her abandoned in a hotel.

Terrified and alone, Maddie wandered the streets until a childless couple found her and took her in. They renamed her “Lana,” hoping the name would bring them luck. Their prayers seemed to work—six months later, Maddie’s foster mother became pregnant.

One crisp autumn morning, her foster father packed a small bag of her belongings and brought her to a train station. They rode for an entire day until they reached New York. He left her in front of an old brick building.

“This will be your home now,” he said flatly, handing her the bag. Without waiting for her reply, he walked away, his steps hurried and final.

Maddie stood frozen, clutching her bag. Tears welled in her eyes as she stared at the looming building that would become the orphanage she called home. She was on the verge of crying herself to sleep on the cold steps when a boy’s cheerful voice startled her.

“Hey! What’s your name? Did your mom and dad not want you either?”

She looked up to see a boy with messy hair and an oversized shirt peeking through the iron fence.

“My name is…” Maddie hesitated. She didn’t like the name Lana. Somewhere deep in her heart, she remembered being called something else. “Maddie. My name is Maddie.”

The boy tilted his head, grinning. “I’m Rico. My mom and dad don’t want me either. Don’t worry! I’ll go get Mrs. Walker!”

Before she could respond, Rico darted off. Moments later, a kind man with graying hair led her inside. Rico was waiting by the door, a proud smile on his face.

“Maddie, don’t be scared,” he said, reaching out to hold her hand. “My parents don’t want me anymore, either. But now we can be a family.”

***

Life in the orphanage wasn’t easy, but Maddie found solace in Rico’s unwavering protection. The staff tried their best and occasionally, donors would visit, bringing toys or supplies. But with so many children and limited resources, fights and bullying were common.

Whenever Maddie was teased or cornered, Rico would appear, fierce and unrelenting, to defend her. Over time, no one dared to bother her anymore.

As the years passed, Rico became her rock, her safe place. But somewhere along the way, things changed. The warmth between them faded, replaced by a distance Maddie couldn’t understand.

She couldn’t pinpoint when Rico began to drift away. All she knew was that the boy who once promised to protect her was now a man whose heart belonged to someone else.

***

Maddie sat beneath the golden ginkgo tree outside their shared apartment complex, her gaze fixed on the balcony of the 23rd floor. The plants and flowers on that balcony were her pride and joy—each one nurtured with care. But soon, they wouldn’t be hers anymore. Perhaps they never truly had been.

As the midday sun burned her skin, Maddie let her tears fall freely. She reached up to wipe them away, only to be interrupted by the buzz of her phone. A message from her editor appeared on the screen:

[Maddie, why didn’t you update yesterday? The readers are begging for the next chapter. You can’t miss another deadline!]

She stared at the message for a long moment before typing a curt reply.

[Okay.]

Standing with a wince, Maddie limped toward the elevator. Writing had always been her escape. Her current novel—a story of two children who grew up relying on each other—mirrored her own life in many ways. But unlike her story, the heroine in the novel was the one who saved the boy and the boy had fallen in love with her.

***

At her desk, Maddie opened her laptop and pulled up the comments section beneath her latest chapter.

[Maddie, when will the two of them finally get together? I can’t take the suspense anymore!]

[Please don’t break my heart. Let them be happy. They deserve it.]

[Don’t let the hero leave with his real parents. The heroine needs him!]

[If you write a sad ending, I swear I’ll send you a razor blade!]

Maddie stared at the screen, a bitter smile tugging at her lips. Readers poured their hearts into the story, rooting for her characters to have the happy ending she had always dreamed of. But how could she give them something she didn’t believe in anymore?

With trembling fingers, she began to type. Her thoughts wandered as the words appeared on the screen. Was she writing for her readers, or was she rewriting the life she wished she could have?

Maddie gave a bitter smile as she closed the comment section on her latest novel. Writing had been her escape—a way to preserve the moments she shared with Rico. For years, she’d poured her heart into crafting a love story inspired by their bond, believing her characters could find the happiness she longed for.

But reality was different. Rico had chosen Jane. The dream Maddie clung to had shattered, leaving her grasping at memories that no longer felt real.

In her senior year of college, when Maddie’s biological parents finally found her, she made the difficult choice to stay by Rico’s side. She hadn’t told him about her family, fearing that her newfound completeness would only alienate him further. Maddie had sacrificed so much for Rico.

And what had she received in return?

Nothing but distance.

Rico had long since stepped out of the fragile bond they shared. Maddie was the only one left, trapped in a cage of her own making, guarding feelings that now felt like a lie.

She stared at her laptop screen, her chest tightening. With trembling fingers, she typed the title of her newest chapter: Leave.

***

After updating her novel, Maddie moved through the apartment like a ghost, packing her belongings. She placed her favorite clothes in a suitcase, then gathered the rest into large bags. Once her room was stripped of the little touches that made it hers, she sank onto the bed, exhausted.

Reaching into her nightstand, Maddie pulled out a worn photo album. She flipped through the pages, her fingers brushing over the glossy images.

She had always loved photography. As a child, she didn’t have the means to capture moments, but in college, she’d saved up from her writing income to buy a camera. Most of her photos were of Rico, frozen in candid moments like sitting by the dining room window, sunlight highlighting his features as he ate breakfast. Not only that, he was also lying on the balcony, a cigarette dangling lazily from his fingers, curling up on the sofa after a night of drinking, his expression soft in sleep, wearing an apron in the kitchen, brushing soap suds off a plate, and smiling reluctantly in a goofy birthday hat, his eyes shut tight as he made a wish.

Each photo had once made Maddie’s heart flutter. Now, they only deepened her ache.

Gripping a pair of scissors, Maddie prepared to cut the photos into pieces, but her phone buzzed, interrupting her.

***

Her best friend’s voice came through the line, frantic. “Maddie, have you seen your phone? You’re trending.”

“Trending?” Maddie asked, her brows knitting in confusion.

“Yes, someone uploaded a video of you standing outside Rico’s hotel yesterday, holding flowers and crying. Jane’s fans are all over it.” Lucy’s tone softened, worried. “They’re saying awful things. Don’t take it to heart, okay? You know how those fans are—they’ll attack anything that moves.”

Lucy had been Maddie’s college roommate and the only person who knew about her connection to Rico.

“I’ll take a look,” Maddie said quietly, slipping on her headphones as she opened the app.

The top trending hashtag blazed across the screen: #JaneHarperRicoHughesSoSweet. Below it, another topic hovered ominously: #RicoHughesSponsoredOrphan.

Her stomach dropped as she clicked the second tag.

Photos flooded her screen: A shot of her crying outside the hotel, flowers clutched tightly in her hands. Besides, there were images of her entering and leaving Rico’s apartment complex and a rare picture of her and Rico together as children at the orphanage.

The accompanying comments were cruel, each one like a dagger aimed at her heart:

“Who does she think she is? Rico took pity on her and paid for her education and now she’s clinging to him like a leech!”

“Does she seriously think she has a chance with him? What a delusional toad trying to eat a swan!”

“Rico belongs with Jane! This shameless woman needs to leave and stop embarrassing herself.”

“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.

“Sweetheart, let me fly over. I can be there in two hours.”

“No need, Lucy,” Maddie said, “I’ll handle this myself.”

After hanging up, Maddie immediately dialed Rico’s number. The first call went unanswered. So did the second. By the third attempt, Maddie’s frustration turned to desperation. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he picked up.

His voice was calm, almost detached. “Maddie, I’m busy. What’s going on?”

“Rico,” Maddie began, her voice trembling. “Did you see the photo? The one Jane posted online?”

There was a pause and then Rico sighed. “Maddie, Jane didn’t mean any harm. She was just curious. She didn’t realize—”

“Stop.” Maddie’s voice cracked as she interrupted him. “She didn’t realize? Rico, that photo has the entire internet calling me a greedy, shameless woman. Do you think that’s okay?”

“Of course not,” Rico replied softly. “You’re my family, Maddie. You always have been. I’ll take care of you for the rest of your life. Don’t let this get to you.”

Her grip on the phone tightened. “So you think I’m the problem? That I’ve been too greedy? That I’m unworthy?”

Rico’s tone shifted to exasperation. “That’s not what I said. Maddie, I’ll talk to you when I get home, alright? I have things to do.”

Before she could respond, the line went dead.

***

Maddie collapsed onto her bed, clutching the phone against her chest. Tears streamed down her face as memories flooded her mind.

Once, Rico would have fought tooth and nail to defend her from anyone who dared speak ill of her. Now, even as the internet tore her apart, all he could offer was indifference and empty reassurances.

The bond she had cherished—their shared history, their childhood dependence on each other—meant nothing to him anymore.

To Rico, it seemed their connection was a relic of the past, not worth defending.

***

When Maddie woke the next morning, sunlight streamed through the curtains. Her phone buzzed relentlessly with unread messages.

The first was from her older sister: [Maddie, I’ve had the hot search suppressed. Don’t worry—I’ll take care of everything when you’re home.]

Her mother’s message followed: [Maddie, do you want your father and me to issue a statement? We can let the public know you’re part of the Evans Family, not an orphan.]

Next came Lucy: [Maddie, the hot search about you is gone. It looks like Rico still cares about you, even if he has a girlfriend now.]

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.

***