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.

***

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.”

The words barely left her mouth when a knock came at the door.

“Maddie, breakfast is ready,” Rico’s voice called from the other side.

Her heart jolted. She had slept so deeply the night before that she hadn’t heard him return. Panicking, she quickly ended the call with Lucy and opened the door.

***

Rico stood outside, dressed casually in his pajamas. His dark hair was tousled and his expression was unreadable.

“You said you’re going home?” he asked, his tone sharp.

Maddie’s mind raced. “You misheard,” she said quickly. “It was Lucy who’s going home.”

Before Rico could press further, a soft voice floated in from the kitchen.

“Rico, has Maddie gotten up yet? Breakfast is ready!”

Jane appeared, balancing a plate in her hands, wearing Rico’s shirt from the night before. She beamed at Maddie as though the previous day’s chaos had never happened.

“Good morning, Maddie!”

Maddie bit back a bitter retort. “You two enjoy. I’m not hungry.” She turned to close the door, but Rico grabbed her arm.

“Don’t be rude,” he said, frowning. “Jane worked so hard to make breakfast despite her burned foot. She even woke up early to cook for you and you won’t eat?”

***

A laugh burst from Maddie’s lips—sharp, bitter and uncontrollable. The emotions she had buried for so long finally erupted, spilling out in a flood of anger and heartbreak.

“Rude? You’re calling me rude?” Her voice trembled, but it was steady enough to cut through the air. “Rico, it was Jane who bumped into me yesterday. But you didn’t even care to ask what happened. You blamed me—me! And now you’re talking about her burned foot? Did you know I had to get stitches? Did you know I needed a tetanus shot? Of course not. You didn’t even notice!”

Rico froze, his eyes dropping to her feet. For the first time, he noticed the thick gauze wrapped around her right foot. Maddie was barefoot, standing on the cold floor and tears fell silently, splashing against the ground.

“I didn’t know…” he murmured, his voice tinged with guilt. He moved as if to crouch down and examine her injury, but Jane quickly intervened.

“I’m so sorry!” Jane’s voice quivered with practiced regret. She stepped beside Rico, her face a picture of remorse. “I had no idea you were hurt. I didn’t mean to bump into you yesterday—I swear!”

Maddie’s jaw clenched as she watched Jane’s theatrics. The sweet, apologetic tone was for Rico’s benefit, not hers.

***

Maddie’s chest heaved as she took a step back, leaning against the doorframe for support. “Save it, Jane,” she said coldly, her voice sharp enough to slice through the air. “You’ve done enough.”

Rico glanced between the two women, conflicted. “Maddie, she didn’t mean any harm—”

“No, Rico.” Maddie’s voice cracked, but she held his gaze. “You didn’t mean any harm either, right? But every time Jane hurts me, you’re the first to defend her. Every time I need you, you’re too busy. Do you know what that feels like?”

He opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out.

“I’m done,” Maddie whispered, her voice barely audible. “I’m done waiting for you to care.”

Maddie’s voice trembled with fury as she glared at Jane. “Jane, stop with the innocent act. Are you seriously going to tell me that leaking those photos from the orphanage wasn’t intentional?!”

“Maddie!” Rico’s sharp tone cut through the air like a whip. His eyes narrowed and his voice carried an edge Maddie had never heard before. “How can you talk to Jane like that? She didn’t mean for this to happen. She was just curious about the photo, sent it to a friend and it got passed along. It was an accident! The hot search has already been taken down. What more do you want?!”

Maddie clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms as she fought back tears. “And I’m supposed to just forget it? Those words people wrote about me, all that abuse—does taking down the hot search erase it? So if I accidentally hurt someone, does that make it okay as long as I say I didn’t mean to?”

“That’s completely different, Maddie,” Rico snapped, his frustration mounting. “Why do you have to be so unreasonable? Just let it go!”

***

Before Maddie could unleash the retort bubbling in her chest, her phone rang. She took a deep breath to steady herself before answering.

“Hello?” she said, her voice still taut with emotion.

“Hi, Miss Evans. I’m with the clothing donation service. You scheduled a pickup for today? I’m at your building now—may I come up?”

“Yes, I’m home. Please come up to the apartment,” Maddie replied, grateful for the distraction.

After hanging up, she dragged three large bags of clothing from her room to the front door.

Rico watched her with a frown. “Why are you giving away so many clothes?”

Maddie shot him a cold glance. “They’re my clothes. What does it matter to you?” Her gaze shifted to Jane. “If you two don’t want to be seen, I suggest going back to your room before the donation staff gets here.”

Jane flinched at Maddie’s tone but quickly masked it with a polite smile. She tugged on Rico’s arm and they retreated to his bedroom.

***

After the donation staff left, Maddie reluctantly joined Rico and Jane at the dining table for breakfast. Under Rico’s insistence, she picked up a bowl of cereal and forced herself to eat.

Jane had prepared simple milk cereal and sandwiches, but Maddie hesitated before taking a bite. She eyed the sandwich cautiously, remembering the past few days of tension.

“Rico,” she began, breaking the silence, “do you have time to go back to the orphanage with me tomorrow?”

Rico looked up, surprised. “Why do you want to go to the orphanage?”

“I want to see Mrs. Walker,” Maddie said simply. “It’s been a while.”

Rico sighed. “I can’t tomorrow. Jane and I are heading to the beach for a few days to celebrate wrapping up the drama. I’ll go with you when I’m back.”

“And when will that be?”

“Five days.”

Maddie froze. Five days later, she would already be gone—flying back to Haichester to start a new chapter of her life. Rico wouldn’t even notice until she was already out of reach.

She swallowed hard, her throat tightening with disappointment. “Never mind,” she said quietly, picking up the sandwich and taking a small bite.

***

The moment Maddie bit into the sandwich, her eyes widened in shock as a fiery heat exploded in her mouth. She coughed violently, her eyes watering as she scrambled to spit the bite into the trash can. Grabbing a glass of water, she gulped it down, trying to douse the burning sensation.

Jane’s voice was soft, laced with feigned hurt. “Rico, is my cooking really that bad?” A single tear slid down her cheek, accentuating the tear mole beneath her right eye.

Rico frowned, glancing at his sandwich and taking a bite. It tasted perfectly normal. His brows furrowed as he turned to Maddie. “What’s your problem now? Are you just trying to make Jane feel bad?”

Maddie’s patience snapped. She slammed the sandwich onto the table and pulled apart the slices of bread. A smear of spicy mustard coated the inside, far more than anyone would ever use. She held it out toward Rico, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Here. Why don’t you try this version of her ‘cooking’?”

Rico froze, his eyes darting between Maddie and the sandwich. For a moment, doubt flickered in his expression, but Jane quickly stepped in.

“I must have made a mistake,” Jane said, her voice trembling. “I didn’t mean for it to be too spicy. I was trying to add a little flavor…”

Maddie’s laugh was humorless. “Of course. You didn’t mean to.”