Madelynn’s heart was racing as she struggled to open the door. She banged on the unbreakable glass, feeling her panic rise every second.

All of a sudden, Cecelia emerged from the shadows, laughing like she was crazy.

“Tell me sister, how does it feel receiving second hand love?”

“Oliver has always been mine. He’s been in love with me since we were kids, and I’m back for good now, dear sister. That means you have to move out of the way.”

She smiled mischievously. “You really thought that if you showed up here with him tonight, you would steal my spotlight? Think again.”

Another jolt of pain attacked Madelynn’s stomach and she almost doubled over. A trickle of sweat ran from her brows down her face. “Cecelia, he’s yours. If you want him, you can have him. I’m not stopping you.”

Cecelia didn’t believe her. “You really think I’m stupid? You think I will fall for your stupid lies? You’ve always tried to steal our parents’ love and now you want to take Oliver from me too? You think you’re all that!?”

Madelyn shook her head in pain. “Cece, you’re not making any sense. Please just let me out and we can talk.”

“No, no no,” Cecelia laughed. “You’re spending the night here. And no one is coming to save you.”

With an evil glint in her eyes, Cecelia dragged over the huge yellow sign that read “Restricted area- Under construction” and set it in front of the doors.

“Cece what are you doing?” Madelynn yelled. “It’s cold out here and a storm’s coming!”

Cecelia ignored her and bounced back to the hall.

“Fuck!” Madelynn groaned. They had all given their phones to the woman at the door because the auction was a private and exclusive one, so there was no way she could even call anyone.

With the storm coming, no one would even think to come to the balcony because of the cold and rain. Still she banged on the door. “Help! Somebody help!”

Thunder roared and she knew there was no way anybody could hear her. The pain was slowly overtaking her body, so she slid to the floor and laid there, thinking of a way out.

With the sign there, no one would even think of coming this way. Cecelia was right. No one was coming to save her.

She didn’t know how long she stayed there, uselessly calling out for help, but soon enough, the rain started beating on her relentlessly, and she passed out.

---

Oliver finally noticed Madelynn’s absence when the auction ended.

“How long has she been gone?” He asked no one in particular, his brows furrowed with concern.

Cecelia pouted, masking her features and feigning ignorance. “Oliver, maybe she was really upset about me sitting next to you instead of her? This is all my fault. If I had known she would be so upset, I would’ve just stayed back home.”

Hearing her blame herself, Oliver frowned. “You’re the princess of the Fontaine family. The rightful heir. And I care about you. You really think I should’ve let my secretary sit next to me instead of you?”

“Don’t worry about her, Cece. Madelynn has had her head in the clouds a bit too much lately, it’s good to let her know her place. Let’s head home, she’ll show up whenever she wants.”

Madelynn never showed up at home that night, but Oliver barely noticed. And he definitely didn’t care.

The next morning, a security guard finally unlocked the doors to the balcony at the auction hall.

There, huddled in a soaking mess in the corner was Madelynn. Even though she was barely conscious, her body still trembled from the cold.

The guard immediately sprang into action, worried. “Ma’am? Are you okay? Did you spend the entire night here? How did you get locked out here? Ma’am? You don’t look okay. I’m calling 911 right now.”

Madelynn’s damp lashes weakly fluttered open as he gently shook her. She pressed her arm against the floor, pushing herself up with all her strength.

“I’m fine, thank you. But there’s no need.”

“How can you say that?” The guard asked. “Stay here. I’ll get a blanket and call the ambulance.”

The pain in her belly had eased. But it had rained on her all night. It was almost like even nature was against her.

She had really thought Oliver would come looking for her when she didn’t return to the hall. But clearly, her expectations had been too high once again.

She clearly remembered one time when Cecelia left town without telling anyone. Oliver had called the police and hired drones and helicopters to find her.

But now, even after a whole night without contact from his wife, he hadn’t even bothered to try and find her.

True to his words, the guard had returned with a warm blanket for her and called the ambulance. As they loaded her into the ambulance, she only had one thought.

‘So this is what it felt like when someone you loved didn’t feel even a shred of love for you.’

Her phone was handed to her just before they left for the hospital, and she checked it. Just as she had thought, there was no single call from or text message from Oliver.

Instead, she had several unread messages and missed calls from Sebastian.

[Lynn, I don’t think I can wait a whole month. I’ll be in New York for business in a week. I’ll come and get you then.]

Warmth spread through her chest as she read the message. She immediately sent back a reply. [I agree. A month is way too long. Come get me in a week.]

‘One week.’ She said mentally. ‘One more week and she would finally be free of Oliver and all his problems.’

Madelynn walked into her home to find Cecelia lounging on the couch in her nightgown.

Madelynn’s nightgown.

The sound of the door opening made Cecelia look back with an eye roll. “You’re back so soon? You look absolutely filthy.”

She stood up from the couch and strolled over to Madelynn, lifting her chin with a finger like she was inspecting it. “Look at you. You’re as pale as a sheet. There’s nothing interesting about your face, and anyone would assume you’re on your deathbed.”

She pulled the robe down her shoulders to proudly display the glaring red marks on her neck and chest. “See these hickeys? It’s all Oliver’s handwork. Last night was… intense. As you can see, he couldn’t wait to claim me as his.”

It was like she became even bolder the more she spoke. She lowered her voice, leaning into Madelynn’s ear in a mocking whisper.

“Last night, while we did it in your bed, he said I was the only one who could make him feel like a real man. He said you lie there like the dead—and you never knew how to slice things up.”

“You should’ve heard how he screamed out my name in pleasure and treated my body like something he worshipped.”

The moment the words left her sister’s lips, Madelynn’s eyes darkened. She raised her hand and slapped Cecelia hard across the face before she could stop herself.

“Cecelia! Know your place. No matter how bad Oliver treats me, I’m still his wife. And you… you’re just the other woman! Push me too far and I’ll hold a press conference. I’ll let the world know you’re nothing more than a maid’s daughter who stole her sister’s husband!”

Madelynn had promised herself she wouldn’t stoop to Cecelia’s level, but the latter kept pushing her too far, and there was only so much she could take.

Just as Cecelia was about to retaliate, she looked up and saw Oliver approaching and she immediately flipped the switch.

Her knees buckled, and she dropped to the floor.

“Maddy, I’m so sorry— I knew I never should’ve come back! I’ll leave today! I would rather die than be in your way.”

Before Madelynn could even react, Cecelia suddenly sprang to her feet and ran straight toward a wall. Oliver rushed forward just in time to catch her.

“Cece, This is my house and I invited you here. If anyone has a problem with you, they have a problem with me and they should take it up with me!”

Cecelia’s bright pink lips curled into a sinister smile.

Oliver, supporting Cecelia, turned and barked coldly, “Madelynn, you will apologize to her right now!”

“I will do no such thing! I have been nothing but nice to Cecelia. Oliver, do you even have any idea where I was last night? Aren’t you even the least bit curious?”

“I don’t give a fuck where you were last night,” he snapped. “But you don’t get to hurt Cece! You have no right! And if you don’t apologize right now, you’ll be suspended from the office until you learn to have proper manners!”

In his eyes, Madelynn’s only joy came from working in the office. So he figured suspension would be the ultimate punishment. What he didn’t know was that Madelynn never even cared about the work. She had a master’s degree that meant she could work in much higher places rather than being a mere secretary. Hell, she could own the company if she wanted. She worked harder only so Oliver could have it easier.

Seeing the hurt in her eyes, His chest tightened with guilt. But he still turned away, taking Cecelia with him.

Before leaving, he turned to the maid and guards and ordered, “She’s not to have any food or water until she apologizes!”

Madelynn watched him walk away with tears slipping silently down her cheeks. This was the man she had loved for years. But there was no way she could keep loving him after all this.

For days, she was locked inside the villa like a prisoner.

Three times a day, the guards would ask if she had realized her mistake. Madelynn never gave an answer. She spent the time staring out the window and counting down the days. In five more days, she would be gone from this life for good.

Sitting on her balcony swing, her phone kept buzzing with texts. All of them from her sister.

She ignored them until she couldn’t anymore and decided to read the latest one.

[You couldn’t even get your parents to keep loving you, and now you can’t even handle a man. If your parents could pick me over you, then best believe that Oliver will dance to my tunes too. Just one word from me, and he’ll never return home to you.]

She proved her words.

For the next couple of days, Oliver didn’t return to the villa. Cecelia never let her have peace though. She kept sending her pictures and videos everyday.

She sent videos of her kissing Oliver. Pictures of them walking by the beach. Videos of him cooking for her and taking her shopping to get whatever she wanted.

She even sent intimate videos that no one else should’ve seen.

In the past, Madelynn would’ve gone mad with anger and pain, but now… she was just numb.

A man like that wasn’t worth crying over. She knew better now.

On the fourth day, they finally let her leave her room, but because she still refused to admit to her mistakes, food and water was still withheld from her.

She decided to take a stroll through the garden and smell the fresh flowers, but she had underestimated how weak she really was from the lack of food.

She tripped on a fallen branch and fell face flat on the rough hard floor. Searing hot pain shot through her stomach and the next thing she saw was blood.

Madelynn instinctively yelled out in agony. It wasn’t even from the pain. It was from the knowledge that something had definitely happened to her baby. The same baby that she had tried so hard to have. The same baby that had come after so much pressure from hers and Oliver’s parents. The baby that had come only because Oliver had gotten so drunk and had sex with her.

The guards rushed her to the car to drive to the hospital. But they were unable to get out of the gates of the community, because the roads were blocked.

“Mrs Kane,” the driver said nervously. “Mr Kane has called a parade for Ms. Cecelia’s birthday party today and the roads are blocked. We can’t… we can’t get through.”

While blood kept gushing out of her and stained her clothes and the car seats, fireworks erupted in the sky.

It was all for Cecelia.

The proof of Oliver’s love for her sister was on full display for the world to see while she sat helplessly in the car, losing their baby with every drop of blood that flowed from her.

Madelynn let out an almost inhuman cry. With all the strength she could muster, she pulled her wedding band off her finger and tossed it out of the window.

She was done with Oliver and this sham of a marriage.