Madeline was used to hearing such slander about her in public. Everywhere she went, people always gossiped about her and wished that she'd die a horrible death.
Thus, Madeline intended to ignore them and simply enjoy the view of the lake.
But the moment they mentioned the most despicable man on earth in front of her, she finally got triggered.
Madeline got up and interrupted these two teenagers who walked past her, "What kind of suffering are you talking about?"
"Huh?" The two teen girls turned around to face Madeline, who was wearing a hat and was bare-faced, so they couldn't recognize her. "Are you talking to us?"
"Yes," Madeline said. "That bastard Jonathan Hale has never suffered in his life. He just dipped after lying through his teeth. So you should just shut up if you know nothing!"
"Huh? What are you talking about?" The girls were confused by this weird lady who was suddenly hostile to them.
They stared at the woman for a while and began to figure out her real identity.
"A—Are you… Madeline Rose?"
"Yes," Madeline confirmed boldly. "I am the bitch that you wish to get boycotted everywhere. I'm also the bitch that you wish to die in a car crash."
Madeline pointed at the two girls who were terrified by her. As expected, none dared to say a thing once confronted. "Come on, say those words again in my face, and see what will happen next."
"L—Look, we're sorry. We're just joking, you know."
"Then I'll punch you in the face and say it's a joke as well." Madeline clenched her fist, and the girls quickly scattered with tails between their legs, leaving the crazy bitch alone.
Madeline took a few deep breaths to calm herself down, and she regretted her reaction just now.
She should've stayed cool and let those girls say whatever they wanted. After all, she should've been used to the insults.
But she was just bitter.
She felt so angry, knowing that people were so empathetic for Jon. He got to keep his reputation, his family, and his job, while Madeline was destroyed beyond recovery, to the point that she had to act like a shameless slut on TV just so she could earn money to get by.
If only she had more power. She wanted to drag that bastard down with her. She wanted him to know what kind of pain she experienced because he lured and tricked her into believing that she was his only one, only for her to find out that Jon had a wife and child already.
'If only I had more influence, I could drag him down with me. I won't care if he sues me for defamation. If I have enough money, I can sue him back for emotional distress and fraud,' Madeline thought. It had become more of a fantasy for her to imagine all the terrible things she would do to that bastard.
But in the end, she was left with nothing but an everlasting grudge, hoping that one day she could get her revenge on him.
*
Madeline returned to her home and saw that Nathan was having dinner alone.
He was well-adjusted to cooking and cleaning by himself, so Madeline was never worried about his physical health.
She was more worried about his mental health. After all, he must've heard a lot of rumors about her, and his friends must've talked about his sister acting like a slut on TV.
Madeline sat on the dining chair, facing her brother. Nathan glanced at her for a second and said, "I didn't cook for you."
"No, it's okay. I'm not hungry," Madeline smiled bitterly. However, she knew that was a sign of anger from her brother. Before she started this act on TV, he would cook for her, or at least help her cook dinner. But now, he simply treats her like air. "How was school?" She asked to make it less tense between them.
Nathan stopped eating. He dropped his spoon and looked at Madeline with a resentful gaze. "Do you need to ask? Do you want to tease me too?"
"I… I just want to start a conversation with you. We only have each other until Mom's done with her cancer treatment. I want to get along with my only brother," Madeline said.
"If you want to get along with me, then stop acting like a whore on TV!" Nathan slammed the table and got up. "I'm so sick of hearing them talk shit about you!"
…
Madeline had nothing to refute.
Again, all of their conversations would end up like this. Day by day, Nathan became even more resentful because Madeline kept making shameful headlines.
"You know I can't do that. We need money," Madeline said.
"Then I will find a part-time job! You don't need to pay for anything for me anymore!"
"Mom's treatment and Dad's debt," Madeline sighed. "We're getting nowhere with this conversation. I'm going to my room."
Madeline was truly tired of everything right now. She got no support from anyone, not even her family.
But she knew she had to keep earning money through her new persona because it was her main selling point.
'I just need a platform to stay relevant or a sponsor…'
Madeline sat on her bed, rummaging through her handbag, until she found the business card that Lance Grant gave her.
She stared at it for a while, flipping it repeatedly, trying to gauge whether it would be wise to call this man.
She knew nothing about this man besides his CEO job and that he came from a very wealthy family.
She also had no idea about his true intention of making her a contractual girlfriend. The last thing she wanted was to be taken advantage of by another man.
"But what's the point of hesitating now, Maddy?" Madeline spoke to herself. "You're already on a path with no return. If you don't take his offer, you will fade into obscurity again. So take the chance, no matter what."
Thus, Madeline put his number on her phone and took a deep breath before pressing the call button.
It only took a few seconds until Lance Grant picked up the call,
—
"Ready for a contract, Madeline Rose?"
—