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I had been so heartbroken and full of guilt back then that he berated me again and again for
crying over it.
All this time, the necklace had changed owners.
I looked at Sally as she clutched her neck in distress, then sneered, “What are you, some garbage collector? Always picking up other people’s discarded trash… men, jewelry, anything filthy and unwanted.”
Sally ignored my mockery and lunged for the necklace, throwing a nasty jab at it.
“Discarded?‘ Don’t flatter yourself. Madison would never want a woman like you! You’re poor,
ugly, and about as exciting in bed as a starfish!”
As Sally was about to grab the necklace, I deliberately let it slip through my fingers, making a sharp “clink” as it hit the floor.
Sally shot me a furious glare, but her expression transformed into a smug smile within
seconds.
“Oh, Bella, are you just jealous because Madison bought me a huge diamond ring for the proposal?” she taunted.
She reached into her purse and shoved a gold–embossed invitation into my hands.
“I should really thank you, you know. If you hadn’t volunteered as my test subject and ended
up on the operating table, my new drug wouldn’t have been approved so quickly. This is the
invitation to my drug launch celebration! You have to come!”
The invitation might have said “celebration,” but “engagement” was printed on it.
She was planning to make it a double celebration.
I couldn’t help but smirk at the phrase “perfect match” written inside the invitation.
“More like perfect partners in crime,” I thought to myself.
Probably thinking she had successfully gotten under my skin, Sally put on her victory pose and planted a deliberate kiss on Madison’s cheek.
“Come on, Madison, let’s get out of here,” she purred.
Madison remained utterly silent throughout the exchange, even as Sally dragged him away.
After they left, I double–checked the date of the celebration party.
Thinking about the evidence I had already submitted to the authorities.
I couldn’t suppress a small smile. It would be their perfect engagement gift.
Even after our divorce, Madison’s mother, Rachel Harris, kept calling me, and when I didn’t
answer, she would bombard me with text messages just like her son used to do.
She was pushing me to take care of Oscar Harris, Madison’s father, who had recently
become comatose after a car accident.
[What kind of wife are you? You haven’t come to take care of us for so long. It’s bad enough that you couldn’t give us a grandchild in all those years of marriage, and now you won’t ever help us. Should I tell my son to divorce you and find someone else?]
[The house hasn’t been cleaned in ages. Get over here right now, or you’ll regret it!]
had devoted years to being a dutiful daughter to thom
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did, treating me no better than a hired maid.
I had put up with all of this before because I loved Madison.
But this time, I fired back with a text of my own.
[I’m already divorced from your son, and he’s found you a new wife. Stop harassing me, or I’ll call the police.]
After sending that message, I ignored Rachel’s harassment and went to the carrier store for
a new phone number.
In a way, it was my final goodbye to the past.
Thanks to Charles‘ recommendation, I landed a job at an insurance company that paid
much better than my previous clerical position despite the heavier workload.
Little did I know I would run into Madison again less than a week after starting.
He showed up at the insurance company out of nowhere.
He looked completely different from his usual self in appearance and demeanor.
I must have been staring at Madison too long because my coworker couldn’t help but
comment.
“Don’t let his clean–cut appearance fool you! He’s probably a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” my
coworker warned.
I turned to my coworker with a puzzled look.
“Around this time last year,” they continued, “he came in to take out an accidental death
policy for his ex–wife. Care to guess whose name he put down as the beneficiary?”
The answer was painfully obvious.
My mind flashed back to when he secretly switched my medication and insisted that Sally
perform my surgery.
A cold shiver ran down my spine.
Looking back now, only he knew whether it was indeed for Sally’s sake or to collect the
insurance money after my early demise.
My colleague continued, “Thank God his ex–wife was lucky enough to divorce him. I heard
he’s here today to get accident insurance for his current wife, and I bet he’ll put himself down as
the beneficiary again.”
My colleague shook her head in disgust and said, “This guy is nothing but a predator.”
During our gossip, the door to the meeting room where Madison had entered suddenly
swung open.
The department manager poked his head out and beckoned to me.
“Hey newbie, take these documents and make some copies,” he instructed.
Terrified that Madison might spot me, I kept my head down, letting my hair shield my face as
I quickly grabbed the stack of papers and rushed toward the copy room.
Standing in the copy room, I began examining the documents in my hands.
What I discovered left me stunned.
It wasn’t just me, and it wasn’t just Sally.
Mad
substantial secident incurance policies on his parents and the
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Madison had also taken out substantial accident insurance policies on his parents, and the payout amounts for each person were astronomical.
And the worst part was that neither I nor the other insured individuals knew what he’d done
behind our backs!
Thankfully, our divorce had already invalidated my portion of the insurance policy.
In a flash of realization, I thought about Oscar, who had become a vegetative patient after the car accident, and I remembered the poorly concealed disappointment on Madison’s face when he learned about Oscar’s condition.
What kind of person would even scheme against their parents?
Yet he kept claiming that he loved Sally.
The truth was that money was his only true love.
After taking photos of all the documents, I returned to the office with the photocopies, but as
soon as I pushed open the door, I heard Madison’s sarcastic tone.
“You see, it doesn’t matter if they’re career women or housewives! They all fall apart without a man. Take my current wife, for example. She’s pretty well–off, but she’s always doing these extreme sports. Who knows? She might end up getting herself killed one of these days.”
Madison was lounging on the couch, chatting casually with the manager.
While they were deeply engaged in their conversation, I placed the documents on the desk behind Madison and quietly slipped out of the office.
Just before the door closed, I heard Madison speaking with disgust and disappointment. “You know what’s crazy? My ex–wife turned out to be one tough cookie. She managed to survive and walk out of the ICU, completely wasting all that insurance money I’d been counting
on.”
His tone suddenly shifted to satisfaction as he continued, “At least her mind was gone enough that she didn’t notice when I cleaned out her bank accounts. It was only a hundred grand or so, but hey, better than nothing.”
I was about to stop my phone’s recording when I captured the most crucial statement of all. At that exact moment, Sally sent me a message: [Bella, don’t forget about the celebration and engagement party this Sunday! You have to come!]
I closed the office door behind me. I quickly responded to Sally: [I’ll be there on time.]
Saturday arrived, and I showed up at the hotel venue right on schedule. Sally, decked out in designer brands from head to toe, came running over with joy plastered all over her face.
She grabbed my arm affectionately and started chatting with fake warmth.
“Bella! I’m so glad you made it! I’ve been waiting forever for you to show up!”
I suppressed a laugh as I gently removed her hand from my arm.
She showed off her diamond ring, necklace, earrings, and diamond bracelet without caring about my reaction.
She had already posted these accessories countless times on social media.
While talking, she glanced at the person behind me and smiled disdainfully.
“Look Rella Last the
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“Look, Bella, I get that Madison dumped you, but that’s no reason to let yourself go. You’re not exactly a looker, but couldn’t you at least find someone your age?
I ignored her jab and reminded her, “Shouldn’t you head inside? The engagement ceremony
is about to start.”
Sally muttered under her breath, “Such a phony.”
Today wasn’t just about her engagement; it was also a celebration of her new drug launch, and many big names from the medical field had shown up, so she couldn’t waste too much time
antagonizing me.
Sally shot me one last dirty look before walking away, immediately surrounded by people eager to discuss her breakthrough drug.
Madison finally made his grand entrance.
He didn’t come empty–handed. He brought Sally another gift.
It was another luxury designer bag from the latest collection.
“Congratulations on achieving your dream, baby.”
I turned to the person behind me and asked, “Can you tell if these items are genuine from
here?”
He adjusted his glasses thoughtfully.
“Something seems off, but I can’t tell if it’s just the distance playing tricks on my eyes.”
I fell silent, watching the crowded ballroom as guests mingled and clinked glasses.
Before long, I spotted a familiar face in the crowd. Charles waved at me from across the
room and strode with purposeful steps, and the moment he reached my side, he let out a sigh and loosened his tie with noticeable relief. “God, I hate these stuffy events. Everyone here is more fake than department store mannequins,” he complained. I let out a small laugh and
asked, “If you hate it so much, why did you even come?” Charles glanced down at me with a
careful expression, trying to sound casual. “Madison mentioned you’d received an invitation.”
The implication was clear: he had come specifically for me. Surprised by this revelation, I chose
not to pursue that topic. Our interaction caught Madison’s attention, and he made his way directly toward us with a facade of politeness. “How have you been? Are you feeling any better these days?” he asked with artificial concern. I gave him a distant smile and replied, “No need to pretend you care, Mr. Madison.”
Madison’s expression stiffened, but he attempted to save face. “Come on, Bella. Just because we’re divorced doesn’t mean we can’t be friends. Do you really need to keep such rigid
boundaries?”
I maintained my fake smile and said, “Sorry, but I’m a bit of a clean freak. I don’t make friends
with trash.”
Given the public setting, Madison couldn’t exactly throw a fit.
Still, his expression was anything but pleasant. But in the blink of an eye, he seemed to
recover his composure and asked with raised eyebrows.
“Don’t tell me you’re still hung up on me, and all this hostility is just to get my attention?”
Look at him! How utterly ordinary, yet so breathtakingly confident.
