Chapter 57

When Madelyn slipped her feet into her slippers and hopped out of bed, she discovered her ankle had fully healed. She hadn’t even noticed when Zach had left the previous night, as she had been fast asleep. By the time she woke up, it was already the next day.

The memory of Jasmine stumbling out of Zach’s room, clearly drunk, gnawed at Madelyn’s nerves.

Grabbing her backpack, she deliberately took her time descending the stairs.

Stepping lightly, Madelyn scanned the vacant living room. Surprisingly, there wasn’t a soul in sight today. She quickly snatched a few slices of toast from the dining table, planning to make a quick escape. Just then, Rosario emerged from the kitchen, declaring, “Silly child, you’re in your own home.

Why are you sneaking around? Sit down and have breakfast. I’ll go upstairs to call Mr. Jardin.”

Madelyn hastily responded, “I’ll just have something light for breakfast today. I have an unfinished practice test, and I need to go to school to complete it. Rosario… I’ll eat this and then be on my way!”

“Madelyn, that won’t give you proper nutrition,” Rosario protested.

Madelyn remained silent.

Anticipating Madelyn’s stubbornness, Rosario added, “Don’t forget to take the milk with you. In a rush, she fetched a fresh carton of milk from the refrigerator. However, upon returning, she realized that Madelyn had already vanished.

Just then, a voice came from upstairs. “What’s going on?” Zach was fastening his tie, his arm. draped in a black suit as he descended the staircase.

Rosario replied, “Madelyn had only a couple of toast slices for breakfast and left. She even forgot to take the milk. She’s growing up, and such meager meals won’t keep her healthy.”

Zach’s gaze deepened as he caught a glimpse of the departing car through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

After having a light breakfast, Zach quickly returned to the office.

By nine o’clock, Rosario grew concerned when Jasmine hadn’t appeared for breakfast. Worried that something might be wrong, she headed upstairs with a breakfast tray in hand, making her way to Jasmine’s room on the third floor. Pushing open the door, she was startled by the scene before her.

Jasmine lay unconscious on the floor, her nightgown and hair soaked. Gently touching Jasmine’s forehead, Rosario realized it was burning with fever. It was evident that Jasmine was suffering from a high temperature. Acting swiftly, she dialed the family doctor and urgently requested his presence.

After Rosario changed Jasmine’s clothes, she lay in bed as the family doctor, who arrived in haste, conducted an examination. Removing the stethoscope, the doctor reassured, “It’s nothing serious, just a common cold accompanied by a fever. I’ll prescribe some medication for her to take over the next few days, and she’ll be back to normal soon.”

Jasmine regained consciousness after some time, cradling her forehead and experiencing body aches.

Fragments of memories from the previous night began to assemble, and she inwardly cursed, ‘Zach nearly did me in. He’s really crazy!’ Throughout the years she had spent with Zach, she had always held the belief that, even if she couldn’t surpass Jadie in his heart, she still held some significance to him. That’s why she had recklessly tested Zach’s limits, wanting to uncover the depths of his boundaries.

However, yesterday, Jasmine appeared to have stumbled upon something entirely unexpected.

Gurgle…

During the last class of the morning, Madelyn’s stomach rumbled, drawing unwanted attention. The meager breakfast she had eaten was no longer enough, and her hunger was catching up with her rapidly.

Seated in front of her, Serena discreetly pulled out a small snack from her drawer and swiftly placed it on Madelyn’s desk. Shielding her face with a book to avoid attracting the teacher’s notice, Serena whispered, “Take some, at least to satisfy your hunger for now! Later… would you like to go to the cafeteria together?”

Madelyn wondered, ‘Is she talking to me?’ Uncertainty filled her, as she had been ostracized in this class, with no one willing to engage with her.

Just as Serena finished speaking, the recess bell rang.

Ventrocloud High School had a two-and-a-half-hour lunch break, during which students were free to pursue their own activities, even leaving the school premises without objection.

It was only today that Serena had been assigned the seat in front of Madelyn. Many classmates had already trickled out of the classroom, one by one, and Serena turned around, asking, ” Madelyn, let’s go to the cafeteria together!”

Madelyn retrieved her lunchbox from her backpack and responded, “Sorry, I bring my own lunch every day.”