Madeline and Timothy had grown up together in the same neighborhood. They could be considered childhood friends.

She had started liking him as soon as she'd hit puberty. However, he only ever treated her as the younger sibling he never had, who just lived next to him.

When she learned that Timothy harbored no feelings for her, Madeline decided to hide her affection for him. She was worried that they wouldn't even be able to stay friends if she confessed to him.

After entering high school, there was a long queue of teenage girls waiting in line to confess to Timothy and hoping to get together with him because he was cold, brooding, and mysterious.

Fortunately for Madeline, Timothy was just as cold as his reputation and didn't think any of the girls at school were good enough for him. He left a trail of broken hearts wherever he went.

As they grew older, Timothy furthered his studies abroad while Madeline went to a local college. When he finally called to catch up with her, she'd then learned that he had found himself a girlfriend while studying overseas.

That was the first time Madeline experienced heartbreak. She had wanted to buy a plane ticket and fly over immediately to confront Timothy, but her parents stopped her.

When Timothy returned home, he'd come back alone. And as soon as Madeline learned that he'd broken up with his girlfriend, she could feel her heart coming back to life again. It was like she was finally able to breathe once more. She felt lighter than she'd ever been.

After having suppressed her feelings for him for such a long time, she didn't bother hiding her feelings for him anymore. She never stopped showering him with her love ever since he came back.

She did everything she could to stage coincidences and find excuses to meet him more often. She kept worrying about his well-being and often prepared breakfast for him. But that was just the beginning—she also wrote him a love letter, expressing her love and adoration for him, and telling him that she'd never once thought of giving up on him.

Her efforts eventually paid off. With how diligently she pursued Timothy, he finally agreed to get together with her a year later.

After confirming their relationship, Timothy didn't let Madeline tell anyone that they were dating. He said that it just wasn't the right time to announce it and worried that both their parents would get awkward with each other if they knew.

Madeline had felt upset about it at first. However, Timothy took great care of her and paid attention even to the smallest details about her. Gradually, Madeline forgot about it and thought of herself as the luckiest woman in the world.

Half a year ago, however, when Madeline borrowed Timothy's laptop for work, she unintentionally clicked on the wrong folder and found hundreds of photos of the same woman in it.

Was that woman Timothy's ex-girlfriend? Or worse, his side chick?

Madeline didn't know how to put her emotions into words at that time. She felt both angry and upset. However, after crying about it for a while, she decided to pretend it never happened and continued lying to herself to keep up with her facade of being the luckiest woman alive.

Still, she couldn't truly be at peace with her life as her suspicion grew. A few months ago, a model had suddenly gained immense popularity in the entertainment circle overnight, and her name was Lacey Houston. She was appointed as the official ambassador for Bloomberg Group's wedding gown business.

Madeline had been frozen for a long time when she first saw Lacey. She felt a chill creep into her body as she shivered uncontrollably. Then, it finally dawned on her that Timothy had never once truly loved her in the three years that they'd spent together. She never had a place in his heart.

Ultimately, the woman in the photos managed to cause ripples in Madeline's otherwise peaceful life.

Lacey began attending various public events with Timothy. They were almost always seen together, and everyone assumed that she was his girlfriend. But he had never once denied the rumors, nor did he offer Madeline any explanation for his actions.

It was fairly obvious that Timothy never loved her. The answer was right there, but Madeline refused to acknowledge it. Instead, she just decided to suppress her feelings.

It wasn't until today, with the revelation of "Lovelace", that Madeline finally knew for sure that her so-called happiness was nothing more than a figment of imagination in her head.

As she gradually eased out of her thoughts, the sounds coming from the bathroom also diminished.

Madeline grabbed the remote control and turned off the TV.

It had been three years, but this was the first time she'd felt exhausted. She wanted to give up.

She didn't want to be Timothy's backup plan anymore. Even more so, she didn't want to continue waiting for a man who still only had eyes for his first love.

She would soon be leaving in a month's time. She wanted to break free from the peatland that was Timothy and leave him behind for good.

A short while later, the bathroom opened with a soft click. Timothy walked out, still drying his hair with a towel. He found it weird when he realized that Madeline was still sitting in the living room.

Just as he started walking toward her, Madeline caught sight of him and immediately shifted her gaze away. She quickly got up and went into the bedroom first. However, as soon as she got into bed, a firm, strong hand grabbed her by the waist as Timothy's chest rested against her back.

He held her in his arms and asked in a low voice, "Has work been exhausting for you? You don't look too happy today."

"A little," Madeline answered perfunctorily. She drew her arm out from his hug and tried to shake him off, but Timothy only hugged her even tighter than before.

His lips traveled dangerously close to her earlobes as he whispered, "Don't worry. I know of a way to cheer you up."

Then, Timothy's hands started wandering down Madeline's body. She immediately froze, her eyelashes shaking under the light. A flash of mockery appeared in her eyes.

She really wanted to ask him how he still managed to act so close and intimate with her, knowing that he'd just been flirting openly with another woman on national TV, with such a straight face.

Still, the words never came out. Timothy's phone pinged with a notification just then, and it sounded very different from his other notification pings, as if it was specifically set for this contact only.

He stopped touching Madeline at once and got up to read his message. A while later, he grabbed his clothes and went back into the bathroom.

Madeline thought of the launch earlier that night and felt her arms shaking even though they were pressed together. She then got up slightly and reached for Timothy's phone, which was still pinging nonstop with notifications.

She unlocked the phone with ease and familiarity.

The person sending Timothy text messages hadn't been saved under a name, just a pink heart emoji. Still, Madeline could tell straight away that it was Lacey.

"Timothy, I really liked that dress you designed for me. Thank you so much for still remembering all of my preferences even after so many years.

"I'm home now. Drive safely back!"

Madeline read the messages, noting how close they sounded. She then scrolled upward in the chat window and saw that those messages were received at 9:00 pm. Then, the next few messages were the ones that just came in a few minutes ago.

"Timothy, my stomach kinda hurts, but I'm the only one at home. I don't know what I should do," Lacey had texted.

Timothy had instantly replied, "Hold on. I'll be there in a second."

Madeline's lashes shook again. She bit her lips and then carefully put the phone back like it was untouched. Her mind was in a mess.

A short while later, Timothy emerged from the bathroom fully dressed. Just as he pulled his coat on, Madeline tugged on his hand and asked, "It's late at night. Where are you going?"

He hesitated and paused just for a fraction of a second. Then, as if suddenly coming up with an excuse on the spot, he turned around and pressed a chaste kiss on Madeline's forehead, saying gently, "Something really urgent just came up at the office, and I need to go there and take a look.

"Go to bed first. Don't wait up for me."

Then, Timothy walked out of the door without another backward glance. However, Madeline didn't feel like sleeping anymore after that.

Around 2:00 am, about an hour after Timothy left, Madeline couldn't hold it in anymore and called him on the phone.

Lacey was the one who answered the call. "Timothy just went down to get medicine for me. If you have a message for him, you can tell me and I'll forward it to him."

Lacey's voice was saccharinely sweet. However, the sound of it felt like a knife that plunged straight into Madeline's heart.

Just before the call ended, she heard Timothy's low, scratchy voice on the other end of the line. "Babe…"

As if on instinct, Madeline hung up at once. But just a second later, she had already calmed down. Maybe it was because she had been hurt far too often in the past. She was already numb to the heartbreak that happened afterward.

The only discomfort she felt was a stuffy feeling in her chest. She was upset that she'd been lied to and kept in the dark for such a long time. She'd wasted all of her youth and emotions on someone like him.

…

Madeline was woken up by her usual daily alarm on her phone. Her pillow was soaked with tears.

Timothy only returned at night the next day. Madeline was having dinner when he came back. As soon as she'd heard the key turning in the lock, her first reaction was to get up and welcome him home. However, she quickly came back to her senses and stopped herself from doing it.

In the past, every time Timothy came home from work, the first thing she would do was to run up to him and hug him tightly. But now, there was no need for that anymore.

Timothy was a little surprised when Madeline didn't even acknowledge his return. "Why didn't you wait for me for dinner?"

Madeline set down her fork and turned to look at him. He had changed into a new suit, and he smelled clean and fresh.

She pretended as if nothing had happened as she got up to grab his plate and utensils. "I thought you wouldn't be coming back since you were so busy at the office," she said nonchalantly, without a hint of dissatisfaction in her voice. It was like she was calmly describing the weather.

Still, it was vastly different from how she usually treated him. Her calm demeanor now made Timothy raise his eyebrow in confusion.

He quickly went up to her and held up a shopping bag in his hand. Hugging her with his other arm, he apologized and said, "I'm sorry, but there was just too much work at the office. I was wrong for not coming back home last night. Don't be mad at me anymore, alright?

"I visited a few of our branches today and brought you a gift. Look! Do you like it?"

Timothy lowered his head as he retrieved a box from the bag, his collar falling open slightly since he hadn't buttoned the first one. His chest and collarbones were littered all over with red scratches and bite marks, which pierced straight into Madeline's eyes.

Timothy brought out a bracelet for her, with different types of heart-shaped charms hanging from it. However, he didn't know that Madeline never wore bracelets and actually hated heart-shaped items. He also didn't notice how her eyes dimmed as soon as he brought the bracelet out.

Seeing that Madeline didn't make a sound, he grabbed her hand and put the bracelet on for her, not letting her pull away. After the bracelet was clasped around her wrist, he then slid his hand into hers and held her tightly, refusing to let go even though Madeline tried to shake him off.

He grabbed her hand and said with a smile, "Maddie, now that you're wearing the bracelet, that means you're locked by my side forever. You'll never be able to leave me anymore."

Never be able to leave him?

Madeline thought, "You were the one who let go of me first, Timothy Bloomberg. You'd already lost me a long time ago."

All the love she'd had for him that burned brighter than the sun had now backfired on her, leaving her burned to ashes and soot.

Madeline had already thought it through. She was going to smother out the fire with her own hands and throw Timothy out from the depths of her heart.

Timothy must have realized that Madeline was starting to behave coldly toward him. The next day, probably in an attempt to win her back, he sent her a screenshot of a restaurant reservation he'd made for them both that night.

Madeline knew that he was only doing this to make things less awkward between them.

Every time they had a disagreement and gave each other the cold shoulder afterward, Madeline was always the one who made the first move to apologize and break the ice between them.

In the meantime, Timothy's role was to give her a hug or a gift after they'd made up. After all, he only had to console her just a little bit, and Madeline would be all over the moon and forget everything that made her mad in the first place. She would then act warm and enthusiastic toward him all over again.

This had always been the case in the last few years. As long as he gave her a carrot every time after giving her a stick, Madeline would forgive him no matter what he did.

Timothy had always been in control of their relationship, whether it was a warm one or a cold one. Madeline was just his puppet on a string that he could play with, and she could never escape his control.

But now, even after seeing the reservation receipt, Madeline didn't express her usual warm and overjoyed response.

She simply replied with a text, "Okay. See you tonight."

After locking her phone, Madeline continued with the rest of her work. She didn't dwell on his actions nor swoon over how sweet he was being like she used to in the past anymore.

Right after work, Madeline headed for the restaurant. The time they'd reserved for their seats was at 7:00 pm, but she was already there half an hour earlier.

Still, she waited until 9:00 pm, and Timothy was yet to arrive. She figured that he'd already forgotten about dinner.

So, Madeline ate her steak slowly, sipped on her red wine gracefully, and gradually made her way out of the restaurant at 10:30 pm.

She'd been stood up so many times before that her calmness was unnerving at this point.

Since the restaurant was quite close to Timothy's office, Madeline decided to walk over and visit him there. A stroll would be good for digestion anyway.

When she arrived at the company, Timothy's office lights were still switched on, so she went to the door and prepared to enter.

Right before she turned the knob, however, she heard him talking to someone else inside.

"I thought you were still mad at Lacey for leaving you without a word in the past, Timothy. I didn't think that you'd both get back together so quickly as soon as she returned. Tell me the truth—have you never forgotten about her?"

Timothy took a long drag of his cigarette and exhaled a cloud of smoke. There was a look of sadness in his eyes. "You can't just forget someone you've loved for years."

"Then what about Madeline? You're stringing her along while getting back together with Lacey. You can't continue keeping her in the dark.

"You'd better watch out and stop playing with fire. If it ends up consuming you, nobody's going to be able to help you win her back."

"Madeline…" Timothy muttered under his breath and sighed. Then, he chuckled aloud and said, "Madeline? She'd never get mad at me. She's the one who threw herself at me, after all. Trust me, she'd never leave me even if I told her to.

"But also, I've been doing a good job at hiding this from her," Timothy said coldly and confidently. He had probably already rehearsed how he'd easily handle and control Madeline if need be.

Madeline's heart stopped. She felt her blood freeze over.

She peered through the crack in Timothy's door and stared at him, not knowing whether she should feel sorry for him or herself.

Timothy continued chatting with the other person in his office, but she wasn't interested in their conversation anymore. So, she left as silently as she came.

…

Days passed, and from the looks of it, Timothy never recalled his dinner date with Madeline. It was fine; Madeline never told him that she'd been to his office either.

One day, an auction was held in Gremlich, and Madeline took the day off work to attend it.

She only had one objective, and it was to buy a birthday gift for Timothy's father, Joseph Bloomberg.

The auction was held in a basement. As soon as the antique emerald vase was brought onstage, its exquisite design and intricate carving immediately brought a round of sighs from the audience.

The bidders kept raising the bid prices, and Madeline raised her bidding paddle three times before she successfully won the bid for the vase.

Since she had already accomplished what she'd come here for, Madeline rose to her feet to head over to the back to fill in her details for the item to be sent to her. Just as she'd reached the exit, however, the next item up for auction was revealed.

As the red satin cloth fell, Madeline was frozen to her spot.

The item was a priceless antique ring.

It was a ring that Timothy designed, first revealed to the world when he broke into the fashion design industry. When he and Madeline had just gotten together, he had proudly shown it to her and said, "Next time, I'm going to propose to you with this ring."

He had held Madeline in his arms back then while saying it. She'd felt a little conflicted and asked, "But what if something better comes along the way?"

Timothy chuckled and leaned down to press a kiss on her forehead. Then, he said seriously, "This is the first design of mine to win an award. It's priceless to me, and you're the only one who deserves it."

So, what was the ring doing here at the auction?

Why would Timothy donate such a precious thing to the auction? There had to be a mistake somewhere!