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!

Madeline's mind was in a mess. She went back to her seat and listened as the auctioneer introduced the origin of the ring as a video played overhead, explaining the intricate design work woven into the ring.

The video went on for quite a while, and Madeline was dazed all throughout. It wasn't until everyone started raising their paddles and an assistant asked Madeline whether she needed any help that she finally snapped back to the present.

She couldn't help thinking that the ring being there had to be some kind of mistake. She raised her paddle at once, intending to get it.

"13,500,000 dollars!"

A familiar voice suddenly shouted the price, and Timothy walked out from behind the video screen with his paddle in the air. With three strikes of the auctioneer's gavel, he easily won the bid for his own ring.

Everyone on the ground was confused. Why would someone donate their belongings only to bid for them again?

Timothy grinned and took the microphone from the auctioneer's hands to explain himself. "There was a mix-up, and the ring accidentally appeared in today's auction. Luckily, I came just in time.

"To me, this ring can only belong to one person, and it should only appear on her finger. I'm sorry, everyone, but I'm going to have to take away something you all have fallen in love with."

Then, Timothy went up to the platform, took the ring, and turned to leave.

He didn't see Madeline in the audience. Meanwhile, she heaved a silent sigh of relief and hurried out of the venue.

However, she still felt confused in her heart. She went to the bathroom and turned on the tap to wash her hands, still feeling confused and uneasy.

At that moment, someone started speaking in a stall, and they sounded like they were in awe.

"Did you see the look in Mr. Bloomberg's eyes just now while looking at the ring? I swear I saw hearts in his eyes. I wonder who the ring belongs to? She must be so happy to have a man like him."

Madeline felt a gust of warmth in her heart when she heard that. However, one second later, another person spoke up, sounding very surprised. "Don't you know it? Mr. Bloomberg has been going in and out with Lacey all day, every day. Of course it has to be her!"

"Lacey's so lucky. I heard that they used to be classmates at the same college, and she was even his first love. She's got him wrapped around her little finger even when she wasn't around. I mean, who wouldn't be envious of their romantic love story, having found each other again since their college days?"

The water continued running from the tap, splashing against Madeline's fingers and turning them icy-cold.

She didn't know why, but she suddenly felt panicky all of a sudden. She had a bad premonition that something was going to happen.

She flew home at once, hoping that Timothy would come home to her and bring her the ring. However, she waited until it was dark out and the stars hung brightly in the sky, and yet, Timothy never showed up.

She wasn't able to stop herself from calling him. The call was picked up at once, and this time, it was Timothy himself, not Lacey, who answered the call.

Madeline felt her anxiety die down just a little. However, there was the sound of loud gasping and panting right afterward.

She was an adult, and it was impossible for her not to know what was going on at the other end of the line.

"Timothy?" Madeline called out his name with bated breath.

The line went silent for a few seconds. But Timothy's voice appeared once more, low, scratchy, and sultry.

"Maddie, you'll have to go to sleep by yourself tonight. I'll try to get back as early as possible tomorrow."

He hung up right after that.

Madeline took deep, deliberate breaths, forcing her palpitating heart to slow down and trying her best to remain calm.

However, as soon as she got her phone, she saw that Lacey's recent Twitter post from two hours ago was trending.

Lacey had posted a selfie, showing a man on his knees, carefully applying ointment onto her wound. Even though the man's silhouette was blurry in the photo, Madeline could still feel the pain in her chest intensify.

Even more so when she caught sight of the ring on Lacey's left hand, which looked like she'd tried but failed to hide on camera.

Madeline shuddered.

The ring Timothy had promised her had now appeared on Lacey's finger. Before she could even make sense of that, her body beat her to it as tears welled up in her eyes and began dripping down.

Lacey had captioned the photo, "You are my safe space."

Had this been in the past, Madeline would have immediately felt jealous, burst into tears, and called Timothy on the spot to demand an explanation.

But now, Madeline's heart was still. She didn't make a fuss.

From the looks of it, she guessed that Timothy had never made room for her in his heart in the first place. Everything he promised her was just perfunctory.

Madeline turned off her phone, going to bed feeling exhausted all over.

Bloomberg Group suddenly received a lot of orders for one of its overseas projects, so Timothy only came home the next day in a rush to pack some of his suits before leaving for his business trip.

He never mentioned a word about not coming back home the previous night to Madeline. And, just like that, she was left alone at home once more.

The second day after Timothy left, Madeline started preparing her paperwork. Too many cases had happened during the few days she'd taken off work, and they were now stressing her out. After a few back-to-back meetings in the morning, she'd then gone to every department to run through the cases with them one by one.

When she got home after work, Madeline removed her makeup, freshened up, and changed into a set of activewear. She put her hair up in a ponytail and went out.

She jogged along the path close to the forest garden, stopping occasionally to take in large breaths of fresh air, remaining calm all throughout.

She ran for a little over a mile before stopping at a stone bench to stretch and cool off. She even received a call from Timothy then.

He sounded like he was outside, and there was a lot of background noise too. She even heard a female voice on the line, and Madeline couldn't help but feel sensitive toward it.

She asked him, "Where are you? Who are you with?"

Timothy just answered, "I'm at the garment factory."

Madeline said nothing. She hated it whenever he answered her with perfunctory responses like this. He knew very well what she meant by asking that, and yet, he always pretended not to know.

Sensing Madeline's silence, Timothy changed the topic to something more lighthearted to cheer her up. "Miss me yet?"

She didn't bother humoring him. "You just left. I don't miss you."

"Really? You're not missing me?" he asked again, slower this time. He then quickly changed the topic and asked, "Are you outdoors? Nobody answered the phone at home."

Timothy changed the topic so suddenly that Madeline couldn't quite keep up with his train of thought. "No? I just came back from work."

Just then, a woman in pink knitted activewear was jogging in Madeline's direction from afar, with a Samoyed on a leash.

As soon as Madeline caught sight of her, she could feel her blood begin to boil. She got worked up at once, but amidst her heart beating more quickly than ever, she still felt unusually excited at the same time.

The rush of adrenaline had nothing to do with anything joyful—it felt more like she was actively anticipating something she was immensely curious about, even though she knew that it wasn't a good thing to happen.

Madeline gripped her phone a little harder and said in a hurry, "I'm jogging at the park near our place."

Hearing this, Timothy's tone suddenly turned stern and slightly anxious. "Don't jog anymore and hurry home."

Madelin didn't seem to hear him, however. She just stared as the woman and her dog came closer and closer to her.

Timothy was still going on and on about something on the phone, but Madeline wasn't listening to him anymore. She hung up on him and greeted the woman, who had slowed to a stop before her.

"Hi, do you know if there's a convenience store nearby? I just moved here, and I'm not too familiar with the neighborhood yet," she said.

Madeline looked at Lacey and the huge dog she was walking. Then, she smiled at Lacey and said, "Just go straight for one block and turn left."

Lacey was dressed up very youthfully today. She looked very much like a college student.

Her activewear jacket was only zipped up halfway, revealing her black sports bra and refined collar bones underneath. A heart-shaped pendant hung from her clavicle, the diamonds on it sparkling brightly under the light and looking eerily like a set with the bracelet Madeline was wearing.

Lacey thanked Madeline for the directions, but she still remained standing before her. "Are you living nearby too? We must be from the same neighborhood after all!"

The Samoyed in her hand wouldn't stop sniffing around Madeline's feet as soon as it saw her.

Madeline's smile remained on her face. "Possibly."

She then stared at Lacey for a long while, a half-smile on her face, giving Lacey a curious once-over from head to toe. She wanted to know what sort of tricks this woman was up to.

Lacey didn't seem like she wanted to move at all. She sat down on the stone bench next to Madeline and asked, "Are you out here jogging on your own? It's not safe for a woman to be jogging by herself. Why isn't your boyfriend with you?"

As soon as the words were out, she pretended to have just thought of something and apologized. "Oops, sorry! I just meant that you look like someone who should have a boyfriend, seeing how pretty you are. That's why I…"

Madeline didn't even bother exposing her. She replied in a low voice, "He's out on a business trip. What about you? Married? Or single?"

After all, when dealing with a hypocrite, Madeline couldn't appear to be just like them. Otherwise, their topic would soon digress, and she wouldn't be able to get the answers she wanted to hear. All she had to do was to be straightforward and catch her off guard instead.

Still, Madeline didn't know if her tactic would be effective in a situation like this. She was also testing the waters, trying to see how deep it went before throwing herself into it.

Lacey lowered her head and let out a melodious laugh. "I'm still single, but I do have a lover. Unfortunately, we aren't able to be together because of some circumstances, so I've been alone for the past few years."

She then raised her head and looked at Madeline. "Do you get what I mean?"

Madeline blinked. "I get it. So, are you still waiting for that lover of yours?"

"Of course! I've always been waiting for him. I believe that he will return to me one day."

Madeline looked at her. "What if he's already found himself a girlfriend? Maybe he isn't waiting for you anymore."

"It won't happen," Lacey said confidently. "There's still a place for me in his heart. We've been together since our college days. We were in Jadesville back then, and we always went to church together with his friends.

"After that, we would volunteer at the local shelter and care for the stray animals in need. We also worked part-time together. We love each other very much. Had it not been for… for some issues to rise, I believe that we would never have separated for the past few years."

Madeline felt her throat constricting. "How are you so sure that he still loves you?"

"Why wouldn't I be? He has been paving the path for my success ever since I came back home. He even rented a place for me to stay that's really close to his own home, just so that he could easily come and take care of me. If that's not love, what would that be?

"I came from a very ordinary household, and my family isn't rich or famous. If it hadn't been for him, I would never have been able to overcome the many years of being alone in a foreign country and become the person I am today.

"That's why I think that we were meant to be together," Lacey said lightly and happily, as if she was suddenly feeling a lot better after getting things off her chest. "Nobody will be able to keep us apart. We belong together. It's fate."

The cold evening air wasn't kind to Madeline at all. Gusts of wind blew around her until her hands and heart grew icy-cold.

She had thought that Lacey moved nearby on her own. She never thought that it was Timothy who brought her here instead.

So, she repeated herself. "What if he already has a girlfriend?"

Madeline's tone this time was stiff. Lacey could hear the difference in her voice and turned to look at Madeline with cold, indifferent eyes.

"What's that got to do with you?"

Madeline's eyes were calm, however. She kept quiet and said nothing, as if she really wanted to know Lacey's answer.

Lacey was unable to hold her gaze and shifted, looking away from Madeline. "So what if he already has a girlfriend? Even if he were already married, I have ways to get them divorced."

Her last line was both a provocation and a threat.

The corners of Madeline's lips upturned as she smiled silently. This was the first time she'd ever seen a woman admit that she was a side chick so proudly and confidently.

Madeline's gaze shifted to the Samoyed who had run off nearby and was having the time of his life. Suddenly, she shouted, "Mimi!"

The Samoyed heard his name and immediately came running toward them. He obediently circled around Madeline's feet, then stuck out its tongue and put both its paws in her lap.

Madeline held Mimi's paws and let him climb halfway into her lap. She then reached out and scratched the dog's chin. "Aww, you still remember me, don't you?"

Lacey's face turned stiff immediately. Her expression was one of panic, surprise, and being caught completely off-guard. Never in her wildest dreams had she ever expected something like this.

Meanwhile, Madeline had never felt any better. She continued petting Mimi's head and hugged him a few more times before gently guiding him back to the ground.

Lacey never uttered a single word the whole time.