NovelEnglish
Chapter 1 Divorce
“Let’s get a divorce.” They had been married for three years, and this was the second thing Leo Palmer
said to her.
The first time he spoke to her was on their wedding night.
She had twirled in front of him in a white wedding gown while holding up the wide flared skirt. With a
broad smile on her face, she had asked him if she looked good.
She certainly had not expected his reply.
“The wedding is over. I will have someone send you abroad,” Leo had said.
After that, she was sent overseas alone for three years.
She never expected to receive such a sentence right after returning to the country.
A divorce on their wedding anniversary.
“Must we get divorced?” she asked. Madison Hale didn’t look up. Her long hair covered her face, hiding
all emotions in her eyes and face.
Only her slightly trembling voice could be heard, which carried a hint of tears. “Can we discuss it?” she
added.
Leo stared at her with his dark eyes for a long time. When he spoke, his cool voice was devoid of any
extra emotions. “You know, if it weren’t for my grandfather being critically ill, I wouldn’t have married
you in the first place.”
Three years ago, Leo’s grandfather, Edgar Palmer, fell seriously ill. His dying wish was to see Leo get
married and start a family.
The marriage did not belong to Madison originally. Madison was a girl whom the Hale family had
mistakenly brought back. At eighteen, Madison had been informed that the real heiress, Sally Hale, had
returned to the family. And she, Madison, had been the one who had occupied Sally’s rightful place.
Everything Madison had enjoyed should have belonged to Sally. The love of the parents, the
indulgence from an elder brother, and even the marriage that had been arranged with Leo since birth.
But Edgar said the foundation of marriage is love. Madison and Leo grew up together. Even if her
identity was false, it was still a fact that they had grown up together. Thus, Edgar insisted that Leo
marry her. The marriage arrangement remained true since the Hale family still recognized her as one of
their family.
That was how she and Leo got married.
But Sally was diagnosed with a two-way emotional disorder and couldn’t stand hearing any mention of
Madison. She could not bear seeing Madison even more. After learning about the marriage, Sally
attempted suicide and insisted on Leo accompanying her, or she would kick up a fuss.
To prevent Sally’s condition from worsening, Leo sent Madison abroad on the second day of their
marriage and left her there without contacting her at all. It was only now that she returned.
Leo handed her a contract. “I’ve already had the lawyer draft the divorce papers. Take a look at them. If
you have no objections, just sign them.”
Madison took the papers from him with her head down. “Can you give me some time to think about it?”
she asked.
Leo looked at her. Her thick bangs covered her eyes. Living alone in a foreign country seemed to have
made her personality more reclusive.
“If there’s anything unsatisfactory regarding assets, feel free to mention it. This villa will be transferred
to your name. I’ll give you a week,” he added.
After saying that, he left the master bedroom.
As his fingers grasped the doorknob, he glanced back at the room. The woman’s slender shoulders
trembled slightly as she held onto the divorce papers. She did not move at all.
Leo’s expression darkened as he closed the door.
The room fell completely silent.
After a moment, a burst of cheers erupted.
“Good riddance! I’m finally divorced!” Madison exclaimed.
She looked at the divorce agreement in her hand and was finally unable to hold back her laughter. Her
shoulders shook even more, apparently.
In the three years since she was sent abroad, she received no messages of concern from the Hale
family and not a word of comfort from her husband-in-name.
Even when she was stalked and almost died out there, she still couldn’t get through to Leo’s phone.
Any love she had for Leo was long gone and buried.
After signing the papers happily, she rolled around on the bed. Her bangs fell from her face with her
long hair. There was no trace of grievance on her beautiful face.
Just as she was about to finish tidying up her luggage, the phone rang.
Madison answered the call with a sweet voice. “Hello, Joe.”
The voice on the other end got straight to the point. “Madison, the group of people who tried to kidnap you at the airport when you returned to the country has been caught. It was related to that stalking case from three years ago. Unfortunately, the clues all point to your adoptive parents and also… your husband-in- name.” Chapter 2 Birthday
Madison remained silent for a moment.
After a while, she spoke casually. “Well, thankfully, nothing happened to me, and I’m lucky to have
found you all. Since they raised me, I will let it go.”
She would consider it a repayment to them for years of raising her.
“Madison…”
It seemed like the person on the other end still wanted to say something, but there was a sudden knock
on the door.
Madison ignored the person outside the door and continued talking on the phone. “Joe, I know what
you want to say. But I don’t want to stir up trouble now. I just want nothing to do with them in the future!”
Not to mention that nothing came out of the kidnapping incident, even if there were clues, the Hale
family and Leo could easily deny being involved in it. Without substantial evidence, it would be more
trouble than it was worth.
Moreover, considering the character of the Hale family, if they knew Madison’s biological parents
belonged to the Daves family, they would likely use raising her for twenty years as a reason to demand
stuff from the Daves family continuously.
Thus, Madison just wanted to divorce as soon as possible and to sever ties with the Hale family
completely. Even if her identity were known to the Hale family in the future, it wouldn’t cause trouble for
her brothers.
The knocking on the door became urgent.
Madison decided not to speak further on the matter. “Alright, Joe. I have something on. Let’s talk later.”
She hung up the call.
She didn’t open the door immediately. When the knocking became even more impatient, she slowly
combed through her unsightly bangs and walked over lazily.
When the door opened, the man who was standing outside still had his hand raised. His face showed
obvious impatience.
Madison raised her eyes and spoke in a gentle voice, “Is there anything else?”
It was only four words, but it conveyed a sense of distance.
Leo unconsciously furrowed his eyebrows. He dropped his hand and spoke indifferently, “Tomorrow is
Sally’s birthday. There’s a party at the Hale family. Make time. I’ll come back in the afternoon to bring
you there.”
Madison blinked.
‘Sally,’ she thought, scoffing silently. ‘He called her so affectionately.’
She smiled. “Alright. Is there anything else?”
Leo looked at her. Her black hair hid her beautiful face, and he could not detect any emotions from her.
It seemed as though she calmly accepted the decision.
A strange sense of frustration welled up in him. As he was about to turn around, he said, “There’s
nothing else. Rest early.”
“Hold on,” Madison called him.
She entered the room and quickly returned. She was holding onto the divorce papers he had given her
just minutes ago and handing them to him.
“I’ve already signed them. You can take care of the procedures when you have time. As for the papers,
you can send them to me after that. My address is on the last page,” Madison told him.
Leo had been absent on the day that they registered their marriage. With his capability, it should be an
even more straightforward task now that they were getting a divorce.
Leo looked at the documents she was holding out to him. He shifted his gaze to her overly calm face
and saw no sadness or grief.
His Adam’s apple darted. His voice became hoarse. “Didn’t we agree to wait a few days?”
“Whether we wait or not, the result is the same, right?” she asked.
Madison’s hand grew tired from holding up the papers, so she directly thrust them to Leo. “Besides,
tomorrow is Sally’s birthday. She would be happy if she knew about this,” she added.
Leo was caught off guard and slowly took the papers.
Lowering his head, he asked, “What about you?”
“What?” she questioned. His voice was soft, so Madison couldn’t hear him clearly.
“Nothing,” he said.
He put away the documents, regained his composure, and looked at Madison’s face. He said, “Rest
early.”
Madison took a step back. “You too,” she replied.
As the words fell, the door slammed shut in front of the man.
Leo looked at the tightly closed door, his expression extremely dark.
Madison’s faint smile still lingered in his mind. He glanced at the document in his hand, then turned and
left.
Madison received a call from the Hale family the next day.
Ramona Hale inquired indirectly about the marriage between her and Leo, trying to be subtle as she
went about it.
Madison didn’t try to hide from the Hale family and straightforwardly stated, “Ramona, Leo gave me a
divorce agreement last night, and I’ve already signed it.”
Since Sally’s return, she had been scolded by the Hale family’s parents for addressing them Dad and
Mum. If it weren’t for the alliance with the Palmer family and the reputation of both families, Madison
might have been kicked out of the family at once.
However, even if she hadn’t been kicked out then, her life during those years had not been easy.
Upon hearing that Madison had already signed the divorce agreement, Ramona’s tone, which had
been cautiously polite, changed instantly. Ramona became arrogant and contemptuous and spoke as
though she was generous, doing Madison a favor. “It’s Sally’s birthday today. Come over in the evening
so you can broaden your horizons.”
Madison lowered her gaze, concealing the coldness in her eyes. She replied, “Alright.”
After giving the order, Ramona should have hung up as usual.
But today, Ramona paused and added sarcastically and with a hint of warning, “Edgar was confused in
the past and made a mistake by insisting you and Leo be together. But now, aren’t we back on the right
track? Madison, don’t be upset over this. Your status is low, and you aren’t compatible with the Palmer
family. If it weren’t for your fortunate adoption by our family for a few years, you probably wouldn’t have
had the chance to step into the threshold of a wealthy family. You might have even died on the street
someday. Moreover, if it weren’t for you, Sally wouldn’t have been wandering out there for so many
years, suffering from illness. You should remember to be grateful. Although her condition has stabilized,
Sally can’t stand any provocation. As her sister, you owe her so much. It’s only right for you to give in to
her.”
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtWith these words, Ramona successfully degraded Madison. Madison’s life was threatened, and
Ramona also used their raising her as a means of manipulating her. However, back then, Madison was
just a baby. If it weren’t for the earthquake and being mistakenly carried off by a nurse at the hospital,
she would have been the pampered heiress of the top-tier Daves family.
“I understand,” Madison responded calmly as she finished tidying her suitcase.
There was nothing else of hers in the villa. She entered this place with a single suitcase and would
leave with one as well.
Ramona snorted coldly and hung up the phone.
Outside the villa, a car horn suddenly sounded.
Leo didn’t get out of the car. He directly called Madison. Two succinct and indifferent words came from
him. “Come downstairs.”
Chapter 3 The Front Passenger’s Seat
Madison deliberately dragged her feet.
It wasn’t until Leo’s second call that she came out of the villa.
When the person in the car saw her running over, his slightly frowned brows eased somewhat. He
turned and adjusted the gift box on the front passenger seat.
As soon as she opened the rear door of the car and got in, she explained, “Sorry for keeping you
waiting. I took a nap in the afternoon.”
Leo glanced at her through the rearview mirror. His hands on the steering wheel tightened. “Are you
going to the party dressed like this?” he questioned.
Madison let out a bewildered noise. She lowered her head to look at her outfit. She asked, “Is there
something wrong with this? It shouldn’t matter for a family party.”
Leo threw the gift box on the front passenger seat to her. “Go and change.”
The white box was labeled with Sprince, a luxury fashion label. Even the packaging was elaborate.
Madison immediately recognized it as the latest dress released by Sprince for their spring and summer
line.
With a show of hesitation, she put the gift box back. “It’s a gift for Sally. If I wear it, it would not be
good.”
Leo’s fingers were tapping on the steering wheel. At her words, his movement paused. “We haven’t
announced the divorce yet. Do you intend to disgrace the Palmer family by showing up at the party
dressed like this?”
“But…” Madison began.
“I have another gift prepared for Sally. This is a gift from the brand, and I forgot it in the car,” Leo coldly
interrupted her. His tone was unquestionable. “Go and change.”
“Alright,” she said. Exasperated, Madison had no choice but to take the gift box and go back to change
into another dress.
The blue gradient dress complemented the tone of her skin. The skirt shimmered under the light as she
walked. She looked like she had stepped out of a painting.
If it weren’t for the slightly loose waist, which clearly indicated that the dress was not her size, she
would have liked this dress.
After changing, Madison quickly went downstairs. When she opened the rear car door, she suddenly
found that the door was locked.
Leo’s displeased voice came from inside the car. “Sit in the front.”
Madison furrowed her eyebrows. “Isn’t that a bit inappropriate?”
In her mind, the front passenger seat was reserved for one’s girlfriend. If there was no girlfriend, it was
for someone with a close relationship with the driver. She was neither.
Leo glanced at her. “So, treating me as a driver is appropriate?”
Madison paused. “That’s not what I meant,” she said eventually.
Madison scratched her head. She decided to make it clear to Leo what she was thinking about.
After hearing her explanation, Leo stared at her in silence for two seconds. “Sally is not you. She won’t
mind such trivial matters. Get in the car. I don’t want to say the same thing a second time.”
Madison, however, was insistent on it. “Then I won’t go. I don’t think Sally would want to see me either.”
She picked up her dress and was about to leave. The car honked at her, followed by the man’s
indifferent voice. “Get in the car.”
Madison tugged at the rear door. It opened this time.
She raised her eyebrows and slid into the car while holding her dress. Since the size wasn’t right and
the dress’s design was elaborate, tidying up took her a while.
Leo started the car and drove, “Is the dress not fitting?”
Madison said nonchalantly, “Yeah, it’s a bit loose. I’ll use some pins to fix it when we reach. Don’t worry.
I won’t embarrass you.”
Before she could finish speaking, the car suddenly braked, interrupting Madison’s muttering.
She wasn’t wearing a seatbelt in the back seat, and her head bumped directly into the front seat. Her
head throbbed painfully.
‘Bastard! Even if he wants to kill me, he shouldn’t resort to this!’ Madison thought. ‘If something
happens, he would also risk his own life.’
Madison silently pulled on the seatbelt and fastened it. She glanced at the scenery outside the car
window.
When she was overseas, it was because she occupied the position of his wife, and everyone knew she
liked Leo. Under those circumstances, killing her to make way for Sally would be more convenient.
Now that Madison had signed the divorce papers, Leo shouldn’t necessarily want her to disappear.
Madison still hoped to resolve the divorce as soon as possible to avoid unnecessary complications.
“Um. Has our divorce been finalized?” she asked tentatively.
Chapter 4 Adopted Daughter
The speed of the car suddenly increased, and Leo’s voice seemed to be distorted by the noisy wind
outside. “Why? Are you in a hurry?”
‘What did he mean by saying I am in a hurry?’ Madison thought. ‘It’s not like I am about to get into
another relationship. I’m not the one who has someone waiting for me.’
She shook her head, looking serious. “It should be you who’s in a hurry.”
Leo’s lips lifted slightly, and the car speed gradually stabilized. “I’m not in a hurry.”
Madison went silent. She did not talk anymore.
In any case, she had already signed the divorce papers. Tonight, she would settle things with the Hale
family. After that, she would have no more connections with these people.
Half an hour later, the car stopped outside the Hale family’s villa.
In recent years, the Hale and Palmer families cooperated in business. The Hale family’s status in high
society gradually became more prominent. Many people fawned over and flattered them. By this
moment, the luxury cars of the visiting guests had almost occupied all available parking spaces.
She got out of the car. A gust of night wind almost made her shiver. When she looked up, Leo, who
was dressed in a suit, was already walking toward the lawn where the party was set up at the villa.
Madison had no choice but to follow quickly, holding up the skirt of her dress.
All the guests present cast their eyes in their direction because of Leo.
Roses surrounded the beautiful woman playing the piano. Gifts piled up high next to the five-layer
cake. Under the lights and everyone’s gaze, Leo approached the woman who was playing the music.
It was like a scene from a romantic film that delighted people’s hearts.
Approaching them now would seem very indiscreet. Thus, Madison, who was following Leo, slowed
down her steps and attempted to blend into the crowd of onlookers.
But before she could disappear into the crowd, Leo suddenly stopped walking and turned to look at her.
It was as if the film had been put on pause at the most exciting part, and a commercial suddenly
appeared.
However, Leo didn’t think there was anything wrong. He looked at Madison, who was standing in front
of the crowd. His eyebrows furrowed. “Come here.”
All the guests turned to Madison at once. Murmurs erupted all around her.
“Who is she? She looks familiar, but I feel like I’ve never seen her.”
“How could you forget? She’s that nob*dy that the Hale family mistakenly carried home from the
hospital after being abandoned by her biological parents. She’s the one the Hale family kindly raised as
Sally’s real sister. But in the end, she stole Sally’s fiancé. It’s disgusting!”
“Now that you mention it, she’s the one sent abroad by Mr. Palmer on the day of the wedding? How
dare she show her face back here? If I were her, I would have jumped off a building already. I would
have been too embarrassed to live. How unfortunate that we see her here!”
The people spoke one after another. The looks they cast at Madison were filled with disdain.
The voices were not loud, but Madison, who was close, heard them clear as crystal.
She stood calmly there as though she couldn’t hear those unpleasant things said about her and did not
walk toward Leo.
Sally, who was playing the piano, already stood up when Leo spoke. She walked gracefully toward
Madison. “Madison, when did you return to the country? Why didn’t you tell us?”
‘Returning to the country without informing her adoptive parents. How impolite and uncultivated!’ In
everyone’s minds, Madison’s image went down another notch.
Madison smiled. “I returned last night and had a call with Ramona this morning. Maybe she was afraid
you wouldn’t be happy, so she didn’t tell you.”
After Sally came back, Madison changed her address to her adoptive parents. Instead of calling them
Mom and Dad as she used to, she now referred to them by their names.
“Why would I be unhappy? With you back, I have a companion and won’t get nagged by my mom every
day,” Sally said sweetly to her.
Her behavior made Madison feel disgusted. Restraining her expression, Madison took a small gift box
from her handbag. “Happy birthday,” she said.
“You even prepared a gift for me. Thank you, Madison!” Sally took it, joyfully hugging Madison.
Madison froze entirely.
Chapter 5 The Ill-Fitting Gown
Just as Madison couldn’t bear it anymore and was about to push away Sally, Sally suddenly had a
slight change in expression. She furrowed her brows and let Madison go.
Sally assessed Madison’s figure. “Madison, is this dress a bit loose? It looks kind of baggy.”
In the high-society circle, attending an evening party meant competing with one another.
Dresses and jewelry were displays meant to show off.
The topics of discussion among them included who wore the limited edition haute couture from which
brand and which set of jewelry belonged to which designer. If someone wore an outdated dress, they
would be immediately ostracized, not to mention accidentally wearing a knockoff.
Ill-fitting dresses were obviously categorized as embarrassing and shameful.
People around them started ridiculing Madison openly.
“She doesn’t even have a fitting dress. How could she call herself Mrs. Palmer? How pitiful!”
“Cut her some slack. She just came back from exile overseas. It’s good enough that she has a decent
dress to wear. Look at her hairstyle. It’s so old-fashioned. No wonder Mr. Palmer doesn’t like her! I
wonder when Mr. Palmer will divorce this woman. He should hurry up and free himself!”
As if she didn’t hear what the others were saying, Sally complained to Leo. “Leo, why did you prepare
such a dress for my sister?”
Madison had already anticipated such a scene. She watched Sally’s performance expressionlessly,
thinking that it was pretty childish.
Surprisingly, Leo spoke up to explain. “I didn’t have time to ask for Madison’s measurements. I thought
both of you had similar figures, so I had the designer tailor it according to your size. I didn’t expect it to
be ill-fitting. There was also no time to make changes.”
The gossiping abruptly stopped.
Sally almost couldn’t maintain her smile.
She could already feel the mocking gazes from the people around her, as if they were saying she was
fatter than Madison!
There was also the matter of the dress. Sally had set her eyes on it when Sprince’s spring-summer
collection was released. It had not been available for sale yet and could only be obtained from the
designer.
Unexpectedly, Madison was the first to wear it!
Even more unexpectedly, Leo not only gave the dress to Madison but also spoke up to defend that
despicable person!
Taking a deep breath, Sally struggled to maintain her composure and complained to Leo, “I see. You
should be more attentive next time.”
Leo lowered his gaze and looked at Madison. He gave a nod of acknowledgment.
Gritting her teeth, Sally turned back with a smile. She hugged Madison’s arm affectionately. “By the
way, Madison, I had several dresses sent over by Leo this time, with different sizes. If you don’t mind,
go change into another one. Ill-fitting clothes don’t look good.”
Madison originally intended to refuse.
Although the dress was ill-fitting, wearing it a bit loose was quite comfortable. However, as the words of
rejection were about to come out, she suddenly curved her lips and said, “Sure.”
“The dresses are in the room you used to stay in before. Choose whichever you like. There are still
guests here, so I won’t accompany you.” Sally retracted her hand.
Madison nodded. “See you later then.”
She turned to leave, but someone behind her bent down and helped lift the skirt of her dress.
Leo’s expression remained unchanged as he said, “I’ll escort you.”
Madison instinctively looked at Sally.
She didn’t miss the flash of resentment on Sally’s face. But upon closer inspection, Sally’s delicate face
only revealed a hint of coquetry. “Leo, my sister gave me a birthday gift. What about yours?”
Madison took the skirt back from Leo and glanced at him. “It’s hard to console a girl once she’s angry.
You should go get your gift first.”
She turned to leave decisively without a second look.
Leo subconsciously clenched his fingers, but the silky fabric slipped away from his palm. Lifting his
gaze, he only saw her slender back steadily heading towards the villa.
Madison went straight to the furthest room on the villa’s second floor.
Before Sally returned, she used to stay in the bedroom on the second floor with a balcony. Later, when
the real daughter of the Hale family returned, Madison naturally gave up that bedroom.
However, at that time, Sally directly expressed her dislike for Madison on her face and complained
about the difficulties of her life as an abandoned commoner every time she saw Madison. Not letting
Madison stay in the servant’s room was already a show of Sally’s kindness.
But compared to the remote room, the feeling of living under someone else’s roof was tormenting.
When she was alone in the small room, it was the most relaxing time of her day.
Deep in thought, Madison pushed the door open.
The instant the light came on, the door behind her suddenly slammed shut with a bang. She could hear
the sound of the key being pulled out from outside.
She instinctively turned around, but her arm was suddenly forcefully restrained…
Chapter 6 The Apology
The evening party held on the villa lawn was lively. Due to Madison’s ill-fitting dress, many socialites
who were gathered together quickly found a common topic to talk about.
As the birthday party gradually heated up as many socialized together, some were eager to have Sally
cut the cake and make a wish.
Sally walked up to Leo. She said, “Leo, come with me to cut the cake.”
Leo glanced at his wristwatch. His face was gloomy. “I’ll go find Madison. You go ahead and cut the
cake with Ramona,” he told her.
Unexpectedly, the first person to think of Madison was Leo. A hint of malice flashed across Sally’s face.
Sally had initially planned to address the issue after cutting the cake, but considering the timing, her
plan should be in full swing now. It was perfect timing to bring people there.
Sally smiled. “I almost forgot that my sister has returned from abroad. Let’s go together. I don’t know if
she’s upset because of the dress. I’ll go with you to explain to her.”
Leo originally wanted to decline Sally but nodded after hearing her. He took long strides toward the
villa.
Sally watched Leo depart. Her smile instantly vanished from her face. She now wore a resentful
expression.
She turned and glanced at her few close friends behind her. She signaled to them and then followed
Leo.
They began calling one another. A huge crowd began to follow after Sally and Leo.
Everyone soon reached the door of the room on the second floor.
The moment the door opened, everyone involuntarily gasped and simultaneously looked at Leo.
The floor of the room was strewn with disorderly clothes. There were men’s jackets, pants, and shirts.
Madison’s ill-fitting evening gown hung untidily on a partition, conveniently blocking the view inside.
The sight of this mess on the ground alone was impactful enough, not to mention the sounds
emanating from inside at that moment.
“Oh yes! You’re great! Yes! That’s it!”
“The next turn is mine! Don’t fight with me!”
“There’s no rush. No rush at all! All of you will have your turns! No need to hurry.”
Varied expressions appeared on everyone’s face.
They began thinking silently, ‘This adopted daughter of the Hale family has quite the audacity to
engage in such activities at her sister’s birthday party. From the sounds, it seems there are more than
one person involved. Does she know that Mr. Palmer carries a torch for her sister? Is that why she did
this as a bold retaliation, intending to involve Mr. Palmer in a big scandal? Is that why she cuckolded
Mr. Palmer?’
‘Actually, she cuckolded Mr. Palmer twice and at the same time! Good heavens! She is indeed bold!’
Just as everyone was in shock, a male voice from inside cried out, “Why is it me again? I really can’t do
it!”
Everyone sucked in a breath.
‘Good heavens! Madison is insatiable! Two men couldn’t satisfy her?’
All eyes turned to Leo, their faces showing complicated emotions.
Sally spoke up at this time, “Madison… she should be… Maybe we should leave for now?”
Before Sally could finish her words, Leo, who was wearing a gloomy expression, walked straight to the
partition. He emanated a cold aura as he approached.
As if he had lost his reason, he raised his hand and directly pushed aside the partition, knocking down
the clothes hanging from it!
The loud bang was followed by prolonged silence.
The onlookers rushed in to see what was happening, holding their phones up. But they were so
shocked by the scene before them that they even forgot to start recording.
Sally, who pushed her way through the crowd. Even before she saw what happened, her shrill voice
began scolding at once. “What are you doing, Madison? How can you do such things in the room? You
—”
Her words suddenly stopped.
Chapter 7 Playing Poker
“What did I do?” she asked. Inside the room, Madison sat calmly on the couch. She was wearing a
jacket. There was no hint of impropriety on her.
However, the two men sitting across from her, who were holding poker cards, were dressed in a slightly
unconventional manner. Still, they were as properly covered as anyone and were not engaged in any
inappropriate activities.
This unexpected scene left everyone stunned. Madison smiled calmly as she surveyed the room with a
composed gaze before fixing her eyes on Sally. “So, tell me! What did I do?”
Sally shivered under the intensity of that gaze.
‘When did this unsophisticated girl have such a terrifying look in her eyes?’ Sally thought.
In the past, Madison was afraid of being kicked out from the Hale family and was hesitant to utter more
than a few words for fear of making mistakes. Even just a while ago, Madison was nodding docilely
downstairs, looking all meek. But now, it was as if she suddenly transformed into a different person!
Furthermore, why did the two hooligans Sally found let Madison sit there without doing anything to her?
Why were they even… playing poker with her?
Sally looked at the scene before her with indignation. She still found it hard to believe.
Yet, the reality was right in front of everyone. Behind the partition, Madison appeared not to be
engaged in any illicit activities. The sight of the poker cards in Madison’s hand made Sally’s face turn
red hot.
As Sally struggled to comprehend the situation, Ramona pushed through the crowd. She scolded, “Oh
my! Madison, how could you mess up the dressing room like this and play cards with these unsavory
people in the room? Even if you don’t want to attend the birthday party, do you have to bring these
people to ruin the occasion?”
Sally immediately followed Ramona’s words and spoke with a sense of grievance, “I’m sorry, Madison.
I was just too anxious. After all, you took too long to change, and what everyone saw when they looked
in was a mess. Also, from what we heard…” Sally hesitated and continued, “Besides, you still haven’t
divorced Leo…”
The mother and daughter duo cast aspersions on her, besmirching her and redirecting everyone’s
attention to Madison’s supposed indiscretions.
Even though they did not catch them red-handed, what was the big deal?
Madison took so long to change clothes. She was in a room alone with men. Who knew what might
have happened?
Seeing the changing expressions of the crowd, Sally appeared to be in distress and made a show of
explaining what happened in her sister’s stead. “Madison, I did not intend for this to happen. You
stayed upstairs for too long, and I was worried about you….”
The whispers grew louder, and Sally, feeling desperate, grabbed Leo’s arm. “Leo, it must be because
of the ill-fitting dress you prepared. Madison was angry and refused to come downstairs. Hurry up and
appease her. It is definitely not what everyone is thinking!”
Leo discreetly pulled his arm away from Sally. His sharp gaze was fixed on Madison. His lips were
tightly pursed. Though he didn’t say anything, his darkened facial expression revealed his thoughts.
Compared to the confrontational onlookers in the room, Madison appeared much more relaxed.
She shuffled the cards and casually placed them on the table. She leaned back on the couch and
smiled at Sally. “Are you suggesting I did something with people in this room?” Madison spoke
candidly.
Coupled with her disdainful attitude, it suddenly made people think that it might be just a
misunderstanding.
Perhaps she was only just playing cards in the room?
Sally, who was truly anxious this time, tried to explain. “Madison, that’s not what I meant. I just… I was
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmworried about you staying upstairs for too long. I feared that something might happen.”
“Worried about me…” Madison’s voice trailed off, and she nonchalantly nodded. She suddenly adopted
a serious tone. “Then let me ask you, why did you use changing clothes as an excuse to lock me in a
room with other people? What do you mean by that?”
Chapter 8 Insist On An Apology
“You don’t need to rush to explain. I have evidence.” Madison directly interrupted Sally before she was
about to start her pretense again. She gestured for the two hooligans who were playing cards with her
to take out their phones. They opened the video and audio recording and placed them on the coffee
table.
The video showed Madison entering the room, trying to open the door behind her as the lights turned
on. However, the door was promptly closed from the outside. Following that, Madison attempted to turn
the doorknob, but it wouldn’t budge.
In just thirty seconds, the video and audio recording demonstrated that Madison was deliberately
locked in the room. She did not intentionally avoid going downstairs, as Sally had claimed.
Sally denied vehemently, “Madison, I don’t know why someone locked you in! I did not follow you
upstairs. Besides, so many people came today, and even hooligans managed to get in…”
Her words redirected the blame onto Madison.
Yes, Madison was locked in, but who knew whom she offended to end up being framed like this?
Moreover, the two hooligans were playing cards with her. Who brought them in? What if Madison
brought this upon herself?
Madison smiled. “Why are you in such a hurry? The evidence hasn’t finished playing yet,” she said.
The other phone contained a recording. As soon as the recording was played, Sally’s expression
changed completely.
“Here’s 60 thousand dollars. According to your rules, I brought cash. After the deed is done, another 60
thousand dollars will be sent to you. I want to tarnish a woman’s reputation. It must be tonight…”
“Don’t play it anymore!” Sally let out a hysterical scream and rushed over and smashed the phone.
However, even though the audio recording wasn’t long, everyone had heard what they needed to hear.
‘So, it turned out Madison was framed because of your scheme. That was why you blamed it on the
person who came to change clothes while bringing so many people along to watch the show,’ they
thought.
120 thousand dollars.
For dealing with a non-blood-related sister who had just returned from abroad, they couldn’t even
decide if Sally was being generous or stingy.
Madison glanced at the shattered phone. Her voice was indifferent when she spoke, “Disappointed?
The small fry you bribed happens to be someone I know. It’s the kind of dirt-poor nob*dy you disdain.
Now that you failed to watch me embarrass myself in front of so many big shots, you’re infuriated,
right?”
“Shut up!” Sally erupted. She appeared just like when she had been diagnosed with the emotional
disorder many years ago, ferocious and frenzied. “Of course, I am infuriated! Why do you have the right
to occupy my identity for so many years? You are the lowest scum! Why do you deserve to enjoy
everything in the Hale family? Why did you come back? You stole everything from me. You are a thief!”
Ramona anxiously rushed forward to embrace Sally, crying along with her. “It’s Mom’s fault. You can
blame me for not taking good care of you when you were born and losing you! It’s all my fault, Sally,
don’t blame others…”
Suddenly, those who had previously looked down on Sally for using such dirty means were consoling
her with sympathy. They even pitied Sally.
If she hadn’t been switched with Madison, she would be the Hale family’s heiress. How could she have
endured hardships outside?
As for Madison, she hadn’t been violated. She was still standing there perfectly fine. Why was she so
unrelenting?
Unrelenting?
Madison caught the word with her sharp ears.
She stood up from the couch. Her face was still the same, but now it didn’t appear inconspicuous at all.
Lowering her gaze, she looked down loftily at the mother and daughter who were embraced together.
“What if I insist on an apology?” Madison asked.
Chapter 9
Ramona probably didn’t expect Madison to be so assertive. Her expression stiffened for a moment
before she burst into even louder s obs.
“Do you have to force your sister into a corner? If it weren’t for our Hale family, could. you have
survived until now? Nothing has happened to you while your sister is having a relapse. Can’t you just
drop the matter? Why are you so malicious?” Ramona criticized loudly.
Madison looked at Ramona coldly, her heart turning to stone.
In truth, she still had a small glimmer of hope.
After all these years of calling Ramona “mom,” could there be a tiny bit of affection. from the Hale
family towards her, even if it was just a bit?
But now, it seemed like Madison was just deluding herself.
Madison swallowed. She couldn’t help but ask, “What if something happened to me today? What if I
were truly ruined by others?”
Ramona was stunned momentarily before she retorted, “But you are fine now, right? Nothing happened
to you, so why are you so fixated? You are the elder sister. Can’t your give in a little for your younger
sister, especially when Sally is still unwell? She didn’t mean to harm you! Why are you so petty and
calculative about everything?”
Madison’s heart felt as though it was encased in ice. The last spark of hope died. She said quietly, “I
just want an apology.”
“Fine! Fine!” Ramona was furious. She raised her eyes to glare at Madison. “It’s my fault for not raising
you well in the Hale family. I’ve raised an ingrate! If you want an apology, I, as your foster mother,
apologize to you. It’s my fault for not teaching my daughter well and letting you suffer such injustice. I
apologize to you! But Madison, if it weren’t for you, would my Sally end up like this?”
Ramona burst into tears, hugging Sally as if she had suffered a profound wrong. She went on
speaking. “You took the position of the daughter of the Hale family and harmed my Sally for so many
years, yet you have no gratitude or guilt. I was blind back then. Leave, Madison! Don’t appear in the
Hale family again. Pretend I never raised you, and the Hale family never had you as a foster daughter!”
Madison pursed her lips, standing there silently.
Everyone was watching the spectacle, wondering how Madison, a worthless person. without abilities,
would survive after being expelled from the Hale family.
1/3
Chapter 9
But there were so many people present, and Madison was just so stubborn. She couldn’t possibly bow
to Ramona now, could she?
Everyone in the room was waiting for Madison’s response.
Just as she was about to speak, Leo suddenly moved. He took a step forward, standing in front of
Madison.
“Ramona, we understand Sally’s condition, but Madison has just suffered an injustice. You can be
biased, but you shouldn’t be unjust. Besides, the Palmer family and the Hale family are still related.
Madison is still my wife. It doesn’t seem appropriate for the two families to sever ties like this.”
“Mr. Palmer. Behind him, Madison spoke in a calm tone. “If I remember correctly, we signed the divorce
agreement last night. From a legal standpoint, I should no longer be your wife.”
Before the people in the room could recover from their surprise at Leo’s defense, they were shocked
again by her words.
Leo and Madison had divorced!
Sally, who was crying on the floor, stopped wailing and looked at Leo with unexpected joy on her face.
But the man turned around, his dark gaze fixed directly on the woman who exposed. the truth.
Ignoring him, Madison picked up her handbag. “I am divorced now, and I have no further relationship
with the Palmer family. As for Ramona’s words today, I will remember them. From now on, I will have
no connection with the Hale family either,”
she said.
Then, Madison bowed solemnly to Ramona. “Thank you, Ramona, for your care over the years.”
Even though Madison had been hurt and harmed by Ramona time and time again, it was also a fact
that Ramona had indeed raised her.
Madison made sure that she remembered both gratitude and grievances.
With this bow, everyone was surprised. Their previous disdain for Madison also wavered a bit.
Madison paid no attention to the onlookers’ gazes. After bowing, she intended to leave, but Ramona
suddenly stopped her.
“Wait!” Ramona shouted.
2/3
12:59 Mon, 22 Jan
Chapter 9
SEND GIFT
Chapter 1101 Getaway motorcycle
This class was the most torturous class Charlotte had ever attended.
The professor teaching the class seemed to be very familiar with Joe, calling on him to answer
questions.
Joe confidently stood up and answered all the questions correctly.
As a result, the gazes directed at Charlotte and Joe became increasingly ambiguous. Charlotte glared
at
Joe in annoyance.
Joe quickly leaned in and whispered, “You wanted to ride that motorcycle, right? After class, we’ll go.
How
about that?”
Enter title…
Charlotte’s eyes immediately lit up, “Really?”
Joe nodded and resisted the urge to ruffle her hair.
Finally, when the class ended, Charlotte didn’t give her classmates a chance to gossip and swiftly
dragged
Joe out. “They didn’t follow us,” she said, relieved, as they reached a pavilion.
Joe looked at Charlotte with a hint of helplessness, “Do you really not want people to see us together?”
Charlotte rolled her eyes at him, “Don’t you know your own charm? If those who admire you see us
together, I’m afraid they’ll tear down my dormitory bed.”
Joe looked at her for a moment and suddenly asked, “What about you?”
Charlotte looked at him in confusion, “What do you mean?”
“I have many admirers, are you one of them?” Joe asked Charlotte directly.
Charlotte shook her head straightforwardly.
Joe wasn’t surprised by her answer, just smiled wryly and didn’t say anything more.
He handed Charlotte a pink helmet, “Get on the motorcycle.”
Charlotte was surprised that he had prepared a helmet for her, and upon closer inspection, it seemed
to
be a matching couple’s helmet.
“What’s wrong?” Joe raised an eyebrow at her.
His teasing look was too obvious, so Charlotte gritted her teeth and put on the pink helmet.
What’s the big deal about a couple’s helmet?
Joe’s lips curved into a faint smile as he revved the motorcycle and sped off.
measurement, audience research and servic
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