Chapter 4

Not long after, Madelyn called.

"Do you want to go for a drive? Jackson went to bed with Mason."

She had never taken the initiative to invite me out before. How generous of her to do so. Had she finally started feeling guilty and decided to make it up to me?

I had no patience for her nonsense and was about to end the call when I heard Jackson's voice.

"You're still fussing over that spoiled prince of yours? Aren't you tired? I, for one, am exhausted. Come to bed. Not only do I have to take care of Mason, but I also have to satisfy you."

Madelyn hurriedly said, "Never mind. We'll meet another time."

The call ended abruptly. Bitterness welled up inside me.

If only I'd never allowed those two to get so close, then maybe I wouldn't have ended up like this.

The wedding was canceled the next day. Madelyn held a class reunion, and I decided to go, thinking of it as a final goodbye to this failed relationship.

When my ex-classmates saw Jackson holding Mason while they were chatting, someone deliberately said, "Jackson's got a son? When did he get married? How come none of us knew?"

"Jackson, who's the mother? Why didn't you bring her here and introduce her to us?"

As the group seemed eager to make fun of Jackson, he looked troubled.

Madelyn merely shot me a cold glance, then took Mason from Jackson's arms. "I'm his mother."

In an instant, all eyes turned to me.

People around me started whispering.

"I heard Jackson and Madelyn used to be a couple, but something happened, and she ended up with Samuel instead. Judging by the timeline, Jackson's son should indeed be two years old."

"Wouldn't that mean that Samuel was the other man?"

I was shaking with anger, struggling to hold it in.

I stood to grab a drink, but Jackson deliberately stuck out his foot and tripped me.

I lost my balance and fell hard to the ground. The air instantly filled with cruel laughter.

A sharp, scorching pain tore through my knees.

"Is Samuel feeling so bad about being the other man that he is now kneeling to admit his wrongdoing?"

Madelyn merely glanced at me with disdain, allowing them to talk.

With clenched teeth, I glared at Jackson. If anyone had paid attention, they'd have seen he'd tripped me.

My rage finally boiled over. As I raised my hand to strike Jackson, Madelyn sprang up and slapped me across the face instead.

The room fell silent.

Instantly, I could taste blood at the corner of my lips, and a ringing filled my ears.

I stared at Madelyn coldly before slapping her hard.

"Madelyn Wilkinson, you and I are done."

Having said that, I ignored Madelyn's stunned expression, covered my bleeding mouth, and left in a hurry.