Chapter 6

Zachary sat helplessly on the floor, looking miserable. It took him a while to get back up.

That night, he saw Elroy's new post online. "I'm willing to forgive her, considering she spent the entire night peeling walnuts for me."

Attached was a photo of Madison peeling walnuts by hand. Walnut shells were tough, and both of Madison's hands were cut and left bleeding.

Somehow, his caption screamed satisfaction.

After seeing it, Zachary only felt that Madison's hands were becoming more unfamiliar. They looked less like Madelyn's.

He locked his phone and gathered every item in the house that belonged to Madison—her water glass, slippers, and pajamas.

He had no idea whether she still wanted any of them, so he packed them up and mailed them to her address.

The next day, Zachary went to the orchestra again.

He hadn't managed to submit his resignation letter previously, so this time, he placed it directly on the conductor's desk and handed over all his outstanding duties.

As he walked out of the orchestra, he felt a weight lift off his shoulders.

Just then, a car pulled up beside him. The door opened, revealing Elroy sitting inside.

"What a coincidence, Mr. Suffold. There's a party at Rosewood Manor tonight. Mads will be there, too. Want to come along?"

Zachary had no interest in going. He was about to walk away when Elroy suddenly grabbed him. At the same time, several hands reached out from inside the car and yanked Zachary in.

The door slammed shut. Elroy glared at him through gritted teeth.

"I knew you wouldn't come quietly. A homewrecker like you is supposed to keep your distance when you see me, the actual boyfriend. How dare you still act so cocky in front of me!"

Zachary glanced around the car. Everyone inside was looking at him with disgust.

Soon, he realized what Elroy was planning. He wanted to teach Zachary a lesson for supposedly being the other man.

Zachary wasn't about to sit back and let it happen. He reached for the car door, trying to pry it open, but Elroy grabbed him by the hair and yanked him back hard.

"You had the guts to seduce my girlfriend, but not to face me? How dare you get all touchy-feely with Mads in front of me! What's next? Getting into her bed?"

As he spoke, Elroy slapped Zachary hard across the face.

Zachary's head spun. Just then, the car started moving. He knew there was no way he could escape anytime soon. With no other choice, he forced himself to speak.

"What happened yesterday was a misunderstanding."

Madison had been the one to force herself on him. Why should he have to suffer for it?

But Elroy wasn't listening. He slapped Zachary across the face again.

"I saw you two! How many more misunderstandings can there be? If you hadn't played the victim, Mads wouldn't have brought you soup!"

Blood trickled from the corner of Zachary's mouth. He lay sprawled across the seat in a miserable state, desperately trying to explain himself.

Elroy simply shoved something into his mouth to shut him up.

Someone beside him suggested, "Don't hit his face. Mads might notice. Hit him somewhere the clothes will cover."

Elroy curled his lips into a smirk, then turned and kicked Zachary several times. "Today, I'm going to make you understand that my woman is off-limits!"

Elroy felt uneasy at the thought of Zachary spending the last three years by Madison's side while he had been abroad.

What if she actually developed feelings for Zachary? What if she eventually remembered how good he had been to her?

He had to nip it in the bud before Zachary became a problem down the road.

With that in mind, Elroy grew more ruthless, deliberately targeting places where the bruises wouldn't show.

Trapped in the cramped car, Zachary was powerless against his attacks. It felt like he was back in his old school days, when he was bullied by other students. Only this time, no one was there to save him.

At some point, the vehicle halted.

Zachary spat out the cloth stuffed into his mouth and desperately shouted for help. Madison happened to be passing by. Hearing the commotion inside, she paused and reached for the car door.