Chapter 3

Ashton stepped in front of me protectively and exclaimed, "Don't you dare pick on Maddison!"

I looked down at the mess on my pants. Then, I slowly pushed Ashton aside and stared at Lucas. With a loud smack, I hurled the pasta right at his handsome face.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you not to bother people while they're eating?"

Another loud splat sounded as a meatball hit Lucas square in the face. He staggered back a step, staring at me in disbelief.

I continued coldly, "Lucas, if you mess with me again, I'll throw acid in your face!"

"Maddison!" he shouted, shaking with rage.

I chuckled and shoved a meatball right into his mouth. "What's the matter? Even a meatball can't shut that mouth of yours?"

He was so furious his teeth were clenched tight, and I almost burst out laughing.

Back when I read the trashy novel, I had already despised the aloof Lucas. After all, he constantly treated the original Maddison badly because of Cynthia, making her give way in everything.

Even the scholarship fund that the original Maddison had worked so hard to earn was taken by him to buy Cynthia a guitar.

On the way home after seeing Ashton off, he suddenly asked me, "Remember to change out of your wet clothes when you get home."

I nodded and said, "Alright. Don't worry about me."

Even if I was slow, I could already guess what kind of relationship he had with the original Maddison.

"Maddison, I feel like you've changed somehow," Ashton said suddenly, his eyes showing curiosity.

"You would never have treated Lucas that way before."

I smiled. "People have to grow up eventually."

The original Maddison was supposed to die, yet I had kept living for her. As long as I was still breathing, I would make sure she never suffered again.

After saying goodbye to Ashton, I returned home and saw Charlie sitting on the couch. It was as if he had been waiting for me.

I thought he wanted to berate me, so I ignored him and headed straight for my room. I was already planning how to end my life.

Suddenly, he called out, "Maddie, I want to talk to you."

I turned around in surprise, caught off guard by his unusually gentle tone.

I composed myself and asked, "What is it about?"

He replied, "I bought that pesticide, so there's no way you could have gotten the seller to fake it. I know you really wanted to kill yourself today, and I want to know why."

Finally, there was one normal person in that trashy novel. Then again, it did not matter. In the plot, he had already driven the original Maddison to suicide long ago.

I laughed. "That's funny. Why else would anyone kill themselves? Don't you know the reason better than I do?"

They had sided with Cynthia again and again, stealing everything that belonged to the original Maddison.

It was not surprising that she chose to end her life.

"I..."

When Charlie was about to continue, I turned and left the room. Since I was going to die anyway, I did not want to hear these meaningless words. After all, apologies were useless by then.

At that moment, I suddenly thought of using gas to commit suicide. It was a good method that could take the whole family with me.

In the middle of the night, I quietly went downstairs. Just as I was about to switch on the stove, Cynthia suddenly opened the door and came out, startling me.

She walked over and looked at me, then sneered, "Are you trying to fake another suicide attempt to make Lucas and Charlie feel sorry for you? Maddison, I've been watching you all day, just waiting for you to pull this stunt again."

As she spoke, she turned on the light and picked up a kitchen knife, waving it in front of me. "Guess what Lucas and Charlie will think when they see me cut by this knife in a little while?"

I let out a scoff. I had read too many of these manipulative little drama tricks in melodramatic novels.

Every time, it would always make me grind my teeth in anger.