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Lahat ng Kabanata ng Where My Love Could Not Reach: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 10

25 Kabanata

Chapter 1

“Grandma, I’ve made up my mind. I want to call off my engagement with Jake. After your birthday, I’ll leave North City.”As soon as Madison Spencer spoke those words, Mrs. Cooper let out a long sigh.“I know Jake’s been out of control lately, and I know you’ve suffered because of it. I’ve seen everything you’ve done for him over the years. I truly believe he cares about you, deep down. He’s just confused. Maybe if you give it a little more time, he’ll come around. Are you sure you want to end the engagement? My birthday is in ten days. Why don’t you think about it a little longer?”Madison shook her head. Her voice was calm and firm. “The five-year promise I made to you is about to end.”She had been only seven when her mother married into the wealthy Henderson family, bringing her along like unwanted baggage.The Hendersons treated her terribly, and her mother only ever told her to behave and be understanding.On her seventh birthday, they forced her to eat a large amount of sea

Chapter 2

After saying goodbye to Mrs. Cooper, Madison drove home.The moment she stepped through the door, she heard unmistakable sounds of something intimate happening in the living room.Her entire body tensed. Still, she couldn’t stop herself from walking in.On the couch, two people were wrapped around each other, kissing like the rest of the world didn’t exist.One of them was her fiancé, Jake.Madison froze, the pain cutting through her chest like a blade.Xena let out a soft laugh and murmured, “Hooking up in your house is kind of thrilling. But aren’t you worried your fiancée might get upset?”Jake pulled her closer with a lazy smile. “Why would I be? You have no idea how much she loves me. Even if we went further than this, she still wouldn’t get mad.”It felt like someone had torn open Madison’s chest. The air rushed in, sharp and cold, leaving her completely hollow.She let out a bitter, self-deprecating laugh.“So, because I love him, he thinks it’s okay to hurt me like th

Chapter 3

After cleaning up the kitchen, Madison went upstairs, ready to rest.But when she opened the door to her bedroom, she stopped in her tracks.Xena was lying on her bed, wearing her pajamas.Jake sat beside her, gently applying ointment to her arm.When he saw Madison walk in, he didn’t even flinch. “You’ll sleep in the guest room tonight,” he said flatly.Madison’s voice was tight. “This is my room.”Jake replied coldly, “Xena should have the best room. You poured hot broth on her. Giving up the room is the least you can do to make up for it.”He had already decided she was guilty.Madison gave a bitter smile. “So her wearing my clothes is part of the apology too?”Jake’s tone turned impatient. “I bought those pajamas. Why are you making a big deal out of one piece of clothing? You just don’t want her here, do you? You want to drive her out.”He let out a sharp laugh. “Well, too bad. She’s staying. She’s going to live here, every day.”Xena tugged at his sleeve. “Don’t be lik

Chapter 4

Early the next morning, Madison got up and began getting ready for work.As she passed the guest room, she noticed the door wasn’t fully closed. Inside, she could hear Jake murmuring in a daze.“Madison...”Without thinking, she pushed the door open.He was lying on the bed, half-awake, mumbling her name.Jake’s health had never been the same after the trauma of losing Xena. Searching for her had worn him down, and since then, he had gotten sick easily.Madison walked over and touched his forehead. Sure enough, he had a low fever.Just as she turned to get his medicine, Jake suddenly came to.“Madison, what do you think you’re doing?”The suspicion and hostility in his eyes pierced her like a knife.In that moment, she found herself hating her own weakness.Why was her heart still stirred the moment he called her name?She had given him her heart, and now it was only fair that he trample it.She closed her eyes for a second, then calmly said, “You have a fever. Don’t forge

Chapter 5

Madison lowered her eyes.Strangely enough, she didn’t feel sad.What came to mind instead was a memory from childhood. When Megan had falsely accused her, and her mother had slapped her across the face. Jake had rushed out, shielding her with open arms and shouting, “Madison would never hit anyone! She’s a good girl!”Back then, he had believed in her without hesitation.But now, he didn’t even trust her that much anymore.Jake felt a strange flicker of panic in his chest. He quickly pushed the feeling aside and stared her down. “Apologize.”Madison didn’t bother struggling. There was no point.She turned to Megan and said quietly, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have hit you.”Megan turned her back to Jake and smiled at Madison with open contempt, though she kept her tone composed as she said, “Let me hit you a few times, and we’ll be even.”Both she and Jake clearly assumed Madison would never agree.But to their surprise, Madison lowered her head and replied calmly, “Alright.”

Chapter 6

Madison let out a faint, bitter laugh. Her voice was unusually calm. “That wasn’t pig’s blood.”Jake was silent for a beat before snapping, “Are you done? The cook, Mrs. Norman, said it was pig’s blood. She’s in the kitchen every day. Do you really think she’d mistake it for something else? I’m changing the locks. Don’t come back. Go wherever you want.”Madison stopped him. “Wait.”Jake cut in sharply, “It’s too late to apologize now—”But for the first time, Madison interrupted him. “I’m going back today to pack up my things. You don’t need to change the locks. I won’t be coming back.”Jake paused again, then let out a cold laugh. “You’ve got one day.”And with that, he hung up.Her assistant, who had been listening nearby, spoke up quickly. “Miss Spencer, your condition is serious. You can’t be discharged yet. Let me go pack for you.”Madison shook her head. “You don’t know what I need.”To be more accurate, she knew exactly what needed to be dealt with.She removed her IV

Chapter 7

Madison returned to the hospital.Not long after, Mrs. Cooper called. “Madison, Jake went way too far this time! I just gave him a good scolding. Please don’t take it to heart.”Madison’s voice was calm, without a hint of emotion. She even managed to comfort her. “It’s alright, Grandma. He’s in love with Xena. We’ve all seen that for a while now.”Mrs. Cooper let out a weary sigh. “That foolish boy. He won’t listen to me. One day, he’s going to regret this.”Madison didn’t respond.After a moment, Mrs. Cooper changed the subject. “My birthday’s coming up in a few days. You’ll be there, right?”“Of course,” Madison said. “We agreed. I’ll celebrate your birthday with you before I leave.”Mrs. Cooper hesitated, then added, “The day after my birthday is Jake’s birthday. You’ve been by his side every year.”Madison spoke softly, but without any hesitation. “He has someone new he’d rather spend it with now. Even if I wanted to be there, he wouldn’t welcome me. Grandma, we’ve both mad

Chapter 8

The Zimmer family’s birthday banquet drew to a close, and guests gradually began saying their goodbyes.Mrs. Cooper was sitting in the home theater, eyes closed, quietly resting as an old musical played on the big screen.The melody floated gently through the room, rich with longing and sorrow.“Only through regret do we see the truth. Love survives the pain, rising above it all to mend what the world could not.”Jake walked in just as those lyrics played. The words unsettled him, and he found himself frowning without even realizing it.He walked over to Mrs. Cooper. “Grandma, where’s Madison?”Without opening her eyes, Mrs. Cooper replied calmly, “Why don’t you go snuggle up with Xena? Why are you asking about Madison?”Jake let out a frustrated sigh. “Grandma, you have no idea what Madison’s like these days. She gets upset over everything. I barely said anything and she packed up and left. I texted her earlier, and she didn’t even reply.”Mrs. Cooper didn’t bother entertainin

Chapter 9

The next day was Jake’s birthday.Unlike Mrs. Cooper, he didn’t throw a lavish celebration. He just invited a few friends to the villa for a casual party that was supposed to run from noon until late at night.By midday, the guests started arriving one after another.Madison was still nowhere to be seen.She hadn’t messaged him. She hadn’t even asked anyone to pass along a note.The guests were cheerful and full of energy, treating Jake like the man of the hour. But he wasn’t enjoying himself. He sat there with a dark expression, unlocking his phone to check the time, locking it again, then repeating the cycle. Unlock. Lock. Unlock. Lock.It was well past noon when people started to notice he seemed to be waiting for someone.Xena tugged his sleeve and joked, “Jake, are you waiting for Madison?”Her words snapped him out of his daze. He looked embarrassed for a moment, then suddenly jumped to his feet and shouted, “Chef, bring out the food! Band, start playing! The party star

Chapter 10

When Madison’s plane landed, someone was already waiting at the airport holding a big sign with her name on it.It stood out clearly in the crowd.She walked over quickly, smiling warmly as she greeted the woman, “Hi, Jenny.”Jenny Harris was one of her college roommates.Madison had attended boarding schools from a young age. No one had ever taught her how to handle roommate dynamics, but she gradually learned on her own. When she made the effort, getting along with others came easily to her.Jenny was one of the few college friends she had stayed in touch with over the years. Jenny’s hometown was a laid-back coastal city where you could take a bus and end up at the beach. Life there was slow-paced, the climate was mild, and the cost of living was low.Back in college, Jenny often talked about how great her hometown was. She would paint vivid pictures of it during late-night chats in the dorm and constantly invited her roommates to visit during school breaks.Madison had always

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