Chapter 3

Polly was gritting her teeth on the other end of the line.

I was nodding so hard I looked like a bobblehead.

I said, "Damn, with a deal that sweet, why didn't Flora just pay me 3 million dollars to dump Deacon? I would've taken it in a heartbeat."

Polly snorted, "3 million dollars? Not even a dime. Instead, you ended up with a car crash and amnesia as a bonus."

I protested, "That's not how it happens in web novels."

Polly was exasperated. "Pull yourself together, Maddison. You got played. You were the one who got cheated on."

I sighed, gave up, and waved for her to go on.

Deacon's cheating scandal caused a huge stir everywhere.

Someone leaked photos of him and Flora in bed online.

Deacon came to me, freaking out, thinking I was the culprit.

He said, "Maddison, yeah, I fell for Flora. But even if you're out for revenge, you can't stoop this low.

"What you did is illegal. Flora could press charges and get you locked up anytime, you know that?"

Downstairs by the dorm, I cried so hard my eyes were swollen like a toad's.

Just finding out I'd been betrayed, seeing those photos of my boyfriend in bed with another woman—my heart was shattered, and I had no clue how to deal with it.

Then Deacon blamed me for everything, totally misunderstanding the situation.

I was terrible at talking back, and with him pointing at my head and yelling in front of everyone, I just froze and couldn't get a single word out.

I kept crying and crying, even after Deacon finished yelling and stormed off. I just stayed there, crouched by the dorm, sobbing my heart out.

I cried until I fainted.

Polly was the one who rushed me to the hospital.

When I finally came to, still hooked up to an IV, Flora tracked me down at the hospital.

She threatened to make sure I never got my diploma, said she'd have me arrested for causing trouble, and swore she'd not only ruin my future but make sure my whole family couldn't stay in Ebonville.

I was already heartbroken, and hearing that just made it worse.

I just looked up at her, blankly, and said, "I don't have a family."

I was an orphan, without connections.

I was on my own, with nobody in my corner.

When Flora heard that, all the things she wanted to say just got stuck. We locked eyes in silence for what felt like ages, and then she left, frustrated.

But just because she felt a twinge of pity didn't mean she stopped coming after me.

The day I got out of the hospital, Deacon came to pick me up.

He brought a confidentiality agreement with him.

"Sign this, post a public apology, and admit you were the other woman in all this. Then Flora and I won't bother you anymore," he said.

He made it sound so self-righteous, like he was doing me a favor.

But back then, I was young and full of fire. I turned him down without even blinking.

I stood my ground and said, "Absolutely not. Right is right, wrong is wrong. The internet isn't blind. They know exactly what's up."

He reached out to grab me.

I pushed back, refusing to let him pull me around.

Suddenly, a luxury car came speeding straight toward us.

But when it really mattered, Deacon didn't do the whole dramatic save like I saw on TV. He didn't shove me out of the way or anything.

Instead, he pulled me in front of him as a shield and took off running.

I went flying, spinning through the air like a rag doll, and then crashed to the ground with a heavy thud—blood pouring from everywhere.

Polly said that when I finally woke up, I couldn't remember a thing.

Afraid I would be heartbroken, she made up a story for me.

She told me Deacon and I were in love, and that he died saving me in the car crash.

That way, I forgot all the awful stuff that happened, and for years, I just believed Deacon was dead.

Polly let out a deep sigh and apologized. "Maddison, honestly, I don't even know if what I did was right.

"But... you were head over heels for Deacon back then. That scumbag was never worth your love, not even a little. I..."

"It's fine, I don't blame you," I said.

I gazed out at the bright moonlight, a small smile tugging at my lips.

Yeah, I really did forget all that ugly stuff from the past—the painful memories Polly told me about.

But in my memories, Deacon was still the guy who'd carry me for miles back to campus in the middle of the night when I twisted my ankle.

He'd work himself to the bone, taking on every part-time job he could find for months, just to save up a few thousand dollars so I could get a new phone.

And when I was sick, he'd sit by my side, holding my hand, staying up all night for days on end, never leaving my side.

Back then, we were both broke. Our love wasn't some earth-shattering story. It was gentle, like water, but it was enough to keep us warm.

I grew up in an orphanage and never got to experience what love was really like.

Deacon was the only person who ever made me feel what it was like to be loved.

Now that I knew the harsh truth, all I felt was emptiness inside.

Turned out, love was so fragile, and it fell apart at the slightest touch.

But honestly, what hurt the most was how my wallet ended up empty after three years of spending every dollar on memorials for Deacon.

The next time I bumped into Deacon was at the women's health clinic.

I was there because my period was all over the place.