Chapter Three

She got up from her bed, unaware and indifferent to her appearance. Her hair and makeup were a mess: her makeup was smudged and melted under her eyes, and her hair was dry and tangled. When she finally opened the door, she was startled to find her ex-boyfriend standing there. She had expected him to disappear and never return. Yet, here he was.

Was he there to apologize? Or had he had second thoughts and was now too scared to face her? She swallowed hard and quickly covered her face to hide her disheveled makeup. She rushed to the bathroom to wash her face, and he followed her, waiting patiently for her to finish before speaking. He looked at her through the mirror, disappointment evident in his eyes.

"I came here to apologize."

She wished she had the strength to insult him and say all the terrible things she was thinking. But once again, her heart intervened, stopping her from doing so.

"You were a victim in my plan, and I never intended for it to go this far."

Madisyn squeezed her eyes shut, struggling to find words.

"I'm sorry for everything. I never loved you. Everything I told you and promised you was a lie."

Tears threatened to fall, but she fought to hold them back, not wanting him to see how deeply he had hurt her.

"I'm so sorry. Please, talk to me."

She took a deep breath and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Memories of the five years they had spent together—laughs, deep conversations, promises, and future plans—flooded her mind. Had it all been a lie?

"I don't have anything good to say to you."

She took another deep breath. "I can't understand how someone who never loved me could pretend to be in love with me for five years. I grew up with you; you were my first real love. I did everything with you and for you, only to be left at the altar as if I meant nothing. Did I mean nothing to you? What happened? What did I do wrong, Joey?"

Tears fell uncontrollably, and she only noticed them when she saw the drops in the sink.

"I cared about you, of course."

"You're a liar. If you cared, you wouldn't have proposed to me only to leave me like this."

"I cared for you as a friend. You're a good person with genuine intentions and values. That's why I'm here to tell you the truth. At first, I wanted to disappear and never speak to you again. But then your sister called me, hurling insults and threatening to ruin my career, and I felt guilty. I came here to apologize and to tell you the truth."

"I need to sit," Madisyn murmured, feeling faint. They moved to the sofa in the living room, and she sat down, placing her hand on her chest and taking deep breaths to stave off a panic attack.

"Go on, I'm ready," she whispered, glaring at him.

"Alright then, do you remember the day we met?"

Of course, she remembered every detail. "I do. At my father's company."

"I was applying for a job and had a meeting with him when you walked into the office."

Madisyn nodded.

"I remember it well. Why do you ask?"

"That day, your father introduced me to you, and I could see that you fell for me immediately. I could read it in your eyes."

She lowered her gaze and swallowed hard, unable to deny the truth.

"And I wasn't the only one to notice. Your father saw it too. I saw an opportunity to advance thanks to him."

Madisyn's face went pale, her mouth fell open, and her heart sank at his terrible confession. "I can't believe you."

"I needed that job. I wanted to work in an important company because I dreamed of becoming a successful CEO. That was my dream job."

She was overwhelmed with anger and disgust, feeling nauseous. She imagined slapping him until her hands hurt, but she didn't have the strength.

"I soon realized that the closer I got to you, the closer I got to your father. The happier you were, the quicker my career advanced. He promoted me every time I surprised you with gifts and made you happy. The wedding was the final step to secure a top position at the company."

Madisyn could no longer see clearly through her tears. The mix of emotions made her feel sick. All the surprises, moments, promises, and vows he made—everything was fake, just a ploy to get to her father. And she had never doubted him.

"That's not all. There's more." He continued.