"Madisyn, I need to know!" Joey's voice trembled with urgency, her eyes searching Madisyn's for answers. "You don't deserve to know!" Madisyn shot back, her voice cracking as tears welled up in her eyes. "Not after you broke up with me!" Her words dissolved into sobs, her chest heaving with the weight of her emotions. "Please," Joey's voice softened, filled with desperation. "Just tell me… is the kid you're pregnant with mine or is it my brother's?" --- Madisyn had always envisioned a simple, colorful life. She dreamed of nurturing her children with love and being a devoted mother, building the family she had always longed for. After years of falling for the wrong men, she thought she had finally found the perfect one, the man who would complete her picture of happiness. But she had made a grave mistake. In her eagerness for love, she had handed over her heart too quickly, trusting too easily. It was a mistake that would cost her dearly when he abandoned her at the altar, leaving her humiliated on what was supposed to be the happiest day of her life. As if that betrayal wasn’t enough, she soon uncovered the bitter truth: his love had never been real. He had faked every tender word, every promise of forever. But fate has a way of balancing the scales. Madisyn knew that revenge was a dish best served cold, and what could be more satisfying than turning to the one person her ex hated most? His own brother. Dating his brother wasn't just about moving on; it was about reclaiming her power. It was about showing him that she could rise from the ashes he left behind and find love in the most unexpected place—right under his nose.
Madisyn felt a knot tighten in her chest, dreading that if she mentioned who he was, Belle would immediately recognize his last name and make the connection—that he was Joey's brother. And worse, once Belle pieced that together, she might also figure out that he was the very man Madisyn had gone on the honeymoon with, a thought that made her stomach churn.
Just then, the waiter approached the two girls at the next table, balancing their plates of food in his hands. "The gentleman over there said he's covering your lunch," he announced, glancing between the two.
The girls immediately erupted into high-pitched squeals, like teenagers who had just caught sight of their idols. Their excitement filled the room, momentarily distracting everyone, including Belle, who had forgotten the question she'd asked Madisyn only moments before.
A minute later, the waiter brought food for Madisyn and Belle as well, adding with a small smile, "Your lunches have been paid for too."