It was a long time before Madison could bring herself to stand. She moved slowly, gathering her things. The closet held everything she'd prepared for the baby—tiny clothes, little shoes, and the handmade patchwork quilt her mother had sewn stitch by stitch. She was taking all of it with her.
But the moment she opened the closet doors, her blood ran cold.
Everything inside had been ransacked. The clothes were gone. Every last piece.
She went straight downstairs and found the housekeeper. Her voice came out trembling and ice-cold.
"Where are my things?"
The housekeeper's eyes darted away. She stammered, wouldn't lift her head, and glanced involuntarily toward the garden.
Madison's stomach dropped. She followed the faint sounds of laughter across the lawn, and what she saw made her vision blur red.
Alexis stood on the grass, cooing at the dog at her feet. The dog was wearing the baby clothes Madison had prepared for her child.
The patchwork quilt her mother had sewn was cut to ribbons. One piece had been tied around the dog's neck as a drool bib.
And the good-luck charm—the one her mother had prayed for at the temple and given to her for protection—was clamped between the dog's teeth, being torn apart.
Alexis giggled, scratching behind the dog's ears.
"Little Maddie is such a good girl! You look so pretty in your new outfit!"
"Good dog, Maddie."
Maddie.
That name—it was the pet name Joel used for her alone. His word. He used to hold her close and murmur it against her ear.
Madison's fists clenched so tight her knuckles went white. The rage crawled up her spine like something alive.
Every ounce of fury she had swallowed, every humiliation she had endured in silence—it all shattered at once.
She crossed the distance in three strides and slapped Alexis across the face.
The crack rang out, sharp and clean.
"Madison Maddox, have you lost your mind?!"
Alexis clutched her cheek and shrieked, tears spilling instantly.
Joel came storming out of the study at the commotion. The first thing he saw was Alexis, sobbing, hand pressed to her face.
The moment Alexis spotted him, she threw herself into his arms, trembling.
"Joel! She hit me—and she hurt little Maddie!"
Joel's expression darkened. "Madison, you—"
Madison's voice tore out of her, hoarse and shaking.
"How dare you let her touch my things!"
Joel's face turned to stone. "Your things? A pile of rags and scraps. Alexis letting the dog wear them was more than they deserved."
Madison's chest heaved. Her eyes burned as she lunged past him toward the dog, desperate to save the good-luck charm.
Before she could reach it, the dog bared its teeth and launched at her, snarling, sinking its jaws into her calf. White-hot pain shot through her leg. Its front paws clawed at her knees, scrambling upward toward her stomach.
In that instant, Madison forgot the pain. She summoned every ounce of strength she had and kicked the dog away.
It yelped, tumbled across the grass, and curled into a whimpering ball.
Blood seeped from the wound on Madison's calf. Warm liquid trickled down her shin. A sharp cramp seized her lower abdomen, and she doubled over, unable to move.
"Madison!"
Joel hadn't expected her to actually fight a dog for that charm. Seeing her crumpled on the ground, his mind emptied of everything but alarm. He rose to his feet and started toward her.
He hadn't taken a single step before Alexis grabbed his arm, wailing.
"Joel! Maddie's mouth is bleeding—what's wrong with her? Is she going to die?!"
His hand froze in midair. His gaze drifted to the dog whimpering on the ground. He hesitated for one long moment, then steadied Alexis on her feet.
"Don't be scared."
He picked up the dog, took Alexis by the arm, and walked out the front door without looking back.
Madison watched him go. She bit down on her lip until she tasted iron, refusing to let herself cry. She told herself over and over that he wasn't worth it. He wasn't worth a single tear.
She staggered upright, called a cab, and went to the hospital alone.
The moment she walked through the emergency room doors, everything she'd been holding together finally gave way. Her vision went black, and she collapsed.
When she opened her eyes again, it was the next day. Her wound had been bandaged. She was cleared to leave.
