Maddie gave a bitter smile as she closed the comment section on her latest novel. Writing had been her escape—a way to preserve the moments she shared with Rico. For years, she’d poured her heart into crafting a love story inspired by their bond, believing her characters could find the happiness she longed for.
But reality was different. Rico had chosen Jane. The dream Maddie clung to had shattered, leaving her grasping at memories that no longer felt real.
In her senior year of college, when Maddie’s biological parents finally found her, she made the difficult choice to stay by Rico’s side. She hadn’t told him about her family, fearing that her newfound completeness would only alienate him further. Maddie had sacrificed so much for Rico.
And what had she received in return?
Nothing but distance.
Rico had long since stepped out of the fragile bond they shared. Maddie was the only one left, trapped in a cage of her own making, guarding feelings that now felt like a lie.
She stared at her laptop screen, her chest tightening. With trembling fingers, she typed the title of her newest chapter: Leave.
***
After updating her novel, Maddie moved through the apartment like a ghost, packing her belongings. She placed her favorite clothes in a suitcase, then gathered the rest into large bags. Once her room was stripped of the little touches that made it hers, she sank onto the bed, exhausted.
Reaching into her nightstand, Maddie pulled out a worn photo album. She flipped through the pages, her fingers brushing over the glossy images.
She had always loved photography. As a child, she didn’t have the means to capture moments, but in college, she’d saved up from her writing income to buy a camera. Most of her photos were of Rico, frozen in candid moments like sitting by the dining room window, sunlight highlighting his features as he ate breakfast. Not only that, he was also lying on the balcony, a cigarette dangling lazily from his fingers, curling up on the sofa after a night of drinking, his expression soft in sleep, wearing an apron in the kitchen, brushing soap suds off a plate, and smiling reluctantly in a goofy birthday hat, his eyes shut tight as he made a wish.
Each photo had once made Maddie’s heart flutter. Now, they only deepened her ache.
Gripping a pair of scissors, Maddie prepared to cut the photos into pieces, but her phone buzzed, interrupting her.
***
Her best friend’s voice came through the line, frantic. “Maddie, have you seen your phone? You’re trending.”
“Trending?” Maddie asked, her brows knitting in confusion.
“Yes, someone uploaded a video of you standing outside Rico’s hotel yesterday, holding flowers and crying. Jane’s fans are all over it.” Lucy’s tone softened, worried. “They’re saying awful things. Don’t take it to heart, okay? You know how those fans are—they’ll attack anything that moves.”
Lucy had been Maddie’s college roommate and the only person who knew about her connection to Rico.
“I’ll take a look,” Maddie said quietly, slipping on her headphones as she opened the app.
The top trending hashtag blazed across the screen: #JaneHarperRicoHughesSoSweet. Below it, another topic hovered ominously: #RicoHughesSponsoredOrphan.
Her stomach dropped as she clicked the second tag.
Photos flooded her screen: A shot of her crying outside the hotel, flowers clutched tightly in her hands. Besides, there were images of her entering and leaving Rico’s apartment complex and a rare picture of her and Rico together as children at the orphanage.
The accompanying comments were cruel, each one like a dagger aimed at her heart:
“Who does she think she is? Rico took pity on her and paid for her education and now she’s clinging to him like a leech!”
“Does she seriously think she has a chance with him? What a delusional toad trying to eat a swan!”
“Rico belongs with Jane! This shameless woman needs to leave and stop embarrassing herself.”
“She’s so pathetic. Jane is classy and beautiful. Maddie is just… nothing.”
Maddie’s fingers hovered over the screen as she read the comments. Her throat tightened, but she refused to cry. Not again.
***
Setting her phone aside, Maddie leaned back in her chair, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Was this how the world saw her? A pathetic hanger-on, clinging to someone who no longer wanted her?
She had given up so much for Rico—her independence, her family, even her dignity. And now, the only thing she had left was the memory of what they once shared. Maddie’s heart burned with shame and anger.
For years, she had tried to preserve their bond through her writing, immortalizing their moments in a fictional world where love conquered all. But now, the reality was too stark to ignore. Rico had moved on. He had Jane.
And Maddie? She had nothing but the echoes of a past that no longer existed.
She exhaled shakily, turning back to her laptop. The comments section of her latest chapter was still open, filled with eager pleas from her readers:
“When will they finally realize they’re meant for each other?”
“Please don’t let the hero leave. The heroine needs him!”
“If you give them a sad ending, I’ll cry for a week!”
Maddie’s lips twisted into a bitter smile. They wanted a happy ending, but her life wasn’t a novel. Sometimes, the hero didn’t choose the heroine.
Sometimes, he walked away.
***
