Maddie stared at her phone, her hand trembling as she scrolled through the venomous comments flooding the screen.
"Does anyone else think Maddie looks a bit like Jane? She has a tear mole under her right eye, too!"
"Seriously? Tear moles aren’t rare. If every girl with one looked like Jane, the world would be overrun with wannabe rivals."
"Let’s pressure Rico to get rid of her! Someone like Maddie doesn’t deserve to stay around him."
"If she doesn’t leave, let’s protest outside their neighborhood. She won’t dare step out!"
The cruel words made Maddie’s chest tighten. Her gaze shifted to the group photo from the orphanage sitting on her desk. Only two people could have leaked it: Rico or Jane.
Rico rarely mentioned his past in the orphanage to anyone. The only person who had been in her room recently was Jane. The betrayal hit her like a punch to the gut.
***
“Maddie, are you alright?” Lucy’s voice was laced with concern.
“I’m fine,” Maddie replied, her voice steady despite the storm brewing inside her.
“Sweetheart, let me fly over. I can be there in two hours.”
“No need, Lucy,” Maddie said, “I’ll handle this myself.”
After hanging up, Maddie immediately dialed Rico’s number. The first call went unanswered. So did the second. By the third attempt, Maddie’s frustration turned to desperation. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he picked up.
His voice was calm, almost detached. “Maddie, I’m busy. What’s going on?”
“Rico,” Maddie began, her voice trembling. “Did you see the photo? The one Jane posted online?”
There was a pause and then Rico sighed. “Maddie, Jane didn’t mean any harm. She was just curious. She didn’t realize—”
“Stop.” Maddie’s voice cracked as she interrupted him. “She didn’t realize? Rico, that photo has the entire internet calling me a greedy, shameless woman. Do you think that’s okay?”
“Of course not,” Rico replied softly. “You’re my family, Maddie. You always have been. I’ll take care of you for the rest of your life. Don’t let this get to you.”
Her grip on the phone tightened. “So you think I’m the problem? That I’ve been too greedy? That I’m unworthy?”
Rico’s tone shifted to exasperation. “That’s not what I said. Maddie, I’ll talk to you when I get home, alright? I have things to do.”
Before she could respond, the line went dead.
***
Maddie collapsed onto her bed, clutching the phone against her chest. Tears streamed down her face as memories flooded her mind.
Once, Rico would have fought tooth and nail to defend her from anyone who dared speak ill of her. Now, even as the internet tore her apart, all he could offer was indifference and empty reassurances.
The bond she had cherished—their shared history, their childhood dependence on each other—meant nothing to him anymore.
To Rico, it seemed their connection was a relic of the past, not worth defending.
***
When Maddie woke the next morning, sunlight streamed through the curtains. Her phone buzzed relentlessly with unread messages.
The first was from her older sister: [Maddie, I’ve had the hot search suppressed. Don’t worry—I’ll take care of everything when you’re home.]
Her mother’s message followed: [Maddie, do you want your father and me to issue a statement? We can let the public know you’re part of the Evans Family, not an orphan.]
Next came Lucy: [Maddie, the hot search about you is gone. It looks like Rico still cares about you, even if he has a girlfriend now.]
And then Jane’s message, dripping with mockery: [Wow, Maddie. It must be nice to have Rico spend so much money to clean up your mess. How did you manage that?]
Maddie clenched her jaw, her emotions roiling. The cleanup wasn’t for her sake. It was to protect Rico’s image.
***
Maddie sat in silence, rereading the messages. Each one brought a different weight to her chest—her sister’s protective nature, her mother’s concern, Lucy’s optimism and Jane’s taunts.
She had spent her life believing in the strength of her bond with Rico. Now, it felt as though every piece of that connection had crumbled.
For years, she had been his shadow, supporting him, waiting for a place in his world. But Maddie realized something now: Rico had outgrown their shared past. And if she didn’t walk away, she would be stuck in a version of herself that no longer existed.
***
