Chapter 5 The Her Who Was Left Behind

The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Madison stared at Alexander, whose head had turned slightly from her slap. Her lips parted, but she didn't know what to say.

As the golden boy, he'd been put on a pedestal his whole life. Getting slapped? That wouldn't happen even in his dreams!

But Madison had slapped him hard right after signing the divorce papers, like some kind of payback.

"Are you fucking crazy?"

Alexander's voice carried a rare edge of clear anger.

He was really mad!

"I'm sorry!"

Madison apologized.

But her expression was so matter-of-fact, dazed with a hint of fear, as if that slap had nothing to do with her.

Alexander laughed bitterly. "I must be crazy too, to care whether you live or die."

"Well, I never asked you to care." Madison calmed down and shot back stubbornly.

"Then why were you walking in the rain with your suitcase? Anyone who saw would think I kicked you out."

Madison let out a cold laugh.

She couldn't forget last night. One call from the woman he'd never gotten over, and just like that, he wanted out.

Now he was pretending to care, probably worried that if she got sick from the rain, the Cole family would use it as an excuse to cling to him later.

"Don't worry. Even if I die in the rain, I won't cling to you. I'm not that pathetic."

Alexander's face darkened.

Just moments ago, she'd been scared like a little rabbit after slapping him, blinking nervously. Now she was saying shocking things again.

So infuriating!

How had he not noticed in the past three years that Madison had such a temper? Or was she just done pretending now that they were divorced?

Ha, great!

"Madison, your temper sure has grown in such a short time."

Just then, Claire poked her head around the doorway. "Um, can I come in now?"

This was her bedroom, but Alexander's powerful presence made her uncomfortable.

She hadn't wanted to get involved in their fight, but hearing the commotion getting louder, she worried about Madison's health and had to bite the bullet and come in.

Claire's eyes unconsciously fell on Alexander.

Wow, he really was handsome, but his face was truly ice-cold, radiating a stay-away aura.

When he'd silently rung the doorbell half an hour ago, Claire thought she was seeing things.

Honestly, her best friend Madison had been married for three years, but aside from being a bridesmaid at the wedding, she'd barely had any interaction with Alexander.

"Drink the medicine first." Claire handed over the cup of warm cold medicine.

But as soon as Madison smelled the medicine, her stomach suddenly started cramping uncontrollably, and an overwhelming wave of nausea hit her.

She leaned over the bed, clutching her chest and dry heaving.

"Ugh!"

Such a strong reaction made Alexander temporarily forget about the slap.

She looked so miserable now - it didn't seem fake.

Alexander reached out and gently patted Madison's back.

"Stop arguing. Come to the hospital with me. Whatever it is, we'll talk about it there."

Madison coughed, tears streaming from her eyes involuntarily, but she looked up at him uncontrollably, as if trying to tell if he was sincere.

Was he really worried about her?

Just as she was about to speak, a sharp phone ringtone suddenly rang in the room.

Ring ring ring!

Alexander frowned and pulled out his phone. Looking at the name on the screen, he hesitated before answering.

"What is it?"

At that moment, Madison had already lowered her head again, ruthlessly crushing the last bit of hope in her heart.

She already knew the answer. Being closest to him, she'd seen the name - it was Savannah.

The person Alexander held dear was calling - how could he not answer?

Savannah's anxious voice came faintly through the phone, with a crying tone.

After listening for a few seconds, Alexander looked at Madison, his eyes showing hesitation and conflict.

But this hesitation didn't even last two seconds before he stood up, turning away while saying:

"I know, Savannah. I'll be right there. Don't panic."

After hanging up, he pulled out a bank card from his wallet and handed it to Claire along with his business card.

"Ms. Bennett, please take care of her. This is my contact information - call me if anything happens."

With that, before Claire could refuse the card, he turned and left.

He disappeared through the door before Madison could even get another look at him.

Madison lowered her head, biting down hard on her teeth.

Seeing her so fragile, Claire felt heartbroken. She quickly stepped forward to support her, defending her indignantly:

"Who's this 'Savannah'? You're feeling so awful, but Alexander gets called away by another woman's phone call! What an irresponsible jerk!"

She knew that in this marriage, Madison had given her whole heart. She still had feelings for Alexander.

When Alexander came looking for Madison, she'd secretly felt happy for her friend, thinking maybe he wasn't completely heartless toward Madison, that there might still be hope.

Who knew that after letting him in, he'd be called away by some two-faced woman with one phone call!

It made her so angry!

Madison wanted to nod too.

Yes, one phone call from Savannah could easily call Alexander away.

Compared to that, the bit of concern he'd just shown her - real or fake - was practically nothing.

So what if she told him she was pregnant? She and the baby together probably didn't weigh as much as Savannah alone in his heart.

Given Alexander's personality, if he knew about this baby, they'd probably be even more entangled.

Since she'd decided to move forward, she shouldn't add more unstable factors.

"By the way, what's really going on with you two? The atmosphere is so weird."

Madison's face was flushed, leaning in Claire's arms, forcing out her last bit of consciousness to say: "Claire, I... don't feel well."

She couldn't tell which hurt more - her body or something else.

Before Claire could say another word, her consciousness suddenly cut out.

"Hey, babe! What's wrong!"

How did she pass out again?!

Two chances, and she still hadn't gotten the cold medicine into her.

That dog Alexander abandoned his own wife to go find another woman, but Claire couldn't abandon her - this was her best friend.

She pulled out her phone and made a call.

"Hello? I have someone here who's passed out with a fever. Can you come over?"

"Oh, I know you're an orthopedic doctor, so what? If not, can you at least call an ER doctor for me!"

"Um... okay okay okay, got it. Hurry up!"