The Rewritten Love: A Second Beginning

Chapter 8

Madelyn sat at her desk, Jadie’s unopened gift before her. She already knew what it was; a Swarovski crystal hair clip—an opulent trinket from the year 2000, a time when the average wage was only a few hundred dollars. She had never cared for jewelry, feeling as if each piece was a chain that bound her. Perhaps it was all psychological, but it unsettled her nonetheless.

With a sigh, Madelyn tucked the gift into the drawer of her desk.

She pulled out her senior math review booklet. The problems were not particularly challenging for her, and the pages were still crisp, seldom flipped through. Once upon a time, Madelyn had been the bottom of her class. It was not until she sought help from Zach, having him tutor her outside of school, that she began to improve. Despite Zach only having a middle school education, he was fluent in five foreign languages, all self-taught through his relentless dedication to learning. His intellectual prowess was almost otherworldly at her school. Even Ventropolis’s top student could not compare. Zach, with his intelligence and determination, could always make miracles happen.

wanted her to perfect most. After all, he had it all planned out; he was going

It seemed they had finally left. Hayson would not be back for three days, leaving her with a rare period of freedom. Tossing her book aside, she resolved to do what she wanted, no longer

an arm, winding its way into the neighboring mansion. Here, the mansions were connected, separated only by a few strategically placed trees. The jujube tree was laden with fruit, tempting Madelyn to climb up, enjoy the view, and munch on the sweet

her climbing skills and had to bring over a ladder. Sitting atop the wall, her figure obscured by the lush canopy of the jujube tree, she picked a ripe fruit. Rubbing it clean, she popped it into her mouth, swinging her feet in utter contentment. She had never felt as free as she

shattering porcelain and a boy’s angry voice erupted from the mansion next door. “Get out, all of you. Get

Let’s go for a walk, okay? You’re always cooped up in the house, and

it be better if I were dead?

“Ethan…”

me? I said get

finally yielded. “Alright… I’ll leave, Ethan. Just