Loving Madeline

Chapter 362: Love Vs. Pride

Charlotte’s POV

"Miss Divenson, don’t you have any plans to let your visitor come inside?" the Butler said, and I shook my head.

I admit I am hurting too, but I couldn’t forgive Jack for what he had done to me.

"Nope, and don’t ever let him get past the main gate. He can’t get inside, and anyone who would let him in would be fired." I responded, and the older man just nodded his head.

"But he kept coming back every day begging the guards to come in and stayed there for more than how many hours." He replied after a long silence.

"It is not our problem anymore. That is his choice, and I will never speak with him." I responded.

"But it seemed to me he is a good man." The Butler insisted, and I laughed.

"For your information, Mr. Reynolds, that man out there is a liar, and I don’t want anything to do with him; I wish him to disappear forever," I declared in a loud voice.

"Okay. Miss, I will remind the guards never to let that man in." The butler replied and left me.

I walked towards my room, and my heart hammered against my chest. I peeked over my window and saw him standing in front of our massive gate from a distance. I couldn’t make out his face since our main gate was so far from our house, but my window was facing our driveway, and I couldn’t contain the pain I felt.

It was an unbearable contradiction, a fire burning both hot and cold inside. The anger surged like a tide, making my chest tighten and my thoughts sharpen with resentment. I hated the way Jack hurt me, the way his betrayal cut deep and left scars he couldn’t erase.

And yet, beneath my anger and hate, there was still that unyielding pull that I wanted to see his handsome face. My love for him was raw and stubborn, refusing to fade. It felt like reaching for a flame that had burned me, knowing it could hurt me again but unable to stop myself from wanting its warmth. I missed his touch, his kisses, and even the way he called my name.

The clash of emotions tore within my heart, a battlefield of passion and pain. But my pride is more substantial, and the pain is my only weapon against being swayed by his presence.

I have been staying in our mansion for three months now and have enough savings in my bank account. However, I haven’t spent even a single penny since my brother gave me everything I needed. I am sure he felt guilty. He let me stay in our house and didn’t ask me to work.

Jack didn’t get tired and kept coming back, but I never gave him a chance to speak with me.

I admit that I was thinking about our wedding every night, which didn’t happen. It was every woman’s dream, and I hated that it didn’t happen at all.

It felt like I was standing in the middle of a shattered dream, the echoes of what should have been haunting every corner of the day. The absence was deafening. There were no vows, no laughter, no moment to seal a promise forever. Instead, there was an emptiness, a heavy silence where joy should have been.

It was a mix of grief and disbelief, as if the future had been stolen from me before it even began. The weight of unspoken words and unshared moments pressed down, leaving a hollow ache, a reminder of everything that had been planned but would never come to life.

Jack ruined everything. I thought he was different from all the men I knew, but he was the worst. I mostly stayed in my room sulking and cursing Jack. I felt too lazy to bathe and didn’t even bother combing my hair.

I wished to drive him away, but I couldn’t face him, afraid my decision would change after I saw his face. One day, he suddenly stopped coming.

I felt sad whenever I looked out my window and couldn’t see him anymore. I was lying in my bed staring at the ceiling as I listened to the sound of the bird chirping since I opened the window of my room to feel the fresh air, but the truth is I kept on looking outside, hopeful I would find him there, in the same place where he usually stood.

"Miss Divenson, someone is looking for you," The familiar voice of our butler said on the other side of the door, and I quickly stood up and put my robe over my night dress. My heart was beating so loud.

"I told you never to allow him to get inside the house, Mr. Reynolds," I said after I opened the door.

"The one who was looking for you was a woman, Miss. Divenson. And she was waiting for you in the living room." He replied, and I couldn’t understand why I felt disappointed after knowing the person who was looking for me was a woman, not my ex.

"Who is this woman, and why did you allow her to get inside without telling me her name? She could be a scammer." I responded.

"She asked me to call Mr. Divenson to confirm if he knows him. Her name is Cecily." He replied, and I couldn’t stop my mouth from smiling before I ran barefoot to the living room, afraid she would leave if I didn’t show up.

I felt guilty for not returning her calls and text messages, but I couldn’t deny the excitement of seeing her again, even after I found out she was part of the game. I trusted her with everything, but she and her entire family worked for my brother.

If I had only given myself a chance to know all our staff in the manor, I would have known that she worked there. I needed some answers.

"Charlotte!" She exclaimed and looked so happy to see me. I wished to hug her, but I stopped as I looked at her with pain and anger on my face.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, trying to contain my urge to embrace her.

"I came to apologize and to see you. I am so sorry, Charlotte; I didn’t mean to hurt you." She replied, searching my eyes, but I averted her gaze and looked at the wall instead.

"I didn’t want to see you, Cecily. I trusted you. How could you trick me with Jack?" I asked, and she shook her head.

"I didn’t trick you. What we had was a real friendship. I like you for what you are, not because you are a Divenson. I found real friendship in you." She answered with pleading in her eyes

"Oh, really? My brother paid you to be my friend. I thought I deserved to have a friend like you, but all along, I was fooled. And the sad fact is I knew no one wanted me to be her friend." I declared.

"You only talked to me because you were working for my brother. I never expected you to be part of this, Cecily." I added.

"I am sorry. I hope a time will come when you will forgive all of us, especially Jack, since he was in love with you, and his feelings for you were real." She answered, and I fell silent.

"I came to make sure you are fine. We are all worried about you." Cecily added.

"I doubt that you played my feelings. I couldn’t believe I trusted someone like you." I replied.

"Charlotte, please, I beg you to forgive me, " she begged.

"I didn’t know if I could forgive you, Cecily.

I came to Barcelonia with a broken heart, and I had no one to turn to. You took advantage of the situation—you and Jack," I declared, and her face saddened.

"My only mistake was not telling you that I worked for Hunter, and I regretted that mistake. I want you to be my friend from the first time I got to know you." She answered.

"I admit, at first, I was hesitant to say yes to Hunter’s proposal since I didn’t want to work with you because of your reputation. Yes, I knew you as the spoiled daughter of Mr. Divenson and the wicked sister of Hunter, but when I knew the real you, everything changed." Cecily added.

"You are the most down-to-earth person I knew. You are kind and compassionate, and you treat all your employees fairly. You are a good employer, Charlotte. I hope you will give me another chance." She continued and looked at me before she bid farewell.

I didn’t say anything, and I just watched her walk out of our house feeling empty. I wished to ask her to stay, but my anger consumed me. I didn’t know how long I stood in our living room, trying to forget all the beautiful memories I had experienced at the manor.

In Barcelonia, I felt loved and wanted for the first time. Losing almost everything taught me how to stand on my own and fight my own battles without knowing that my manipulative brother had planned everything.

Hunter told me, he did it to tame me. His way of taming me was by hiring the hottest chef in the country, and I was such a fool for believing in Jack’s lies. I wanted to forget about him, his smell, smile, and laughter. I hated Jack, but I hated myself more for feeling so lonely without him.

I felt guilty that I didn’t forgive Cecily right away. She came all the way from Barcelonia to see me and ask me if I was fine. But deep in my heart, I wished I could forget her, too. Maybe one of these days, I would call her, but I would never ever consider forgiving Jack.