Chapter 8

The auction soon ended. Louise skipped over to Bradley with the crystal ball in her hands. "Honestly, it's not even that special," she said. "If I'd known, I wouldn't have bothered bidding." Then, she let it fall, accidentally on purpose. The crystal ball shattered against the ground. Madeline dropped to her knees and began gathering the pieces. Her hands trembled as she tried, in vain, to piece them back together. But a broken mirror could never be made whole again. No matter how hard she tried, it would never return to what it once was. Something inside her splintered alongside that crystal ball. All these years, no matter how Bradley had hurt her, she had never truly felt despair. But now, sorrow engulfed her, heavy and absolute. It felt as if she had fallen into an endless abyss, the weight of it threatening to crush her completely. Why? Why couldn't he give her something as simple as a crystal ball? Madeline had never tried to take anything from Louise. If Louise wanted Bradley, she could have him. Seeing how devastated she looked, Bradley walked over and said dismissively, "It's just a trinket. There are plenty like it. I'll buy you another if you want." Madeline turned her reddened eyes toward him, the mask of compliance finally slipping. "There will never be another like it," she hissed. With that, she clutched the shards and walked away. In the days that followed, Madeline shut Bradley out completely. She pretended to be asleep when he came home, and waited until he left before she emerged from her room. Though they lived under the same roof, days passed without them crossing paths. Then one evening, Bradley had gone out to a banquet and had too much to drink. As always, one of his friends called her to come pick him up. "We're at the Nocturne, Madeline. Come get him." Her reply was calm and detached. "I can't. From now on, call Louise if anything happens." And with that, she hung up without hesitation. His group of friends was stunned, turning to look at Bradley in disbelief. "Bradley, what's wrong? She used to rush over the second we called," one of his friends said. "Guess the doormat finally grew a spine," another commented. Bradley's mind had never felt this chaotic. He couldn't stop thinking of Madeline's tearful eyes from that day. His heart ached as if it were being clenched. He pushed past them, got into his car, and instructed the driver to take him home. When he stepped inside, Madeline was still in the living room. She clearly hadn't expected him back so soon. Without a word, Bradley pulled several crystal balls from his bag and tossed them in front of her. "Enough is enough!" he snapped. "I told you I can get you dozens just like it. How long do you plan to drag this out?" Madeline didn't even glance at them. She remained silent and rose to her feet, turning to leave. Just then, her phone on the table buzzed. Bradley moved forward and caught a glimpse of a flight confirmation. In one swift motion, he grabbed her wrist and demanded coldly, "You bought a plane ticket? Where are you going?" Madeline simply gave an excuse. "I've been cooped up too long. Thought I'd travel for a bit." Bradley paused at her response. Something didn't sit right. He was about to question her further when the phone rang in his pocket. It was Louise. Her weak voice spilled through the line the moment he answered. "Bradley, I twisted my ankle. It hurts so much…" The moment he heard Louise was hurt, all of Bradley's attention snapped to her. Any thoughts of Madeline vanished without a trace. Panic surged through him. He hurried out, calling for the driver to head straight to the Lowe residence. Madeline's departure was naturally forgotten.