Chapter 11

From the time Madeleine was in high school, Charlotte had been the ringleader in bullying her. Simply because Madeleine wore a beautiful bracelet one day, Charlotte became jealous once she saw it. With a group of girls, she trapped Madeleine in the bathroom during a bathroom break, robbing her bracelet and taunting her. Fortunately, Clinton arrived just in time. He boldly kicked open the door of the girls' bathroom. Charlotte was weary of the Beach family's clout and naturally didn't dare to resist. Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Clinton escorted Madeleine out of the bathroom. It was at that time that she felt he rescued her from the depths of despair like a knight in shining armor. However, later on, her knight would no longer come to her rescue. And she lost him, the love of her life. She was born with a congenital heart disease and needed surgery right after birth; moreover, heart surgery required a hefty sum of money. Her mother couldn't afford the operation, but she couldn't bear to watch Madeleine die. Thus, she impulsively made a decision to exchange their lives. So, Madeleine fully understood that she owed her adoptive family and Abigail for the life she had lived for over twenty years. She should atone; she was willing to. Perhaps, this was the retribution bestowed upon her by destiny. She had lived as a pampered rich girl for over twenty years and survived. Now, it was time for her to repay everything. "Madeleine, stop playing dead and doing nothing. You have fallen so low that you're picking up trash; you must be really short on cash. "Here, let me suggest a job to you. You can sleep with men. After all, you're good at doing it." Charlotte kicked Madeleine's back with a smirk, her words dripping with sarcasm. She then turned to the several rich second-generation guys behind her, "I remember in high school, there was a guy named James Norton who liked her, wasn't there? Call him now and tell him that I'll pay." Madeleine lay on the ground, suffering immensely. Her heart pounded wildly and although her consciousness was clear, her entire body felt overwhelmingly weak. Mocking and ridiculing voices echoed around her, each word trampling on her self-esteem, making her wish she were dead. She wanted to retort, but with the thought of Chris still waiting for her and starving, she swallowed her words, tamping down her defiance. The pain made her vision darken, her face turning pale. She could only gasp for air, trying to keep herself conscious. "Charlotte, look at her. Something's not right. Maybe we should leave before it gets troublesome." "We can't let Abigail use us as pawns. She called us and asked us to bully Madeleine. If we end up in trouble, she has Clinton protecting her, and she isn't present at the scene. A few words from her could easily absolve herself of any involvement." "But it's not the same for us. We laid our hands on Madeleine. If something happens, we will definitely be blamed," a rich girl said in a low voice. Charlotte agreed with her concerns. Seeing Madeleine wasn't faking it anymore, she felt a sudden twinge of fear. "That bitch really brings bad luck!" Following her disparaging remark aimed at Madeleine, Charlotte quickly led the group away. The moment the group left, the area was enveloped in an eerie silence. Huddled up on the ground, Madeleine's heart throbbed with growing intensity. It hurt so much... Someone, anyone... save me... She began to pray internally, hoping for a passerby to notice and help her. She couldn't die, Chris was still waiting for her. At this moment, a black sedan drove out from the Merritt family's mansion. The driver noticed someone lying on the ground and immediately parked the car aside. Then Carl got out of the car and hurried over, "Miss, what happened to you? Are you okay?" At this moment, Madeleine's face was pale as a sheet. She replied weakly, "Medicine... in my pocket." Upon hearing this, Carl quickly dug out a small medicine bottle from her pocket, and then immediately ran back to the car to fetch a bottle of water. He lifted Madeleine's head, fed her the medicine, and then gently placed her head back on the ground, letting her recuperate. Madeleine lay on the ground for a while before she slowly regained her strength. Then, propping herself up, she thanked Carl, "Thank you for saving me." Seeing that Madeleine could sit up, Carl finally breathed a sigh of relief. "You should get to the hospital as soon as possible." Madeleine didn't respond. She slowly got up and continued to pick up the scattered plastic bottles on the ground. She looked fragile and pitiful. Beckett, who had been sitting in the car all along, had been watching the whole situation with his eyes slightly squinted. The once treasured daughter of the Landry family was now reduced to such a pathetic state, which was inevitably a little pitiful. "Do you have cash on you?" Just as Carl got into the car, he heard Beckett ask in a deep voice. Carl's face froze, "Cash?" As he said this, he rummaged through his wallet and found that he indeed had money on him. He took it out and with an awkward laugh, said, "Mr. Beach, I only have ten dollars, and the rest are all cards." Upon hearing the words, Beckett's face clouded over a bit, his voice steeped in authority, "Give her the money." Carl was stunned. Holy cow, since when did Mr. Beach get so kind? Despite the shock, he dared not disobey the boss's command. He hopped out of the car in a jiffy and tendered a ten-dollar note to Madeleine. "Sorry," he mumbled awkwardly, "I only have ten dollars in cash." Madeleine shuddered momentarily, eyes welling with tears. She looked up at Carl and stammered, "I... I can't take this." Then, she continued to pick up the bottles, lowering her head again. She wanted to cling to her last shreds of foolish dignity. She sifted through the nearby garbage to retrieve discarded boxes for recycling. Clutching plastic bottles and boxes in her arms, she sauntered toward the nearest recycling depot. Upon watching her hobble away, a sense of inexplicable sorrow nestled in Carl’s heart. Such a beautiful woman, why had she resorted to picking up trash? Shaking his head, he then headed back to the car and confessed to Beckett. "Mr. Beach, she refused the money." Beckett sighed, feeling that he seemed to have poked his nose where it didn't belong. His face darkened. Seeing the displeasure on his face, Carl refrained from speaking further. As they passed by a dessert shop, Beckett suddenly hinted, "Let's stop here." Carl heard the order, abruptly hit the brakes, and the car immediately stopped by the roadside. "Mr. Beach, what's the matter?" "Go buy some food, and give it to that woman." Upon hearing this, Carl looked surprised. Damn, what on earth was going on with Mr. Beach today? Why was he acting so out of character? Could it be because he found Jenny, he was so happy that he was feeling especially generous?