Chapter 13

Clinton's gaze turned to Madeleine, and he asked discontentedly, "Where are you going?" Evading his gaze, Madeleine retorted nervously while pulling Chris backwards, saying in a low voice, "No, we are not going anywhere." Clinton's face darkened as he ordered, "First, take the child back to the storeroom, then go take a bath and change into clean clothes. Come out with me afterward." Terrified, Madeleine shook her head, "No, I won't go..." "Today is Abigail's birthday. Her invitation to you is out of kindness. What right do you have to refuse? Stop acting unappreciative when shown kindness," Clinton warned coldly. Madeleine, scared to the point of trembling, retreats a few steps. Why was he forcing her to attend Abigail's birthday celebration? Today was Abigail's birthday, but also hers! These past years, she had been terrified of celebrating her birthday. She even felt that she didn't deserve to celebrate it. She frequently thought, how good it would be if she had died the day she was born. "Clinton... please, don't make me go," She pleaded softly. Did he have to torment her to this extent? Hadn't she already agreed to donate a kidney? What would it take for him to let her go? "If you dare not to go, you may regret it," Clinton stated before his gaze settled on Chris. Upon seeing this, Madeleine immediately agreed anxiously, "I will go. I will go. Don't hurt Chris." She knew she couldn't avoid the disaster this time. Soon after, she took Chris back to the storage room and instructed him not to wander off. Chris obediently nodded and then climbed onto the hastily arranged makeshift bed, "Mom, I will be good and wait for you here." Seeing him behave so sensibly, Madeleine felt touched. She put a bag filled with cakes on the bed, instructing him to have them when he felt hungry. Once everything was settled, she left the storage room to take a bath. Afterward, she went to the courtyard to wait for Beckett, still wearing her old outfit. Looking up at the overcast sky, she felt her mood was even more gloomy. Because she knew that what awaited her next would be endless mockery and humiliation. But this was exactly what Clinton wanted to see, so she had no choice but to comply. At that moment, Clinton stepped out of the house, gazing at her clothing with visible repulsion in his eyes, "Why didn't you change into the clothes the maid gave you?" Madeleine lowered her gaze, her focus shifting to Clinton. He was dressed in a fancy suit for Abigail's birthday party. His dashing appearance was even more attractive than a superstar. In the past, she would have been completely beguiled by him, but now her expression remained steady as she watched Clinton. It was then she realized, her heart no longer skipped a beat for him. Indeed, she no longer loved him. "I... am not used to wearing dresses," she simply replied. Actually, it wasn't that she wasn't used to it, but there were too many scars on her body now. Besides, she was as thin as a matchstick, unable to uphold the magnificence of the dress. Given that no matter what she wore wouldn't make her look attractive, she decided to not wear it. Clinton, too lazy to bother about her decision of not changing her clothes, commanded coldly, "Get in the car." Subsequently, he got into the car. Then Madeleine approached the vehicle and cautiously opened the back door. She then got in and sat in the corner seat, being careful not to disturb anyone. Clinton saw her in the backseat through the rear-view mirror and was slightly taken aback. Suddenly he remembered that she always used to sit in his passenger seat. Back then, she emphasized saying, "Clinton, the passenger seat is reserved for me, and no other woman is allowed to sit there. Understand?" Pampering her, he responded, "Yeah, I promise this seat is yours, my queen." Reflecting on these memories now, it was indeed ironic. Half an hour later, the car reached the underground parking lot of the Saint Yves Hotel. Inside the car, Clinton once again glanced at Madeleine in the rearview mirror and asked, "Have you ever regretted betraying me? "If you hadn't cheated with another man back then, I wouldn't have abandoned you, even if you were no longer Miss Landry." Upon hearing these words, Madeleine couldn't help but sneer within. When she was subjected to public criticism and humiliation, when she was helpless and lost, in dire need of protection, he'd been with Abigail instead. And now, he had the audacity to ask if she regretted her actions. It was indeed laughable to the extreme! "I admit that I have, in some ways, hurt Abigail and caused harm to the Landry family. I owe them, and I am willingly accepting penance. "But Clinton, I owe nothing to you." After Madeleine finished speaking, she took a deep breath, opened the door, and got out of the car. This remark completely enraged Clinton. He too got out of the car and roughly grabbed her slender wrist, pushing her onto the car door. "You betrayed me and had a child with another man, and yet you have the audacity to say you owe me nothing? "Madeleine, you owe me and you can't repay this debt in your entire lifetime." Clinton, somewhat losing control over his emotions, stretched out his other hand to grip Madeleine's chin forcing her to look into his eyes. Madeleine avoided his gaze stubbornly. "Why don't you dare to look me into the eye? Guilty? "You were once so desperate to enter another man's bed. Without a man around in those five years of imprisonment, how did you endure it all?" he taunted. On hearing this, Madeleine's eyes instantly reddened. Summoning a surge of courage, she shouted, "Shut up!" But Clinton slapped her across her face the next moment. "Slag, you have no right to talk to me so loudly." The unexpected slap stupefied Madeleine, especially because it was the first time Clinton had hit her. Six years ago, when Abigail took him to a hotel to catch her in the act, he lost control at the sight of her virgin blood on the white sheets of the bed. He smashed everything in the hotel room, furiously roaring at her, questioning her. She remembered clearly when in a fit of anger he had raised his hand to hit her, but in the end, he couldn't bring himself to do it. Indeed, everything had changed. She lowered her gaze, looking at Clinton expressionlessly. Her eyes were empty and calm as if she was looking at a stranger. After Clinton slapped her, he instantly regretted it. He quickly lowered his hand, his fingers trembling uncontrollably. But he knew that he and Madeleine could never get back together. He then turned around and began to walk towards the private box upstairs. Seeing this, Madeleine took a deep breath to compose herself, then followed him. Before long, they had reached the entrance of the private box one after the other. As soon as they entered, they were greeted by the teasing laughter of a group of rich second-generation youngsters. "Ah, look everyone, our star of the day has arrived!" "Clinton, good job on actually bringing Madeleine here." "I've heard that nowadays, with just a bit of money, anyone can have their way with her, is that true?" One of the rich youngsters approached Clinton, grinning maliciously as he put his hand on Clinton's shoulder. Clinton gave him a cold stare and soundly said, "I'm not sure. You should ask her." Upon hearing this, Madeleine's clenched fingers turned pale. "Madeleine, how much does it cost to buy you for a night?"