Chapter 13: Tell Grayson

"Threatened miscarriage." Amelia showed Madison the ultrasound report.

"Will it kill the man to not do it for a day?"

Madison lay on the bed with her eyes closed, trying to calm her racing heart.

Amelia was frustrated. "Maybe you should just tell him."

Madison was silent for a moment before opening her eyes. She thought, 'Yes, it was probably time to tell Grayson.

Otherwise, the kid would be gone sooner or later because of his antics. Despite so, telling him might not save the situation.

Madison couldn't bring herself to be this ruthless, so she might as well let the man take the fall. "I need to think about how to tell him."

Amelia looked at her. "You've made up your mind?"

Madison tugged at her lip. "Dragging this out isn't the way."

Amelia nodded. "It's good that you've decided. You can minimize your losses. Once it's done, give him the boot and live a single, happy life!"

Madison swallowed the bitterness in her mouth. "I still need to earn money for my mom's medical bills. When will I have the time to live a carefree life?"

Amelia clicked her tongue. "How's your mom doing lately? Any better?"

Madison shook her head. "Same as always."

Amelia was about to say something when suddenly someone called out from nearby. "Madison!"

Turning around, Madison saw Ethan standing not far off, his face so swollen it was almost unrecognizable. His hands were wrapped in thick bandages.

"You bitch! Did you have someone beat me up?!" Ethan roared at Madison with fury.

Madison looked at him with utter indifference. "If it were me, I'd have made sure you were dead!"

"Bitch."

"Ethan, what do you think you're doing?!" Amelia quickly stepped in front of Madison. "Make another move, and I'm calling the security guard right now!"

Ethan let out a cold laugh, his gaze still fixed on Madison. "You just wait!"

With that, Ethan stormed off in a rage.

Amelia frowned at Madison. "What's going on?"

Madison explained the situation with Ethan, and Amelia couldn't help but curse.

She looked at Madison. "Why do you always attract these kinds of guys?"

Madison let out a small laugh. "Guess it's just my 'jerk magnet' personality."

Amelia glared at her. "I can't believe you can still joke about it."

"What else can I do, cry?"

There was no use in crying. From a young age, Ethan taught her tears were useless. Later on, Grayson proved that was true. Crying was indeed pointless.

"But are you sure Ethan wasn't beat up on your orders?"

"No."

"Who could it have been then?"

Madison shook her head. She didn't know.

However, the list of people who could have a reason to beat Ethan was long. With all the debt he had racked up, any creditor could have decided they had had enough of him and given him a beating.

Madison didn't overthink; she dialed Grayson's number. The phone rang twice before Grayson abruptly disconnected the call.

Staring at her phone, Madison tried again. She had to tell him now, for she feared her resolve would crumble after tonight. Yet, Grayson still didn't answer her calls.

...

It was already 2 a.m. when Madison finished her IV drip. Amelia, who had work the next day, decided to take Madison with her back to the dormitory at the hospital.

Upon arriving, a few colleagues were still awake, murmuring among themselves.

"What's with the late-night chatter?" Amelia inquired.

One of the female doctors smirked at her. "I just had Nora McMahon as a patient! Boy, you should hear about Nora's temperament…"

Amelia's gaze instantly shifted to Madison. Madison acted as if she hadn't heard the name. Amelia glanced at the doctor again, feigning indifference as she asked, "When did Nora come back from overseas?"

The doctor replied, "She apparently just flew in tonight. I got into a little fuss with fans at the airport, but honestly, it was nothing major. There's not even a scratch on her. But, you know, she is a celebrity—losing a strand of hair is probably more traumatic to her than an amputation to us regular folks..."

The doctor paused mid-sentence.

"The guy who came with Nora, though, was quite handsome. He has more than just looks. He even has an impressive presence."

"Mhm, much more dashing than those young male celebrities. Do you think he could be Nora's boyfriend?"

"Most likely, why else would he be with her at the hospital this late?"

As the two doctors shifted their conversation elsewhere, Amelia dropped the subject and looked directly at Madison.

Madison offered a calm smile. "I should probably head back."

Amelia frowned and nodded. She knew Madison must be feeling upset within. Not everyone was aware of Madison's connection with Nora, but Amelia knew.

Nora was Madison's half-sister, sharing the same father. Madison was only older than Nora by half an hour. Although born on the same day, their destinies couldn't have been more different.

Abigail was a woman Peter McMahon had found on the streets. Peter found her, she was in a pitiful state, remembering nothing but her name. Despite her amnesia, the jewelry she wore was undeniably valuable.

Abigail was breathtakingly beautiful in her youth and, despite her lost memories, exuded an aura of value and grace.

Peter's true intentions were unclear—whether he was captivated by her presence or jealous of the jewelry adorning Abigail's body. Nevertheless, he chose to stay with her and misled her with promises of marriage.

As Abigail's pregnancy progressed, not once did Peter bring up the topic of tying the knot.

It was only when Abigail confronted him that Peter's true nature was finally revealed.

By then, everyone had learned that after Peter became involved with Abigail, he had also wooed the daughter of a small-time pharmaceutical business owner. Coincidentally, this other woman was also pregnant, and Peter was actively arranging their wedding ceremony.

Fearing the exposure of his double dealings with Abigail, he pressured her to terminate her pregnancy.

To protect her child, Abigail fled from the hospital, later giving birth in secrecy. For nearly a decade afterward, she and her child lived a transient life until they eventually returned to Horizon City. Madison, her daughter, spent those years in hiding at her mother's side.

It wasn't until Abigail married Ethan that she and her daughter found some semblance of peace.

At first, Ethan was quite good to both. Otherwise, Abigail would not have changed Madison's last name to match his. Abigail had sustained an injury during Madison's birth, which prevented her from having more children, so she formally changed Madison's name, asking her to regard Ethan as her biological father.

Initially, Ethan treated Madison well. This period of contentment persisted until Peter's wife, Charlotte, uncovered Madison's true parentage.

Charlotte made life difficult for them, and Ethan's employment became unstable, leading to frequent dismissals. His temper worsened from that time, often resulting in job losses, and he tried to drown with alcohol. Eventually, it escalated to violent outbursts against Madison and her mother.

This situation persisted until Madison was seventeen. On her seventeenth birthday, Peter, for reasons unknown, took her to celebrate by the seaside.

Madison had suspected Charlotte might plan something against her, yet nothing happened.

Instead, Charlotte proposed a deal. She would stop tormenting their family on one condition. Madison was to vanish from Nora's life and never reveal to anyone that she was Peter's daughter. Furthermore, she must keep her former name, Lily.