Chapter 77 Finding It
Maddie's POV
I was at home this week to focus on my studies. I sank into the chair in the dimly lit study room, the heavy scent of mahogany and leather enveloping me. This study room felt like a cold fortress now, as a storm was on its way. The laptop sat before me. Hesitant fingers reached out, and I opened the lid. The screen flickered to life, illuminating the room in a soft glow.
There it was...the article that Mariko had found. The words on the screen seemed to dance, mocking me with their accusations. My breath caught in my throat as my eyes scanned the headline: "Maddie Exposed: Unraveling the Allegations of Gold Digging Behind the Glamorous Facade."
A surge of anger mixed with profound hurt welled up inside me. How had it come to this? The warmth that once filled this room now felt replaced by an icy chill. My gaze lingered on the words that painted me as an opportunist, a love-struck deceiver. It was as if my entire life had crumbled, reduced to a damning headline.
I had never anticipated that my relationship with Ash would be laid bare for the world to dissect. The accusations stung, cutting through my soul like a thousand razor-sharp knives. I thought our connection was genuine, built on shared dreams and laughter. I never fathomed that my love would be questioned, that my sincerity would be doubted.
My fingers clenched into fists as anger and sorrow waged a battle within me. Mariko had searched for this article that had ended up being buried in thousands of other articles. He found it and read these. What good is this going to do? If he does something to the Leonard's it will make it worse. I leaned back in the chair with a sigh. To think that I had come into this study room to actually prepare for my exams were ruined by this.
I closed the laptop with a force that resonated through the room. The glow extinguished, leaving me in the eerie silence of the study. Tears blurred my vision as I grappled with the realization that the world I had known had crumbled around me. My heart, once filled with love and hope, now echoed with the hollow sound of shattered dreams.
The room felt suffocating, the weight of the accusations pressing down on me. As I sat here, grappling with the pain and the anger, I knew that I had to find a way to face the storm that Mariko had unwittingly unleashed. The journey ahead would be treacherous, but I couldn't let the shadows of this consume me entirely.
I took in a deep breath, contemplating what to do next. If I try to study, I won't be able to get the information into my head. I was all alone at home while Mariko is at the office. The function is sometime this week, and after seeing that article, it makes me want to crawl back inside of a hole and never climb out of it.
If I go then those people will see me as portrayed as this gold digger that they think I am. I stood up from the chair and walked out of the study room as angry as I am. I decided to go to work. "Perhaps I will be a failure because I cannot even study." I muttered to myself.
My phone rang as I entered the bedroom, I took my phone from the bedside table. It was my mother. "Mom?" I answered.
"I just wanted to see how you were doing?" she said.
"I'm fine. How about you?" I asked.
"I am coping here. I will be out next month and I really want to see you."
"That is great news. I just hope that you will keep it that way. I don't want to put you back in rehab. You are a beautiful soul, so don't let life ruin you. You can achieve better. Start with your dreams, and what you want to do. That is what I want for you, Mom," I said through my anger that I was forcing down.
"I want that too. I want to improve. I am also proud of you. I look forward to seeing you next month."
"Me too, Mom," A lump formed in my throat.
"I got to go, we don't get much time on the phones, so I will call you again. I love you," she said sweetly.
"I love you too, Mom," I whispered and then she hung up.
I sucked in a breath to compose myself. I took my bag and put my phone inside and then I left the apartment. I was not going to sit in the apartment and dwell on things. This anger was too much for me to just sit and wait for Mariko to get back home and talk. What would anyone even say when I drive the car that he bought me? Does he even understand what they would say if they saw me?
Seeing that article again after these few years has just brought up the worse feelings that I thought I could work on. But it just seemed to resurface at the worse moments. I took a cab to Sternpoint, a cab will be my safe place because people will still talk even when I have worked for things on my own.
Mariko's POV
Maddie was asleep when I left for work, I didn't want to wake her up because of the little meltdown that she had for her studies. I printed the two articles when I got to the office. I was still p^ssed off with the Leonard's and this will come to a stop very soon. I was not going to have the media paint Maddie as the problem. She deserves better than this. She never fought back to clear her name. I want to help her with that. People need to know the type of people that Ash and Mr Leonard are.
I took the copies and I stepped into Reggie's office. He as sitting behind his desk, writing. There was a storm on its way and I wanted to be home earlier so that I could cuddle with Maddie, run her a bath and cook for her. I stood in front of Reggie's desk and I placed the copies on top of it, causing him to look at it and then to me.
"What is this?" he asked, his brows furrowed.
"Its two copies of an article that was written about Maddie. The Leonard's did that a few years ago. Have a read," I said as remained in my spot.
He reached for the copies and then he read them. He shook his head, disappointed. "What if they are telling the truth?" he asked as he placed the copies on the desk, looking up at me. My heart sunk as he said that.
"What the hell do you think about her?"
"Relax. I am only kidding." he smiled as he leaned back in his chair. "Well, they are good at telling lies, there should be something that we can do...something that we can hold over them that will make them retract what they said and come clean about spreading lies. The only issue is that they wouldn't want to tarnish the Leonard name, so, they will be fighting us too. I just think that we should have a solid plan that would work to clear Maddie's name and that the public can know that she isn't the type of person that the Leonard's are painting her to be," he advised.
I let out a frustrated sigh, "I know, but I have nothing. Gerard is going to give the dress back that Ash had bought Maddie back then. He warned that there is security who will fight us. I just hope that there is a way and I won't give up until they pay for all of this," I said with frustration.
"Just be careful. I will think of something too. Just know that the function is coming up, hoping that there will be something," he said.
"Yeah. I just want Maddie to be happy without having to think the worst, I don't want her to think about Ash everytime that I give her a gift. I need her to get that out of her system. I don't know when her next therapy session is but I hope that she deals with it there."
"I hope so too. It will be more healthy for her that way. I know that one cannot just switch off the pain but she will get there, just continue to be there for her," he encouraged.
"I will. I will come around later before I leave work," I said.
"Let me know if you need anything."
"I will, thanks," I said and then I went to my office.
Once I got to my office, I walked around my desk and sat down. I need to find something on Ash and Mr Leonard. What better way than to call Pedro. As I wanted to reach for my phone on my desk, Maddie strolled in.
"Maddie, what are you doing here?" I was surprised that she was here, "Is everything okay?"
She stopped in front of my desk, but I could see that something was wrong. "Everything is not fine."
"What is wrong?" I asked.
"Why did you have to search for that article about me?"
I didn't want her to find out about the article that I was searching for, I must've left the browser tab open when I closed the laptop. I knew that this would affect her and it clearly has. It is all my fault for not being careful enough with this.