Chapter 47
Henry clenched his fists, his veins standing out and his temples pulsating.
“Impossible! Absolutely, positively impossible!” Henry’s eyes were filled with resistance, his voice deep and ominous.
Outside, the sunlight still shone brightly, but Madeline was gone
Henry used to hate Madeline so much.
“This time, I saw clearly. It was her.”
Henry did not make a mistake this time.
He wanted to tell Madeline, to let her know that he had not made a mistake this time.
Henry’s face was pale.
Henry had thought that if he survived, he would make it up to Madeline.
Madeline had saved him time and time again.
Henry was not heartless.
But,
The nurse said, “You should try not to get too agitated. They’re still searching, and we’ll have news today.”
“Searching?” Henry’s vision almost darkened. He glared at the nurse with anger. “What nonsense are you talking about?”
“Maddie saved me. If something happened to her, I wouldn’t be okay,” he mused.
He continued, “We were together at the time.”
By the end, his voice was trembling.
“Could a search be for a person?” he wondered. “Searches were only for bodies.”
The nurse hesitated. “The rescue team speculates that she saved all seven of you alone. After all, she’s just a little girl. She might have exhausted herself in the end. Every summer, there are so many news stories like this.”
“Shut up! Get out!” Henry ground his teeth, bending over deeply There was a buzzing sound in his ears, a taste of blood coating his throat, and his heart felt like a knife was stabbing it.
The nurse shook her head, understanding his feelings.
After they had left, Lucas sat outside in a daze, looking toward the direction of the reservoir.
Many search team members were busy in the reservoir, the sound of pumps roaring like thunder.
It sounded grating.
“Lucas, don’t be so devastated. Maddie wouldn’t want to see you like this.” Winslet’s expression was somber as she squatted in front of Lucas. “Last night was just an accident. Who would wish for something like this to happen?”
“That’s enough.” Lucas suppressed his emotions, his fingers clutching his head in frustration.
He sat there, on the verge of breaking down.
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Chapter 47
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“Last night, after I’d nearly drowned, I thought I was a goner.” His voice was hoarse as if he was choking. “I have no idea how she managed to save us.”
And, most importantly, Madeline was Lynn.
Until the end, Lucas had not even given her a kind glance.
He regretted it deeply and thought to himself, “Why didn’t I believe her last night?”
“Maybe it wasn’t even her who saved us. How could she possibly rescue all of us by herself?” Winslet furrowed her brows. “What if the current pushed us to the shore? The water was so swift then, and the rain was pouring heavily. She’s not a deity.” Winslet’s tone turned more skeptical.
“Winnie, I’m begging you. Please stop talking.” Lucas raised his eyes, bloodshot and emotion–filled.
A shiver ran down Winslet’s spine.
“Madeline is finally gone. But why did her death suddenly make everyone in the family seem so off?” Winslet wondered. She stood up, staring at Lucas, who was languishing. “Lucas has always been the least kind to Madeline, Why is Lucas looking all torn up like that? Did he care for Madeline?”
Winslet felt a surge of anxiety. She went to find Benjamin.
Benjamin was lying on the hospital bed when Winslet showed up.
In that instant, a trace of pain flitted across his eyes.
In a daze, he mistook Winslet for Madeline. “Maddie…”
Winslet stiffened, her face turning exceedingly.grave.
“Look closely. I’m not Maddie,” she stammered, her voice tense with unease. “I’m Winnie, okay?”
Winslet reached out to touch Benjamin, but he raised his hand to stop her.
“Is the camera’s memory card fixed? Did the video capture what happened last night?”
Winslet felt uneasy. “Benjamin, I didn’t cause Maddie’s death, so why are you suddenly so distant from me?”
“I’m not being distant with you.” Benjamin lowered his gaze. “I’m just… worried that Maddie wouldn’t be pleased if she saw. She… might still be around.”
A shiver ran down Winslet’s spine, and a sense of fear washed over her.
“Maddie’s death isn’t confirmed yet. I’m upset, too, and I believe she’s always been blessed by the heavens.”
Benjamin sighed heavily. “Why…” he mumbled to himself as if questioning his own actions. “Why did we have to go to the reservoir last night? If we hadn’t gone, this wouldn’t have happened. They say Maddie saved us.”
Winslet felt like exploding. “Maddie, Maddie… When she was alive, everyone despised her,” she complained in her heart. “And now that she’s dead, they’re still mentioning Madeline. It’s so sickening!”
“It’s all my
fault. It’s all because I wanted to go to the reservoir.” After saying that icily, Winslet lost control of her emotions and stormed out of the room.
Outside, she clutched her head, feeling absolutely miserable.
Madeline was dead as she had wished. “So, why did everything turn even worse?” she wondered. “Why did they have to reminisce about a dead person? Why did they have to feel guilty for Maddie?”
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Chapter 47
Until the afternoon, there was still no sign of Madeline.
The search and rescue team gave Henry a memory card before leaving.
They got into their car, but right then, they were seven instead of the eight who had come.
They headed straight to the Moore residence.
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That was supposed to be the engagement cancellation banquet of the Moore family and the Larson family, and they should have been there.
Guests were already gathered at the venue, murmuring among themselves.
“It’s already five in the afternoon. Why haven’t Benjamin and the Larson family shown up?”
“I don’t know. Maybe the Larson family changed their mind about calling it off? After all, if they cancel, it would tarnish the girl’s reputation.”
“Ah, I’ve heard that the girl’s character is terrible. This breakup should have been a done deal!”
“The Larson family’s two daughters… The biological one is not as good as the adopted daughter.”
Everyone was whispering.
They had no idea about the tragedy that had occurred the previous night.
Suddenly, someone exclaimed, “Here they come!”
“Hey! Doesn’t that Madeline seem to be missing?”
“Their emotions seem off. Maybe Madeline ran away? Ha!”
Benjamin’s mother, Regina, walked forward, sounding quite displeased.
“Mrs. Larson, what’s going on? You agreed to cancel the engagement, and now you’re changing your mind and wasting our time! And what kind of daughter is yours? She has the audacity to tarnish my son’s, Benjamin, reputation.” With a sneer, Regina mocked, “Hurry up and get this over with. From now on, let them go their separate ways. No more dawdling!”
Layla opened her mouth but did not know what to say.
Henry smirked. “Is my sister, Madeline, tarnishing your son? Your son did something last night. He arranged the reservoir outing. If it wasn’t for Madeline, he would’ve been a corpse by now!” He roared, “Ask Benjamin, with his wavering intentions, what he’s taking Madeline for!”
Henry’s eyes were blazing with anger, ready to burst.
Regina frowned, then chuckled. “Enough already. No use talking, nothing’s changing the outcome today!”
Benjamin stood meekly before Regina, afraid to defy her.
Guests were observing the scene.
The Larson family is always trying to reach higher, coming from a humble background. They were lucky to have gotten engaged to the Moore family. Now, I bet they don’t want to call it off.”
“That’s for sure. Who would let go once they’re attached to the big league?”
“Madeline isn’t even on the same level as Benjamin!”
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Upon hearing the cold words from those people, Henry’s heart ached.
He charged up the stage, knocking down anyone who tried to stop him.
He resembled an enraged beast, snatching the microphone from the emcee’s hand.
The venue erupted into a chaos of voices.
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Henry glanced at the hundreds of people in the crowd, raising the memory card in his hand. “Is my sister Madeline not good enough for Benjamin? Watch with your eyes and see who’s really not good enough for who!”
