Where My Love Could Not Reach

After cleaning up the kitchen, Madison went upstairs, ready to rest.

But when she opened the door to her bedroom, she stopped in her tracks.

Xena was lying on her bed, wearing her pajamas.

Jake sat beside her, gently applying ointment to her arm.

When he saw Madison walk in, he didn’t even flinch. “You’ll sleep in the guest room tonight,” he said flatly.

Madison’s voice was tight. “This is my room.”

Jake replied coldly, “Xena should have the best room. You poured hot broth on her. Giving up the room is the least you can do to make up for it.”

He had already decided she was guilty.

Madison gave a bitter smile. “So her wearing my clothes is part of the apology too?”

Jake’s tone turned impatient. “I bought those pajamas. Why are you making a big deal out of one piece of clothing? You just don’t want her here, do you? You want to drive her out.”

He let out a sharp laugh. “Well, too bad. She’s staying. She’s going to live here, every day.”

Xena tugged at his sleeve. “Don’t be like this.”

Jake’s voice softened immediately. “Don’t worry about it. She needs to be taught a lesson.”

Madison looked at him as he leaned in toward Xena on the bed.

The image stabbed through her like a blade.

But she was so exhausted she didn’t want to say another word.

“Did you hear me, Madison?”

She nodded, her voice dull. “Okay.”

Jake blinked, surprised. “What did you say?”

“I’ll get a few things to change into,” she replied evenly.

She walked into the closet.

Jake followed her in, sounding slightly awkward. “Xena’s a guest. And anyway, you did pour hot broth on her.”

Madison didn’t react. She gave a quiet, neutral “Mm.”

Jake snapped, humiliated and furious. “So now you’re throwing a tantrum? I can’t stand it when you put on that dead look, just waiting for someone to beg you to feel better!”

He stormed out of the closet and went back to the bedroom, where he plopped down on the bed and started chatting loudly with Xena, completely unbothered.

“So, where should we go tomorrow? Want to visit the campus? It’s been five years. I wonder if that tabby cat we used to feed is still around.”

Madison finished packing her clothes and stepped out of the closet. As she walked past the hallway, something caught her eye.

Inside a glass display case sat a pair of sapphire earrings.

Jake had given them to her for her birthday after he broke things off with that live streamer.

At the time, he had made her a solemn promise that he would never hurt her again.

If he ever forgot, she only had to take out those earrings and show him. He swore he would remember and change.

But ever since Xena came back, he had broken that promise over and over again.

She figured if she showed him the earrings now, she would only end up humiliating herself.

Madison picked up the earrings and closed them tightly in her palm.

As she passed by the bedroom, she glanced inside.

Xena was leaning in close, whispering into Jake’s ear, one hand resting on his shoulder.

The two of them looked like they were sharing a deep, intimate kiss.

She ignored the sharp pain in her chest and walked away quietly.

Without a word, she dropped the earrings into the trash and stepped into the guest room.

Early the next morning, Madison got up and began getting ready for work.

As she passed the guest room, she noticed the door wasn’t fully closed. Inside, she could hear Jake murmuring in a daze.

“Madison...”

Without thinking, she pushed the door open.

He was lying on the bed, half-awake, mumbling her name.

Jake’s health had never been the same after the trauma of losing Xena. Searching for her had worn him down, and since then, he had gotten sick easily.

Madison walked over and touched his forehead. Sure enough, he had a low fever.

Just as she turned to get his medicine, Jake suddenly came to.

“Madison, what do you think you’re doing?”

The suspicion and hostility in his eyes pierced her like a knife.

In that moment, she found herself hating her own weakness.

Why was her heart still stirred the moment he called her name?

She had given him her heart, and now it was only fair that he trample it.

She closed her eyes for a second, then calmly said, “You have a fever. Don’t forget to take your medicine.”

Without waiting for a reply, she turned and left the room, heading for her car as quickly as she could.

But not long after, her phone rang.

“Where did you go?” Jake snapped. “I don’t even know where the medicine is, and you just walked out and left me?”

Madison’s tone was even. “The medicine’s in the first-floor storage closet, inside the emergency kit. I have work. And I’m sure Xena can take better care of you than I ever could.”

Jake sneered. “Is that supposed to guilt-trip me? Even if Xena’s not around, the housekeeper could take care of me better than you.”

“You’re probably right,” Madison replied quietly, then hung up.

She spent the whole day at the office, busy with back-to-back meetings.

When she finally stepped out of the conference room, her assistant was waiting, clearly hesitant to speak.

“What is it?” Madison asked.

The assistant looked uncomfortable. “Miss Spencer, during your meeting, Mr. Zimmer and Miss Ford attended a charity auction together. He bid an outrageous amount on a gemstone called “Heart of Sincerity” and gave it to her on the spot. The news is trending everywhere. It’s not reflecting well on you or the company. You once said that anything involving Mr. Zimmer should be reported directly to you.”

Madison had already given up hope, and yet her chest still ached faintly.

After a pause, she replied, “From now on, let the marketing department handle incidents like this.”

Her assistant blinked in surprise, then quickly masked the expression with a flash of sympathy.

She gave a short reply and turned to relay the instruction.

With just two weeks left before her departure, Madison wanted to settle all the company’s affairs properly.

She owed that much to Mrs. Cooper. No matter what, she would leave the Zimmer Corporation in good shape.

She worked late into the night.

But when she returned home, she ran into Megan Henderson.

The moment she saw Madison, Megan burst out laughing.

“Still clinging, huh? Did you see the news? Jake gave Xena a gemstone that symbolizes true love. Looks like you’re getting dumped after all. How does it feel, being the pathetic girl who gave everything and got nothing?”

Madison didn’t understand it.

After her mother married into the Henderson family, her mother had worked hard to erase her presence, sending her to boarding school and never mentioning her in front of the Henderson siblings.

She had been invisible in that house.

She never posed a threat to anyone, never expected anything from the Henderson family.

So why did they hate her so much?

From the bullying and humiliation when she first arrived to the open hostility now, it never stopped.

There had been a time when she fought back.

And the result was a slap from her mother and a look of bitter disappointment.

“Do you have any idea how hard it is for me to survive in this family with you around?” her mother had hissed. “How could you raise your hand to Zac and Megan?”

That was the moment Madison learned her place.

Living under someone else’s roof, she didn’t even have the right to defend herself.

And so she endured for more than ten years.

But now she was about to leave. And suddenly, she didn’t feel like enduring anymore.

Her voice was cold. “Did you finally land that Jackson family heir?”

Megan’s expression turned vicious. “You must be asking for it!”

She raised her hand to slap Madison across the face.

But Madison stepped aside and grabbed her wrist mid-air. Then, without hesitation, slapped her back.

“You vixen! How dare you hit me!” Megan screamed, flailing wildly.

But she was pampered and spoiled, used to luxury, not real fights.

Madison, on the other hand, had been disciplined since she was young, and even now, despite her long work hours, she never skipped a workout.

Once she got serious, Megan didn’t stand a chance.

She was soon curled up on the ground, shielding her head and wailing.

Madison was about to strike again when headlights suddenly swept across the driveway.

Jake and Xena had returned.

“What’s going on?” Jake asked, stepping out of the car.

Megan scrambled up and pointed to the red mark on her cheek.

“I came home late and ran into Madison. All I said was that Xena was back, and she completely lost it and attacked me!”

Madison opened her mouth to speak, but before she could get a word out, a sharp sting exploded across her cheek.

Jake had slapped her.

His hand was still in the air, his eyes dark with disappointment.

“Madison, you know how much I hate women who throw tantrums and act hysterical.”

Madison lowered her eyes.

Strangely enough, she didn’t feel sad.

What came to mind instead was a memory from childhood. When Megan had falsely accused her, and her mother had slapped her across the face.

Jake had rushed out, shielding her with open arms and shouting, “Madison would never hit anyone! She’s a good girl!”

Back then, he had believed in her without hesitation.

But now, he didn’t even trust her that much anymore.

Jake felt a strange flicker of panic in his chest. He quickly pushed the feeling aside and stared her down. “Apologize.”

Madison didn’t bother struggling. There was no point.

She turned to Megan and said quietly, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have hit you.”

Megan turned her back to Jake and smiled at Madison with open contempt, though she kept her tone composed as she said, “Let me hit you a few times, and we’ll be even.”

Both she and Jake clearly assumed Madison would never agree.

But to their surprise, Madison lowered her head and replied calmly, “Alright.”

Jake’s sense of unease deepened. He hated this feeling. It felt like things were slipping out of his control. He turned to Xena and hurriedly said, “It’s freezing out here. Let’s go inside.”

Hand in hand, he and Xena walked toward the villa.

The moment their backs were turned, Megan stepped up and drove five hard punches straight into Madison’s stomach.

Madison gasped, her face going pale. “Is that enough?” she asked in a soft voice.

Megan burst out laughing. “That’s enough. I’m feeling generous today. But just wait—Xena’s already moved in. It’s only a matter of time before you get thrown out. Honestly, what did you expect? A lapdog is still just a dog. Once he’s done with you, he’ll kick you out without a second thought. You’re nothing.”

Still laughing, she walked away.

The pain triggered a flare-up of Madison’s chronic stomach condition. It was so intense she could barely breathe.

She took her medicine, washed up quickly, and went to bed.

But in the middle of the night, the pain woke her again. She sat up abruptly and vomited a mouthful of blood.

Clenching her jaw, she forced herself to call the doctor and prepared to head to the hospital.

As she stepped out of the guest room, she noticed the master bedroom door was slightly ajar. Light spilled into the hallway, and from inside, she could hear unmistakably intimate sounds.

She had told herself she was ready for this—ready for Xena to move in.

But in that moment, she couldn’t tell what hurt more: her body or her heart.

To get downstairs, she had to pass the master bedroom.

She bit her lip until she tasted blood and forced herself to keep walking.

Inside, she heard Xena’s husky voice, “I think that’s Madison outside the door…”

Jake’s voice followed, thick with desire. “She’s insane. Ignore her. Xena, I want you…”

The pain was so overwhelming, it almost became numbness.

Madison hurried past the door, went downstairs, and climbed into the hospital car.

She had a serious gastric hemorrhage and was admitted immediately.

The doctor urged her to contact someone to stay with her, but when she picked up her phone, she realized that there was no one to call.

When she had agreed to marry Jake, her mother had assumed she was trying to challenge the Henderson family and had demanded she call it off. When Madison refused, her mother had cut ties, acting like she no longer existed.

As for Jake, there was a time when one phone call would have brought him to her side without hesitation.

But now, everything was different.

In the end, Madison called her personal assistant and offered five times her regular pay to come stay with her at the hospital.

Once the medication took effect, she finally managed to fall asleep.

But it didn’t last long.

The constant buzzing of her phone pulled her out of sleep.

Jake’s name lit up the screen.

Madison hesitated, then picked up the call.

She first heard Xena’s voice, faint and unclear. “Jake, please don’t be upset. Madison only did this because she loves you too much.”

Then came Jake’s voice. It was familiar, but it no longer felt like his.

“Madison, have you completely lost your mind? Getting up in the middle of the night to eavesdrop wasn’t enough? Now you’re staging something with fake blood? What is this—pig’s blood? Who exactly are you trying to scare? If you ever pull something like this again, pack your things and get out.”