Where My Love Could Not Reach

Madison let out a faint, bitter laugh. Her voice was unusually calm. “That wasn’t pig’s blood.”

Jake was silent for a beat before snapping, “Are you done? The cook, Mrs. Norman, said it was pig’s blood. She’s in the kitchen every day. Do you really think she’d mistake it for something else? I’m changing the locks. Don’t come back. Go wherever you want.”

Madison stopped him. “Wait.”

Jake cut in sharply, “It’s too late to apologize now—”

But for the first time, Madison interrupted him. “I’m going back today to pack up my things. You don’t need to change the locks. I won’t be coming back.”

Jake paused again, then let out a cold laugh. “You’ve got one day.”

And with that, he hung up.

Her assistant, who had been listening nearby, spoke up quickly. “Miss Spencer, your condition is serious. You can’t be discharged yet. Let me go pack for you.”

Madison shook her head. “You don’t know what I need.”

To be more accurate, she knew exactly what needed to be dealt with.

She removed her IV and went home.

Once there, she began going through all of her belongings.

Anything that could be burned, she burned.

The rest, she sorted carefully.

There was the hairpin he gave her for her birthday, and the pendant from their engagement anniversary.

The bracelets, the luxury items, the little gifts he had given her over the years during holidays and special occasions.

She packed them all away, piece by piece.

Then came the things she had given to Jake.

He had always been forgetful, constantly misplacing things.

So after they started living together, he began entrusting her with the items that mattered most to him.

Madison gently packed the scrapbook she had spent weeks creating for him, the watch she had bought after saving for years, and the ceramic mug she had shaped and painted by hand for him.

She boxed them up too.

When she finished, there was nothing left in the house that bore any trace of her.

This had been her home for five years.

Now, it was just a place she was ready to leave behind.

She walked out with the boxes in her arms.

She gave the belongings that once meant everything to her to a homeless man sitting by the road.

Then she got in her car, ready to return to the hospital.

But her phone rang.

“Miss Spencer,” a cheerful voice said on the other end, “the custom rings you ordered are ready. Do you have time to come by and take a look? Or would you prefer we deliver them?”

She and Jake had originally planned to set a wedding date this year.

She had been so excited that she met with the designer herself, finalized the ring sketches, and arranged to have them custom-made overseas.

But the rings weren’t ready before Xena came back.

Madison thought for a moment. They were just meaningless pieces of metal now. There was no need to trouble anyone else over them.

She drove to the shop and picked up the rings herself.

On the way back to the hospital, fireworks suddenly lit up the night sky. One explosion after another burst overhead, painting the city in color and drawing crowds of people to a stop.

A giant digital screen outside a shopping mall flickered on, displaying Jake’s face.

He was holding an open velvet ring box, looking into the camera with carefully rehearsed sincerity.

“Xena,” he said, “life kept us apart for so many years, but we finally found our way back to each other. Tonight, I lit up the entire sky for you. Will you accept this ring and give me another chance?”

He paused for a moment, then smiled and said, “I know you’ve been trying to get the patent from MZ Company. I’ll make sure you get it. And when I do, just promise me one thing in return.”

The crowd erupted in cheers, swept up in the romance of the moment.

MZ was the company Madison had founded two years ago.

Back then, if Jake had asked, she would have given it to him without hesitation.

But now, everything had changed.

She gave a faint smile, one filled with quiet irony.

As her car crossed the river bridge, she rolled down the window. Without saying a word, she tossed the custom-made rings, paid for with months of care and savings, into the churning water below.

She was leaving North City.

And she was finally walking out of Jake’s life for good.

Madison returned to the hospital.

Not long after, Mrs. Cooper called. “Madison, Jake went way too far this time! I just gave him a good scolding. Please don’t take it to heart.”

Madison’s voice was calm, without a hint of emotion. She even managed to comfort her. “It’s alright, Grandma. He’s in love with Xena. We’ve all seen that for a while now.”

Mrs. Cooper let out a weary sigh. “That foolish boy. He won’t listen to me. One day, he’s going to regret this.”

Madison didn’t respond.

After a moment, Mrs. Cooper changed the subject. “My birthday’s coming up in a few days. You’ll be there, right?”

“Of course,” Madison said. “We agreed. I’ll celebrate your birthday with you before I leave.”

Mrs. Cooper hesitated, then added, “The day after my birthday is Jake’s birthday. You’ve been by his side every year.”

Madison spoke softly, but without any hesitation. “He has someone new he’d rather spend it with now. Even if I wanted to be there, he wouldn’t welcome me. Grandma, we’ve both made our decisions. It’s time to let it go.”

Mrs. Cooper seemed to realize that Madison hadn’t mentioned Jake’s name once. She didn’t try to change her mind. Instead, she quietly ended the call.

But just before the call ended, Madison heard her murmur, “One day, he’s going to regret this.”

Whether Jake would regret it or not, Madison didn’t know.

But she knew one thing for sure, she wouldn’t.

After she was discharged from the hospital, Madison threw herself into preparations for her departure. The days went by quickly.

On the eve of Mrs. Cooper’s birthday, she wrapped up all her responsibilities at the company and handed everything over to her successor.

The next day, she arrived at the birthday banquet alone.

Jake and Xena showed up together, hand in hand.

Most of the guests were relatives and close family friends, with only a few business acquaintances in attendance. Everyone there knew about Madison and Jake’s engagement.

Seeing Jake bring another woman home without even trying to hide it, and introducing her to his family right in front of Madison, sent a quiet shock through the room.

Guests all around kept casting uneasy glances at the three of them.

Madison stayed composed. She knew this would be her final appearance in North City. She let them look all they wanted.

Jake, however, couldn’t handle the pressure. He suddenly grabbed the microphone from the emcee. “I want to officially end my engagement to Madison.”

Mrs. Cooper’s smile disappeared.

Jake’s father, Tim Zimmer, stared at him, his expression growing darker by the second.

Jake clenched his fists. “I finally have Xena back. No one is going to tear us apart again. If anyone tries, I’ll end my life.”

A wave of gasps swept through the crowd.

Tim’s voice turned cold. “What kind of nonsense is this? Today is your grandmother’s seventieth birthday. You chose her banquet to make this announcement? Do you have any respect for her at all?”

Jake turned toward Mrs. Cooper with a wounded look. “But Grandma, I’m your only grandson. Don’t you want me to be happy? Isn’t it a blessing to end a marriage that never should have happened in the first place on your birthday?”

Mrs. Cooper looked at Madison. “Madison, what do you think?”

Her voice was calm and even. “Let him decide.”

The room broke into hushed whispers.

Jake’s expression changed, but then he smiled with relief. “See, Grandma? She agrees too.”

Mrs. Cooper lifted her hand, silencing her son before he could speak. She gave a faint smile. “Very well. I’ll honor your choice. From this day forward, your engagement to Madison is over.”

Jake’s first reaction was to look at Madison.

She smiled at him, gently, as if giving her final blessing.

But that only made him angry again. He shot her a fierce glare, then turned to Xena with a bright smile and began chatting like nothing had happened.

Madison went through the motions. She handed over her gift, had a slice of the birthday cake, and then quietly slipped out.

She got into the car heading for the airport.

Her phone began to buzz.

It was a string of texts from Jake.

“Good. At least you know your place. I’ll let everything slide this time.

“My birthday’s tomorrow. You can come. What did you get me this year?

“Don’t act all high and mighty now. You think you’re better than me?

“Answer me!”

Madison stared at the screen in silence.

Then she blocked him.

Without looking back, she passed through security and boarded her flight out of North City.