novelxo Chapter 176 The End of Love
Chapter 176 The End of Love
The next day, Madelyn returned to the apartment.
She swiftly hired a worker to reinstall the original curtains and throw away all the vases and decorations she had purchased.
She packed up all the clothes and jewelry, worn or unworn, and sent them off to the auction house.
Madelyn was determined to leave no trace of herself in the apartment, not even the Morning Dew piano.
By the end of the day, all signs of her presence had vanished, as if she had never been there.
Finally, Madelyn noticed the little white dog residing in the apartment.
It was a stray that Benjamin had rescued and gifted to Madelyn to impress her, but he had left it to starve in her absence.
Without a second thought, Madelyn took the dog with her when she left.
After spending more than half a year with Benjamin, Madelyn left with nothing but the little white dog.
She exchanged the $50 million he had given her, as well as the jewelry, clothes, and Morning Dew, for money to donate to a charity foundation.
As she finished, Madelyn's feet throbbed in slight discomfort, reminding her of her love - an absurdity!
...
Two days later, Benjamin was working in his law firm, basking in the glory of his latest international case.
Suddenly, Paisley Brooks, his assistant, entered and handed him an envelope.
"Ms. Green came by yesterday and asked me to give this to you," she said softly.
Benjamin opened the envelope to find a key inside.
It was the key to his apartment - the one Madelyn had left behind.
He stared quietly at the key, lost in thought.
"Have you been to my apartment recently? Did Madelyn take all of her clothes and jewelry with her?" he asked Paisley, his voice laced with uncertainty.
"If not, please send them to her. As a man, I have no use for those things." He added.
Paisley's expression became complicated, and Benjamin looked up at her, sensing that something was amiss.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
Paisley couldn't find the words to respond, so she muttered a vague response.
"You'll know when you go back tonight. In any case, Ms. Green has indeed moved out."
Although Benjamin was a little curious, he didn't probe it.
He worked until ten o'clock at night before driving back to his apartment.
As he arrived at the dark and quiet space, he hesitated.
He knew that no one would be waiting for him, and no one would cook for him like Madelyn always did.
So, he sat in his car, smoking a cigarette before finally heading upstairs.
But when he opened the door and flicked on the lights, a wave of shock hit him.
His scalp tingled, and every pore on his body seemed to open wide in surprise!
What he saw in front of him was nothing short of astonishing!
He had grown used to Madelyn's lavishly decorated house, but now it was plain, like a sample room!
It was cold and tasteless, devoid of any human warmth!
Throwing his coat aside, Benjamin began searching every room- the bedroom, kitchen, living room, even the bathroom - but he couldn't find a single object that belonged to Madelyn or anything that she had used.
She had left nothing behind!
Benjamin stood in front of the French window, feeling a deep sense of emptiness wash over him.
Even the Morning Dew piano was gone.
It was then that he realized Madelyn's true intent.
She didn't just want to forget him; she also wanted him to forget her!
The memory of their last conversation came flooding back.
She said, "Farewell then. We'll not meet again."
The pain in his heart was unbearable as he realized the truth - she was gone.
Desperate for answers, Benjamin took out his phone and dialed Madelyn's number.
However, he was met with an artificial, mechanical voice saying: "Sorry! The line is busy at the moment. Please try your call again later..."
Benjamin looked around the apartment, feeling suffocated.
Suddenly, in a wave of frustration and despair, he threw his phone against the wall, shattering it into pieces.
A deep feeling of impotence overtook him, and he started smashing everything in
apartment.
He didn't know why he was doing it, but destroying these things seemed like it could somehow bring back some memories, turn back time, or perhaps make things right again. Late at night, Benjamin stood amongst the ruins of the apartment.
He pulled a diamond ring out of his pocket- it was the one he had given to Madelyn before.
It was probably the only thing she had left behind.
He looked at the ring, thinking about Madelyn's joy when he first gave it to her and how hurt she looked when she found out the truth.
She said she didn't want it!
A lump formed in Benjamin's throat.
A strange mix of emotions, ranging from anger and confusion to intense sadness, threatened to overwhelm him.
Benjamin had convinced himself that he could forget Madelyn, just like she seemed to have forgotten him.
Since that day when he lost his mind, he asked his secretary to tidy up his apartment and threw himself into work, occasionally hanging out with Grayson Wyatt and others.
He didn't call Madelyn again or tried to find out anything about her.
And no one mentioned her in front of him.
Her name became a taboo topic that he couldn't bear to discuss.
As for why Grayson stopped talking about Madelyn, Benjamin didn't wonder about it.
It was too late...
Two weeks later, Paisley walked into his office with some news. "Mr. Clark, Christie's Auction House in Hong Kong... has something related to you!"
Benjamin's hand, which was signing a document, froze.
"What is it?" he asked, intrigued.
Paisley lowered her voice further. "They auctioned off a batch of jewelry and haute couture dresses- all of them were gifts you once gave Ms. Green. Additionally, the Morning Dew piano was sold alone for $60 million."
Benjamin stared at the document in front of him.
He asked, seeming to be indifferent to this news. "What does Madelyn want with so much money?"
Paisley replied, "Well, actually Ms. Green donated all of the money to a charity foundation."
The pen in his hand snapped in half.
Benjamin spoke coldly, "She donated all of the money? You mean... she spent half a year with me and only asked for a dog?"
Paisley sighed quietly.
Then she placed a large envelope on his desk.
"I picked this up from the mailbox at the apartment over the past few days. It's Madelyn's past spending records, along with bills and receipts that she sent over. Perhaps, once you've looked at it, Mr. Clark, you will understand what Mrs. Green has done for you," she said with a soft voice.
Benjamin clenched his fist, and after a long while, he opened it to take a look.
The first bill he saw was for the Valentine's Day decorations, with several effect images attached.
The stunning images showed a black-themed decor that Benjamin would have loved.
The bill was expensive, costing tens of thousands of dollars, yet Madelyn had paid for it herself with her own card.
As Benjamin stared at the pictures, a familiar pain swept over him like a tidal wave. He couldn't deny that Madelyn really loved him.
"Madelyn truly does love you, Mr. Clark," Paisley's voice chimed in.
She said, "You may not know this, but she promised your father to go to France for two years in order to make it convenient for you to handle Ms. Bennett's affairs."
"You once won the best love," Paisley continued. "Please forgive me, I have to ask you - if you hadn't gone to the hospital, would Ms. Bennett really have died? Or is it that you, Mr. Clark, have never let go of that first love in your heart?" She inquired.
Paisley's voice choked slightly as she realized she had overstepped her bounds. "I'm sorry for speaking out of turn..." she said and then left.
Benjamin continued to stare at the pictures and the memories they brought with them.
He suddenly realized that he had lost something - he had lost Madelyn's love!
She had asked him twice whether he loved her, and he failed to give a direct and honest answer.
He had merely liked her body, her care, her cooking, and her company.
In fact, he had always known that Madelyn loved him!
But now, she had taken back her love, drawn a clear line between herself and him, and completely left his life!
Madelyn had let go, but he couldn't!
He sat alone in the office all night, his ashtray full of cigarette butts as he pondered over the memories.
As the sky began to lighten, he finally called Paisley, his voice hoarse. "Help me find out where that 'Morning Dew' piano went!"