My Repentant Brothers (Madeline Larson)

349

Rose and Chloe's names were trending online for two whole days.

As the online buzz faded, both of them were completely sidelined in the entertainment industry.

In the latest episode of the show, these two were still there, but their only role seemed to be showing how they bullied Madeline.

At first, Madeline was suspected because she was seen at a restaurant with them. But now, no one suspected her anymore. Madeline was completely cleared of any involvement in this matter.

Every night, some streamers invited her to play games. When she was free, she'd play a bit with Zell, but not very often.

She had been filming for two months and was nearly finished. As she was leaving the set, she bumped into someone familiar in the parking lot. It was Rose.

She wore a very simple tracksuit, a baseball cap, and large sunglasses that covered half of her face, showing just a bit of her delicate chin. Just from this look, her aura seemed much more worn-out. "Is something going on?"

"Can't I reach out to you if nothing's happening?" Rose chuckled, a complete contrast to the glamorous image she had during her heyday.

Her eyes were encircled with dark shadows, showing she hadn't had a good night's sleep these days. "Do you know what my life's been like recently? For the past two months, I haven't dared to truly fall asleep for a single moment. Countless fans unfollowed me, wishing they could tear me apart, and those journalists portrayed me as some kind of terrible woman. Madeline, you surely realize why this is happening? I honestly don't know whether to praise you for being so ruthless or for keeping things so well hidden."

Madeline furrowed her brow slightly. "I really don't know everything that happened back then, and I can't understand what you're saying." She shrugged, "If you don't have anything else to do, feel free to hang around here. Just don't expect me to keep you company." "Hold it right there!" Rose snapped, "I've got some dirt on you!"

Madeline wasn't bothered. As far as she knew, she didn't have any secrets that could be used against her. She calmly opened the car door.

"You've got a kid, don't you?" Rose raised an eyebrow triumphantly, with a hint of madness in her eyes. "You've been creating this image as the queen of eSports, but you've been married with a child all along. Do you really want people to find out about this?" She continued with a smirk, "If I spill this to the media, you'll probably end up in the same situation as me!"

"How do you know?" Madeline was curious. Hardly anyone knew she had adopted a child, and she had never taken the child out in public.

"The other day, someone called you, and I heard it. There was a guy talking about the baby not having any formula," Rose laughed. "Madeline, leaving your own child after only a few months, aren't you worried they'll go hungry at home? No wonder when I checked into you, I found you took a year off from acting and hardly showed up at school-you were off having a baby. Is it Mr. Sharp's kid?"

Madeline crossed her arms and looked at Rose as if she were a crazy woman. "What business is it of yours?"

"Oh, still being stubborn? Aren't you worried people will find out you're married with a kid? How old are you, anyway? You probably got pregnant before getting a marriage license!" Rose said with utter confidence. If news like this got out, it would be absolutely devastating for Madeline.

"I'm sure you're really scared right now, but there's no need to panic. I'm not going to spread this around. All I want is something simple-a hush payment. Considering your background, and with the show's producers supporting you, I'm sure you don't lack money." Madeline couldn't believe someone of Rose's stature would come to ask her for a hush payment. She must really be desperate for money. But Madeline didn't have any spare cash to give away. "Go ahead and tell people, I don't care. Do you have any proof? I could sue you for slander and might even win compensation for damaging my reputation."

11:07 AM

Rose's face darkened, realizing Madeline wouldn't be easy to negotiate with. "The company canceled my contract; I've lost all the big endorsements and the TV drama deals. I've put all my savings on the line. If I don't keep paying, I'll lose my house and car."

"Madeline, I'm not asking for much, just 10 million dollars... Give me 10 million and I'll disappear from your life completely, assuring you won't have any worries." Rose spoke with firm certainty. She wouldn't have reached this point if she hadn't been completely out of options. "I wouldn't give you 10 million dollars, not even 1 thousand," Madeline chuckled as she opened the car door and got in. "Say whatever you want, I don't care."

"Madeline!" Rose put her hands on the car window, her eyes full of frustration. "Don't forget who made me end up like this. I'm not blaming you; I'm just asking for 10 million dollars!" "Does your situation have anything to do with me?" Madeline rolled up the window and drove away.

Rose stood there, angrily stomping her foot. She was truly regretful. If she had just followed the right path, she wouldn't have ended up like this. For a moment of impulsive pride, she not only ruined her great future but also ended up with a debt she couldn't pay off. She was afraid to even look at her phone because it always had reminders from the bank. Going home wasn't easy either, fearing reporters would ambush her, and people often wrote curses on her door. She wanted to move, but no one would rent to her. "Madeline, how can you be so heartless? Am I not like this because of you?" she lamented.

Madeline was in a great mood. After wrapping up a busy work period, she could finally go home and relax for a while. She wouldn't need to be fully dedicated until summer vacation, so she'd have at least a month to take it easy.

The car pulled up to the house, and as soon as Madeline walked in, she heard the sound of a child crying from inside. Madeline pushed open the door and saw Gavin in the living room holding a baby. Next to him, there was a young woman with a round face, holding a baby bottle. She appeared very friendly.

"Madeline, you're finally back!" Gavin said, a bit stressed. "Mr. and Mrs. Lewis were taken by their old friends from your village earlier this month. They're probably going to stay for another week before coming back. This is my friend Loretta. She happened to come to Japrium about two weeks ago and has been regularly bringing me baby formula and diapers since then. You wouldn't believe it, this kid is like a bottomless pit now, drinking so much every day. Just look, in the two months you haven't been here, they've put on quite a bit of weight, haven't they?"

Madeline walked up and picked up the baby, who indeed was a bit heavier now.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

She raised her eyebrows slightly when she noticed not just the baby's clothes hanging on the balcony, but also some women's intimate clothing. "Is there enough room here?"