Chapter 4 - The Crack in the Engagement
While I remained in the hospital under police protection, the fallout in Lake Forest was swift and destructive.
Ethan Cole was not a fool. Though his family was wealthy and prominent in Chicago high society, his father was a former federal prosecutor who had raised Ethan to value integrity above all else.
The day after the incident at the mansion, Ethan met Madison at a quiet cafe far from her family’s estate.
Madison sat across from him, wearing a white silk blouse and oversized sunglasses, looking entirely unbothered. She sipped her iced coffee and sighed dramatically.
“Ethan, darling, this entire nightmare has been so exhausting,” Madison complained, adjusting her diamond engagement ring. “My mother and I have had to deal with terrible rumors. Emily’s little scene ruined our entire engagement party, and now she’s spreading insane lies to the police.”
Ethan stared at her, his hands folded tightly on the table. “She has a broken neck, Madison. And seventeen old bone fractures.”
Madison waved her hand dismissively. “You know how frail she is! She’s always had weak bones or whatever. She probably got those playing sports as a child and forgot about them. She’s completely unstable, Ethan. Honestly, I think the fall knocked her memory out of alignment.”
“She said you looked at her, smiled, and pushed her,” Ethan said quietly.
Madison’s expression froze for a fraction of a second before melting into a pout. “Are you actually taking her side over mine? I’m your fiancée! Why would I push my own cousin down the stairs?”
“Because of her trust fund,” Ethan said directly.
Madison stiffened. The color drained from her cheeks, replaced by a sudden, dangerous stillness. “What did you say?”
“My father had a contact check the public filings regarding the Bennett estate,” Ethan said, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper. “Emily turns twenty-five in less than two weeks. If she’s dead or incapacitated, your mother gets thirty million dollars. And let’s be honest, Madison—your father’s company has been hemorrhaging money for three years. You needed that trust fund to pay off your family’s debts and keep up appearances.”
“That is a complete lie!” Madison hissed, her voice sharp enough to cut glass. “How dare you accuse my family of something so disgusting? I loved Emily!”
“You laughed,” Ethan said, his eyes filled with disgust. “When she fell, when she was bleeding on the floor, you laughed and said it was a joke. I heard you, Madison. Everyone in that hallway heard you.”
He slowly stood up from the table. Unclasping his watch, he placed it on the table, followed by his copy of their wedding registry plans.
“The wedding is off,” Ethan said firmly. “And I’m going to the police to give a full statement about everything I saw and heard that night.”
May you like
Madison sprang out of her chair, her mask of cold perfection finally shattering into ugly rage. “You can’t leave me, Ethan! You do this, and I will destroy you! I will ruin your family’s reputation!”
“You can’t destroy anything anymore, Madison,” Ethan said coldly as he turned his back on her. “You’ve already destroyed yourself.”
