The Rewritten Love: A Second Beginning (Madelyn) novel Chapter 1

On February 14th, Valentine’s Day, Madelyn Jent, a 31-year-old woman, lost her battle to cancer. 

Inside a room in SereneCare Hospital in Ventropolis, the air was filled with a strong scent of disinfectant. 

[Zach, the doctor inserted a painful dialysis needle in me today.] 

[I’m on the verge of death. Could you spare a moment to visit me?] 

[Please, Zach…] 

Madelyn weakly turned her head and glanced at the text messages on her phone. Despite sending multiple messages, they seemed to vanish into thin air. Zach Jardin hadn’t responded to any of them. 

Drips hung from the back of her hand, her face was pale, and her body was emaciated, with sunken eyes. Cancer had ravaged her limbs, causing them to deteriorate. She was completely immobile, unable to perform even the simplest tasks. The nurse assigned to care for her hadn’t shown up for almost two weeks, citing that further treatment was unnecessary. 

Madelyn couldn’t bear pain or hardship, but in the advanced stages of her cancer, she had to endure daily torment. The only thing that kept her going was her love for Zach. However, as her overwhelming love for him faded, she was left with nothing but a skeletal figure, a mere shell of her former self. 

Madelyn switched off her phone and silently awaited the embrace of death. The pain blurred her consciousness, and amidst her bitter thoughts, she reminisced about the eight years she had devoted to being Zach’s faithful wife. She had invested her heart and soul in standing by his side, only to find herself in this wretched condition. One by one, those around her had abandoned her, leaving her alone, destitute, and betrayed. 

Madelyn couldn’t help but think that Zach would perhaps feel the greatest relief upon her demise. With her gone, he would be liberated and no longer subjected to the sight of her loathsome face. He could finally satisfy his longing to bring Cecilia Samford home as his wife. 

Eight months ago, on Zach’s birthday, Madelyn sat on the couch, anxiously waiting for his return. It was well past two o’clock in the morning, and the carefully prepared meal on the table had grown cold. Instead of Zach, it was his assistant who arrived, bearing a divorce agreement. The assistant delivered the news hesitantly, saying, “Madam, Mr. Jardin had no choice. The Jardin Corporation is a vast enterprise that requires an heir.” 

Madelyn forced a pale smile. A few years ago, she had been pregnant, but an accident resulted in a stillborn child. Since then, her uterus had been damaged, rendering her unable to conceive. 

Zach, now in his early thirties, indeed needed an heir. That was why he wished to divorce her and seek a woman who could bear children. 

Madelyn dismissed the assistant and trembled as she dialed Zach’s number. She wanted Zach to be the one delivering the news personally. The call connected, but instead of Zach, it was Cecilia’s voice that reached her. In that instant, the sound of Cecilia’s voice caused a dull ache in Madelyn’s heart. 

After she hung up the phone, Madelyn found herself laughing at her own expense. The laughter echoed through the room, mingling with tears that welled up in her eyes. 

Ever since her father handed over the company to Zach, it took less than five years for him to ascend to the position of CEO in a prominent conglomerate in Ventropolis. Zach became a commanding figure in the business world, exerting influence through both legal and illegal means. With his undeniable charisma, he always attracted a flock of beautiful and captivating women. Among them, Cecilia Samford was the one who had remained by his side the longest.