Chapter: 47

“Okay," Bethany murmured quietly, like a guilty child caught in the act.

However, just as she turned to leave, Maddie suddenly said, “Please take good care of him for me, okay?"

Bethany looked back at her, confusion written all over her face.

Maddie continued in an earnest tone, "I know all about your relationship with him. He's doing this to provoke me, but what can I do? In a few years, he'll understand that I'm only doing this for his own good." In her heels, Maddie practically towered over Bethany.

She held Bethany's hand and said sincerely, "Please, Bethany, love him well on my behalf!"

Bethany pursed her lips. She didn't understand what was going on between Jonathan and Maddie, but it was obvious that Maddie was suffering because of it.

Moreover, Maddie seemed confident that her relationship with Jonathan was only temporary, and that sometime in the near future, Maddie would retake her place by Jonathan's side.

"Miss, my arrangement with Mr. Bates doesn't include loving him on your behalf," she said frankly.

Maddie frowned slightly, taken aback by the seemingly timid girl's directness. “Are you saying... you've fallen in love with him?"

“You've got the wrong idea." Bethany shook her head. "I meant that you and I are different. There's no way we can take each other's place."

Maddie's expression suddenly turned serious. “Bethany, have you ever looked in the mirror?"

"What do you mean?" Bethany asked in bewilderment.

"I'm sure you know why Jonathan chose you." Suddenly, Maddie's noble and proud demeanor returned. With a slight smile on her red Lips, she looked down at Bethany and said arrogantly, “I'm just giving you a friendly reminder."

Though she called it a “friendly reminder," it sounded more like a threat, as if she were warning a mistress.

But in fact, it was Bethany's name on the marriage certificate with Jonathan, not Maddie's.

Bethany felt indignant, but she was too scared to retort.

So, she held her tongue.

After all, what kind of misunderstanding would an open argument with Jonathan's beloved woman cause? There was no need to fight with Maddie. Besides, she didn't even like Jonathan, did she?

On the car ride back to East Shade Bay, Bethany remained silent, staring out the window absentmindedly.

Normally, being alone with Jonathan made her too awkward to speak, but today's silence felt different.

“Where'd you go just now?" Jonathan asked casually, his hands resting on the steering wheel as he waited for the red light to turn green.

"I just walked around."

"See anything interesting?"

Bethany shook her head.