Chapter 7 Cutting Ties

"I don't give a damn about lecturing them. They aren't worth my time," Madelyn snapped without missing a beat.

The two maids had thought Madelyn would be scared and beg for forgiveness after Jason scolded her, but her response left them in shock.

Madelyn threw Jason a cold look. "You still employ thieves? Haven't you noticed how your things have a way of disappearing? Maybe you should check online thrift stores to see if any of your stuff is being sold."

Jason's face grew stormy, his piercing eyes shifting to the two maids.

Madelyn flashed him a frosty smile and headed upstairs to collect her things.

Just as she was about to leave them behind, a voice, full of rage, called out to her, "You're angry, huh? Is that why you went and told the press about our divorce?"

His company's PR team had just told him that multiple news outlets had been tipped off about their separation.

They were scrambling to remove the articles, but the flood of related stories online made it impossible to get a grip on the situation.

Madelyn had no clue what Jason was referring to and replied curtly, "I wouldn't sink that low."

She gathered her things in a hurry, but as soon as she stepped outside, her phone rang. It was her mother, Sharon Clark, on the line.

She had expected the Clarks would try to contact her. At first, she wasn't keen on going back, but after some thought, she saw it as a perfect chance to sever all ties. So, she decided to return home.

When she opened the door, Madelyn saw her father, Roger Clark, along with Sharon, Connor, and Rebecca, all gathered in the living room.

Rebecca was sitting with her head lowered, sniffing every now and then. Her eyes were puffy and red, making it obvious that she had been crying.

The moment Madelyn walked in, she could hear her father's furious voice.

"What's been going on with you lately? It's all your fault that Rebecca had a fight with her husband! Apologize to her right now, and then you're coming with me to apologize to Evan!"

Roger had always been the strict parent. His word was the rule at home.

Madelyn used to be afraid of him, but now she just gave him a scornful look, not bothered by his anger.

"I didn't come here to apologize," she said. "I'm here to tell you that I'm done with the Clark family. I'm cutting all ties with you."

Roger froze. "What did you say? Cutting all ties?"

Both Roger and Sharon's faces shifted-one filled with shock, the other with rage.

Roger was shaking with fury. "So, you're throwing another fit? Do you have any idea how much we've put into you since you came back to the Clark family? And now you want to walk away? Fine. Pay us back the five million we've spent on you, and I'll let you go!"

"Five million?" Madelyn sneered.

She had only been with the Clarks for five years, and they had the nerve to claim they spent a million on her each year? The nerve!

"Madelyn, don't make Mom and Dad more upset. Their health isn't great, and they can't take the strain!"

Rebecca looked at her, tears in her eyes, but there was a hint of mockery in her gaze.

"Rebecca, just forget about her," Connor snapped, his eyes filled with fury as he glared at Madelyn. "If she wants to walk away, fine! She thinks she's so independent? Let's see how she manages without the Clark family's help!"

"Madelyn, how could you say something like that?" Sharon began, her voice rising. "I carried you for nine months and gave you life..."

She was cut off by Madelyn's sharp retort. "You gave birth to me, then lost me, and handed all your love to Rebecca."

Had the Clark family shown her even a little kindness, things wouldn't have turned out this way.

But instead of offering her any care, they only expected her to give everything for them.

"I'll pay back everything you've spent on me," she said, offering Roger a faint smile.

Roger was taken aback. "You have five million? Where on earth did you get that cash?"

"Hang on a sec."

Madelyn had believed that severing ties with the Clark family would be difficult, but Roger's straightforward request made everything much easier.

Thrilled, she made her way to the dark and musty storage room at the end of the first floor. That space had essentially served as her bedroom in the Clark household.

Before long, she pulled a small booklet out from under the floor tiles and opened it up, laying the pages before Roger.

"On the day I came back, you held a celebratory dinner. It cost a total of 3, 700 dollars, which averages out to 529 dollars for me."

She had just begun to read the first entry on the first page when the faces of everyone there shifted-shock, disbelief, and even a bit of fear crept in.

Madelyn had been keeping tabs on everything since she returned to the Clark family?

Every single expense from her time with them was recorded-every detail carefully noted.

"Later, I headed off to college. Thanks to my excellent grades, I earned a scholarship that took care of my tuition. However, when it came to living expenses, you only gave me one month's worth and then completely forgot to send any more."

Madelyn read every entry aloud to them.

She flipped to the last page of the booklet, using her fingertip to indicate the final amount.

"Throughout the years I spent with you, I've used a total of 49, 822. I'll round it up and pay you 50, 000, and then we can finally part ways."