Capítulo 4: Madelyn's Stand-in

Louis and Alicia arrived at Madelyn's hospital room an hour later. The fluorescent light glimmered in the hallways. Madelyn lay on the hospital bed, her body thin under the covers, her face pale, and her hair in a mess. Alicia took a second to distinguish between Madelyn and herself; they looked alike, but Madelyn looked like a delicate version of her. With a pair of arched eyebrows, a petite nose, and a small cherry mouth, she exuded a fragile, glass-like feel, while Alicia looked more detached and tough.

It dawned on Alicia that she had been a stand-in for Madelyn in Louis's heart all along. So this is why he married me after just one glance, three years ago, she chuckled self-deprecatingly.

"Louis, you're here," Madelyn's mother, Bella, greeted them, her eyes sweeping over Alicia with suspicion.

Louis nodded slightly, and Bella walked over to Madelyn's bed, gently patting her shoulder. "Madelyn, Louis is here to see you."

Madelyn slowly opened her eyes and looked at Alicia's face. She didn't seem surprised at all, as if she had already known that the two of them looked alike.

"I didn't attempt suicide, Louis," Madelyn said, her voice trembling with tears. "I just couldn't sleep and took a few too many sleeping pills. My mother overreacted and insisted on taking me to the hospital for gastric lavage. I'm sorry for troubling you and Alicia to come here so late."

Bella scolded her with red eyes, "A FEW PILLS? You took almost a whole bottle! If I hadn't discovered it in time, you would have..."

She couldn't finish her sentence and started sobbing.

Louis sat down next to Madelyn's bed and spoke with a gentle yet reproachful tone. "You're not allowed to do something so foolish again, understand?"

Madelyn nodded pitifully, and Louis wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, his movements as gentle as if he were wiping the most precious porcelain.

Alicia gazed at Louis with envy. After three years of marriage, he had never shown her this kind of tenderness. "I'll go now. You two can continue your chat," she said with a lump in her throat.

"Explain to Madelyn before you go," Louis said, looking at her with a faint expression.

Alicia took a deep breath and said, "Miss Monroe, Louis and I didn't want to upset Grandma, so..." Her throat tightened, and she couldn't continue, so she turned around and left.

Madelyn said to Louis, "Louis, you should go after Alicia. She seems upset."

"It's fine. She won't be," Louis said.

Madelyn sighed softly. "She has such a good temper. I didn't expect Alicia to have such an elegant temperament. She's not at all like someone from a small village. I thought she wouldn't be good enough for you."

"Although she grew up in a small village, her mother and grandmother were both teachers, and her grandfather was a retired antique book and painting restorer at the museum. She comes from an educated background," Louis explained.

"No wonder," Madelyn said.

There was a sudden silence between them.

After a while, Madelyn tentatively asked, "Alicia is beautiful and has such a good temperament. You must love her, right?"

Louis was looking down at his phone, his mind wandering. He looked up and asked, "What did you say?"

Disappointed, Madelyn's eyes flickered. "Why don't you go and see Alicia? It's not safe for a girl to be out so late at night."

Louis stood up. "I'll take her back and come back to see you."

"Go ahead," Madelyn said softly.

Louis got up and left.

Madelyn's face darkened as she watched Louis leave. She knew that he was still worried about Alicia, and she couldn't blame him for it. Better to let him be and not to make any trouble.

Bella scolded Madelyn, "What was the point of bringing him here, then? You just let him go?"

Madelyn sighed, "Can't you see how worried Louis is about Alicia? His mind is not here with us. We should just let him go. If something happens to her on the way home, he'll blame himself, and he might even blame me."

Bella clicked her tongue, exclaiming, "You're one sharp cookie for such a young girl."

When Louis finally found Alicia, she was waiting near the hospital gate. Her slim figure stood tall and proud against the cold spring wind, like a beautiful tree in a painting.

They walked shoulder to shoulder in silence like the dark night, not saying a word.

As they left the gate, Alicia hailed a taxi.

Louis grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards his car.

They got into the car, and Louis took out a card from his bag, stuffing it into Alicia's coat pocket. "I was in a bad mood tonight, so here's a little something for you. The password is your birthday."

Alicia felt insulted. Did he think I could be bought off so easily? Does he think I'm just like Madelyn, easily placated with money?

As they drove back to the Martinez family mansion, Louis's grandmother, Bonnie, called him. "Why aren't you answering my calls?"

"I'm almost home," Louis replied flatly before hanging up.

When they got to the mansion, they saw Bonnie slumped on the couch, with a pale face, but her eyes shone brightly as she looked at them.

"Give me your phone," she demanded.

Louis handed her his phone.

Bonnie dialed Madelyn's number and said sternly, "Miss Monroe, Louis is a married man. Please be mindful and don't call him for no reason! Since you broke up three years ago, don't look back, and don't have any delusions about Louis any longer!"

Without waiting for Madelyn's reply, Bonnie hung up and threw the phone on the coffee table.

Louis frowned. "Madelyn has severe depression and can't handle stress."

Bonnie sneered, "Even if she has cancer, it wouldn't be your concern. You should be caring for your wife who is by your side!"

Louis's eyes grew colder. "Grandma, you..."

Bonnie began coughing violently, covering her mouth.

Alicia hurried over to help her up.

She helped Bonnie lie down on the bed and comforted her, then returned to the guest room.

She saw Louis just finishing a call with Madelyn, his phone now resting on the nightstand. Alicia silently went to the couch and grabbed a long pillow, placing it in the middle of the bed. She also pulled out a set of sheets and covered herself with them.

It was already 3 am, and Alicia was extremely tired. Her mind was mush, and she didn't want to think about anything, just sleep.

As soon as her head hit the pillow, Alicia was out cold, sleeping soundly until the sun was high in the sky. When she opened her eyes, she was caught off guard by a chiseled, handsome face staring back at her, with deep-set eyes and a strong brow. The two were so close that she could feel his warm breath on her forehead, and she was wrapped up in his embrace, clinging tightly to his waist with her legs intertwined with his, a position that was intimate beyond words.

The air was thick with their passion.

Alicia recoiled as if struck by lightning, hastily releasing her grip on his waist. She scrambled away from his embrace, her expression a mix of reproach and astonishment. "How did I end up in your arms?" she asked.