The Day I Stopped Waiting Was the Day He Started Begging novel Chapter 98

So, in her eyes, love was a fleeting thing, doomed to fade.

Promises of forever were just a byproduct of a hormone rush, meant to be enjoyed in the moment and forgotten the next.

But over the last two years, watching Madeline piece herself back together from the utter devastation of a cliff-drop breakup changed her mind.

She finally understood that lyrics about loving too deeply, drowning in it, and walking away utterly scarred weren't just overdramatic poetry—they were agonizing reality.

For some people, just letting go took every ounce of strength they possessed.

To outsiders, a breakup looked like liberation. But the actual process broke bones and shattered spirits.

Everyone mocked hopeless romantics.

But it was exactly because of love in all its forms that this cold, indifferent world still held any hope.

No one could truly feel the history of another person's heart, so who were they to pass judgment?

Even Sloane couldn't fully comprehend what York meant to Madeline.

She could only vaguely sense that entirely ripping him out of Madeline's life might not end well.

"Maddy, don't overthink it. I have plenty of tricks up my sleeve."

"My mom handled all your medical records back then, and she specifically had you transferred to Oakridge Clinic for a reason."

"That day won't come."

"York might be an absolute bastard, but he wouldn't necessarily be cruel to you."

Even as she said it, Sloane lacked conviction.

As an outsider, she couldn't read York's feelings for Madeline at all.

Let alone the people actually trapped in the relationship.

Madeline remained silent, struggling to even untangle her own heart.

"Sloane, it's impossible to trust a lover who gives you the silent treatment for two years without a single word of explanation."

"Down to his very bones, York has always been cold and ruthless."

She stared blankly at the blinding white walls of the hospital, her voice little more than a whisper.