Chapter 287 How Much Longer Are you Going to Give me the Cold Shoulder
Charlotte grabbed his hand and whispered, "So, all these relatives and the good vibes can't keep you here? Or is it me you don't trust? You think I don't want her saved, huh?"
Frederick frowned. "Charlotte, that's not what I meant!"
Charlotte looked down and gave a small smile. She didn't want to scare Lola or stress out the elders during New Year's.
She lowered her voice. "You just said you wanted to be a good husband and have a peaceful life together. Now you are concerned about a woman who's clearly got a thing for you. Frederick, are you some justice warrior, or can't you just let go of her?"
She finally said it.
Frederick's face got serious. "Charlotte, stop it!"
Charlotte gently let go of his hand. In that moment, she felt a bit lost.
She forced a smile, walked over to hug Lola, and sat at the dining table.
She whispered, "Daddy's got something to do and needs to go out. Let's eat with Grandpa and Grandma first, okay?"
Lola nodded but looked disappointed.
Charlotte kept soothing her gently.
She didn't look at Frederick again.
She was disappointed.
Patrick couldn't take it anymore and snapped, "Frederick, if you go out, I'll break your legs."
Frederick replied calmly, "Dad, it's a matter of life and death."
He looked at Charlotte, hoping she'd say something, even if it was to blame him or just look at him. But she didn't. She seemed to have given up, focusing on taking care of the kid.
Patrick wanted to break Frederick's legs.
Charlotte spoke softly, "Dad, let him go."
Patrick felt really bad for Charlotte. Back then, Frederick made Charlotte wait for him, and now he was like this.
Frederick eventually left.
When he walked out of Hawkins Mansion, heavy snow was falling.
Sitting in the car, he contacted the helicopter, and the rescue was making progress.
But he didn't leave right away. He stared at his phone for a while, then dialed Charlotte's number.
The phone rang, but no one answered.
She was mad.
Frederick thought for a moment and sent a message: [I'll be back tomorrow morning]
After sending it, he waited for a while, but Charlotte didn't reply.
Frederick put out his cigarette, and as he rolled up the car window, he glanced at the brightly lit villa, which looked so warm.
He rolled up the window without any expression.
Then, he gently pressed the gas pedal.
He didn't make it back for several days.
After Brenda was rescued, she was admitted to the ICU.
On New Year's morning, Charlotte woke up, lying quietly on the big bed, her fingers gently tracing the pillow.
She slowly got up, washed up, fed Kingsley, and then spent some time with Lola.
At ten, she handed out bonuses to all the household staff. They loved her and kept saying nice things about how great her and Frederick's relationship was.
Charlotte smiled faintly and called over two older staff members, "Help me clear out a bedroom across from the kids' room. The furniture's coming this afternoon."
She already had the design plans ready.
She was setting up a suite and planned to move in there; basically, she wanted to sleep separately from Frederick.
The staff were surprised but didn't say much.
They quietly informed Chloe.
That afternoon, Chloe secretly called Frederick from her room.
Frederick was still in City T.
He answered Chloe's call in the hospital corridor and asked in a low voice, "How's Charlotte? Is she still mad?"
These past few days, Charlotte hadn't answered his calls or replied to his messages.
He knew it wouldn't be easy to make things right.
Chloe's voice was shaky. "Dad's super mad. Charlotte cleared out a room. I think she wants to draw a line with you, Frederick. You need to come back quick."
Charlotte wanted to separate.
Frederick was stunned.
After a moment, he whispered, "Got it. I'll hang up now."
He hung up and immediately dialed Charlotte's number.
Surprisingly, Charlotte answered.
For a moment, he didn't know what to say. After a while, he finally said in a hoarse voice, "Happy New Year."
Charlotte was silent for a long time before she said, "Happy New Year to you too."
Frederick quickly said, "I'll be back this afternoon."
He then explained in a low voice.
On the other end, Charlotte was directing people to place the furniture. Hearing this, she lowered her eyes and sneered. "Whatever!"
Charlotte finished speaking and hung up.
She continued directing the workers, and soon, the suite was set up.
After everything was arranged, Charlotte rested on the sofa.
In the afternoon, she didn't see anyone.
In her private space, she held the diary Frederick had left for her and read it carefully.
Her eyes were moist.
She missed him a lot.
She longed for the love they had shared.
At four in the afternoon, a black Maybach slowly stopped, and Frederick got out.
Patrick and Laura had taken the kids out, and the villa was eerily quiet for New Year's. Frederick stopped a staff member and asked in a slightly hoarse voice, "Where's Charlotte?"
The servant knew they had quarreled and hesitated for a moment. "She's upstairs."
Frederick nodded and slowly went upstairs.
He was still wearing the same clothes from two or three days ago, without having changed. Normally, he would take a shower first because he liked to stay clean, but he wanted to see Charlotte first.
Frederick easily found Charlotte.
Under the dim yellow light, she was lying on the sofa, asleep, looking very soft and gentle.
As he approached, he saw a glimmer at the corner of her eye.
Had she been crying?
Frederick felt a pang of guilt. He propped one hand beside her and bent down to kiss her.
Charlotte woke up.
Her long eyelashes fluttered slightly, and then she met his gaze. After a moment, she fully woke up and sat up gently. "You're back?"
Frederick could hear the coldness in her tone.
He looked around the room.
The bedroom was arranged very comfortably and clearly meant for long-term use. He then lowered his head and said softly, "You're angry with me, but you still can't bear to leave, right? You didn't move out, which means you still care about our marriage."
Charlotte slowly closed the book.
Her face was covered with a thin layer of frost, and she sneered. "Mr. Hawkins, you think highly of yourself. I'm doing this for Lola. You haven't forgotten about Lola's condition, have you?"
Frederick was visibly stunned.
Lola had autism, so she was maintaining the marriage for the sake of the child?
Charlotte's voice was very soft. "That's it. You should leave now."
Her attitude treated him as if he were a stranger.
Just a few days ago, she had been in his car, looking intoxicated and saying, "Frederick, I want to kiss you."
Frederick didn't leave.
Not only did he not leave, but he also grabbed Charlotte's wrist, not giving her a chance to escape. He wanted to kiss her, but as he leaned in, Charlotte turned her face away.
"Don't touch me!" she uttered in a fit of pique.
Frederick still wanted to kiss her, but Charlotte resisted fiercely.
Suddenly, her gaze froze, and her slender fingers pulled a long, fine hair from his shoulder.
The brown hair was clearly not Charlotte's.
Frederick frowned.
He hadn't been involved with any other woman. It definitely wasn't left by another woman, except for when Brenda had suddenly hugged him in the hospital, catching him off guard.
'Could it have been from that moment?' he wondered.
Charlotte laughed lightly. "How disgusting!"
She knew this was one of Brenda's little tricks, meant to drive a wedge between her and Frederick, but it was also an opportunity Frederick had given her.
She was tired and didn't want to deal with it anymore.
Frederick noticed the fatigue in her eyes and tried to soothe her, "I don't know when it got there. Believe me, I haven't done anything to betray you or the kids, okay?"
He was quite smart, subtly invoking the kids to reach her tenderest emotions.
Charlotte's lips curled into a cold smile.
Frederick found it painful to look at and wanted to kiss her. He didn't want to see her with that expression, as if she were giving up on him.
A slap echoed through the room.
Charlotte, unable to bear it any longer, said, "Get out."
Frederick was momentarily stunned.
When he came to his senses, his face didn't look good. He stared into her eyes and said, "Charlotte, it was a matter of life and death."
Charlotte closed her eyes wearily.
Her voice was light and ethereal. "Her life counts, but don't mine and Lola's count too? Frederick, do you think I'm cold-blooded? Let me tell you my true thoughts. I actually hope she dies! If she dies, then..."
"Charlotte!"
Frederick's voice was filled with anger. He wouldn't let her continue.
But Charlotte didn't care.
She used the gentlest tone to say the harshest words. "She better not have any other thoughts, or else, Mr. Hawkins, I don't mind challenging the law."
Frederick somewhat understood her meaning.
He stared at her, his chest heaving, and after a long moment, he said in a low voice, "Charlotte, which one is the real you? Look at yourself now, where is the gentleness?"
Charlotte threw a magazine at him. "Then you can consider me a bad woman."
Frederick gritted his teeth.
He still left.
He first went back to the master bedroom to take a shower.
In a very bad mood, he took off his coat and looked at it, thinking about the hair on it.
Without a second thought, he threw it into the trash can.
When he inadvertently opened the wardrobe in the closet, he was visibly stunned. The wardrobe that used to hold both the male and female owners' clothes was now half empty, with only his suits and shirts left, and none of Charlotte's beautiful dresses.
All her things were moved out.
At that moment, Frederick realized that Charlotte wasn't joking.
She was still in the Hawkins family, but in her heart, their marriage had nothing left except for the two kids.
While washing his face and shaving, he gently touched his face in the mirror.
He couldn't help but wonder how much did Charlotte still feel for this face?
They were in the same house, but had very few chances to meet.
Charlotte deliberately avoided him.
When he was with Lola, she would return to her bedroom. Even when nursing Kingsley, she would politely ask him to leave, as if he were a stranger to her.
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