Chapter 349 Ethan Passed Away (Part 1)
Frederick rolled in close to midnight, dragging his tired self through the front door.
The hall had one lonely light on, and the whole place was dead quiet.
First stop, he checked on the kids upstairs, then yanked off his tie and headed to the master bedroom. Charlotte was already out cold, the room lit only by some weak moonlight.
Frederick stood at the foot of the bed for a sec, then shuffled into the bathroom.
His coat and shirt stank of smoke and booze. He chucked them into the laundry basket.
After a quick shower, he slid in behind Charlotte.
Her breathing was steady, but he knew she was awake, just playing possum.
Frederick kissed the back of her neck and whispered, "Aren't you gonna ask me?"
Charlotte's body tensed up a bit, but she stayed silent.
Frederick thought about the crap he took from those people tonight, and her telling him to find someone younger. Feeling pissed, he grabbed her slim waist and pulled her closer.
They'd never had such quiet sex before; not a word was spoken.
It felt like a silent release.
Luckily, he remembered to use protection. After it was over, Charlotte didn't even bother to shower and just crashed in a side-lying position.
Frederick tossed the blanket aside and got up.
While showering, he wondered, how did it come to this?
He didn't see her reaction; instead, he felt even worse because of this sex.
Early morning, Charlotte stayed home to do some housework.
She packed Frederick's clothes from last night into a laundry bag, planning to have Dana take them to the dry cleaners. But as soon as she picked up the shirt, she caught a whiff of some faint perfume.
It was a scent young girls used.
Charlotte was stunned.
Frederick came home so late last night; was he letting a woman get close to him as a form of revenge or a declaration of war?
She checked again and found no lipstick marks on the shirt.
However, while tidying up the jacket, a fragrant business card fell out of the pocket.
[Universal Studios——Elizabeth.]
Half an hour later, Elizabeth's info was in front of her.
She was 21 years old. Young, hot, and a decent actress.
Charlotte held the photo.
The Elizabeth in the photo looked about 80% like herself, with obvious signs of cosmetic surgery. No doubt, Elizabeth's target was Frederick.
And Frederick brought the scent of her perfume home.
Maybe when Elizabeth slipped the card into his pocket, he wasn't clueless; he just wanted to see Charlotte's reaction.
Charlotte slowly torched the info, watching it turn to ash.
Jenna leaned in, lowering her voice. "Universal Studios is a new gig; the boss is Tina."
Charlotte extended her slender fingers, gently supporting her head.
Jenna hesitated for a moment, then softly asked, "Ms. Russell, should we teach her a lesson?"
Charlotte asked leisurely, "Should we kidnap and beat her, or find someone to make an indecent video with her?"
Jenna clapped in approval.
Charlotte shot her a glance. After a moment, she softly said, "Not only will I not go against her, but I will also elevate her!"
Wasn't the starlet just looking for fame?
She'd help Tina make her even more famous.
Jenna was slightly stunned.
Charlotte smiled faintly. "With my connections, give her some good resources and make her famous in the shortest time possible. Wait, and check her plastic surgery records and her past for me!"
Jenna looked at Charlotte's serene face and swallowed.
She immediately got to work on it!
That day, Elizabeth got an invite to a variety show. She thought it was because of Frederick and wanted to call him to thank him.
But she didn't have his private number, so she had to call the company.
After several transfers, Cherie answered her call and politely said, "I will pass the message to Mr. Hawkins."
Elizabeth quickly thanked her. She put down the phone, and Tina was right beside her.
Tina, puffing on a long, thin cigarette, said unhurriedly, "You're still too green now; you can't compare to Charlotte! Youth isn't everything. You gotta have the right demeanor. You can't match the grace cultivated by a wealthy family like Charlotte's! But once you become a top actress, you won't be any worse than her!"
Elizabeth was her trump card.
She was gonna spend a lot of money to make her famous!
Men knew how to choose between a young, beautiful lover and a boring wife.
Tina left the office building.
Unexpectedly, she got a call from Ethan. Seeing the call, she was dazed for a long time.
Finally, she answered, her voice sharp. "Mr. Cooper, what brings you to call me today? I thought you had long forgotten about me."
"Let's meet." Ethan hung up the phone.
He was in his office, playing with the necklace.
It was the birthday gift he had given, which Charlotte had Jenna return, and she hadn't even left a word for him. He really didn't understand why she didn't consider him as she was unhappy now?
Ethan lifted his gaze slightly, eyes glued to the screen on his laptop.
He had the video from the school anniversary playing.
He'd lost count of how many times he'd watched it, but Charlotte stayed ice-cold.
About ten minutes later, Ethan set off.
He arranged to meet Tina at a hotel.
In a swanky suite, Tina was rocking a sexy silk nightgown with a matching robe, lounging on the sofa, sipping red wine. Her figure and demeanor were on point.
Ethan walked in.
She smiled lightly. "What? Here to plead for Charlotte?"
Ethan sat across from her.
They had history, so he was chill, pouring himself a glass of red wine.
Tina just watched him.
In her twenties, she felt super insecure around him because she wasn't clean and had been with Robert. So even when she climbed into his bed, she was still a secret lover.
But now it was different.
At this age, whoever had the cash got to call the shots.
Ethan downed two glasses of wine and looked at Tina. "Tell your people not to mess with Charlotte's family."
Tina held her wine glass and laughed, tilting her head back.
She laughed until tears fell, then asked, "Are you heartbroken? Afraid she'll cry in secret?"
She leaned in, resting against his chest, her slender fingers teasing him. "Ethan, how many times do I have to tell you that the Charlotte now is not the same pitiful girl from before? Otherwise, how do you think she managed to hold onto the position of Mrs. Hawkins so firmly?"
"Then you shouldn't provoke her even more!"
"What can I do? I can't stand her! Because of her, Sawyer went to prison, and my wealth shrank by more than half. How could I not hate her?" Tina gritted her teeth. "One day, I will surpass her!"
Ethan had been through the wringer.
He'd tasted the power of the Hawkins family and Andrew. Even when Charlotte was running Vertex Innovations Group, he had taken hits from her. He never believed Tina could be a match for Charlotte.
But Ethan felt that Elizabeth could hurt Charlotte.
Tina cupped his handsome face, her voice trembling slightly. "Ethan, if you sleep with me, I won't let Elizabeth get close to Frederick."
Ethan wasn't naive; he didn't buy it. But he didn't mind sleeping with Tina.
He didn't care who he slept with, so it didn't matter if it was Tina.
He planned to sleep with her today because he realized that someone as messed up as him matched perfectly with Tina. He didn't need to put on a front with her; he could let loose without any shame.
A few hours of indulgence filled the void in his heart.
The sky turned dark.
Ethan leaned on the sofa, smoking, while Tina clung to his waist, softly saying, "Don't leave tonight!"
But he pushed her away and started getting dressed.
Ethan left, and Tina angrily threw a pillow.
Downstairs at the hotel, Ethan sat in his car.
His body was satisfied, but he felt extremely empty inside. He would never get the person he wanted again.
Charlotte! Charlotte!
Ethan drove his black sports car, feeling somewhat dazed.
At that moment, he desperately wished for another life. If there were another life, he wanted to cherish Charlotte properly, to give her happiness and make her suffer less!
The late autumn night was veiled in a soft, misty rain.
His car passed by Charlotte's villa, where the lights were warm inside.
He imagined her inside, teaching the kids to play the piano, and making little cakes for them.
On the way home, Daisy called, talking about household matters and Jenny's unhappy marriage.
The windshield wipers swung back and forth.
But the rain gradually intensified, making it impossible to see the road ahead.
Ethan held the phone, distracted, not noticing a large truck overturning on the left. After a sharp screech of brakes, the massive vehicle crushed the black sports car.
Blood slowly trickled down from his forehead, obscuring his vision.
His whole body hurt!
He could barely move, surrounded by darkness. He knew he wouldn't survive.
Ethan struggled to unbuckle his seatbelt.
With a bloodied hand, he gently reached into his pocket, where there was the necklace.
His trembling hand pulled it out.
Ethan never knew how much he loved Charlotte until that day at the school anniversary. He was in his middle age, sitting beside the girl he had missed, who was now living an unhappy life. At that moment, he knew it was his punishment.
'Charlotte. Someone as despicable as me doesn't dare to ask you to shed a tear for me. I only wish you would accept my feelings. Perhaps you don't believe it, but I have truly loved you!'
Darkness slowly enveloped him.
In the last moments of his life, he remembered that night.
He came home, pushed open the door, and under the warm light, Charlotte had prepared dinner and was slumping over the table waiting for him.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
