Chapter 377 His Memory Was Back (Part 1)
Charlotte shot Tina a look.
Tina's face gave her away. But Charlotte didn't have solid evidence.
Without missing a beat, Charlotte said, "Tina, you never loved him. It's always been about you."
To Tina, Ethan was just some shiny toy she could never have.
The very foundation of this love was warped from the outset.
After dropping the bomb, Charlotte turned and walked off.
She moved slowly, Jenna by her side, looking all calm and collected.
Tina was burning with jealousy.
Charlotte had it all.
Power, money, and a bunch of guys who were crazy about her.
If it wasn't for Gabriel that day, Charlotte would be six feet under. If she was gone, Tina would finally chill!
Over at Vertex Innovations Group, Frederick was signing off on a mountain of paperwork, sipping his coffee by the big window.
He stared outside.
Looked like snow was coming.
Cherie stood behind him and said quietly, "Charlotte went to the cemetery, but she's back at the hospital now."
Frederick's grip on his cup tightened.
He didn't say a word.
Snowflakes started to fall.
Christmas was just around the corner. After everything that went down and that wild dream, he figured Charlotte's head must be spinning.
Frederick got it.
But he had some good news she didn't know yet.
Like, he got his memories back.
The next day, Charlotte got out of the hospital.
The Hawkins family wanted to throw a big bash, but with Charlotte being pregnant, they decided to keep it low-key and just had a fun get-together at home.
Downstairs, the barbecue was fired up, and the smell had the kids drooling. Frederick told them to sit tight and went upstairs to get Charlotte for dinner.
In the cozy living room on the second floor, the heat was cranked up.
Charlotte was chilling on the sofa, flipping through a parenting book.
Frederick stood at the door, just watching her.
She was in a loose sweater and skirt, not really showing much of her baby bump, but looking super feminine.
Even though they had their moments in the hospital, it wasn't the same as being home.
Frederick walked over, couldn't help but kiss the soft spot behind her ear, teasing her, "You've already had two kids, why are you still reading this?"
Charlotte kissed him back, naturally.
After a long kiss, she whispered, "I want the kids' dad to read it too. I shouldn't be the only one doing the work."
Frederick's mind drifted back to the old days.
When Charlotte had Lola, he was off to Novaria for some lawsuit, and that same morning, their villa blew up.
When she had Kingsley, Brenda messed things up, and Charlotte didn't get the rest she needed.
Thinking about it now, he felt like a total jerk.
Frederick sat next to her, pressing his forehead against hers. "I'll take good care of the kids' mom. Promise!"
Charlotte looked up at him, her eyelashes fluttering a bit.
Had he remembered?
Frederick didn't say a word, just held her close. He pulled something out of his pocket and gently placed it in Charlotte's hand, saying, "This is for you; keep it."
Charlotte looked down.
In her palm was a pieced-together necklace.
It was the one Ethan had given her.
Without it, she might not have made it back then.
Charlotte gently touched it. "When did you get so generous?"
Frederick looked at her and grinned. "Tell me, when was I not generous?"
Charlotte gave a faint smile.
Frederick saw her calm face and felt a wave of emotion.
He knew he loved her, but after getting his memories back, it felt different.
A lot of good times with Charlotte were just between them, not written down anywhere.
Those private moments were their secret.
Frederick rested his chin on Charlotte's shoulder and whispered, "Let's go out for Christmas, okay?"
Charlotte took a box and put the necklace away.
She asked casually, "Where are we going?"
"The apartment."
When he said that, Charlotte's cheeks turned a bit red. In that dream, they had been pretty cozy in the apartment. Now that he mentioned it, he probably had some plans.
Charlotte held the box.
She turned her head to kiss him, then touched his face and murmured her agreement.
Frederick, thrilled, couldn't help but feel a bit competitive. He pulled Charlotte into his arms and asked softly, "Charlotte, in your heart, do I beat Ethan?"
They already had three kids.
But he was still insecure.
Charlotte could feel that Frederick was caring about her and she liked that.
As they headed downstairs for dinner, she asked him worriedly, "Is your leg okay?"
Frederick scooped her up. "It's okay; I can carry you downstairs."
Charlotte playfully hit him, "Put me down; Mom and Dad are here!"
"No way! We're legally married." Frederick kissed her lips, his eyes blazing with intensity.
Downstairs, Mr. and Mrs. Hawkins didn't bat an eye; they were used to this!
But there was an extra guest in the house.
It was Andrew.
Andrew had just arrived, snowflakes still clinging to him. As soon as he walked in, he saw the cozy scene and sneered. "Frederick, getting all romantic in your old age, huh?"
Frederick had his memory back, but no one else knew.
He gently placed Charlotte on a chair, smiling calmly. "Andrew, I'm only 35!"
Andrew's refined face showed a hint of discomfort.
Frederick glanced at Gavin, who was sitting at the dining table, behaving but too shy to call him Dad.
Frederick patted Gavin's head. "Andrew's here; why don't you say hi?"
Andrew ruffled Gavin's hair.
Then he gave Frederick a long look. This guy could fool others, but not him. He must've remembered something, right?
Andrew didn't spell it out. He sat next to Chloe and said softly, "I've been swamped lately. Barely have time to drop by. Gotta catch a flight later."
If he couldn't fly, he'd have to drive back.
Chloe stayed silent.
A few months ago, he had set up their home. She thought the tough times were over and was tempted to accept his proposal, but he always had endless work.
And she, in endless waiting, had worn down her trust.
Andrew got it.
But with so many people around, he couldn't say much!
During the lively family dinner, as Frederick tenderly served Charlotte food, Andrew felt a pang of envy. He envied that they had a complete family, no matter the ups and downs, they stuck together.
He wished he could be that carefree!
Andrew felt a bit down.
Gavin served him a piece of food. "Daddy, eat."
Andrew felt a warmth in his heart, patted his son, and looked at Chloe.
Chloe pretended not to notice.
After dinner, she had an ad shoot, and her assistant was already waiting in the car.
In the bathroom, Andrew cornered her.
He looked at her beautiful face in the mirror, his voice a bit rough. "Can't you reschedule? It's rare for us to see each other."
Chloe applied lipstick, turned around, and gently pushed him. "I'm gonna be late!"
Andrew wouldn't let her go.
He wrapped one arm around her waist and locked the bathroom door.
Chloe couldn't push him away.
She just leaned against the wall, her head slightly tilted, looking a bit lost.
She said softly, "Andrew, you always have a million things to do. You probably don't even remember our son's birthday! I know you think my work is trivial, so I should just drop everything for you. When you show up, I should reschedule my work. Do you know how many people I have to inform and how many favors I owe when I reschedule? Andrew, you never know! You never care about my feelings."
Maybe she was just too disappointed, so she decided to let it all out.
She had figured it out. Instead of waiting around for Andrew, she should focus on herself.
Gavin needed her to be a role model too.
Andrew's gaze was intense.
He couldn't argue. He could see that the little girl who used to cling to him and call him Andrew had really grown up.
But he wished she could stay innocent forever.
Chloe felt a pang of sadness; she didn't want to fight with him.
She lowered her head and whispered, "I have to go! When are you leaving? If you have time, spend it with Gavin! At his age, he should be in school. You don't know how much he envies Lola and Johnny."
Andrew felt a stab of guilt hearing this.
He still wouldn't let her go, holding her slender shoulders with one hand and lighting a cigarette with the other.
He only smoked half before putting it out, then leaned in to kiss her.
Andrew kissed her deeply, but did nothing else.
Chloe initially resisted, but eventually, her body softened.
But there were tears in her eyes.
Andrew let her go, still resting his forehead against hers, gently straightening her clothes.
He had wronged her, made her suffer enough.
That project had to be done soon, but Andrew no longer had the guts to promise her anything, fearing she'd be let down again.
After a long while, he said softly, "Don't let Gavin see, or he'll think I bullied you."
Chloe, feeling wronged, hit his shoulder a few times.
She pushed the door open and left.
Andrew followed her out, watching her get into the car. In the car, besides her assistant, there was a very young guy, probably someone from her studio.
Andrew watched quietly.
The car eventually drove away.
Andrew walked back to the villa, where the large hall was now empty except for Frederick sitting on the sofa.
Andrew sat across from him and asked calmly, "Your memory is back, right?"
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