Chapter 1198 The Sudden Truth
Patricia had reached her breaking point. She stormed over and slapped Charlotte multiple times. "All you ever talk about is how Martin's living it up with the Langley family while you were stuck abroad with your mom. You only see the glitz and glam! Have you ever thought about what he has gone through? His life was in danger!"
Charlotte wasn't buying it. "That's ridiculous! He's the firstborn in the Langley family. How could he be mistreated? Because he's the firstborn and a boy, he stayed with the Langley family when our parents split, and I had no choice but to go with Mom."
Her unhappy childhood memories brought tears to her eyes.
"While he was feasting at home, I was starving! While he was being spoiled and getting the best education, I was getting bullied by my classmates.
Do you know how many times I asked myself why this was happening to me?
What did I do wrong? Why did everyone abandon me?
My mom took me away, but she only abused me! She sent me to boarding school at a young age for a guy.
When I was bullied and needed her to stand up for me, what did she do?
She slapped me hard and scolded me, saying that if my classmates bullied me, it must be my fault.
I'm her daughter! Why did she treat me like this?
And Martin?
He had grandparents who adored him and was groomed to be the heir of the Langley family. Wherever he went, he was surrounded by bodyguards.
We are both Langley kids, so why does he get to be on top, managing the Langley Group, while I live worse than a beggar?
If it weren't for Hunter, I would have died!
He saved me, gave me warmth, and told me to stay strong no matter what, and when I had the power, to strike back at those who hurt us.
But you killed him! You killed the only person who was good to me!"
Patricia laughed after hearing her out.
She laughed at her pity, laughed at her misery. "The only person who was good to you? Charlotte, don't be naive! From the start, he was just using you! Why was he good to you? Because you're Martin's sister, and he wanted to use you against Martin."
Charlotte shook her head furiously. "No, no! It's not like that! Patricia, you can't come between us. I won't believe you!"
Patricia sneered, "If he wasn't using you, why did he ditch you when you were no longer useful?"
"That was because he didn't want to drag me down!" Charlotte tried to justify it.
"Oh, really? Charlotte, stop lying to yourself! Deep down, you know Hunter was just using you! You just don't want to admit it! All these years, you've been convincing yourself that Hunter loved you!"
Her words hit Charlotte hard.
She seemed deeply affected, with veins bulging on her forehead and neck.
"You're lying! It's not true! He genuinely cared for me, he wasn't using me!"
Despite her words, only she knew that the louder she shouted, the more insecure she felt.
She knew Patricia was right!
But she still refused to believe it, refused to accept it.
Patricia stood up, walked over to Charlotte, squatted down, lifted her chin, and made her look at her. "You keep saying it's unfair, that Martin stole the happiness that should have been yours! Let me tell you how wrong you are."
Charlotte glared at her, eyes red with anger.
Patricia spoke slowly, "You know very well that Samuel didn't like either of you! He didn't like your mother, so he didn't like her kids either.
Since Martha came into the picture, Martin's situation wasn't much better than yours!
Martha tried several times to kill Martin to ensure her son Ian would inherit the Langley Group.
Have you ever been pushed into a swimming pool in the dead of winter?
Have you ever been poisoned at home and nearly died?
Have you ever been locked in the attic during a scorching summer, calling for help but no one came, almost suffocating?
Martin went through all of this and nearly died each time. I sympathize with the abuse you suffered from your mother!
But at least she never tried to kill you. She saw your father in you and hated you, venting her anger on you.
Compared to you, Martin truly faced life and death."
Charlotte heard this for the first time and instinctively denied it, refusing to believe. "Impossible! You're lying! This can't be true! Samuel may not have liked us, but Grandpa and Grandma always protected Martin. How could they let Martha treat him like that?"
She was referring to Gregory and Jessica, who had passed away.
Patricia replied, "Grandpa and Grandma were old and couldn't watch Martin all the time. They couldn't always protect him!"
Charlotte suddenly fell silent.
She muttered to herself repeatedly. "Impossible, how could it be, impossible."
Charles looked at his father sitting beside him, never imagining that his father's childhood had been so miserable.
It was a miracle he survived.
Carter also looked at Martin sympathetically, patting his shoulder to comfort him.
Martin looked at him speechlessly. "We're in the same boat. You don't need to pity me!"
Carter replied, "True, the three of us share the same fate. We're like brothers in arms!"
Otherwise, they wouldn't have become such close friends.
Patricia asked Charlotte, "Do you know how I met Martin?"
Charlotte looked at her without speaking.
Patricia continued, "When I was twelve, my father and stepmother sent me to an orphanage. There, I met Martin, who had been blinded in a car accident!
That accident was orchestrated by Martha! She intended to kill Martin, but he survived, though he lost his sight!
She took advantage of Grandpa and Grandma's absence to dump him in the orphanage, hoping he would fend for himself.
We were both in the same boat, taking care of each other to get through the toughest year!"
Upon hearing this, Martin suddenly stood up from the bench, causing a commotion that drew everyone's attention.
Charles asked, puzzled, "Dad, what's wrong?"
Carter also asked with concern, "Yeah, what's going on?"
Martin strode over to Patricia, grabbed her arms, and turned her to face him, excitedly saying, "Are you the girl from the orphanage?"
Patricia was stunned, "You didn't know?"
She remembered he knew her name!
When they first met, she told him her name was Patricia.
How could he not know she was the girl who accompanied him in the orphanage for a year?
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