Chapter 326 Foolish Woman
When Charlotte received a call from Martin one evening, asking her to visit the Langley family, she reacted vehemently.
"I won't go!"."
Martin's voice was a hushed insistence. "Your grandparents haven't seen you in over a decade. They miss you and want to see you."
Charlotte's emotions surged, her voice oozed sarcasm. "Miss me? If they really missed me, why haven't they visited in all these years? Do they even know how scared and alone I was, living by myself close to school? My classmates picked on me because I was from out of town, and a transfer student. from out of town. Every night, in the dead silence, I'd cry by myself, under the covers."
Martin was taken aback.
He had never heard these words before.
Ever since Charlotte had returned, she had seemed so happy, so naïve, as if past grievances were water under the bridge.
Now, it seemed he had simplified things too much.
The hurt that had been dammed up in Charlotte's heart cascaded out, unstoppable.
"If they really missed me, why did that woman named Martha bar my way, stopping me right at the doorstep after my exhausting journey home? They didn't come to see me when you got married to Patricia last time, and the same story repeats itself now. Sure, they say they miss me, and expect me to come running. Not gonnaIt's not going to happen."
Martin frowned, clearly displeased. "Charlotte..."
She didn't let him get a word in. "Do you even know what today is?"
Caught off guard, Martin stumbled,. "What day?"
"Heh..."
Charlotte's laughed was coldly,, the sound laced with pain as tears. Tears began to fall—one by one, then in torrents, —until she was cryingwas sobbing out aloud. Years of pent-up bitterness and anguish seemed to have found their outlet.
"They've always favored you because I'm the daughter.you're a boy. During the divorce, I wanted to stay, but they chose you, abandoning me." Her voice wavered between the sobs.
"Why "How is that fair?"
"? Aren't I a Langley just as much as you are?"
"? Do you have any idea how much I despise them? I wish…I wish I wasn't a Langley."
With that, she didn't wait for Martin's response and hung up decisively.
The line went dead, leaving him with a tumult of emotions—sourness, bitterness, and an aching sympathy.
Noticing that he sat silent and still, Patricia approached with concern. "What's wrong?"
Martin recounted the conversation without missing a beat.
After hearing Charlotte's plight, Patricia's distaste for her subsided, replaced by an unexpected empathy.
The difference was, Patricia grew up without her mother, neglected as her father moved on with a stepmom.
, while Charlotte, on the other end, was the one without didn't have a father, and was ignored by her mother in her new life.
In one way, Patricia realized she was luckier than Charlotte.
She didn't board at school or endure bullying.
After a moment of silence, Patricia laid a hand on his shoulder,. "If she doesn't want to go, let it be. Wounds like these don't heal overnight."
Martin nodded, agreeing with her wisdom. He didn't push Charlotte any further, and instead, tooktaking Patricia and their three little ones for the drive to the Langley Mansion.
...
After hanging up the phone, Charlotte hurled her cell to the floor, breaking down into sobs as she released years of repression, hurt, and rage.
Then, the silent night was pierced by the buzz of her second phone from inside the nightstand.
It was the phone she used to stay in touch with Hunter.
She was like a person mired in darkness who had finally glimpsed some light; she took a deep breath, shoved back her tears, found the phone, and answered, her face breaking into a genuine smile. "Hunter."
"Happy Birthday to you.""Hunter!"
Hunter's deep voice flowed through the receiver, ."Happy Birthday to you."
Her tears, momentarily stemmed, now gushed forth like a dam burst open, unstoppable.
Hearing her cry, Hunter furrowed his brow, concerned,. "What's wrong?"
Charlotte tried to hold back, but she couldn't contain her grief mixed with joy, her sobs traveling through the phone, striking Hunter's eardrums.
"You're the only one who remembers my birthday," she said, while her so-called family, who professed to miss her, hadn't spared a thought for it.
Their pretense left her utterly nauseated.
There was a brief silence on Hunter's end before he said, "I've ordered you a birthday cake and reserved a hotel suite. I can't have it delivered to the Ellenstein Villa District, so you'll need toyou must pick it up. I'll send the address to your phone."
"Okay..." Charlotte felt a warmth in her heart, and her voice was thick with emotion as she said, "Thank you.""Okay..." Charlotte felt a warmth in her heart, her voice thick with emotion as she managed to say, "Thank you!"
"I can't make it back to Ivara City right now, can'tso I won't be there to celebrate with you. I'll make it up to you when we see each other again," Hunter promised soothingly.
AtWhen Charlotte heard the words "next time we meet," boundless joy spread through Charlotte'sher heart.
She nodded vigorously.
"Yes!. We'll have our own celebration next time."
"I can't talk long; Martin's got people watching me. I have to go," he said urgently.
Worried for Hunter's safety, Charlotte responded quickly,, "Okay!. Be careful. I'll contact you if anything happens."
Withen the call ended, all the darkness in Charlotte's heart was swept away.
She wiped away her tears, washed her face in the restroom, selected a soft lavender cashmere coat from the closet, applied her makeup delicately, grabbed her bag, and headed out the door.
Hunter had become her beacon in the darkest moments of her life. It was he who pulled her back from the edge of the cliff. It was he who infused her with the courage to go on living. That's why she was willing to do anything for him, even if it cost her life.
Meanwhile, afterIt was he who pulled her back from the edge of the cliff.
It was he who infused her with the courage to go on living.
That's why she was willing to do anything for him, even if it cost her life.
Little did she know that on the other end, Hunter had just ended athe call and nonchalantly, he tossed his phone onto the table. His long fingers idly tapped the woodwork, his face a mask of scorn.
"Foolish woman."
'Give her a tiny sweet, and she's hopelessly devoted, working herself to the bone for him.
you. Heh.
Idiotic.'
That evening, Martin arrived on time at the Langley Mansion on time with Patricia and the three little ones in tow.
The family had been eagerly waiting.
At the sound of their arrival, Jessica and Gregory immediately stood up to greet them.
"Oh, my precious darlings, finally you're finally here you are... come Come here, give Great-grandma a big hug..."
The three well-behaved children stood there and let Jessica envelop each of them in turn.
"HelloHi, JessicaGreat-grandma. HelloHi, GregoryGreat-grandpa..."
One by one theThe children greeted Gregory, Jessica, and Samuel.
Except for, ignoring Martha.
Martha's forced smile nearly cracked, growing stiff and unnatural:. "What about me, children? I'm your grandmother!a."
The children trio shared a glance and together said, "Hello, Martha!"."
Their fatherConsidering that their daddy had nearly died at this woman's hand more than once.
They, they were already being mercifulkind by not taking her life.
They certainly weren't about to call her 'grandma,' no matter how much she wished it.
Martha's well-preserved composure crumbled, her mouth twitcheding uncontrollably,. she couldn't even keep up the pretense of a smileI, it was a horrendous sight.
Samuel had an immense soft spot for his grandsonsgrandchildren,; his heart practically melted by them. He knew their form of address wasn't proper, but he couldn't bear to scold them.
Patricia found the whole scene amusing but knew better than to laugh in such a setting. She held it in, causing her face to twitch as if inlike a spasm, and h her shoulders to shruggedshake, almost as iflike she was about to run out of air.
Chapter327
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
