CharlotteI wasn't the least bit surprised by Mr. Taylor's reaction when he found out that Oliver not only brought me and Nicole to the Hamptons but also brought Emily and the kids with us. It was clear that he was an arrogant and self-centered man who considered his friend's gesture pointless and beneath his social class. But I was still upset nonetheless.I worked for Oliver, and even though the two of them were friends, I didn't owe anything to Brian. Nothing! I didn't want to dwell on the fact that I was pregnant with his child. He had no knowledge of that, and that's what mattered. It was a contract in which I had to fulfill my part, something I was already doing as the baby was growing inside me. I didn't owe that man anything more than that.The fact that only his voice stirred something in me shouldn't shake me. Nothing had changed between us. I was still the young nanny, as Melanie had already told me Brian called me, and he was my ex-boss's friend."You haven't gotten ready
CharlotteThe girl soon appeared running down the stairs, and I noticed someone following closely behind her. It was Brian."It's your party, Charlotte... do you like it?" the girl asked cheerfully."Yes, I really like it, Eloá.""I wanted to wait for you, but I forgot your present in the room.""No need to be sad about that. I just arrived.""We haven't even sung 'Happy Birthday' yet, Eloá," Melanie interjected when she saw the girl was sad for not being in the room when I arrived."Aunt Melanie is right, honey. Shall we sing 'Happy Birthday'?"Eloá became excited again at the suggestion made by her father and started clapping enthusiastically."Let's go!"The twins joined Eloá's enthusiasm, and soon everyone was singing the birthday song, and I joined them, feeling both happy to be surrounded by people I cared about and experiencing my first birthday party.But I also felt nervous with the presence of the man I knew to be the father of the child I was carrying, something that was qu
BrianAfter everyone insisted that she should accept the offer, she went back to her house and grabbed a few things that would be necessary for the kids to spend the night at the mansion, and Margareth insisted on helping the young mother. She also went upstairs with my aunt to assist in taking care of the three little ones.“We could go out” Douglas suggested.“Go out?” Nicole seemed excited immediately. “Where to?”“There are many nice places here in the Hamptons where we can have fun.”“Charlotte must have never gone out to do something like this, right?” Nicole asked, enthusiastic.“Neither have you, Nicole” Charlotte pointed out, not sharing her friend's excitement.That information made me reflect once again on how wrong it would be for me to have any kind of involvement with the girl, as it was quite clear, once again, that she had no real experience. She hadn't even had the pleasure of knowing something as basic as going out at night with friends.“It's no problem. We'll do th
CharlotteI looked around the fancy and completely out-of-our-reality environment and felt uncomfortable because I wasn't used to frequenting that kind of place, and I knew my friends weren't either.But Douglas was fully aware of Emily's reactions and quickly realized that she wasn't feeling well in that place because the resort he took us to, despite having an excellent bar and offering very good appetizers, didn't please us."We don't have to stay here, girls," he said gently. "I'll ask for the check, and we can leave."None of us said anything because, as I had already noticed, it wasn't just me who didn't like the atmosphere, and to our relief, we quickly left that place full of snobby people who seemed to look at us so arrogantly."I would like to apologize to you," Douglas said, feeling embarrassed."It's not necessary, Douglas," Emily said with a smile. "It just happens.""Let's just walk around the village, go somewhere open," he suggested. "You'll like it. I'm sure."He was
CharlotteHowever, I knew that things were not so simple, especially for me. I already considered myself very fortunate to have found a family that welcomed me with such warmth. I couldn't now desire something as grand as a child and a husband.That was the truth, and I needed to come to terms with it. The day brought with it reality, erasing the daydreams that insisted on infiltrating our minds.When I arrived at the main house, mentally prepared to meet Brian, I discovered that he wasn't in the mansion because he had slept in his own house, which was less than a kilometer away."You seem sad," Melanie asked, sitting next to me at the table filled with various food options.They had prepared a table with a varied menu, where everyone could help themselves freely, and according to what Nicole told me, they all ate together after waiting for me for over an hour.I apologized to everyone, explaining that I had lost track of time when, in reality, I was lost in forbidden thoughts about a
BrianI knew that Aunt Melanie had grown quite fond of the girl, not only because of her story but also because she believed that Charlotte, despite leaving the orphanage, was still not happy due to her quiet demeanor."Charlotte fainted, Aunt," I explained, while attempting to check the young woman's vital signs, still unsure of what to do next."But how did this happen, dear?" My aunt looked horrified. "We need to make her wake up as soon as possible!""I can't explain. She was sitting, messing with something on her plate, when suddenly, without anything happening, I noticed she was about to fall, and I only had enough time to prevent her from hitting the ground," I spoke quickly, realizing that Charlotte's pulse seemed very weak."Oh my goodness!" My aunt covered her mouth, clearly disturbed by the young woman's condition, who was still unconscious. "I think it's best to call a doctor. And quickly!"I was about to ask her to do exactly that when I noticed Oliver coming down the sta
CharlotteI anxiously looked at Melanie, waiting for her good suggestion, while feeling very embarrassed for fainting practically in Brian's arms."It was already in my plans to return to New York today, as I have plans for tomorrow morning and would like to be home as soon as possible," she said, confirming what we already knew. "I can take Charlotte with me, and everyone can continue with their plans, as I assure you that my girl will be well taken care of by my side.""I think it's a great idea, Aunt," Douglas was the first to speak about Melanie's suggestion.However, he was biased in his opinion, as it was quite clear to all of us that he was completely enchanted by Emily and would like to have more time with her."I'm feeling much better. Please don't worry about me," I said what I was feeling. "I feel very embarrassed for causing all of you such concern.""You shouldn't worry about us, Charlotte," Brian said in a dry tone. "And don't feel embarrassed for us wanting to take care
BrianI looked at Charlotte attentively, awaiting her response, and I couldn't understand why she was taking so long to answer, considering that my question had been quite direct and couldn't have been any clearer. I wholeheartedly believed in what anyone could conclude just by looking at Charlotte, and there was no doubt in my mind about her character or integrity.But for some strange reason, something akin to a premonition, I could call it that, I felt that something was off. I had never been a man given to premonitions or anything of the sort, but when I saw Charlotte on the beach yesterday, I felt the need to reach out to her, to try and talk to her, and that's why I approached the young girl.It went completely against my usual behavior, especially when it came to someone so young and clearly innocent like Charlotte, and that was very wrong. I didn't want to feel that way, and even though I knew how wrong it was, the fact was that the girl was managing to affect me in a way no o