CHARLOTTE
The Hamilton’s mansion had not changed one bit. It still looked the same as it did three years ago.
I felt a wave of sadness hit me when I stepped through the entrance.
This was where it all began and ended. And now I was back.
“And what?” A voice sneered, getting my attention, and I rushed into the mansion.
Shock flashed through my face when I saw my son, Charles, being manhandled by a maid.
“What are you going to do? Nothing! You cannot do anything since your useless mother is not here! And she will
never be. She’s in prison forever, and your daddy doesn’t even care about you.” She bit at the young boy.
“Stop!” I clenched my fist tight and yelled, “Stop it!” I marched towards the maid, anger coursing through me.
When I got to her, I didn't let the shock of seeing my son register as I roughly pushed her.
She gasped, stumbling. When she looked up to see who’d pushed her, the expression on her face changed from disdain to surprise.
She was surprised to see me. Well, good for her.
Immediately, I turned to my son and quickly pulled him for a hug. Gosh, I missed him so much.
“Mommy?” He asked. “Mommy, is that you.”
My heart broke at his question. Even though Liam never brought him to visit me in prison, I never knew he’d remember or recognize me. But he did… oh my poor boy.
“Yes, it is your mommy.” Tears welled up in my eyes as I pulled him up. “I missed you.” I moaned into his head, sniffing in. “I missed you so so much.”
His babyish scent wafted through my nostrils, and I inhaled deeply. I held unto him like my life depended on it. “Mommy is here now. She won’t ever let you get hurt again. No one would hurt you again. I promise.”
The maid behind me suddenly scoffed, and I looked at her with furrowed eyebrows. What kind of remark was that?
“Shouldn’t you be working?” I snickered.
I recognized the maid as one of Sophia’s favorites, so I did not blame her for being hostile. Her mistress was like that, too, so it was only certain she’d look down on me.
The maid continued with a snort. “And look who’s talking. The woman who brought a bastard home? You must be joking.”
“You will not call my son a bastard!” I yelled at her. “Do you hear me?”
“And what if I do?” Displeasure ran across her face, and she took a step forward.
“What if—“ She started again when suddenly a loud voice stopped her. “Will you keep quiet?!”
I slowly turned around.
Standing by the entrance was Nathan, Liam’s half-brother. His eyes blazed with fury as he stared at the maid.
“How dare you insult the little boy. Charles is still part of this family, and this should be the last time I see you bullying him. If you do it again, kiss goodbye to your job.”
The maid’s face darkened with fear at his words, and I watched her entire body shake.
“I’m s…s…sorry, sir Nathan. It won’t happen again.” She stammered shamelessly and, without waiting for any response, hurried away.
Nathan turned his gaze towards me, and I gulped down my unease.
“T…thank you,” I said slowly, looking at him, but he said nothing. Instead, he ignored me and went upstairs, leaving me standing there in awkward silence.
I swallowed heavily. What did I expect? That he would all smile with me or what?
“Pftt…” I hissed and looked down at my son.
“Where is your room, baby?” I asked.
He pointed to a corridor which I knew led to the servants room, and my heart squeezed a little. Liam meant it when he said my son was going through hell. I held back another sob.
I couldn’t cry now. Not when I was with my little boy.
“Let’s go,” I mumbled, walking to his room together.
When we arrived, I immediately closed the door and again pulled him to my chest. The tears I’d been holding back fell down my cheeks this time.
“I missed your goodnight kisses and morning embraces, Mommy.”
“I know.”
“I missed your lullabies too, the ones you always sang to me in bed.”
“Oh, baby…”
“I also missed you taking me to school. Every day at school, I see mothers bringing their children to school, and I always wish you would come one day, too. Will you take me to school now like them? Or are you going to leave again?”
“Oh baby, I’m never leaving you again,” I muttered against his chest, sniffing back the tears. “I haven’t been here when you needed me the most, but I am now. And I will make it up to you, I promise.”
“Okay, mommy. I believe you.” He chuckled against my chest, and I laughed, too. “And, mommy…”
“Yes?”
“Do you know that only Uncle Nathan has been good to me? He doesn’t beat or shout at me like the rest do. Even Daddy yells at me, but Uncle Nathan doesn’t.”
My chest squeezed painfully.
“I don't want to live here anymore, mommy.” He begged. “Please, I want to be with you. I want to live with you. Will you allow me?”
“Of course. Now that I am back, you will stay with me. For as long as you want.”
“Yayyyy…” He squealed, and my heart swelled with joy. “Maybe Uncle Nathan can help us leave this place. You should ask him.”
My brows furrowed when I heard Charles speak. “Huh? I don’t think he can. He could get punished or yelled at. It’s enough that he already stands up for you, but that’s it.”
“No, Mommy! No one can punish Uncle Nathan.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Daddy and Grandma Melina are afraid of him. That's why they always bully me whenever he is not at home.”
At the mention of ‘Daddy,’ my shoulders rose defensively. Liam. He was the reason I needed to be strong because I would not allow him to touch me or my son again. Never.
Soon after, Charles fell asleep, refusing to let my pinky finger go. I wiggled my hand out of his grip successfully, and he groaned.
Tiptoeing gently out of the room, I went to the mansion’s living room to use Hamilton’s residence landline.
I dialed Noah’s number, and he picked it up almost immediately.
“Charlotte. I’ve been worried about you.” Those were his first words.
“I’m fine.” I smiled sadly. “I’m at Liam’s home, but…”
“That jerk.”
“Don’t worry about me, Noah. I’m not staying here, rest assured. I have to sort some things, then I’ll leave. I’ll take Charles with me too. Not to worry. When I’m settled, I’ll visit. Is that fine with you?”
There was a brief silence, and then I heard him say. “Okay. Take care, Charlotte, and I mean it.”
“I will. Greet mother for me.” I said before hanging up.
Just as I turned to return to my room, a scream tore through the air, startling me. My eyes widened as maids emerged out of nowhere, each one running around the living room.
They were searching for something.
What was going on?
I managed to catch one of them. “What is going on?”
The maid looked back at me fearfully. “It’s Lady Melina. Her diamond necklace is missing.”
CHARLOTTEI watched as the maids gathered in the center of the living room. Not only them but different other people. From the guards to some family members.The Hamilton’s mansion was huge so there were many people who lived here—most of them relatives.“Who dares to steal my diamond necklace?” Lady Melina bellowed.Lady Melina was Liam’s mother and she cherished her jewelries and not to add that thing had a diamond attached to it, she would kill anyone who stole it.Whispers echoed in the living room and I looked around but no one was saying anything out loud.“Lady Melinda, actually, I don't know if you have noticed.” Sophia’s maid stepped forward. My heart skipped as I knew what she was about to say next. “A criminal has been recently released from prison.” Every head turned to me and I held my breath, knowing exactly where she was going.“Her,” she pointed at me. “I think she stole it. Maybe she stole it as a plot to revenge, who knows?” She accused me.Tension hung in the air an
NATHAN*** Hours Earlier ***HAMILTON GROUP It had read in bold letters.There was once a time where Fairchild filled the walls and consumed the mouths of those who uttered them but strangely that felt like such a long time ago. I hardly even remembered it.My existence brought out Hamilton and there were times I wondered if it should’ve happened in the first place.When Née Fairchild died, or rather, Tina Hamilton—I liked to remember her with the name she was born with—the name Fairchild sunk into oblivion, never to be heard again.Sometimes I think my late mother regretted that decision, letting it all disappear into nothing.My father, William Hamilton, took over after her death, after all he was her husband but she had a child, an heir in which she left everything to—much to his displeasure.But there wasn’t much he could do against a will that stipulated the company would be transferred to my name once I was of age.If we had a good relationship, or at least managed to salvage a
CHARLOTTE“This necklace belonged to my mother. My mother? What audacity did you have to declare my mother’s heirloom as yours?”I watched as Melina’s face instantly pale, the wrinkles that sat under her heavy makeup coming into view, as Nathan half yelled at her.It was strange seeing him here, much less seeing him angry but I couldn’t say a word. I just stood by and watched the scene unfolding before me.“I’m waiting for you to say something!” He thundered again, and Melina visibly flinched, staggering backward clumsily.“Erm, Nathan Darling.” She began. “I…I…” She stammered, unable to form a coherent response, and I could see disgust flowing of Nathan’s eyes as he stared at her.“Yes? Or has your voice suddenly lost momentum now? Can’t you speak?” He harshly continued. “It was your loud voice that disrupted my evening, and now you can’t say a word.”“No, my dear son. It’s…”“I am not your son!”Melina swallowed again. “It’s not like that. It’s… it’s…” She dragged her gaze from Nath
CHARLOTTEI was about to walk back to my room with Charles when suddenly the living room door burst open, and a very angry, very loud Liam walked in.“Daddy…” Charles muttered softly, and I stilled.Nathan who’d been talking to Melina fell silent too and all attention in the room went to Liam.Quickly I bent and whispered in my son’s ear. “It’s okay, honey. Can you go to your room now. I’ll be right there after this is sorted out.”I could see the questions swimming in his scared brown eyes but he simply nodded and left.My gaze quickly turned back to Liam whose fists were clenched so tightly that his fingers looked white, and he had a terrifying look on his face.He also looked like he wanted to punch someone – probably Nathan and as he began marching toward his half-brother, he passed by me but didn’t spare a glance. Well, that was expected.Stopping directly in front of Nathan and his mother, he snarled. “What the fuck did I hear? You are accusing my mother again, huh?”I watched a
CHARLOTTEWhen I returned to my son’s room in the servant’s quarters, he was surprisingly still awake.He stood up when he saw me. “Mommy.”“Hey, sweetie.” I sat down on his bed. “Why are you still awake?”“I… I couldn’t, mommy. I’m afraid I won't see you again if I close my eyes and open them. I think Daddy will take you away from me, and I don’t want that. I’ve missed you so much, Mommy; I don’t want you to go.” He threw himself into my lap and began to cry. “Please, mommy, don’t leave me! I love you so much.” His voice shook with fear and desperation, and it broke me.My heart squeezed in pain, seeing how frightened he was. My eyes watered, and I had to control myself so I wouldn’t break down, making him cry more.Shakily, I wrapped my arms around him and gently kissed his hair. “Shhh… baby. I’m not going anywhere. I’m here now. Always here.”“Can you promise me that you won’t leave again?” He looked up at me through teary eyes.I smiled at him. “Of course, honey. I promise.”His f
CHARLOTTE“Why are the eggs dry?” A gruff voice spoke, ill-pleasing to the ear, and I stilled.My chest squeezed tightly, and I mumbled a curse under my breath. Melina.As if imprisoning me for days wasn’t enough, the devil-in-human form, Melina, decided to add another level of torment by turning me into one of the house servants.She was particular about my role, indicating to everyone that my job was to wash all the dirty plates used in the mansion and that anyone who tried to help me would face her wrath.Apart from being the daily dishwasher, I was also the errand girl to the other maids.I…“Are you deaf?!” Melina snapped two fingers before my face, snapping me out of my thoughts. “Didn’t you hear me? I asked why the eggs were this way. Didn’t you use enough oil?”“I did, Lady Melina. I used the amount of olive oil I thought was appropriate.”“You used the amount of olive oil you thought was appropriate?” She repeated. Her voice dripped with sarcasm, and she rolled her eyes in di
CHARLOTTE“Charlotte, what brings you by my room at this time of the night? Are you offering me some sort of transaction?”In truth, I liked how Nathan spoke to me, especially since it’d been years since I received such attention.From the tilt of his brows to the smirk playing on his lips, I could tell he found me desirable, and strangely, I reveled in that thought.After Liam and prison, any form of attention from the opposite sex was a wonder. But tonight, as I stood before Nathan, something strange took root within me.I tried shaking off the thoughts, but when I looked at him again, at his tall, muscular form, his beautiful eyes… shit!I lowered my eyes, flustered. Clearing my throat, I said in a rush. “I noticed you didn’t eat dinner, so I brought some for you.”He looked down at the tray in my hands but said nothing, so I continued. “It’s also a thank you meal for all the times you’ve helped me prove my innocence in this house. I never got to show my gratitude, and seeing as yo
CHARLOTTEToday felt like a storm I knew I had to brace myself for.We—I and Liam—were headed to the hospital… to visit Sophia.I originally wanted to refuse, but Liam threatened me with Charles, so here I was with him in the car's back seat.Nervously, I rubbed my palms together, reminding myself to take deep breaths every ten seconds.“Why does she want to see me, Liam?”“Because she asked.”“Why would she ask to see me of all people?”“Because Sophia is an angel from the sky. She still thinks of monsters like you even in pain.”I smiled sadistically, “The way you speak of me, you would think we weren’t married at some point.”He stared at me through the rearview mirror, “Of all my regrets, marrying you was my biggest one.”His words stung more than they should. “You know, even though you’ve hurt me to the point of no repair, I wouldn’t even say what you just said—especially to your face.”The car suddenly stopped, and I looked outside, realizing we had arrived at the hospital.“Get
CHARLOTTETHREE MONTHS LATERToday was my wedding day. As I walked down the hall towards my husband, my eyes watered, lips stretched into a smile.I took one step after another, and my mind flashed back to the day he officially proposed to me.*“Come on, get ready. I want to show you something,” Nathan said as he tugged me out of bed.I frowned.I had been feeling sluggish today and wasn't particularly interested in going out.Besides, I wanted to finish the romance novel I was reading, but Nathan didn't budge as he tugged me up.“I promise it will be worth your time. Please?” he pouted, and I laughed at his cute appearance.I gave in and got dressed.He waited patiently for me, and since it was almost dusk, I decided to wear a beautiful strapless gown he got for me the other day.Nathan whistled as he took in my appearance.“I don't know where we are going though. Is this alright?” I asked, and Nathan just nodded.“You're perfect. Come on, let's go.”Nathan was in a perfectly good m
NATHANI met Lucy the day after Charlie found her, and she explained everything she knew.Lucy explained how sad and heartbroken my mother was and how she tried to hide all of her broken feelings from me.She told me how my father and his wife, Melina, killed my mother to take over the company, which was rightfully hers.When my parents got married, my mother was just the rich daughter of rich parents. But after her parents' death, the company automatically passed to her.I guess that was when William started to abuse her.As her husband, he had rights to the company, but my mother held all the power.The company was to be mine when I came of age, but William and Melina killed my mother and took over, making me a CEO while still having the company in their grasp.I thanked Lucy profoundly for agreeing to talk to me.She permitted me, so I recorded all the information and took it to the police as evidence.William was arrested, along with his wife, Melina.My father was furious that I
NATHANThe sun rose before us, and I was still sleepy when the doorbell rang. I frowned as I glanced at the time.It was seven in the morning.Who could be at our doorstep this early?I groaned at the relentless ringing, and Charlotte's body became aware of mine.She opened her eyes and met my gaze, a smile on her lips. My heart skipped a beat as she smiled at me.She was so gorgeous, damn. Her smile, sleepy eyes, and messy hair made my head flutter, and I leaned in to kiss her.“Good morning,” I whispered. She nuzzled against me.“Good morning. I thought I heard the doorbell ringing,” she yawned as she sat up.As if on cue, the doorbell rang again.Charlotte wrapped a robe around her body, and we padded to the living room to see who it was.I asked her to step back while I opened the door.It was a delivery man.Several delivery men.The one closest to me glanced up at me before looking back at his clipboard.“Hello. Is this Ms. Charlotte's residence?” he asked, and Charlotte walked
CHARLOTTEWe spent some time with my new family, and when it got late, we decided to leave.Selina was sad to see us go. She tried to get us to stay overnight, but we told her we would come and visit her soon.Besides, we needed to get home for Charles.The drive home was silent. Nathan was focused on the road, and I kept thinking about what happened.I recalled the day's events, from the hospital visit to the massive feast, and almost combusted from the emotions running through me.By the time we got home, I was still too shell-shocked to speak, and Nathan embraced me.“You've been quiet, my love. Are you alright?” his brows were furrowed with worry, and I rested my head on his chest before I answered.“I'm fine. I am. I just can't…it's so hard to believe,” I said softly.“What is?” he asked.I had a feeling he knew what I was talking about, but he needed me to say the words, to articulate them, so that I could better understand myself.“That I finally found my new family. And they'r
CHARLOTTENathan held me for a long time, and we stayed in the restroom.During this time, I reflected on the reason I’d come here in the first place.The dawning news of my new family—my new beginning, my new home.My chest constricted, and in seconds, tears filled my eyes.I had a mother now.The thought hit me suddenly, so unexpectedly, and the first sob left my lips.A mother.One who loved me.I remembered our encounters and how warm she made me feel, how she laughed with me, how she made me feel at peace.I remembered our connection and the ease with which she related to me.I remembered our shopping spree and how she convinced me to play dress-up. I remembered us laughing at our ridiculous dresses and how beautiful they were.Selina loved me right from the first day we met at the beach.The sob turned into full-fledged tears.Nathan patted me on the back, saying nothi
CHARLOTTEA few days later, Selina called me to inform me that the DNA test results were ready.Nathan drove my nervous self to the hospital.When we got there, we saw Selina outside. She was bouncing on the tips of her legs and immediately embraced me when she saw me.“Hi, Selina. Shall we go in now?” I asked, but the older woman shook her head negatively.“Oh, there's no need for that, my darling. I already got the results. Here, see for yourself,” she said, handing a document to me.My heart pounded, and my hands shook slightly as I opened the document.I gasped when I saw it, tears springing into my eyes.I was Selina's daughter.Selina was my biological mother.A sob escaped my throat as I read the confirmation over and over.After all these years of searching, all these years of misconceptions and lies.After all these years of suffering, of paying for a crime she didn't
CHARLOTTEWhen I returned home, I couldn’t stop thinking about Julian's comment about Nathan's company.Julian had hinted about Nathan losing everything he worked for.What did that mean?Was someone trying to overthrow him? I wanted to call him, but I didn't.He had already started work today, so if something were wrong, he would deal with it.Right?Nathan was competent. So I did not need to worry.I paced for a while, then decided to do something to distract myself from overthinking.It had been a while since I baked, so I went to the kitchen and arranged some ingredients.The worry in my body eased as I kneaded the dough, and I relaxed.I got into a rhythm, losing myself in the chore. My body moved fluidly, the motions as natural as breathing, and as I baked, I sang.I soon lost track of time.Nothing else mattered outside the bubble I was in except for my dough and my song.I
NATHANI was on my way to the office when my phone rang. It was a strange number, and I was reluctant to pick it up.But my instincts told me it must be someone important, so I picked up the call.The call was from the city’s prison, and I frowned when the warden told me an inmate wished to speak with me.Who could it possibly be?I waited as the warden handed the phone to whoever it was, and immediately, I heard the familiar tenor of Sophie's voice; I wanted to hang up.“Before you do anything, I want you to please listen to me,” her voice was weak, and I could feel the rattling pattern of her breath.She didn’t sound very healthy.“And why should I listen to you?” I snapped.“Because the doctor said I'm dying, and I don't want to die with this weight in my chest. I need to see you, please,” she begged, coughing as she spoke.I said nothing as I hung up and parked t
CHARLOTTEI woke up in Nathan’s arms, happy and contented.The past few days were like heaven.Nathan spent every moment with me, spoiling me rotten.We went shopping, ate fancy courses at exquisite restaurants, attended posh and elegant parties, ate street food, and did everything we could think of.I nuzzled into him, not wanting to lose the warmth, when suddenly my phone buzzed on the bedside table, and I groaned.I wasn't willing to stand up yet, but the buzzing was insistent, and I sighed as I sat up and reached for the phone.It was Selina.The older woman was excited when I picked up her call, and I felt guilty for not wanting to pick up earlier.“I hope I'm not disturbing you?” she asked.“No, no. Not at all, Selina. Is there anything I can help you with?” I asked.“Oh. The thing is, I was wondering if you'd like to go shopping with me. I'm bored, and I don't want to go on my own.” I had a feeling that Selina was pouting as she spoke, and the image that came to my head at the