CHARLOTTE
I 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 and I glanced around but one came to my rescue as they all murmured amidst themselves.
Some of the maids shook their heads in disdain, watching me closely. Others were exchanging suspicious glance amongst one another and it only unnerved me. I felt suffocated and wanted a way out.
It was at that point I realized I was at the center of the living room and every eye was on me.
“You know she was recently released and must be filled with anger and hatred toward the family, this could be her way of avenging herself!”
“No!” I defended, my voice firm as I glared at her. “What are your talking about? I have just returned and the next thing I would do is steal from Melina? Oh c’mon.” I threw my hands in the air.
The maid tilted her to the side. “Really? You think anyone would believe what you said after what you did? Please, be for real. You stole the diamond necklace. Just confess it.”
“No, I did not.” my chest heaved with heavy breaths as I looked at her. Ideas on how I would defend myself refused to come so I turned to Melina. “Ma’am Melina, I will never steal from you. You know that. And besides I just came, why would stealing be the first thing I do? I have other things to take care of.” I explained.
Melina didn't look like she believed me. She just stared at me like I was rambling and she was tired of hearing.
Then it dawned on me that she’d made her decision already. So she appeared to be unmoved and determined not to believe me.
“Seize her!” She ordered all at once and the guards marched towards me.
I shook my head, waving my hands in the air. “No, no, I did not steal from you! Melina, you have to listen to me.” They grabbed me cruelly and made me fall to my knees.
“Since she has no belongings with her, search her body and go to the room of that wretched son of hers and do the same.” She ordered.
Some servants went to the room and I remembered that I left my child there.
“If you hurt my child, you will have yourself to blame.” I gritted at them then faced Melina. “No, Melina. I didn't steal from you. You have to believe me. I would never -”
“Mommy!” Charles’ pain-filled voice echoed the air and I swiveled around instantly, forgetting I was being caged by men twice my size. One of them twisted my head back to the front and tears peppered my eyes.
“Leave my mommy alone! She is innocent.” He cried, struggling against the men. It seemed like they got a particular order not to harm him. It must be Nathan. He must have said something to them before today.
“Leave my mommy, she did not steal it.” He yelled again and my heart clenched.
I was very pleased with the way Charles defended me. However a masculine hand slapped his hands off me and pushed him away roughly. He hit his ass against the hard tiled floor and I let out a scream.
Tears flowed down my cheeks as I looked at Lady Melina.
“Please don't hurt him.” I pleaded.
“Then you should have known better than to steal from me!” She hissed, shooting me a dirty look.
I tried to wiggle out of their tight grasp and that only helped them subdue. “Stay down, thief!” One of them cautioned me with a hiss.
My son would not stop crying and I wanted to comfort him. I tried to go but they held me back.
I could see the smug smile on Melina’s face as she watched. She was happy to see me suffering.
The servant that had gone earlier to my room, returned. “We did not see anything there ma’am!” They told her.
Her brows rose and a smirk slowly curled at her lips. “Then strip her and search the clothes on her! She must have hidden it somewhere.”
My face paled instantly as I looked at her through my teary gaze. She was not going to… strip me naked… in front of my son and…No!
Guards rushed toward me and began to tug at my clothes. I fought against them, pushing them away but they were too strong.
“No, no please…” My lips trembled as they started pulling the clothes off one by one. When I saw that I was overpowered, I closed my eyes and refused to watch how Melina stripped me. I refuse to behold this humiliation.
However, just as I wanted to give up, a masculine voice boomed and I froze. “Stop stripping her this instant and let her go!”
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
NATHANI woke up this morning with the lingering taste of Charlotte’s cooking on my tongue and a smile I couldn’t wipe off.It was strange for me. Very strange.I tried to attribute my happiness to just the food. After all, it had been such a long time since I tasted anything, but deep down, I knew that wasn’t it.It was something else. It was her.So I decided to see her again this morning. I was going to thank her and then tell her I would help with whatever it was she wanted from me.I was going to give her a chance. Maybe in that way, I could repay the food gesture.But when I went downstairs, there was no sign of her. I asked the servants about her, and one told me she’d seen Charlotte leaving with Liam for the hospital.Why? I’d asked. Why would Charlotte follow her ex-husband to the hospital? She wasn’t sick, so why…?Then the maid mentioned that they’d gone to visit ‘Sophia Windsor,’ and just like that, I put two and two together.Sophia Windsor meant trouble for Charlotte. Sh
CHARLOTTE(PRESENT DAY)The initial numbness that had held me in its grasp earlier vanished the moment my eyes blinked open for the second time.As the harsh sunlight rays made me squint my eyes, my consciousness spiked from bleakness to awareness, and I was suddenly aware of everything.The smell of antiseptics reminded me that I was in the hospital.And Nathan.My heart caught in my chest at the thought that he might have left, but when I snapped my head to the side, my worry melted, and my heart bubbled.His head leaned sideways against the bed just by my side, his eyes were shut, and his soft snores floated through the monitor’s recurring beep to my ears.Watching him this close-up did something inside me. I almost didn't want to sit on the bed, but I did. I noticed he'd removed his suit jacket and draped it over the headrest of the chair he was sitting on.And his tie hung loosely from his neck.He was a worn-out mess.A handsome mess who'd kept to his word and stayed beside me f
NATHAN(Flashback continued)Sanity was far from reach, and maintaining patience was excruciating. I could barely count how many times my heart thumped in a second or put an end to the nerve-wracking turmoil inside me.Charlotte wasn’t fine.Her heart had stopped.That was the only information they left us with, and almost an hour passed, and still nothing.My hands were cold and shaking, and with shallow breathing and impatiently tapping feet, I muttered. “You should leave now,” I said to my assistant.“Now?”“Yes. Go get the evidence before it is tampered with.”“Alright then,” Dan muttered, and with a hesitant nod, he left.I sank my gaze to the ground.God knows that if Liam were to come within my line of sight now or any moment from now, I’d choke him with my bare hands.Strangle the bastard and make him almost taste death so he can experience what Charlotte was going through.He—The emergency room door opening caught my attention, and a relieved breath escaped my lips as my gaz
NATHANA DAY EARLIER (Flashback)I changed my mind.I’d considered going home before visiting Charlotte but decided against it.Facing my father wasn’t at the top of my list right now.So I told my driver to drive straight to the hospital.When I arrived, I went straight to the receptionist's desk, signed off on Charlotte’s card, and was swiftly directed to her room.When I arrived, I met Dan, Charles, and Noah sitting beside a still-unconscious Charlotte.Noah’s face looked pale, and his eyes were puffy, indicating he was crying. Dan had his hands around him and squeezed every once in a while.Charles also looked miserable and kept looking up anxiously. The little kid was the first to spot me.“Uncle Nathan!” His squeaky voice called out, drawing everyone in the room's attention.He jumped up from his chair and ran over to me.“Uncle Nathan!” He repeated as he wrapped his tiny arms around my leg. “Thank God you came. I thought you wouldn’t come.” He sniffed loudly, then began sobbing
CHARLOTTEI saw him again.The monster.His evil laughter echoed through the cold silence like a rumble of thunder, and I could barely hold a breath as I ran from his hot pursuit, my body slipping into weakness as I tumbled against something on the ground.He was terrifyingly close, and even in the frenzy of my heart and the horror that befell me as I stared at him, all I could think about was my son. Charles.I had tucked him away from the danger, but who was to tell he hadn’t befallen another?I let out a shocked gasp as he approached and suddenly lifted his hand so I could see what he was holding.Charles.My little boy.Blood oozed from a gash on the side of his head, soaking his hair and clothes. He was staring at me wide-eyed, and I returned the stare with a horrifying one.How? How did he get to Charles? How?“No. No, no, please. Let my son go.” I begged, but he ignored my pleas—the vile man.“Mommy,” Charles whimpered, a tear falling from his eyes. “Mommy, save me,”“Please, l
NATHAN‘…Marry my daughter, and your apology will be accepted.’That was a laughable request, and as it repeated in my head, I couldn’t help snorting at it.Felix Chandler grimaced as if offended.“You think it’s stupid?” he frowned deeper.“I can’t be made to marry your daughter over some mistake of the past, Mr. Felix,” I stated matter-of-factly. “but I can recompense.”His anger grew evident on his face.“You can recompense?”“Yes. I can compensate Wendy or you for—““Are you trying to buy our apology?” he interrupted harshly, his lips curled up in a sneer. “Do you think we’re cheap enough to—”“First, Mr. Felix,” It was my turn to interrupt him. “I don’t intend to ‘buy’ apologies. I want a situation where both parties are happy, and marriage doesn’t do it for me.”“I don’t—"“I’ll give her anything else she wants except marriage,” I stated. “A healthy space? A good phycologist? A dating partner? Even money, millions? Name it.”“Mr. Nathan—”“I won’t offer your daughter marriage,”
NATHANIt took me a few seconds to regain my self after the bombshell dropped.“Tony really confessed.” I said more to myself than Dan but I heard him hum.“Who is she?” I asked, my brows furrowing with attentiveness and briefly one name stood at the back of my mind.Charlotte.“Do you remember Wendy Chandler?” Dan asked in reply and my brows furrowed even more.The Chandler name wasn’t a strange one, as they were one of the influential families in the country.Third only to the Windsors and Hamiltons.So, of course, I knew who that woman was and I face palmed myself, groaning loudly.As if sensing my dread, Dan spelt out who she was clearly. “She was the girl that mistakenly entered your room that night, five years ago…and to further repeat Tony’s confession, the woman you slept with.”“Fucking hell.” I cussed, gritting my jaw so hard it hurt. “This must be a joke.”While I didn’t remember that night in clear details, there was no way I could forget my encounter with Wendy.Daughter
AUTHOR’S POVIt only took the briefest moment, as everyone remained still with visible shock at what Charlotte had done to herself, before chaos ensued.“Charlotte!” Noah called out in a yell as he watched his sister fall the ground again.Unsheathed panic streamed through his blood vessels as he tried to writhe out from the guards holding him to get to her, but every struggle turned useless as they held him in place and he could only wail.Liam, however, had frozen with a bolt of shock.He hadn’t expected that.That she could ever pull off self-harm to protect someone she loved.Yes, he’d known things about Charlotte in the years they were married, and he wouldn’t deny that she was kind and selfless but hurting herself because of a loved one.Willingly embracing death to save her kin…it was new to him. And for the first time, he felt totally discombobulated, and afraid.“Let me go!” Noah’s determination to get to his sister was still unfettering as the bodyguards resilience in lettin
CHARLOTTEThe distant call of my name was the first sound to grace my ears, and then a panging headache.My sight was mildly distorted, but everything was starting to come back to me.The fact that I’d passed out.The fact that Noah was above me, and his lips came into clearer view as he called my name.He looked worried, with panic flickering in his eyes.“Charlotte!” He called again, his voice sounding harsh and loud and that was the only thing I needed to get up.Slowly, and with a groan I pushed myself up.Everything was in clear lights now, and I realized that the landlord, as well as the other men that had been in here wrecking havoc, were no longer present.Amid the relief that flooded my chest seeing Charles beside me and unhurt unlike Noah, I felt dissatisfied.“How are you feeling?” Noah bombarded me. “Are you having a headache? Do you need a hospital?”“Did they leave?” I grunted out as Charles hooked his arm in mine, his gaze lacing with worry at me.I brushed a hand throu
CHARLOTTEAs the cab pulled to a stop, I tightened my grip on Charles's hand, pulled him close, and exited the vehicle.I quickly paid the driver, and after grabbing Charles's bag, we began walking down the street toward our new home.My heart still raced from the upsetting events earlier at the school, but I tried to push aside the thoughts and instead focus on my boy.I glanced at him.His face was still gloomy as he stared straight ahead. He had been quiet since leaving the school, and I knew why.With a sigh, I gently squeezed his hand and asked, “So, what do you think of the new house?”“It’s cool.”“Is it? Were you able to look around?”He shrugged, giving me a ‘no’ in response.A smile appeared on my face, and I began describing the house.“The house is spacious and cozy. I have a big kitchen, living room, and balcony. I also have plans to decorate your room with your favorite toys and get a TV for you.”“A TV? For me?” His eyes suddenly sparked with excitement, and I laughed.