CHAPTER 5_Ten Things You Hate

Charlotte sighed in relief as soon as they were far from the restaurant. She had to control herself not to snap at him there, but he looked far different in just five hours after their divorce. Milton had always had a huge stain on him.

“You know the stain on his white shirt?” Harper said with a grin. “I was the one who did it.”

By this time, they were heading to the car. Her brothers had walked ahead, giving her privacy to talk to Harper.

“You did a great job,” she responded.

Harper’s eyes widened. “I thought you were going to reprimand me for doing that.”

“I won’t.”

“You usually do.”

“Not anymore,” she implied.

Harper shrugged. “How am I sure that you wouldn’t go back to him?”

“I won’t. Not after all that he has done to me.”

A smile broke on Harper's lips. “Sounds good to me.”

“Could you tell Mom that I didn’t get married to her son like she asked me to? And I also didn’t greet her when I saw her—”

“She wouldn’t mind,” Harper interrupted her. “Milton is going to have a hard time speaking to Mom due to the divorce, and that little mistress is toasted.”

Due to Olivia being in a coma, none of the Hendersons paid attention to her except Milton. It wasn’t like they didn’t know her, but because they disliked her.

“Okay,” Charlotte replied, although that didn’t satisfy her.

“I know my stupid brother wouldn’t give anything to you. Do you have somewhere to go?” Harper asked. “You can stay with me, I don’t mind.”

She shook her head. “You don’t have to bother about me. I have an apartment; I bought it after college.”

Harper was stunned by that but glad too. “Alright.” Just then, her phone began ringing. She glanced at the caller ID and then back at Charlotte. “I am so sorry, but I have to take this.”

“No problem.”

“If you happen to change your contact, please text me.”

Charlotte couldn’t help but smile. “Alright.”

Harper waved at her and headed off but returned almost immediately, a habit that she usually did. “I have a way for you to get over my brother,” she revealed.

“You do?”

Harper nodded. “All you have to do is take ten sheets of paper. On each of the sheets, write all the things you hate or dislike about him, preferably ten or twenty in number and detail.”

That

 was the first time Charlotte had heard such a thing.

“When you are done writing them, glue the sheets of paper to the places or things you use the most. If you see it every day, you will grow to hate it even more and unlove him too,” Harper explained. “Works for me every time.”

“Umm.” Charlotte bit her lips to stop herself from laughing at the determined look on Harper’s face. “Thanks for the tip, I will try it.”

“It was nothing.” Harper tapped the tip of Charlotte's nose. “Goodbye. Call me if you need anything.”

“Okay.” Charlotte waved at Harper, a smile on her face until Harper was out of sight.

As soon as Harper was gone, Charlotte was yet again surrounded by her brothers. Each of them had a sad expression on their faces.

“What?” she questioned, wondering why they had such a look on their faces. “Did anything happen?”

Luther pouted. “It took us hours to find a way to make you smile, but she did it in minutes.”

“That’s right,” Carl agreed. “She did it effortlessly.”

“Does that mean you like her more than you do us?” Earl inquired.

Walking into their midst, the eldest of them all, Ralph, pulled them back and stared down at Charlotte. “You have avoided going home for hours. Mom and Dad are waiting for you. It’s time to head home now.”

Charlotte gulped, feeling reluctant. When they first met her, she refused to go with them because she wanted to stay with Milton, and since her real family was ten times richer than Milton, she didn’t want to feel inferior to them.

“Do you think they will forgive me for not listening to them three years ago?” she questioned. “I mean, I snapped at them when they came for me. I also blamed them for abandoning me in—”

“That doesn’t matter,” Ralph interrupted her. “They want you back.”

She nodded, trying to be calm but ended up biting her fingers in nervousness. “Alright, let’s go.”

*****

The Buchanan Villa came into view. The BMW 7 series drove into the compound, stopping on the red carpet leading to the front door of the building. The staff of the house were lined up to welcome her.

“Welcome back, Miss,” the staff greeted as soon as Luther helped her out of the car.

The breeze was blowing her hair backward, and she had to tug it behind her ears to get a view of the villa. Her eyes widened when she saw how big the villa was. She knew her family was wealthy, but she never thought they would be that wealthy.

“Since the miss is back, we will do our very best to serve you,” the staff chorused.

Her eyes averted to the maids and butler. She tried counting them with her eyes.

“There are twenty maids in the villa,” Earl leaned in to whisper in her ear.

“Oh,” she mumbled.

“Come on, let’s go,” Ralph said.

The men led her into the house, with her in the middle of them. The maids bowed until they were out of sight. The light around the villa made it even more stunning. Her eyes sparkled as she walked into the house, the nervousness she once felt disappearing.

By the time the large door opened, revealing her parents, Charlotte felt her legs get heavy. It was more like they couldn’t hold her anymore. The nervousness returned. She was about to raise her finger to her lips when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

She raised her head to find Carl staring at her.

“It is going to be alright,” Carl reassured, smiling. “They are happy that you are back.”

She gulped. ‘Are they?’ She thought she never had the memories of having parents happy to see her come back.