"I want a divorce"

Charlotte's POV

Enduring four years of marriage to Dylan felt like being trapped in a living nightmare. Despite my deep love for him, I had never truly felt accepted into the Harmon family. I had made sacrifices for our relationship, leaving behind my own family and name and taking on Dylan's name, yet he had never reciprocated my commitment. Throughout our marriage, he had never defended me or shown me the support I longed for. The only solace I found within his family was in his mother, Patricia, who had consistently shown me kindness and stood up for me in the face of the family's disdain.

Grandpa Henry had been another source of warmth, but with his passing, I felt even more isolated. Patricia's support, while comforting, often felt inadequate in the face of Grandma Adaline's influence. I understood that Patricia's hands were tied when it came to her Grandma's words and actions. Despite the disrespect and insults hurled at me by other family members, including being labeled a jinx and a nobody, Dylan remained silent, and at times, even aligned himself with those who sought to undermine me.

lack of support from the one person I had hoped would stand by me left me feeling devastated in the marriage. It was a heavy burden to bear, and I often found myself wondering if I would ever truly find a place within the family that would become my own.

I had made a deliberate choice to keep my true identity hidden from Dylan and his family. I didn't want their affection to be influenced by my real wealth and status. Instead, I longed for them to accept and love me for who I was as an individual.

In reality, my real name is Charlotte Robert, the heiress to one of the most renowned design companies in New York City and beyond Rob-Glow, a globally acclaimed brand for bags and jewelries. Despite my wealth and background, I yearned for Dylan's love to be based solely on who I was as a person, so I held back, never revealing the truth, and silently hoped that one day he would come to truly love me.

I spent the entire day secluded in the mansion, tears streaming down my face as I grappled with the overwhelming exhaustion and despair that had settled within me. Despite the turmoil raging in my heart, no one had bothered to check on me or offer a comforting word. The Harmon family's indifference pressed down on me, and I found myself holding my belly as I sobbed in solitude.

As evening approached, a servant finally sought me out, relaying the message that Grandma Adaline was seeking my presence. With a heavy heart, I made my way to the grand sitting room, where the entire family had gathered. Grandma Adaline sat regally in the largest chair, her piercing gaze fixed upon me. My husband, Dylan, was present, alongside his aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews, nieces, and even Allison's mom.

Upon entering, I was immediately instructed to stand in the center of the room by Grandma Adaline. I complied, feeling anxiety and resignation as I awaited her words. She wasted no time in addressing me, her voice cutting through the silence with authority.

"How could you disrupt our celebration today and bring humiliation upon this household, Charlotte?" she demanded, her tone seething with disapproval.

"We have endured countless instances of your disrespect and humiliation, yet you persist." I remained silent, lowering my head in a gesture of submission.

"Furthermore, I heard that your jealousy over Allison's beauty today drove you to push her to the brink of her death. How callous and ungrateful can you be, Charlotte?" Grandma Adaline's accusation cut through the air, leaving me reeling with disbelief and shock. Before I could explain, she silenced me with a commanding gesture, her words continuing to pierce through the heavy silence.

"Allison saved your husband, Dylan, from a near-death experience at the warehouse years ago. You should be showing her gratitude, not bullying her and putting her life at risk, you jinx," Grandma Adaline continued, her tone filled with condemnation. I longed to defend myself, to explain the misunderstandings, but her words held me captive.

"And let's not forget how shamelessly you manipulated my late husband, Henry, and coerced him into arranging your marriage to Dylan. I have yet to uncover the extent of the arrangement you made with him, but I am certain there was an affair involved Charlotte," she accused, her words laced with scorn as she branded me a slut. The accusation struck me like a physical blow, and I fought to contain the flood of emotions threatening to overwhelm me.

"We have endured your deceit for far too long, Charlotte. This has gone too far," Aunt Angela interjected, her voice filled with anger.

"Punish her," Aunt Angela urged Grandma Adaline, her eyes hard and unyielding. Dylan, however, remained silent, his lack of defense or intervention adding to the accusations being hurled my way.

As Grandma Adaline's harsh judgment echoed through the room, I braced myself for the impending punishment, wondering if it would be any different from the countless penalties I had endured in the past. I couldn't help but hope that perhaps this time, Dylan would finally stand by me.

"I guess I would be punished now," I thought to myself, resignation settling heavily in my heart. "Maybe this time will be different," I mused, drawing on my inner strength as I prepared for the ordeal that lay ahead. Recalling the challenges I had overcome in the first year of our marriage, particularly the difficult period following Grandpa Henry's passing, I found a glimmer of determination within me. "I pushed through then, and I will push through now," I resolved, summoning my resolve to face whatever lay ahead.

As the silence lingered, I yearned for Dylan to intervene, to finally show his support and stand by me.

"Can he just stand by me for once?" I whispered to myself, praying for a flicker of solidarity from him.

"Lock her in the room at the basement until she comes to her senses and admits to her schemes. No food or water for her," Grandma Adaline commanded, her words like a final decree sealing my fate. Despite the gravity of the situation, I hesitated to reveal my pregnancy, choosing to keep it to myself.

Soon, I found myself being led to the basement by two solemn-faced servants, their judgmental gazes pressing down on me. Locked away in that dim, desolate space, I couldn't help but hold onto a fragile hope that Dylan would come to my aid. Yet as the hours turned into days, I remained imprisoned, isolated in the Harmon family mansion's basement, grappling with a profound sense of abandonment.

Tears streamed down my cheeks as I lay on the cold, damp floor of the basement. The hunger gnawed at my insides, but the pain in my heart was even more unbearable. I had been trapped in this hellish place for three days, deprived of food and water, and my mental health was at its breaking point.

As I struggled to lift my head, the creak of the basement door echoed through the room, and a beam of blinding light pierced through the darkness. Squinting, I made out the figure of Dylan approaching me.

"How could you do that, Charlotte?" Dylan's voice cut through the silence, filled with accusation and disbelief.

I mustered the strength to respond, my voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't push Allison to that extent. She brought it on herself. She pushed me first, and I just pushed back. I didn't cause the accident. You have to believe me."

Dylan's expression hardened as he shook his head. "Believe you? Why would I? I saw it all. You pushed her out of jealousy, Charlotte."

I felt a surge of frustration and desperation. "I didn't do it, Dylan.

Dylan's gaze bore into me, unwavering. "Allison is back from the hospital. You need to apologize to her. That's the only way you'll be freed."

"What?" I gasped, my weakened voice betraying my shock. "Apologize for what? I won't do it, Dylan. I won't confess to something I didn't do."

"You are so... stubborn, Charlotte. That's one of your flaws," Dylan's voice resonated in the dimly lit basement. "Just look at yourself. You're a shell of who you used to be. Just apologize and get freed."

I struggled to my feet, summoning the last shreds of strength within me. "I thought you came here because you understood because you believed me," I said, my voice quivering with emotion. "You knew I was wronged, and I thought you were here to free me. But now you're asking me to apologize for something I never did or even thought of. How cruel can you be, Dylan? How cruel..."

Dylan's expression remained stern as he made his way toward the entrance of the basement. "Get your strength, Charlotte. You don't want to end up falling to your death. Just apologize. That's all," he insisted, his tone unyielding.

Then, as he reached the threshold, my desperation boiled over. "I'm pregnant!" I blurted out uncontrollably.

Dylan stopped in his tracks and turned his gaze locking with mine. "You can't scheme your way out of this without apologizing properly. Go apologize," he commanded.

Exhaustion hit me, and at that moment, I felt utterly drained. "I want a divorce," I declared, the words carrying a weight of finality and release.

As the declaration hit me, I felt free, mingled with the bittersweet taste of resignation.

"I'm done, Dylan," I added, my voice trembling with resolve.

"Do you know what you're saying right now? Or has the hunger and thirst gotten to your brain?" Dylan's voice held a note of disbelief.

"I understand what I'm saying, Dylan. I understand every bit of it. I'm done. I want a divorce," I reiterated, my words carrying finality.

"Fine!" Dylan's response was sharp. "You made the decision yourself. Don't come begging that you regret these words later!" With that, he turned and left, leaving me alone in the dim, oppressive silence of the basement.

I sank to the ground, my strength failing me in the wake of the emotional turmoil. Despite the physical weakness, I felt an overwhelming sense of liberation.

"Why didn't I think of this before?" I murmured to myself, the realization of freedom dawning upon me.

As I lay there, exhaustion bore down on me, and my eyelids grew heavy. Before I could grasp onto a fleeting thought, darkness enveloped me, and I slipped into unconsciousness, the turmoil of the past days finally catching up to me.