Chapter 6

So what if Vivian drove Andrea to her death? So what if Vivian turned Richard against Charlotte, and now he barely cared, didn't even show up for Charlotte's birthday?

And in this huge house, Charlotte's room wasn't even as nice as the servants' quarters.

Was this all Charlotte's fault? Was this what happened when she trusted a man and thought she had found true love?

Richard always criticized her for being immature.

He said, "Charlotte, why are you acting so strange lately? Admitting you're wrong won't hurt you."

Henry also criticized her mistakes.

Henry said, "You can't even take a few words of advice? Lucky for you, you ended up with someone as tolerant as me.

"The past is the past, but today you have to apologize, recognize Vivian as the lady of the house, and from now on, you'll come to greet her twice a month."

Everyone adored Vivian, but nobody ever felt sorry for Charlotte.

Charlotte was the one getting pushed around, yet everyone kept telling her to let it go. So because nobody loved Charlotte, she deserved to be trashed, and didn't even get a chance to speak up?

Seeing Charlotte staring at him, devastated and helpless, Henry awkwardly rubbed his nose.

He said, "I'm only doing this because I care about you. If I didn't love you, I wouldn't waste my time on any of this."

Henry did all these hurtful things in the name of love. Henry, was this really what you called love?

A wave of disgust and exhaustion she never felt before crashed over her, and Charlotte let out a miserable, wretched laugh.

Charlotte said, "You want me to apologize? Over my dead body."

The whole ordeal only ended when Charlotte fainted. But when she finally woke up, she realized she was still sprawled in the same spot where she collapsed.

The silence was terrifying, so deep it felt like it could swallow her whole. All she could hear was the echo of her own shattered heart.

The servants wouldn't dare enter without Vivian's permission. But Henry?

He actually left her lying all alone on the icy floor, heartlessly letting her freeze until the chill forced her awake in the dead of night.

The cold pierced right through Charlotte, every cell in her body screaming for warmth. The only thing that ever brought Charlotte a hint of comfort was sitting under the oak tree, copying passages from the Bible for Andrea.

Andrea died with unsolved anger. A traveling preacher told Charlotte to write Scripture a thousand times with patient, sincere faith, so that her mom's restless soul could finally find peace.

Charlotte spent the whole night transcribing, her fingers numb and her mind hazy, until Henry's sudden words jolted her awake, her heavy eyelids snapping open.

Henry said, "You still have the energy to come out here? Guess last night you were just pretending to be fragile, faking that faint to get attention."

He had somehow appeared behind Charlotte without her noticing, his tone laced with mockery.

She passed out from a stomachache, but all Henry saw was just another act to get his attention. But back then, whenever she felt unwell, he'd blame himself for not taking care of her, so anxious one'd think it was a matter of life and death.

It felt like a jagged stone was stuck in her throat. Charlotte tried to speak, but not a single sound came out.

Henry said, "Cat got your tongue? Guess I was right, huh?

"Well, Charlotte, since when did you start using these petty tricks?"

Charlotte gave a bitter, desolate smile. He didn't believe her, so any explanation would be pointless.

Maybe realizing how blunt he sounded, Henry awkwardly slipped his arms around Charlotte from behind, his warmth enveloping her in a gentle embrace.

He said, "Charlotte, please stop sulking, okay? We're getting married in seven days. I'm doing this for your own good."

Charlotte's gaze was empty, her lips curling into a bitter smile.

She said, "Go take care of your Vivian. Why are you even bothering with me?"

Henry instantly went rigid, letting go of Charlotte and speaking in a cold, detached voice.

He said, "You're actually jealous? Are you out of your mind? Jealous of Vivian, your stepmom? Seriously, I can't figure out what goes on in that head of yours.

"She's ten years older than me. What could possibly happen between us? If it weren't for trying to help you smooth things over with your family, she wouldn't even be on my radar."

Was Charlotte just overthinking this?

But Henry was always so calm and collected. How could he lose his cool over something so tiny?

Henry said Charlotte was jealous, but before, whenever she got jealous, he used to love it. He actually enjoyed it, and he would always sweet-talk Charlotte and make her feel better.

But now?

Now, to protect Vivian's reputation, Henry was furious, totally losing his temper, even snapping at Charlotte.

If there was one thing Charlotte could always count on, it was disappointment showing up right on time.

Charlotte muttered, "You two have already spent the night together. How can you still claim nothing happened?"

Her voice was barely a whisper, as if she were talking to herself.

Henry believed he was in the clear, but as soon as Charlotte said that, he erupted in fury.