Chapter 2
Early the next morning, Charlotte dragged her suitcase down the stairs.
Jasper sat on the living room couch. He had been out all night and looked worn down, with faint shadows beneath his eyes.
When he spotted the suitcase in her hand, his frown deepened. "What are you doing?"
"Moving out," Charlotte replied. Her tone was clipped.
"Already?" Jasper's voice carried a note of surprise, but he did not seem to notice it himself.
"What else? Stick around and watch you and Emily put on your little love story?" Charlotte's lips curled into a dry, bitter smile.
Her words caught him off guard. His expression turned cold. "Charlotte, watch your mouth."
"Mr. Goodman, we're divorced. I don't have to walk on eggshells around you anymore," she shot back.
She grabbed her suitcase and headed straight for the door.
The doorbell rang. Jasper rose to answer it, and there stood Emily.
She wore a white dress, her long hair falling over her shoulders. Her makeup was soft and understated, giving her a fragile, delicate look.
"Jasper," Her voice wavered, already close to tears. "I heard Charlotte got the wrong idea about us. This is all my fault. I never should have..."
As she spoke, she glanced nervously inside.
When Emily saw Charlotte and the suitcase at her feet, a quick flicker of triumph crossed her eyes. Her face, however, remained full of panic and distress.
"Charlotte, are you leaving? Please, don't misunderstand. Jasper and I are only friends. Don't go because of me, alright?"
Charlotte watched the whole innocent act and felt her stomach turn.
The moment Jasper saw Emily crying, his protective instincts kicked in. He shot Charlotte a look that was colder than before. "That's enough, Charlotte.
"Are you finished making a scene? Emily isn't feeling well. Stop upsetting her."
Charlotte let out a laugh of disbelief. She wondered who was really causing the drama here.
"Spare me the performance, Jasper," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
She could not stand another second of their nonsense. She grabbed her suitcase and tried to walk past them.
But Emily suddenly lurched toward Charlotte, as though she had lost her balance. She let out a startled cry.
Charlotte stepped aside on instinct. Emily grabbed at nothing, stumbled forward a few steps, and crashed into the cabinet by the entryway.
The crystal vase on top went flying. It hit the floor with a loud crash and shattered into a hundred glittering pieces.
Jasper's face went pale. He rushed over and caught Emily by the arm. "Emily, are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?"
"I'm fine." Emily shook her head. Tears pooled in her eyes as she stared at the broken pieces on the floor. "But that vase..."
Jasper's gaze swept over the shattered crystal. When he looked up, the fury in his eyes could have burned right through Charlotte.
"Charlotte! You did that on purpose."
That vase was a keepsake his mother had left behind.
Jasper's voice turned icy. Each word came out with a sharp, cutting edge.
He held Emily with great care, as though she were made of glass and might break at the lightest touch.
But the way he looked at Charlotte made her feel like she was his worst enemy.
"On purpose?" Charlotte repeated. The accusation struck her as absurd and almost funny.
Before she could say another word, Emily cut in. She grabbed Jasper's arm and hurried to explain. "Jasper, please don't blame Charlotte. It was my fault. I was being careless.
"Charlotte probably didn't mean to. She did not want to see me, that's all."
Emily's words were flawless. She made herself look blameless while pinning the fault on Charlotte.
Charlotte watched the display with cold indifference. She did not waste a single breath trying to defend herself.
There was no point. Jasper would never believe her over this sneaky little snake.
As expected, Emily's words only made Jasper's expression darken further.
"Shut up," he growled at Emily. But it was obvious he was still shielding her.
He turned to Charlotte and stared her down. "Apologize."
"Why should I?" Charlotte lifted her chin. Her stance was firm.
"Because you pushed Emily and broke my mother's vase!" Jasper's voice was hard and cold.
"I did not push her," Charlotte said. She spoke each word slowly and clearly.
"Still making excuses?" Jasper's anger boiled over. "Charlotte, how did I never see how cruel you really are?"
"Cruel?" Charlotte laughed. The sound was so sharp it almost brought tears to her eyes.
She closed the distance between them step by step and looked him straight in the eye. "Jasper, is that truly how you see me? Some vicious woman?
"Someone who would stop at nothing to marry you? Who forced the woman you love out of your life?
"Someone so heartless I would break your mother's keepsake to hurt you?"