Chapter 2

[This story is brutal to Charlotte. My poor resilient girl.]

[This isn't even the worst of it. Ethan swapped her vitamins for birth control pills, but he never checked the expiration date. They were expired. So Charlotte is already pregnant.]

[Oh God, I remember now. Charlotte thinks her mom died from drinking, and the grief causes her to miscarry. Then Ethan's first love waltzes in with her own baby and takes Charlotte's place.]

[Poor Charlotte. She dies never knowing her mom actually passed away because the kidney removal went wrong.]

Hearing that, I couldn't stay calm a second longer. I grabbed my bag and ran out the door.

I floored it all the way to the nursing home, only to find the place eerily deserted when I arrived.

A staff member stopped me. "No entry without an appointment. Who are you here for?"

I gave my name and number. The staff barely glanced at the clipboard. "No one's responded yet. You'll have to wait."

[See? Even if she fights back, the plot steamrolls her.]

[I don't get why she plays by the rules. Just slip inside. There isn't even a guard.]

The voice of the lawn itself seemed to urge me on. I ducked low and sprinted inside, grabbing a megaphone off a desk as I went.

Before I could shout, someone clamped down on my wrist so hard that I thought they might snap it.

"Who's causing trouble here?"

Pain shot up my arm, tears springing to my eyes. I looked up to find Bella Adams, the head nurse who'd always looked after Helen.

"Ms. Adams? It's me, Charlotte Summers. Where's my mother?"

She blinked, clearly surprised to see me, and immediately started dragging me toward the exit. "I told you your mom's sleeping. What are you even doing here? This place is for sick elderly patients. Does Ethan know you came?"

Red flags went up instantly. I wrenched my hand free and ran to the building.

"Catch her! Don't let her get away!" Bella shouted behind me.

I made it to the third floor. The operating room's red warning light glared at me from down the hall.

I went pale as a sheet, throwing my whole weight against that heavy metal door, but it wouldn't budge no matter how hard I tried.

I glared at Bella Adams as she rushed up, catching her stealing a guilty glance to the side.

I followed her gaze and spotted another gurney under a white sheet, waiting to be wheeled in.

"Get out of my way!" I barked.

I shoved past Bella and yanked the sheet back.

Helen lay there, eyes closed, looking almost peaceful.

[She made it in time! The plot's changing!]

[Don't celebrate yet. The nurse already texted Ethan.]

[Then it's over. Charlotte always feels guilty about not giving Ethan kids, so she falls for his manipulation every single time. This won't be any different.]

The plants in the hallway rustled with commentary. Bella's panic faded as she tucked her phone away. "Ms. Summers, your mother's been in poor health. We were about to perform a minor procedure. Why are you causing such a scene?

"And your husband is on his way. If he finds out you came here again, that won't be good for your marriage, will it?"

"Charlotte!" Ethan's voice suddenly boomed through the hallway.

He stormed toward me, fury radiating off him, with a girl in a high ponytail trailing behind him.

"What are you up to now?" Ethan snapped.

I recognized the girl. She had been at our wedding, introduced as Ethan's childhood friend.

But the pothos plant in the corner had other information. [That's Ethan's first love, Sophie Winters. Yeah, she's married, but that doesn't stop her from hooking up with him whenever she wants.]

[Trash attracts trash. Her husband had just died, and she was already going after Ethan.]

[She doesn't even have to try. She sheds a few tears, and Ethan comes running like a loyal puppy. It's pathetic.]

"Answer me, Charlotte. What do you think you're doing?" Ethan yelled.

I met their hostile stares and dropped a bomb. "I'm pregnant."