Chapter 8
By the time Charlotte returned to the cottage in the backyard, it was already late at night.
Lights blazed in the main house, and Charlotte could faintly hear Monica talking on the phone, her voice sharp and authoritative as always.
The cottage she stayed in was so quiet that it was like stepping into another world.
She pushed the door open quietly.
The only light in the room came from a dim bedside lamp.
Hazel was already asleep. Her breathing was steady, her face peaceful. The fear and unease she'd shown in the basement were gone.
Charlotte walked over and tucked the blanket around her.
The room was clean, warm, and bright. There were no rats, and the air was fresh, with no trace of that musty smell.
Hazel slept peacefully here.
Charlotte's heart finally settled. She knew that accepting Monica's offer was the best decision she'd ever made.
She sat at her desk, wide awake.
Everything that had happened in the main house kept replaying in her mind.
The contempt in Tyler's eyes still stung.
Broke college girl. Gold digger. Those labels had probably been slapped on her the minute she crossed the gated driveway.
She didn't care what others thought of her. But she couldn't let anyone walk all over her and Hazel, couldn't let their dignity be trampled.
She had to become stronger so that no one could afford to overlook her and so that she could protect those she wanted to protect.
Charlotte turned on her laptop and connected to the internet. The Wi-Fi here was ridiculously fast.
She logged into Norvail University's internal system and pulled up the School of Physics' course schedule and professor profiles.
As she scanned the names of the top professors in the country, her eyes lit up with excitement. This was the world she'd been yearning for.
She still had a long way to go.
But studying wasn't enough. She also needed to make money.
Hazel's illness was like a bottomless pit, draining dollars endlessly.
The Quinn family's pay was generous, but it still wasn't nearly enough. She needed to figure out new ways to earn.
Her fingers flew over the keys, mapping out options: academic competitions, paper bounties, and patent filings.
She knew the climb would be brutal, but she had no other choice.
*****
The next morning, Charlotte woke up early.
She pulled back the curtains, and golden sunlight flooded the room.
The garden outside was filled with birdsong and the fragrance of flowers.
Hazel was awake as well. She sat on the bed, not lost in thought like usual. Instead, she gazed out at the scenery with curiosity.
She pointed at a blooming rose outside the window and muttered, "Charlotte, flower."
Charlotte's chest hitched. For the first time in years, Hazel was actively engaging with the world.
"Yeah, Mom," Charlotte replied, her voice thick with emotion. "It's a rose. It's really beautiful."
A childlike, innocent smile spread across Hazel's face.
Charlotte helped her into the garden.
The morning air was cool, tinged with the scent of fresh grass.
Hazel was like a curious child, reaching out to touch a leaf here, taking in the scent of a flower there.
Her gaze still drifted at times, but a spark of life had definitely returned.
A woman wearing an apron walked over from the main house, carrying breakfast.
She stopped in her tracks for a second when she saw them. A warm smile spread across her face. "You're Charlotte, right? Mrs. Quinn had me bring you breakfast."
Her name was Mary, the Quinn family's cook.
She set the breakfast down on the stone table in the garden: milk, sandwiches, and a bowl of oatmeal.
"And this is?" Mary asked, glancing at Hazel curiously.
"That's my mother," Charlotte said calmly. "Her health is fragile, so she needs quiet surroundings."
"Understood, dear," Mary said, tactfully letting it go. "Enjoy your meal. Let me know if you need anything else."
Charlotte gently helped Hazel finish her breakfast. Seeing the satisfied look on Hazel's face, it felt like hope was finally blooming in Charlotte's own life too.
*****
Over the next few days, life settled into a smooth rhythm.
During the day, Charlotte took Hazel for strolls in the garden or read her stories back in their room.
She could literally see Hazel getting better day by day.
Hazel wasn't afraid of unfamiliar places anymore, and she even started giving Mary a smile without being prompted.
And every evening at seven, Charlotte would show up right on time in the main house's study.
Nolan was changing too, and honestly, the shift was pretty dramatic.
He stopped showing up late, stopped talking back, and quit messing with her.
He started prepping in advance and actually had questions ready for her.
He still kept that classic 'I don't care' vibe on his face. But she could see the focus in his eyes growing stronger every day.
Charlotte's way of teaching completely transformed the way he viewed physics in the past sixteen years.
Rather than droning through dry theory, she broke complex concepts down into intuitive everyday models.
She mapped out several distinct ways to crack a single problem, challenging him to figure out which one was the smartest.
She'd even throw in quirky stories and behind-the-scenes drama from the history of physics.
Those cold, lifeless formulas that used to sit in textbooks suddenly came alive, their backstories bursting with passion and rivalry.
For the first time ever, Nolan realized that learning could actually be fun.
He couldn't wait for those two hours every evening.
Sometimes, he'd catch himself reaching for his physics textbook during the day.
Monica noticed every detail of this transformation.
She was absolutely over the moon. She finally felt like she'd found the right person.
That night, after the tutoring session, Monica called Charlotte over and handed her a bank card.
"Charlotte, here's your salary for this month. I'm giving it to you ahead of time. There's an extra 20 thousand dollars in there as your bonus." She looked at Charlotte, her eyes shining with gratitude. "You've exceeded all my expectations."
Charlotte didn't take the card. "My contract says the salary is paid weekly, Mrs. Quinn. And it's a bit early to discuss the bonus."
She looked Monica straight in the eye, her voice calm and confident. "Once Nolan's quiz scores are out, and if he meets the goal we set, I'll come collect the bonus. Until then, I'll only take what I'm owed."
She wasn't trying to act all high and mighty.
This was her principle. She wanted every dollar earned through measurable competence, not patronage.
Caught off guard, Monica looked at the young girl with newfound respect and slipped the card back into her pocket. She nodded. "Fair enough. I respect that."
Charlotte turned and walked away.
The night breeze swept through her hair. Her silhouette looked slender and vulnerable, but her determination was rock-solid.
She knew she was taking back her dignity, step by step.