Chapter 5
From the moment he walked in, he hadn't even glanced at her injuries, hadn't asked if she was in pain.
He stood there, stone-faced, right beside Vivian.
He looked just like he did three years ago, when he called her out in front of the whole Foster Family. His eyes were just as cold and empty as back then, not a hint of warmth.
Charlotte tried to speak, but before she could get a word out, tears started streaming down her face.
All the humiliation and heartbreak just washed over her, and she felt like she was drowning. She looked at the man she'd loved for almost eight years, and suddenly, she just felt exhausted, inside and out.
She gave a weak, bitter smile. "Think whatever you want," she said quietly.
James watched her half-hearted attitude, feeling a surge of anger rise up inside him, his chest tightening with frustration.
But when he caught a glimpse of her slender back, looking so small and alone, his anger melted away, and for a split second, he actually felt a twinge of pity for her.
He said stiffly, barely showing any emotion, "You'll get the settlement papers and the money tonight. Just sign it and we'll call it done."
Charlotte snapped her head around and locked eyes with him, her stare sharp and unflinching.
The sparkle that used to light up her eyes was gone. Now they burned with fury, so intense James had to look away.
"And what if I don't sign?" Charlotte said, her voice cool and defiant.
Vivian seized the moment, her voice full of arrogance. "Miss Rivers, it's not like you're seriously hurt. 7 hundred thousand dollars is plenty. Don't push your luck. Just sign it, it's better for everyone."
She always had that holier-than-thou attitude, always barking orders like she owned the place.
James felt a pang of discomfort. He glanced at his assistant standing outside and motioned for him to take Vivian away.
Once the room was quiet, he let out a silent sigh and walked over to the bed, taking Charlotte's hand in his.
Her hand was ice-cold.
He gently tucked her hand under the blanket, his tone softening.
"Her dance troupe is under contract with Foster Enterprises. The terms and benefits they offered were just too good for me to say no," James said.
Her eyes widened in surprise as she looked at him.
This was the first time he'd ever explained himself.
Seeing her expression soften, James continued, "Foster Enterprises and the dance troupe are inseparable. This is the perfect time to ride the wave. You're my wife, Charlotte. You should think about me, too."
"Foster Enterprises and the dance troupe are inseparable. This is the perfect time to ride the wave. You're my wife, Charlotte. You should think about me, too."
"If we sign the agreement and keep the public quiet, maybe people won't trash our third anniversary wedding."
Charlotte looked at the agreement he handed her.
Seeing that he'd taken off his wedding ring without her noticing, her nose started to burn, and a tear dropped onto the back of his hand.
She looked up at him. "Do you really still want to have the wedding?"
James caught the glimmer of tears in her eyes, and his chest tightened uncontrollably.
He instinctively reached out to wipe her tears, but then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw reporters barging in after catching wind of the story, and his tone changed on a dime.
"You want to go public? You want the wedding? Then sign your name," he said.
He grabbed her wrist, practically forcing her to scribble her signature.
With the contract finally in his hands, the tension drained from James's body.
For once, he actually smiled. He reached out to brush the stray hair from her forehead, but Charlotte turned her head away, dodging his touch.
"Aren't you supposed to be getting ready for the press conference? Go on, then," she said.
Her coldness made the anger he'd just managed to suppress bubble right back up.
He stood by the bed, watching her in silence, and the last bit of patience he had evaporated.
The door slammed shut with a deafening bang.
Charlotte let out a miserable laugh, her tears soaking the pillow. Only now did she truly understand what her brother meant by pain.
Once she was sure she was alone, she called her brother again. "Can you help me draft a divorce agreement?" she asked quietly.
No matter what it cost, she couldn't keep lying to herself anymore.
After her brother texted her, Charlotte checked herself out of the hospital.
To minimize the fallout, James showed up with Vivian to pick her up, and reporters were strategically placed everywhere, from the moment they entered to when they left.
Press releases about Vivian personally visiting the injured were everywhere, flooding every platform like snowflakes.
Amid the unprecedented online frenzy, what really got people excited wasn't the stampede itself.
It was the subtle chemistry between Vivian and James.