Chapter 6
At three o'clock on Tuesday afternoon, Charlotte arrived at a coffeehouse.
She got there five minutes early, ordered a hot chocolate, and picked a quiet corner seat.
Grace strolled in at 3:10, deliberately showing up late.
She was dressed in a white floral dress, her makeup flawless, and she wore three-inch heels, carrying a designer bag.
When she sat down across from Charlotte, she made a point of placing her bag right in the center of the table, where it was impossible to miss.
"So you're Charlotte?" Grace said, her tone deliberately sweet.
"Just say what you want," Charlotte said, still holding her cup, not even bothering to look up.
Grace smiled and slid her phone across the table.
On the screen was a chat history between her and David.
"Take a look at these. It's not that I want to ruin your marriage, but David... he's been talking about divorcing you. Did you know?" Grace said.
Charlotte barely glanced at the screen.
David: [I'll divorce her after the baby arrives.]
Grace: [You've said that a million times already.]
David: [I'm serious this time. She just doesn't belong in my family.]
Charlotte slid the phone back to Grace.
"Finished?" Grace tilted her head.
"Yeah."
"Charlotte, I'm not trying to hurt you," Grace said, taking her phone back. "I just thought you should know the truth. Better than being left in the dark—"
"So you came here, hoping I'd be the one to file for divorce?" Charlotte cut her off.
Grace paused. "I'm just trying to help you out."
"Help me out, huh?" Charlotte repeated, her tone cool. She gave a slow nod. "All right. Since you are generous enough to go to such lengths to help me."
She took out her phone, opened the file Emily had sent, and flipped right to Grace's personal details.
"You started at the company last March. Your probation score barely made the cut. David signed off on your review.
"You paid a late fee on your rent in May, missed a credit card payment in July, and your ex showed up at your office in September. Security dragged him out. And last month, you had a pregnancy test. It was negative."
Grace's face drained of color.
"You... you looked into me?" Grace stammered.
"Before you got involved with a married man, did you ever bother to check him out?" Charlotte took a sip of her hot chocolate.
"He makes four thousand dollars a month, pays two thousand on the mortgage, eight hundred on his car loan, and even splits everything 50/50 with his pregnant wife. What do you honestly think he's got to offer you?"
Grace's lips trembled. "That's not what he told me—"
"So what did he tell you? That his family's rich? That he's getting promoted soon? That he'll marry you after he dumps his wife?" Charlotte said.
Grace stayed quiet.
"In the past four months you've been with him, how much money has he spent on you?" Charlotte pressed.
Grace lowered her head, her fingers twisting the hem of her dress. "Most of the time, I am the one who pays for the rooms."
Charlotte stood up.
"Good luck," she said.
She left enough cash on the table to cover her drink, grabbed her bag, and walked out.
As she reached the door, she glanced back.
Grace was still sitting there, head down, her shoulders trembling.
Charlotte glanced back one last time, then pushed the door open, and walked out.
The heat swallowed her whole the second she crossed the threshold, thick July air settling against her skin before the door had even swung shut behind her.
She stood by the curb for a moment, and her phone started ringing.
It was Ethan.
"Ms. Lane, the contract's cleared legal. You can sign it on Thursday. Also, Mr. Lane wanted me to let you know that he hopes you can get a DNA test done when you have time."
Charlotte froze, phone still in hand.
"A DNA test?"
"Yeah. He didn't really explain. Just said if you're willing, Starlight will cover the cost."
"Why?"
"He didn't say. But he told me, 'If she doesn't want to, don't push her.'"
Charlotte gripped her phone, remembering the way Richard's hand had shaken as he examined the silver pendant around her neck.
"I'll think about it," she said.
"Take your time," Ethan replied.