Chapter 8
It was the tenth day since Charlotte had moved in with Emily, and for once, life was actually quiet.
She'd wake up in the morning to sketch new designs, spend her afternoons either at prenatal checkups or discussing prototypes with the craftsmen at Starlight, and in the evenings, she and Emily would cook together.
She'd already finished four out of the six designs for the "Aurum" collection, and the craftsmen said they were all totally doable.
That evening, Charlotte had her sketches laid out on the living room table, working on the finishing touches for her fifth piece, when the doorbell rang.
Emily wasn't home yet.
She checked the peephole, and it was Karen.
She opened the door.
Karen wore a rare smile. "Charlotte, I came to see you."
"Come in, have a seat," Charlotte replied.
Karen stepped inside, looking around. "This place isn't very big. Kind of cramped for just one person, isn't it?"
"It's plenty for me," Charlotte replied.
Karen sat down and took Charlotte's hand.
"Charlotte, I know you and David have been having your ups and downs. It's normal for young couples to hit a few bumps. With you being so pregnant, living alone can't be easy. Why not come back home?" Karen said.
"Karen, I want to ask you something," Charlotte said.
"Go ahead," Karen replied.
"How long have you known about Grace?" Charlotte asked.
Karen's smile stiffened.
"Grace? Who—" Karen said, pretending not to know.
"The woman David's been seeing. How long have you known about her?" Charlotte pressed.
Karen pulled her hand back, sat up straighter, and her expression hardened.
"Charlotte, men have to go out for business sometimes—" Karen started.
"Seven hotel stays," Charlotte replied calmly. "Four months. Since I was three months pregnant. Mom, is that what you call 'business'?"
Karen's lips twitched.
"Well... you don't have to move out just because of this. Think about the baby—" Karen said.
"I think about the baby every single day," Charlotte said. "But I also think about what kind of mom I want my child to see. Should I be the kind of mom who just puts up with cheating and splitting bills, or the kind who stands up for herself?"
Karen was silent for a long moment.
"David's company's struggling lately. He's under a lot of pressure..." Karen said.
"So he relieves his stress by cheating and making me pay half for everything?" Charlotte shot back.
"Stop dwelling on this," Karen said, her voice rising. "I came here to talk things out. Now that you've got a new job and you're earning, why not just come home and live together as a family—"
Charlotte interrupted, "Did David tell you I signed a contract with Starlight?"
Karen's eyes flickered.
"Whatever contract stuff, it doesn't matter. I just want you to come home—"
"Did he tell you how much I'm making?" Charlotte asked.
Karen stayed silent.
"One hundred and fifty thousand dollars a year," Charlotte said. "Plus a 6.5% share."
Karen's eyes lit up for a second, but she quickly masked it.
"Well, that's even better! If you come home, we can all be together, and with you earning so much, things will be so much better for the family—" Karen said.
"The money I earn isn't meant to cover your son's affair expenses," Charlotte said.
Karen's face darkened. "What are you trying to say?"
"You know perfectly well what I mean," Charlotte replied, standing up and opening the door. "Leave."
Karen didn't move. "The baby you're carrying is a Clark."
"It's my child," Charlotte replied, her hand on the doorknob. "Whether my child will have a father or who will be the father? That's not decided yet."
Karen's face went pale.
She stood up, grabbed her bag, and headed for the door. As she passed Charlotte, she muttered, "You're going too far."
"You too," Charlotte shot back.
The door closed.
Charlotte leaned against the door, feeling the baby move inside her. She looked down at her baby bump.
"Hey, kiddo, was mommy pretty cool today?" she joked.
The baby kicked, and she took that as a yes.