Chapter 3
When Nathan got home from the hospital, he immediately started packing his bags.
The house was filled with memories of the eight years he had spent with Charlotte.
A wave of pain—his stomach aching in sync with his heart—hit Nathan hard, and his eyes started to water.
Suddenly, Nathan lost control. He broke down and hurled everything in the room onto the floor.
His anger wasn't just about Charlotte's affair. It was the truth that even after everything, he still couldn't turn off his feelings for her.
Charlotte was etched into his very soul. Giving her up would be like tearing out a piece of his own life.
Nathan couldn't understand why it was so easy for Charlotte to betray him.
Suddenly, the front door banged open. Charlotte burst in.
She stopped in her tracks, staring at the mess everywhere, and at Nathan, who looked both haggard and crazed. Her hands trembled in fear.
Charlotte dashed to Nathan, threw her arms around him, and forced him down on the couch, kissing him on his cheeks.
"Nathan, what's up? Please, don't scare me. Just talk to me, okay? Don't hurt yourself," she said.
That was when Nathan noticed blood trickling from his hand. A shard of glass from the wreckage had cut him.
Charlotte carefully took his injured hand, brought it to her lips, and gently kissed the wound.
Her worry for him was real. Her eyes shimmered with tears, and even her voice was shaking.
"Nathan, if you need to be angry, let it out at me, but please, don't hurt yourself. Seeing you bleed hurts me far more than if I were the one injured," she said.
Nathan wanted to scream at her. He wanted to cry out, "Can't you see what you've done to me? My heart's been torn to shreds!
"How can you act like you still care, when you've already been in another man's bed?
"What do you want from me, Charlotte?"
Blinded by intense emotion, Nathan shoved Charlotte onto the couch and pressed his lips against hers.
"Do you love me?" he asked.
Charlotte's eyes glazed over because of the kiss. "Of course I love you, Nathan."
"Then give me a child. Right now," Nathan demanded.
He reached for her buttons, but Charlotte's face suddenly went pale, shrinking away from his touch.
Nathan felt his heart freeze up, all his strength gone. He slumped against her, totally drained.
Charlotte held him for a moment and then gently slid herself out from under him.
She crouched beside the couch and tried to reassure him. "Nathan, I just don't have time today. How about we have some real fun next time? Whatever you want, I'm totally up for it."
Nathan felt sick to his stomach.
He covered his face and shook his head. "Go handle your own stuff. Leave me alone."
Charlotte was worried. She glanced nervously at the open suitcase, her voice soft and tentative. "Nathan, why are you packing? Are you going somewhere?"
Nathan managed a smile.
"Yeah, I was thinking of getting away for a while. I'm not feeling great, so I took some extended time off work. Would you come with me? Maybe... Farronia? I've never been, but people say it's the most romantic place—a place meant for lovers, right?" he said.
Charlotte panicked and said, "Farronia's honestly pretty dull. You wouldn't like it. I've got so much going on at work, but when I'm free, let's go to the beach instead, okay? And since you're not feeling well, you really should just stay home and rest. Don't push yourself."
That would never happen.
He'd lost count of how many times he'd waited over the years. He was done waiting now. He didn't have the time.
Noticing Nathan looking so down, Charlotte suddenly had an idea. She rushed to the study and came back carrying a business proposal.
"Nathan, I actually wanted this to be a surprise for you. Here, look! It's a theme park I'm creating, and I named it after you—Quinn's Wonderland. Do you like it?" she asked.