Chapter 2
Richard snatched a cotton swab from the bedside table and pressed it firmly against my wound, his brows drawn tight. For once, he actually looked worried.
I was shaking all over. I wanted to scream, to demand answers, to throw myself at him and tear him apart.
But I didn't have the strength.
I said, "Just go. Go be with Evelyn.
"Amy will be back soon. I don't need you here."
From next door, Evelyn was throwing another tantrum. Her cries echoed through the walls.
Richard didn't even hesitate. He bolted out of the room.
I called my assistant and told her to get me discharged from the hospital right away.
"Back to the Lane Mansion," I ordered.
I was going back to throw my weight around.
*****
When I showed up at the Lane Mansion with the baby in my arms, the whole family was in an uproar.
My relatives and Richard's all crowded around me.
"Oh, my precious grandson," Richard's grandma exclaimed.
She carefully took the baby from my arms. She could barely contain her happiness, her smile stretched wide
Clive was so excited his hands were trembling. He looked at me, his eyes shining with pride.
"Lottie, you're incredible. You're the pride of the Lane family," he said.
I became the Lane family's pride.
It was because I'd brought the Lane family, who'd been four generations strong, their first heir of the fifth generation.
But nobody knew that my heart had died in that cold hospital, together with my lost baby.
Richard's father, confused, watched as the nanny's car drove straight into the garage. "Where's Richard?"
"Probably busy. I didn't see him at the hospital either," I replied.
*****
The Lanes showered me with rewards so extravagant they were almost unbelievable.
Clive gifted me a waterfront villa in Harborview Bay, leaving the keys right on my nightstand.
Richard's grandma brought out all her prized emerald jewelry, set after set. The dazzling green nearly blinded me.
Richard's father transferred five percent of Lane Group's shares to my name, making me the youngest board member overnight.
Richard's mother went above and beyond, giving me a private island in Paradise Isle and telling me I could go there to unwind once I recovered.
I smiled and took it all.
This was what I deserved.
I traded all of it for my baby's life.
No one knew that in the deepest corner of my lavish walk-in closet, I'd created a small, hidden sanctuary.
There were no designer bags or luxury gowns there.
There was just a small wooden tablet, carved from rosewood, without a name.
It bore no inscription.
In front of the tablet, I placed a pair of tiny knitted shoes I had made. They were shoes I would never get to give to my baby. I also placed a few tiny baby clothes beside them.
Every night, when the house was quiet, I'd lock myself in the walk-in closet.
I'd cradle that little wooden memorial, tracing its surface over and over with my fingers.
I muttered, "Baby, Mommy's here.
"Baby, your grandparents bought so many toys today. If you were here, you'd get to play with them too.
"Baby, do you blame me? I'm sorry I failed you. I couldn't protect you."
I never cried out loud. I let my tears fall in silence, soaking the little memorial in my arms.
It felt like there was a hole in my heart that would never heal, cold air pouring in, hurting so much I could barely breathe.
That was a secret for me and my lost child.
*****
Richard came back to the Lane Mansion too, but he didn't dare come near me.
Clive, in front of everyone, jabbed his cane at Richard and called him a disgrace, saying I'd just "given birth," and not only did he refuse to stay by my side, he even went and made me angry.
He was punished by kneeling in the family chapel all night.
He probably couldn't wrap his head around how the Charlotte who used to love him like he was her whole world, the one he had wrapped around his finger, could suddenly change so much.
He'd stop by my room every so often, but most of the time, he was with the baby instead.
He'd clumsily hold him and try to feed him. I saw something new in his eyes: something that almost looked like fatherly love.
He stood behind me, silent for a long time, then finally spoke.
He said, "Charlotte, that night it was all on me. I was drunk.
"Evelyn, she's just way too dependent on me. Don't blame her, okay?"
I slowly raised my head and caught a glimpse of us in the mirror.
He looked tall and handsome, while I was pale and haggard.
"Blame her?" I gave a bitter laugh.
"What right do I have to blame her? I couldn't even protect my own child."
His face turned ugly, like my words had slapped him with the truth.
"It was an accident," he snapped, his voice rising.
"Why can't you let it go? I've tried everything to make it right."
Make it right?
I was born into an elite family. Money was useless to me.
I didn't want to argue with him anymore, so I pushed him out the door.
"Charlotte, what do you want from me?"
"What do I want?" I shot back, my tone dripping with sarcasm. "I want you to stay away from me."
In the end, he let go.
From that day on, he hardly ever set foot in my room again.
We didn't even bother keeping up that flimsy pretense anymore.
*****
When the baby turned one hundred days old, the Lane family threw an extravagant hundred-day party.
The celebration took place right on the Lane Mansion's sprawling lawn, with the city's elite all gathered.
I wore a custom-made red gown, holding the baby swaddled in shimmering silk, standing beside Richard's grandparents as the center of attention, basking in everyone's blessings and envious stares.
Clive gave the baby the name Oliver Lane, wishing him a life filled with clarity and peace.
Halfway through the party, Clive made his way to the stage with his cane and grabbed the mic.
The whole place instantly went silent.
"Today, on the occasion of my eldest grandson Oliver's hundred-day celebration, I have an announcement to make," he declared, his voice booming.
He continued, "Lane Group has just launched a new subsidiary focused on high-end baby products. Its estimated market value is already at one hundred billion dollars.
"And today, I'm gifting this company to my granddaughter-in-law, Charlotte."
The applause was thunderous.
I held Oliver in my arms, gave a slight bow, and kept a flawless smile on my face.
The crowd exploded with applause, and people were visibly stunned.
Everyone stared at me, green with envy.
He gave me a company worth one hundred billion dollars like it was nothing. That kind of privilege was something most people could only dream about.
I was holding Oliver, just about to step onto the stage to give my thanks.
Suddenly, the banquet hall doors slammed open.
A woman in a white dress came charging in, barreling past the security guards like a woman possessed.
It was Evelyn.
She tore through the crowd like a madwoman, making a beeline straight for the main stage.
"Wait!" she screamed.