Chapter 3

That night, I returned home and packed my belongings into two suitcases.

Andrew had bought most of the clothes in the closet, but I left them all behind.

Inside the drawer, I found a photo album.

The first page showed the year I joined Mercy Hospital. Andrew stood outside the operating room, telling me, "Charlotte, don't be afraid. Follow me."

Back then, I thought I'd finally found my light.

My phone lit up with a message from Andrew.

Andrew texted, [I have a meeting tonight. I will be home late. Don't overthink things.]

I set my phone face down on the table.

The doorbell rang.

When I opened the door, it wasn't Andrew standing there, but his mother, Athena Bennett.

She was followed by two maids, as if they were here to raid the place.

As soon as she stepped inside, she covered her nose with a handkerchief.

"Ever since you moved in, this place has lost all its order," Athena said.

I looked at her. "Mrs. Bennett, is there something you need?"

She glanced at my suitcase and smiled. "You know your place. At least you know when it's time to leave."

The maids had already started going through my stuff.

I stopped one of them. "Who said you could touch my things?"

Athena settled herself on the sofa, acting like she owned the place. "This house is Andrew's. You've been living here for five years, eating his food and using his things.

"Now that you're leaving, of course, we have to check if you're taking anything that belongs to the Bennett Family."

I stared at her. "I'll handle my own stuff."

"Your stuff?" Athena scoffed, as if she'd heard the funniest joke. "Charlotte, is there anything you have that Andrew didn't give you? You're a small-town girl, don't start thinking you're all that."

One of the maids came out of the bedroom with my bag of documents.

I reached for it.

Athena drawled, "Open it."

The maid immediately dumped the contents of the bag onto the coffee table.

My ID card, medical license, a few bank cards, and the personal seal I'd wrapped in an old velvet cloth were on the table.

Athena frowned when she saw the seal. "What's this piece of junk?"

She weighed it in her hand for a second, then tossed it back onto the table.

The seal hit the glass tabletop with a dull thud.

My expression hardened. "Pick it up."

She looked up. "What did you say?"

"Pick it up," I said again.

Athena laughed. "Charlotte, are you ordering me?"

One of the maids chimed in, "Mrs. Bennett, she had been spoiled by Andrew Bennett. She's living in someone else's house and thinks she runs the place."

Athena set her handkerchief on her lap. "Let's get one thing straight. Andrew is about to get engaged to Emily. If you know what's good for you, take this card and leave Southgate."

She pulled a bank card out of her bag and tossed it in front of me.

"There's approximately 500,000 dollars on this card. That should be more than enough for someone like you to get by for a few years," she said.

I stared at the card. "Is that all the Bennett Family is willing to spend to send me packing?"

Athena's face darkened. "You think that's not enough?"

I picked up the card and set it back in front of her. "Keep it. Maybe Andrew can use it to buy himself a conscience."

The maid sucked in a sharp breath.

Athena's face went completely sour. "Charlotte, don't be so ungrateful. You've been with Andrew for five years, no proper standing, never been introduced to his family, and you would not even know which gate leads to Bennett Manor. Have you ever wondered why?"

I shot back, "Because the Bennett Family is blind."

Athena stood up and raised her hand, ready to slap me.

Right then, I heard keys turning in the lock at the door.

Andrew stepped inside, and when he saw the chaos in the living room, his expression turned cold.

"Mom, what are you doing here?" Andrew asked.

Athena's hand paused mid-air, and she instantly changed her tone. "I'm here to help you clear out the ones who don't belong."

Andrew looked at me, his eyes landing on my scattered documents.

"Who told you to mess with her stuff?" Andrew asked.

Athena frowned. "Andrew, are you seriously getting mad at me because of her?"

"I said, who gave you permission to mess with her things?" Andrew repeated.

The maids kept their mouths shut.

Athena slammed her hand on the table, fuming. "What's so special about her? Don't forget, your engagement to Emily is next week. Are you going to stand up for her and make us look like fools in front of the Carter Family?"

I put my documents back into the bag one by one. Then I picked up the seal and wiped it clean with my sleeve.

Andrew watched me, his voice lowered. "Charlotte, I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize," I said, zipping up my suitcase. "I'm moving out tonight."

He blocked the door. "Where are you going?"

"Where I'm going doesn't concern you."

Athena let out a cold laugh. "Andrew, listen to the way she's talking. We're letting her leave, and she's still acting all high and mighty. If you so much as go after her today, I'll pretend I never had a son."

Andrew stood his ground in the doorway, refusing to let me pass.

I looked at him. "Andrew, don't make me lose even more respect for you."

His face went pale.

After a few seconds, he moved aside.

I wheeled my suitcase out.

As the elevator doors slid shut, I caught a glimpse of him standing in the doorway, while Athena stood behind him, hurling all kinds of nasty insults my way.

He didn't come after me.

Not even once.

The day after I checked into the hotel, all hell broke loose at Southgate Mercy Hospital.