Half an hour later, Charlotte Thompson found herself staring blankly from the sofa, until the doorbell’s urgent ringing brought her out of it.
A twinge of anticipation stirred within Charlotte as she shuffled in her slippers to answer the door.
As she drew it open, a familiar face awaited her.
Her gaze was icy, her hand, gripping the door, slightly tightened until the knuckles blanched.
"What are you doing here?"
Charlotte took a deep breath, her tone brisk. "I’ve made it perfectly clear over the phone."
With that said, she didn’t even glance at the man before her and was about to close the door.
Anticipating her action, Justin Battleson hurriedly took a step forward, blocking the door, pain flickered in his eyes.
"Hear me out." His voice was deep, tinged with a raspy sound. "I admit that the post yesterday was due to my negligence, and I’ll delete it right now."
He paused, his gaze falling on Charlotte, and his voice slightly trembled.
"Don’t leave Riley Group, please?"
Charlotte turned her head away, her face etched with a look of pained reluctance that she hadn’t even noticed herself. Her voice was somewhat strained, "I’ve made up my mind, there’s no point in anything you’ll say."
She looked at Justin, her clear eyes filled with complicated emotions. "You should go now."
At her words, Justin gazed at her blankly, he seemed to forget any gestures. Content originally comes from NoveI-Fire.ɴet
Charlotte hardened her heart to close the door, she then returned to the living room.
The doorbell was ringing again from the other side, she irritably switched on the TV and turned up its volume to drown out the sound of the doorbell completely.
She leaned back in some irritation, and let out a deep sigh.
It was the day Henry Hudson was supposed to be discharged from the hospital, and Charlotte Thompson drove there early in the morning. The moment she approached the hospital, she saw Henry, clad in a black jacket, descending the stairs.
Charlotte rolled down the window and excitedly waved at him.
Henry saw her as well, smiled, and then opened the car door and got in.
All the way to Henry’s apartment, Charlotte was oddly full of joy. She was practically laughing as she drove. They got out of the car and she pulled out some groceries from the backseat.
Henry watched her movements, his eyebrows raised slightly in question.
Seemingly understanding his uncertainty, Charlotte laughed and said, "Today is your discharge day, I’ve brought some ingredients to celebrate."
Upon entering, Charlotte carried the groceries straight into the kitchen while Henry sank into the sofa, watching her with a smile in his eyes.
Sunlight poured in obliquely from the window sash, giving the scene a peaceful, tranquil air.
In the kitchen, Charlotte skillfully started to clean and chop the vegetables. Though Henry had been in the hospital for a long time, there wasn’t a speck of dust in his apartment, indicating that a housekeeper must be coming regularly to clean.
Just as she was about to start cooking the noodles, the phone resting on the table suddenly rang.
Charlotte’s hand, holding the noodles, twitched slightly. She glanced at the caller ID, her eyebrows raising in surprise.
She quickly set down the noodles, grabbed a few paper towels to wipe her hand, and answered the call.
Before she could even say a word, a flurry of sounds came from the other end, a mix of hysterical insults and sobs.
Charlotte’s heart skipped a beat. Her grip on the phone tightened in anticipation, and after a few seconds, she tentatively called out.
The commotion on the other end gradually subsided, and Annie Anne’s desperate voice finally sounded, still tinged with sobs.
"Charl... I remember, I remember everything." She was crying so hard she could barely speak. "Annie is my daughter, right?"