Chapter 51
Charlotte snorted upon hearing her father’s words. “Leave the country?” she smirked.
“A tour around the world,” Lawrence said as he sliced his steak. “It wouldn’t hurt for you to take a break.”
“Take a break? That’s what smart people do when they're in the middle of a scandal. They take a break, away from social media. People will soon forget.”
Again, Charlotte snorted. She didn’t know where this was coming from, but being labeled as a cheater and a traitor wouldn’t be easy for a woman like her.
She had already denied the allegations online, and even Daniel’s family had issued a statement, asserting it wasn’t him. Some of her fans believed her, but others seemed to have become skeptical overnight, digging into her past posts.
They accused her of getting Sofia in trouble and then acting like she was the one with the big heart later on to gain sympathy. It infuriated Charlotte so much that she asked her manager to issue another statement threatening to sue them.
“Do you think Eulanda will let you off?” Lawrence asked, his tone calm. “That woman is well-known for her petty behavior in the industry. It wouldn’t surprise me if she suddenly came up with another scandal to damage your reputation.”
Charlotte gritted her teeth. Eulanda... Eulanda Lockhart was indeed a formidable adversary.
“Sofia still isn’t answering my calls…”
“I will see her at the office tomorrow,” Lawrence uttered. “She can’t escape this forever. No need to worry about her.”
“What?” Charlotte narrowed her eyes.
“It’s Eulanda you should be worried about,” Lawrence said. Now that Eunice was not in their hands, it would be challenging to fight against Eulanda. Lawrence predicted Eulanda’s retaliation soon. He had been working hard to gain approval from shareholders, and Charlotte’s scandal wouldn’t ruin this.
“I already scheduled a flight. First class to Rome. You'll be visiting the Vatican, taking pictures, and acting as if you're unbothered,” he added before he savored the steak.
“What about Sofia?” Charlotte asked. “I’ll take care of her.”
Charlotte frowned. Both Sofia and Daniel weren’t answering her calls, and Lawrence wasn’t letting her leave the mansion. “Alright,” she uttered before getting up. “I’m done eating.”
“You haven't eaten anything,” Lawrence immediately pointed out.
“I’m full,” she said before walking out of the dining room. The moment she arrived in her room, she quickly dialed a number. “Hmmm,” a woman’s voice answered her.
“Dad is kicking me out,” Charlotte said.
“That man’s insane,” Lianne Ramirez, Charlotte’s mother, immediately replied.
“Are you drunk?” Charlotte looked at the time. It was not even nine in the evening yet! Almost immediately, she started regretting calling her very own mother. Just what was she expecting to happen?
“Just a glass of wine is all.”
Charlotte did not believe that. However, she could only sigh in response. Just what was she expecting from a raging alcoholic? “Your father only cares about the money,” Lianne uttered. “And his reputation. Both of us know this.” Sadly, that was true, Charlotte knew it, and everyone who knew Lawrence knew it.
“I can’t leave.”
“Why?”
“I need to talk to Daniel.”
“Ah, so you believe he will save you?”
“He said the same thing when I was pregnant with you,” Lianne chuckled. For some reason, Charlotte could easily picture her mother’s current state. She must be on the couch, a wine glass in her hand, watching TV. Her hair was greasy, her apartment was dry.
Resentment flashed in Charlotte’s eyes. Again... Just what was she expecting? “Do you want me to talk to him?” Lianne asked.
Charlotte shook her head. “No.” It would be pointless. Her father had this obsession with the LH GROUP. She realized this when she was a teenager, and her father told her never to slight Sofia, or he would throw her into the streets, and she would probably end up like her mother.
That scared Charlotte to death. Since then, she has started hating Sofia. Why couldn’t she ever disagree with her and do everything she wanted to do? Why couldn't she express her real emotions around that woman? What was so special about her?
Charlotte quickly realized her father was after Sofia’s wealth. Because of this, Charlotte slowly learned to make Sofia dance in her palm. Then she vowed to take everything away from Sofia.
“Then... why are you calling me? You know I don’t have money. Your father owes me child support for years-”
BEEP Charlotte ended the call without waiting for her mother to finish her words. Then she promptly blocked her mother’s number.
That woman had been insane for as long as she could remember, yet she still called her. Why?
Because she thought she could talk to her without being judged! She was her mother, after all! Almost immediately, she recalled Sofia’s mother-Eunice Lockhart.
That woman was kind, nice, warm—everything that Lianne was not. Despite being her stepdaughter, Eunice never once treated her as if she were not a part of her family. However, instead of feeling grateful, Charlotte could only feel anger and jealousy.
Why did Sofia deserve to have a mother like Eunice? Why was Sofia born into the Lockhart Family while she was born from an alcoholic mother and a father who only cared about something that wasn’t even his!
Charlotte fought inwardly, staring at the phone that wrapped around the past in a comforting embrace.
She sighed in response, a spark of determination in her eyes. She headed forward with a napkin to wipe away her tears. “Let’s do this,” she murmured.