Heartstrings Of Revenge

Truth and pain

Charlotte’s POV

I don’t understand why everyone seems to be concerned about my business with Mr. Raymond. First Quinn, now Mrs. Devi? Come on, give me a break.

“It's fine if you're not ready to talk now, just have this”, Mrs. Devi said before handing over a book to me. It had a title, A True Woman. I wondered what it was all about as I flipped through the pages. Why was she giving me this book to read? maybe it had something to do with Mr. Raymond.

“I should read this?”, I muttered hoping she wouldn’t be able to hear me.

“Of course, silly”, she chuckled as she moved closer to me.

“This was my mother’s favorite book before she passed away. She made sure I read every single chapter in it. Most of the times she was less busy, she’d sit me down and explain the book to me. She told me how it helped her find the sweet and caring man she got married to, which is my father. I got pregnant during my senior year in college, life became unbearable for me.

Funny part of the story, my boyfriend refused to accept he was the father of the child. I dropped out of school because I couldn’t continue.

While I wasn’t doing anything, I’d read this book and pray to God to make things okay. My mom alongside my dad assisted me until I delivered safely. That child was Michael. I graduated from Princeton years later and got married to my husband. Fortunately for me, he accepted Michael and I was very happy that he did. Although we weren’t able to have a child of our own after that”, She said as she started crying.

I felt pity for her. So Michael doesn’t know his father, that’s so sad to hear.

“You’ve been treated badly in this home. I want you to read this book Charlotte, please read this, I hope it will help you find your place in this small world... ohh I’m already crying. There’s so much memories. Please do not tell Michael that he’s not Mr. Ben’s son”, Mrs. Devi pleaded with me as she stood up to get a clean cloth to wipe her tears.

I can’t believe all what I’m hearing right now, so Mr. Ben didn’t have a child of his.

Poor Michael doesn’t know the truth, that’s very bad.

“Do you plan to tell him soon?”, I asked after giving her a straight nod. It’d be awful not to tell your child the truth about his parents especially when one of them is not actually his.

“When it’s right, I will”, She walked to her wardrobe. She selected a golden brown face towel from a neatly folded pile of face towels. She wiped her face gently, she coughed in it and disposed it in the little trash can beside the door. “It’s such a shame I had to go through this but it’s all going to alright.

“People say the rich have no problems but it’s more than the smile we see on their faces. My dad used to tell me not to judge a book by its cover”, Charlotte sighed calmly and looked at the book she was holding. It should be very interesting, she thought to herself. “Sorry to ask Mrs. Devi, but why do you not hate me?... I mean Michael and your husband dislike me so much even though I have done nothing to deserve such hatred from them”.

Mrs. Devi looked blank. She had no explanation for why they hated poor Charlotte, “Honestly Charlotte. That, I do not know”.

They talked for a while and Charlotte left the room. She was already exhausted from everything. She went to get a glass of water in the kitchen.

“Do you need something?”, Michael asked with a straight face as he watched her enter the kitchen where he was rinsing the glass cup he had just used.

She wanted to laugh at the sight of Michael rinsing his own used cup. It was a new feeling. She couldn’t believe her eyes. “Just a glass of water", she replied.

Michael was ashamed of himself. He quickly dried the cup, kept it in order and stood beside Charlotte who was drinking water beside the refrigerator. “Why don’t you ever use the water dispenser?”, he said as he grabbed the bottled water from her hand.

“I don’t know how to use it”, she was scared that he was going to beat her. “Please don’t hurt me”, she pleaded.

“I’m not gonna do anything to you, why’re you so scared?”, he covered the bottle and kept it in the refrigerator.

“Each time you act like this, it always result in me getting hurt or injured, remember the last time”, she dropped her glass cup in a glass tray.

“What happened the last time?”, he was curious to actually hear what happened.

“I was cleaning the kitchen appliances and then you walked in and asked me why I didn’t use a neater cloth to clean. I told you that all were dirty and that was the only clean one available then you slapped me and said I was talking back at you. I begged you but you didn’t listen. You used the kitchen knife to slap me and it cut my face a little, you continued hitting me nonstop until I was screaming and crying then mom ran in....”, Charlotte said.

She was already crying again. It was painful to remember all those memories of how he treated her. He enslaved her. He beat the hell out of her each time she made a little mistake, she would cry and scream for help but his girlfriend would usually stand beside him and watch him torture her mercilessly.

“I’ve been very unkind to you and I’m truly sorry”, he pulled her in for a hug.

“He’s a monster Charlotte, remember how he maltreated you just because your parents are dead”, Her inner mind cried out.

He tried to wipe her tears but she pushed him gently and cried again leaving the kitchen. She ran upstairs.

“Damn I’ve made it all worse”, Michael hit the kitchen cabinet and groaned.

"Charlotte?... Charlotte?", he tried to call her but response.