Chapter 1
1348 Words
Charlotte's POV:
I was struck in the head by a steel rebar at a construction site while saving my boyfriend, Ethan Cross, and the accident left me mentally impaired.
Meanwhile, Ethan threw himself into the business world and climbed all the way to the top, becoming the renowned CEO everyone admired.
To the public, he appeared successful and untouchable. Behind closed doors, however, he had spent six years cleaning up every mess I made.
At one grand gala, I threw another tantrum in front of everyone, insisting that I needed to use the bathroom immediately.
While Ethan's secretary, Laura Sullivan, tried to pull me away, I accidentally stumbled and slammed my head into a cabinet.
The sharp smell of urine instantly spread throughout Westbridge Manor.
One by one, the strange looks turned toward Ethan.
It was as if they were mocking him. No matter how successful he appeared in public, behind the scenes, he was little different from a caretaker.
After all the guests had finally left, he stood quietly and stared at me for a long time.
Without any warning, he suddenly said, "Charlotte, I cheated on you."
I looked at the satisfaction on his face, the kind that came after a long-awaited act of revenge, and found myself repeating his words.
"C-cheated?" I stammered.
Ethan let out a short laugh.
"Alright, what would an i***t like you know?"
"In simple terms, I've fallen in love with Laura."
"She's much better than you. She's understanding, considerate, and she can help me with my work."
Meanwhile, I was nothing more than a troublemaker who constantly embarrassed him and created problems.
"Life is long, Charlotte. I can't spend all of it taking care of an idiot."
At that moment, the truth was already on the tip of my tongue.
Yet before I could speak, all I tasted was the salt of my tears.
How could I possibly tell him that the impact from hitting that cabinet had restored my mind? That I was normal again?
When Ethan saw the tears streaming down my face, he instinctively reached out to wipe them away.
But halfway there, his hand stopped.
He slowly withdrew it.
Grinding his teeth, he said, "Charlotte, can you stop with the crocodile tears? Every time you cause trouble, all you know how to do is cry. Honestly, it's exhausting."
I shook my head.
I wanted to tell him that wasn't true.
He had loved me once, more than anyone.
But this time, he didn't rush over to clean the stains from my dress the way he always used to.
Instead, he stood above me and looked down coldly. "Last week was my birthday. The truth is, I wasn't working overtime. I was with Laura, watching fireworks."
He paused. "She was laughing in my arms. She looked so happy. For the first time in years, I've forgotten about you and how exhausting you make my life."
The memories became clearer and clearer.
That day, I had clumsily baked a cake for him.
I wanted to surprise him, so I waited all day until the frosting melted and the cake sagged.
I sat at home praying that he would return soon.
While I was waiting for him, he was standing beneath fireworks with another woman. Perhaps wishing time would move more slowly. Slow enough that he would never have to see me again.
The coldness in Ethan's eyes felt like ice around my throat.
I could barely breathe. And for the first time, I truly understood.
His affair wasn't a lie; it was real.
Laura walked back into the room after seeing off the last guest.
"Don't worry, Mr. Cross," she said softly. "I've already explained everything to the guests. They won't tell anyone about what happened tonight."
A little girl standing beside her suddenly ran over and hugged Ethan's leg.
"Daddy, frowning makes you look old," she said sweetly.
Laura glanced at me before gently correcting her daughter.
"Lily, what did I tell you? You shouldn't call him that in front of other people."
Unexpectedly, Ethan smiled.
"It's fine," he replied.
Then he glanced at me. "She doesn't understand anyway."
He crouched down and pinched Lily's cheek affectionately.
"As long as I see Lily, Daddy won't frown."
The three of them were surrounded by a warm, happy atmosphere.
It was painfully bright, painfully beautiful, and painfully cruel.
If they were a family… Then what was I? The mistress? The outsider?
My emotions finally exploded.
Pointing at Laura, I shouted, "It was her! She did it on purpose! She wanted to humiliate me!"
Earlier that day, I had repeatedly asked to use the bathroom.
Every time, Laura stopped me.
She claimed it would be inconvenient because I was wearing a dress.
Before I could continue speaking, Ethan suddenly grabbed my hand.
Then he bent one of my fingers backward, hard.
Pain shot through my arm, and I cried out.
"Charlotte," he snapped, "have you learned how to make false accusations now? Does it hurt? Good. Only pain teaches lessons."
He was protecting another woman, and he didn't hesitate to hurt me.
The moment he released my hand, I lost my balance and crashed onto the floor.
"Charlotte, you can't even control your own bladder. And you're blaming someone else?"
I had held it for thirteen hours.
Thirteen.
How could anyone expect someone with the mind of a child to maintain self-control for that long?
Ethan didn't even look at me again.
Instead, he turned to Laura.
"It's late," he said. "I'll have the driver take you home."
Laura repeatedly suggested that he stay behind and take care of me first.
But Ethan insisted on personally escorting her and Lily to the car.
The blood from the wound on my forehead slowly trickled into my eye.
The pain sharpened my thoughts.
Bit by bit, my mind cleared.
I stopped crying, and I stopped complaining.
I simply lay there quietly, yet the sight of me collapsed on the floor made Ethan's heart suddenly tremble.
For a brief moment, I reminded him of the accident six years ago.
He immediately bent down and lifted me into his arms.
"Rebecca!" he shouted. "Bring the first-aid kit!"
Rebecca finally spoke up on my behalf. "Mr. Cross, Charlotte's medication has a strong diuretic effect. She's basically like a child. Not being able to control herself is normal. I checked the security footage. Ms. Sullivan refused to let her use the bathroom all day."
Ethan fell silent.
After several moments, he finally spoke.
"Laura only did what she thought was best for me."
Laura had used a cruel and humiliating method to force Ethan to acknowledge how burdensome my existence had become.
He knew exactly what she had done, and he didn't care.
The favoritism was obvious.
Six years had passed in the blink of an eye.
The man who once loved me with all his heart had disappeared.
The man kneeling before me now, carefully treating my wound, was nothing more than a stranger wearing his face.
A bitter ache tore through my chest.
The pain crashed against my ribs, desperately searching for somewhere to escape.
Hot tears rolled down my cheeks.
One drop landed on Ethan's hand.
He merely picked up a tissue and wiped it away.
There was nothing more—no concern, no hesitation, no reaction at all.
Only then did I finally understand: love, too, can be consumed, and ours had already been used up completely.
It was time for me to let go.
- Writer
