Chapter 5 Wouldn't It Be Thrilling
566 Words
That afternoon, when Dominick returned home with Evelyn, he immediately noticed Charlotte packing her things.
He paused in the doorway. Almost instinctively, he stepped slightly in front of Evelyn, as if shielding her.
Evelyn slipped her arm around Dominick's, leaning against him with the ease of someone who already considered herself the lady of the house.
"Dino thought the hospital wasn't a good place for the baby, so he brought me home to rest. Don't worry. I won't stay long. Once Dino and I..."
"Evelyn. That's enough." Dominick's voice came out low and sharp. But he never looked Charlotte in the eye.
Charlotte lifted one of the packed boxes and began walking past them.
Dominick suddenly grabbed her arm.
"How's your hand? I was really busy yesterday."
'Busy doing what? Busy staying with Evelyn.'
Charlotte's voice was colder than ice.
"Let go."
Dominick looked down at the bandages wrapped around her right hand. A sudden, overwhelming surge of guilt crashed into him, and he instinctively released his grip.
Charlotte walked away without another word. Dominick took a step as if to follow, but Evelyn quickly grabbed his sleeve.
"Dino... That car accident yesterday must have affected the baby. My belly still hurts..."
Dominick stopped immediately. For the child, he didn't take another step.
By evening, the entire Lindsey family had arrived with bags of things to take care of Evelyn.
Harper simmered a pot of nourishing soup for her. Wyatt brought armfuls of designer handbags.
The living room was filled with laughter.
Harper said, "Evie, you're already four months pregnant. This is a crucial time. You need to eat well."
Wyatt chimed in, "Whatever you want, just tell me. I'll buy it for you."
Daniel then said, "Dominick, while Evie is staying here, you must take good care of her. Pregnant women can be emotionally sensitive, so you need to be patient."
*****
Their cheerful voices drifted down the hallway and seeped into Charlotte's bedroom.
Even though she had long since stopped expecting anything from them, her heart still felt strangely hollow, like a drum echoing inside an empty room.
By dinner time, Charlotte was burning with fever. She lay weakly on the bed, her vision spinning.
Outside the door, however, no one thought she was sick. They thought she was sulking.
Daniel's voice rang out angrily. "This is ridiculous! Just because she can't have children, she's jealous of Evie and wants to ruin everyone's mood?"
Harper sighed. "She used to pretend to be depressed in high school just to scare us. And what happened? She ended up scoring almost full marks and getting into a top university. If she really had depression, could she have achieved that?"
Wyatt snorted. "Girls like her who grew up in the countryside are the most manipulative."
Dominick froze. Instinctively, he wanted to say Charlotte's depression had been real.
He had been the one who pulled her out of the river after her suicide attempt.
That night, she had almost died.
He almost spoke. But the words died on his tongue. If he told the truth, Evelyn might get upset. And stress wasn't good for the baby.
After hesitating again and again, Dominick chose silence.
It wasn't until 10:10 p.m. that the Lindseys finally left.
Evelyn slid her hand inside Dominick's shirt, tracing slow circles over his chest.
"Honey... Wouldn't it be thrilling if we did it on the balcony?"
- Writer
