Chapter 6

Elyse's eyes widened in disbelief as her gaze dropped to Charlotte's belly. She shook her head, stunned. "How could this be… sweetheart?" Charlotte covered her nose and nodded with certainty. "I've been pregnant for two months now." Elyse opened her arms. "Come here. Let me give you a hug." "Mom…" Charlotte choked out before bursting into tears, leaning on Elyse's shoulder. Elyse didn't say a word as she gently patted Charlotte's back. It was only then that she realized how much weight Charlotte had lost. The once graceful young lady she'd raised was now so thin, her shoulder blades felt sharp under her hand. Her heart broke for her. Wrapped in Elyse's warmth and surrounded by her comforting scent, Charlotte let all her frustration from being fired from her part-time job, the unexpected pregnancy, and the suffocating helplessness of not even being able to choose what to eat out. When she finally sat up, her voice was still thick with tears. "Mom, aren't you mad at me?" Elyse smiled, a soft, radiant smile. "Mad? Sweetheart, when I first found out I was pregnant with you, I was over the moon. I was carrying the most precious little miracle in the world. I left for Veloria the moment I knew and brought you into this world. "From the day you were born, every day has felt as sweet as honey." "Mom…" Charlotte's voice was soft, like the sweet, playful tone she hadn't used in a long while. "Sweetheart, tell me—how did this happen? Also, why did the hospital suddenly transfer me to a VIP room?" Charlotte was aware that this was the hard part. No amount of coyness or cuddling could soften the truth. She had already lied to Elyse once about the one million dollars. She told her it came from selling the apartment given to her by Veloria High School and that the buyer had been generous because they knew about Elyse's illness. With a tight-lipped expression, Charlotte responded cautiously, "A little over two months ago… I slept with someone." "Did you run into a bad guy?" Elyse immediately looked panicked, scanning Charlotte's face and neck. "No! I-I wasn't forced. I consented to it," Charlotte rushed to explain, knowing Elyse's mind would leap to the worst. "I just got the marriage certificate with him this morning, and he arranged for your transfer. I know what I did was wrong. I was going to terminate the pregnancy, but when he brought up marriage… I just… I couldn't go through with it." Charlotte didn't mention anything about the medical expenses, afraid Elyse would overthink it or be unwilling to go through with the treatment. "Sweetheart, you did what you thought was right, and you handled it well. I'm not upset," Elyse reassured her. "I know how long this must have weighed on your heart before you found the courage to tell me. I'm really glad you chose to tell me." Elyse could tell Charlotte had glossed over the details out of concern for her. Lies were always born out of love and care for each other. Her baby girl—just eight points short of a perfect SAT score—was supposed to have a brilliant future ahead. If it weren't for her sudden illness, Charlotte's college years should've been carefree and bright. The staff dormitory couldn't have sold for more than 600,000 dollars at most, and the deed was in both their names. There was no way she could have sold it without her signature. Charlotte was too naive, thinking she could fool her own mother, as if Elyse couldn't tell something was wrong. What kind of college student fell asleep sitting upright in a chair from exhaustion? Obviously, she must've taken on a part-time job. Charlotte, who had never so much as touched a kitchen faucet, had been forced to start fending for herself because of her. How could Elyse possibly blame her? If anyone was at fault, it was her own body—her illness—for choosing the worst possible time to collapse. Every day she clung to life was another day of burden on Charlotte. She was draining Charlotte's future, and it broke her heart. Still, who had the authority and resources to transfer her to a VIP suite at the hospital? She had changed her name and her surname. After 23 years and some changes in her appearance, no one should have recognized her… "Mom…" Charlotte bit her lip, tears threatening to fall again. "I was so scared. I thought you'd be mad at me. I was terrified you'd leave me behind." "Oh, sweetheart," Elyse whispered, brushing away her tears. "It's okay. Let's face everything together from now on." She paused before asking, "What's the name of the man you married? Let me see what he looks like." His name? Charlotte blinked. She couldn't remember. When they received the marriage certificate, the director had addressed him as "Mr. Hoffman", and that was what she called him too. She didn't even know his full name. They were legally married, yet she didn't even know her husband's name. This was… absurd. Charlotte dug through her canvas bag and pulled out the marriage certificate before handing it to Elyse. Groom: "Daniel Hoffman." Age: "28 years old." Charlotte then showed Elyse a picture of Daniel. Elyse studied it calmly. Neither of them was smiling. Charlotte had her hair cropped short, her bright eyes filled with confusion—probably caught off guard by something someone had said. Daniel, on the other hand, had a solemn expression on his handsome face. Looking at him, Elyse's thoughts drifted to her dear friend, Sadie Valdez. This poor child hadn't had it easy, either. Even as a toddler, the most vivid memory he had of his mother was her being hysterical and emotionally unstable. "Sadie, it looks like our story continues after all. Can you believe it? Our children got married," she thought to herself. What once felt like a distant joke had now turned into reality. Fate truly was strange. Sometimes, it felt like everything was already written in the stars. Her eyes misted over as she thought about Sadie. "Is everything alright, Mom?" Charlotte asked, worried by her silence. "Everything's fine. I'm happy," Elyse said with a teary smile. "He seems like a decent young man." "He's… alright," Charlotte forced out. "He's good at organizing things. Very detail-oriented." Elyse handed her phone back. "Well, what's done is done, sweetheart. Don't waste energy beating yourself up over the past." "I won't." Elyse wanted to touch Charlotte's belly, but she remembered she was ill and reached for Charlotte's hand instead. "You're two months along. Have you experienced any discomfort?" "Not really. So far, so good." "You should start using stretch mark oil from now on. Don't wait until your belly starts showing. And remember…" Elyse seemed in better spirits that day. She went over everything with Charlotte, from prenatal care to postpartum recovery. Even though that man—Daniel—had arranged for professionals to help her, Charlotte still listened attentively, smiling as she wrote everything down. Before she left, Elyse handed her a gold bracelet and pendant that she had taken off earlier. "These were given to me by your grandmother. Now, they're yours. No matter what happens, never sell them. Do you understand?" The cool touch of gold seeped into Charlotte's skin, chilling her to the bone. When she stepped out of the hospital room, her chest felt lighter than it had in days because she had come clean to Elyse. She made a mental note to call Bianca after work and fill her in on everything. Charlotte arrived back at Hoffman Estate just in time for dinner. Regina was already waiting for her at the door. "Ms. Charlotte, Mr. Hoffman Senior said that today is the day you officially become part of the family, so the whole family will be having dinner together." "The whole family? Who's going to be there?" "It's just going to be Mr. Hoffman Senior, Mr. Hoffman, and yourself."