novelxo Chapter 3: He Had Gotten Married
Charlotte shuddered. He had gotten married, and had even had child? She widened her eyes and stared at the little girl in the TV. She was around four or five years old and had a bob cut. She was wearing a white puffball princess skirt and was clinging towards Lawrence's leg. She raised her head and stared at him with big eyes. "Daddy, hug!"
Lawrence lowered his head and looked at the little girl. There was a soft light in his cold eyes. He stooped and carried her up. He then turned towards the woman beside him and said softly, "Let's go." They left while being surrounded by the press. The man was tall and handsome, the woman was graceful and attractive, and the kid was pretty and adorable. No matter how others looked, they were a family that would make one jealous and envious.
Charlotte stared at the scene in a daze and let out a self-deprecating smile. That was the way it should be. He was that bright that even her father used to say he must be an extraordinary man. He should have the fame and happiness he possessed now.
Yet as she looked at it, the rim of her eyes went red and there was excruciating pain in her heart. That used to be the happiness she was going to embrace... She lowered her eyes and stood to her feet numbly while supporting herself with one hand. She staggered and walked back, yet she fell hard onto the floor after two steps.
"Charlotte Garcia!" A man darted out of the room and grabbed her hair. He dragged her up and gave her a hard kick. Her legs went weak at once and she fell to her knees. The man rolled her sleeve up rudely and her arm which was full of holes left by needles was shown. He raised his head and looked at the people in white coat.
"Take her blood!"
"Have you forgotten what ma'am said before? Stay inside the room obediently and don't have any ridiculous thought!" "You're already in such a situation; do you possibly think you could be with such a great man like Lawrence Harris?"
Charlotte knelt on the floor quietly and her face was cadaverous. She seemed to not feel any pain and was letting the sharp needle pierce her skin and draw her blood out. She seemed to have lost her soul. The doctor who was responsible to take her blood glimpsed at her and sympathy flickered in his eyes.
It had been five years which was equal to sixty months. Every time he drew blood from her, there would be one more needle hole left on her arm. Until today, there had been too many holes on her arm that its original look could not be seen.
She had kept on losing weight. Although it was obvious she did not have any appetite, she still forced herself to eat those disgusting meal the housemaid sent. She ate and vomited, and ate again, as if she needed that to continue her life, and it would already be alright that she was still surviving. Not to mention being severely anemic if she continued that way, she might lose her life.
Without anyone's notice, the doctor casually took a vitamin pill out from his pocket and hurriedly shoved it into her mouth. As his hand just approached Charlotte's mouth, the door not far away suddenly opened. His hand shivered and the pill instantly dropped onto the floor.
Charlotte's stepmother, Evelyn walked in while wearing high heels and all her jewelries. She stared at Charlotte with a false smile. "So you've seen Lawrence's return." As she said, there was a creepy smile on her face. "Charlotte, it has been five years. Seeing you being that obedient, I'll give you a chance to meet him, how's that sound?"
"But there's one condition."