Win My Forsaken Ex-wife Back (Charlotte and Arthur)

Chapter 4 If I Had a Choice

She looked up at him, expecting agreement, waiting for him to say they should

end this.

After all, his true love was back, and Charlotte was ready to step aside.

An image of Julius - so much like his father - flashed through her mind, making her heart clench.

But she kept her face neutral, waiting for the 'yes' she was sure would come.

Instead, his voice cut through the air, cold and sharp: "Our marriage may have been arranged, but it's been peaceful for five years. There's no need for divorce."

No? She wanted to laugh. How do you plan to marry Sarah without divorcing me first? The words burned in her throat, but she swallowed them down.

"But I don't like you," she said, her voice shaking. "I don't even know you. We can't live like this. Neither of us will be happy."

Arthur's face darkened as his jaw clenched.

In one fluid motion, he crossed the room and pinned her to the bed, looming over her with his face just inches from hers.

Charlotte's heart pounded as she quickly covered her mouth with her hand, staring up at him in shock. "What do you think you're doing?" she mumbled behind her palm.

"Proving that our marriage is fine," he said coldly, his eyes hard.

Charlotte felt sick to her stomach. This was wrong on so many levels.

First, he claims they're just friends with no feelings involved, and now he's trying to kiss her?

Was that all she was to him - something to use when convenient?

The irony made her heart twist painfully.

Fighting back the hurt in her chest, Charlotte met his gaze. "Stop," she said firmly. "I only do this with someone I have feelings for. And I don't have any for you. You can't force this."

There she goes again, claiming she has no feelings for him. It drove him crazy. Something inside Arthur finally snapped.

His face turned stone cold as he pulled back, barely containing his anger.

Charlotte flinched away from him, fear flickering across her face.

Without a word, he stormed out of the room.

The door slammed behind him, and Charlotte let out a shaky breath of relief.

For a moment there, she'd thought he might actually force himself on her.

She sat up slowly, her mind racing with confusion.

If he loved Sarah so much, why wouldn't he just divorce her? It made no sense.

Before she could think it through, someone knocked on the door.

"Come in."

She quickly put on her confused face as she turned to the door. "Madam, would you like something to eat?" the maid asked.

Charlotte nodded sheepishly. "Actually, yes."

"Dinner's ready downstairs if you'd like to join."

"Thanks, I'll come down."

She felt a bit smug about how well she was playing this.

She just had to keep it up until she got those divorce papers signed.

Walking into the dining room, she spotted a small figure sitting perfectly still at the table, hands folded in his lap, face blank.

He barely turned his head when he heard her, saying "Mom" in that same cold way his father had.

Charlotte felt her chest tighten. Julius had been shipped off to Arthur's parents at three, where they'd raised him like a tiny soldier, robbing him of any real childhood.

In the beginning, he'd still run to her for hugs when he visited. But that didn't last. Soon he'd flinch when she tried to hold him, like he couldn't stand her touch.

He started shutting her out completely. She remembered how he gave her the silent treatment for a whole week just because she'd tried to tidy up his books.

These days, he was turning into a mini-version of Arthur - just as cold, just as distant.

Fighting back tears, Charlotte looked at him and asked, "Are you really my kid?" Julius, aware of her supposed memory loss, kept his face blank. "Yes." Charlotte nodded, unable to keep the bitterness from her voice. "Then why didn't you even look at me in the hospital? It's like I'm not even your mother."

Julius, still too young to mask his emotions as well as his father, hesitated. His forehead creased before he answered, "I am your son. That's just fact. Don't say things like that."

He seemed annoyed with her attitude and, surprisingly, started to lecture her. "Don't talk like that. People will think you've gone crazy from being stuck at home too long."

Charlotte's fingers clenched, fighting back her rising anger.

The contempt in his eyes was unmistakable.

She used to let them both walk all over her, but not anymore.

She'd decided to leave, and she wouldn't tolerate their disrespect any longer.noveldrama

She took a deep breath and stood, fixing him with a hard stare.