The author’s love story

In three years of marriage my husband never touched me, and when I tried to get his attention in a lace nightgown, he looked at me and said, "I want a divorce." ------------- Downtown’s: I came out of the bathroom wearing a thin, backless lace nightdress. The nightdress was so short that I was showing a lot of skin. Standing by the French window, Charles Moore turned around. He was wearing a black striped bathrobe with the belt tied snugly around his waist. The top part of the robe was slightly open. He looked charming. His gaze fell on me, and his eyes instantly lit up.

I knew I had successfully got his attention. I had been married to Charles for three years, but he had never touched me. I knew that he was in love with somebody else, so I flew to France shortly after our wedding. A few days ago, Charles's grandmother called me and told me that it was time for the Moore family to welcome a new member. I knew what she meant. To be honest, I didn't hate the idea of having a child with Charles. In fact, I was happy to hear it. Because it was the reason I was waiting for to finally come back to Charles. I had been missing him for the last three years. Putting my hands behind my back, I slowly walked up to Charles. I let him look at me carefully from a distance. The surprise in his eyes was undeniable. "Come here," Charles said in a hoarse voice. I slowly approached him. Charles whispered in my ear, "Are you trying to get my attention?" His warm breath lingered in my ear, making my scalp tingle. "Is it working?" Charles squinted at me and suddenly smiled. "Is this what you have learned in France in the past few years?" "Do you like it?" I looked at him with expectation, and my heart started racing. "Scarlett, you are beautiful," he said in a very light voice. His praise came as a surprise to me. Did that mean he'd also been thinking of me while I was gone? "Charles, let's..." "But I want a divorce." We spoke at the same time. My mind went blank, and I swallowed my words in an instant. The words I wanted to say were, 'Charles, let's have a baby...' Charles wanting a divorce was the last thing on my mind. Charles let go of me and took two steps back, deliberately keeping a distance from me. "Rita's health is worse than before. She can't hold on much longer. I want to marry her." It turned out that the rumors about him and Rita to be engaged were true. It was just my wishful thinking that the media was making up stories. "After our divorce goes through, I will give you another one hundred million dollars as compensation pursuant to our contract." His tone was light but firm. It seemed like his mind had already been made up, and there was no room for maneuver. Bitter tears started flowing out of my eyes. I quickly lowered my head. I didn't want Charles to see me this vulnerable. "What's wrong?" I wiped my face in a hurry and replied, "Nothing, nothing. I'm just so happy for me." Charles asked suspiciously, "What do you mean?" "I finally have a good reason to leave you. How can I not be happy?" I said jokingly. Worried that he wouldn't believe me, I plastered a big smile on my tearstained face. Charles's face darkened, and he chuckled mirthlessly, "Wow. I wasn't expecting you to be cool with it." I grinned wider. "I think it's a good decision." A gust of cold wind blew in through the window, slightly lifting up the hem of my dress. Only then did I realize that I was still ridiculously wearing a piece of sleepwear. The irony tasted like ashes in my mouth. I grabbed a bathrobe, put it on, and tied the belt around my waist. I hoped that it would warm my heart from the sheer iciness of Charles's words. "If we get divorced, then you can marry Rita, and I can pursue my beloved. Two birds, one stone." Charles frowned and asked, "When did you fall in love with someone else?" I suppressed the fresh surge of pain, took a breath, and willed my tone to relax. "Many years ago." My mind screamed at me to tell Charles that he was the only one I'd ever loved. "Tell me his name." I found it a little odd that he wanted to know more about my mystery beau right after he told me that he wanted to divorce me. For a moment, I panicked because I didn't know what to tell him, and I couldn't make up a fake name on my feet. Then, his phone rang, saving me from a totally unprovoked inquisition. "Rita, what's wrong?" Charles answered the phone and walked into the closet. When he came out again, he was already wearing a pair of pants and a shirt. He grabbed his jacket and put it on in front of the mirror. "I have to go. Rita needs me. We can talk when I come back." After saying that, he left without looking back. It seemed that when it came to Rita, he was on call no matter what time of day it was. After a while, my phone rang. I looked at my screen and saw an unregistered number. "Hello, is Charles with you now?" There was a sweet voice on the other end of the line, but it made me feel uncomfortable. I could even imagine the complacent smile on the caller's face. Although we hadn't contacted each other for many years, I still could tell that it was Rita's voice. I didn't say anything. "Where's Charles? He promised to come and accompany me tonight," Rita pressed despite the absence of my response. Her voice was soft, but it sounded harsh to my ears. It pierced through my heart like a hundred needles. "Didn't you just call him?" I snapped, letting my voice drip with annoyance. "Oops, I forgot." Rita burst into laughter, which sounded like nails on a chalkboard to me. "I'm so sorry that I've asked your husband to come over and see me at this time of night." "Yeah, fine. Anything else?" "Well, I just want to chitchat with you and ask if Charles has mentioned the divorce yet." Suddenly, I heard Charles's voice in the background. "Rita, I'm here. Are you okay?" I'd never heard Charles talk to me in such a gentle voice. Hearing him talk like that to Rita made my eyes sting with tears. Without saying anything more to me, Rita hung up. I tossed and turned all night. Rita surely made that phone call to me just to provoke me, but more than her smug, rotten attitude, it was Charles's indifference toward me that hurt me. He didn't even call me the entire night. But I could understand. Charles was with Rita now. I shouldn't expect him to pay attention to me. I spent the whole night sitting on the bitter ache in my heart. Soon, daytime chased away the darkness. There was a knock on my door. I opened it and found Charles standing outside. He didn't come home last night. "Let's meet Rita today," he said firmly. There were dark circles under his eyes. Was he up all night enjoying his time with his precious Rita? "What do you want me to do?" I asked flatly. "Don't make her feel guilty. Tell her that you're in love with someone else and that she can rest assured," he answered, walking closer to me and eyeing me carefully. "Okay." Charles looked surprised. It seemed that he didn't expect that I would agree so readily. "Very well. Freshen up and get dressed. I'll wait for you downstairs." Then, Charles left. A few moments later, my phone rang. It was my best friend, Tiana. "Hi, Tiana." "Sweetie, welcome back!" "Thank you." "So, are you staying this time or are you going to leave again the first chance you get?" "I'm staying for the time being." "Perfect. Come work for our TV station. You're a media professional, your voice is pleasant to hear, and you're easy on the eyes. It's a very suitable job for you." "Okay, I'll consider it." "Have you spoken to Charles?" Tiana asked tentatively, her voice suddenly taking on a low register. "Yes, I have." "Has he told you about the woman he replaced you with?" "Yes, he has." "Yuck! He really has no shame! He told you about her just like that? Like it was nothing?" "Yes. He's also asked me to meet her today." "What? You're going to see that woman? I bet she's been urging Charles to divorce you and marry her. Honestly, I don't understand why that woman is still trying so hard. The Moore family rejected her for Charles three years ago. What makes her think that they're going to change their minds now?" Tiana roared from the other end of the line. "All said and done, Tiana," I said, forcing a smile. "What are you talking about? You still love him, don't you?" I didn't answer. Of course I still loved Charles. I had loved him for many years. "Scarlett?" Tiana's worried tone snapped me back to my senses. "I have to go. I'll talk to you later, okay?" #Chapter2 Meeting Scarlett's POV: On the way to the restaurant, I kept silent, and Charles didn't say anything either. We had been married for three years, but we acted around each other like strangers. And now, I had to accompany my husband to see his fiancee. The driver pulled over at the Rainbow Dream, a three-Michelin-star restaurant. It was the most luxurious restaurant in the city. "Mr. Moore, Miss Lively is waiting for you on the second floor," the usher greeted Charles. It seemed that Charles was a regular customer here. I followed Charles into the elevator. "Try to look happy when you see Rita, okay? Don't pull a long face," Charles said coldly. "All right," I replied, manufacturing a smile and putting it on my face. Soon, we stepped into a private room. "Scarlett, long time no see." I fixed my gaze on Rita and desperately tried to keep my face neutral. She still looked so young and beautiful. Her face and skin were as smooth as porcelain. She must have spent a lot of money on taking good care of her appearance and her body. Charles once said that she was dying, but I didn't feel convinced because she looked better than I did. "Yeah. Long time no see," I said, flashing her a half-hearted grin. "Have you gotten over the jet lag? Did you rest well last night?" The smile on her face looked sincere, as if she wasn't the one who called to provoke me last night. "I rested well, thank you for asking," I replied. Today's main dish was steak. Charles was cutting Rita's steak for her. I didn't think I'd seen Charles being so considerate to someone. "Charles told me last night that you're seeing someone." "Yes. He's a painter," I immediately made up a story. The moment I answered, I noticed that Charles's hands trembled slightly. "Do you have any photos of him?" Rita's curiosity caught me off guard. I took a look at Charles, but he didn't look at me. "Well, I don't. We're not yet officially together. It doesn't feel right to have photos of him in my phone if he isn't my boyfriend yet," I explained, lowering my head and refocusing on cutting my steak. "Then are there any photos on his Facebook account?" Rita pressed. "I think so. Let me look for it for you." As I spoke, I took out my phone and thought about which of my classmates I should choose to act as my fake pursuer. Pierre was the first person that popped in my head. He was one of my good friends. I pulled up his Facebook page and found a photo of him in front of the Eiffel Tower. Pierre had long hair and a young and handsome face. He looked like an artist, and he was completely different from Charles. I handed my phone to Rita. "He looks like a charming boy from Paris. I'm really happy for you. Charles, it turns out that Scarlett's type is totally different from you." After saying that, Rita showed Pierre's photo to Charles. Charles just glanced at the screen and groaned, "They're a perfect match." "Is he coming to America?" Rita asked and handed my phone back to me. "He's still in Europe. He's holding an art exhibition in Lyons. He's actually considering developing an art career here in the United States, so it's entirely possible for him to move here," I said, making up more lies. "Do you love him?" Rita prodded. I was stunned for a moment. After collecting myself, I answered, "Of course I do." I tried my best to keep clam as I didn't want to give myself away. "That's great. It seems that we don't need to worry about Scarlett after all, Charles. Let's wish Scarlett and her special someone happiness," Rita chirped and raised her glass. Charles also raised his glass, his face still bereft of emotion. "Scarlett, I wish you and your man a wonderful life," Rita beamed at me, her face brimming with sincerity. Even though I didn't find any holes in her genuine facade, I knew that underneath her angelic face lurked an ugly monster. "Thank you. I wish you and Charles a wonderful life, too." We all downed the contents of our glasses. When I put down my glass, my hand trembled. A wave of nausea rolled in my stomach. I suppressed the sickness that I felt and wished that the meal would be over. I didn't want to spend another minute in the same room as the pretentious Rita Lively. "Excuse me. I need to go to the bathroom," I muttered, rose from my seat, and left. I didn't really need to use the bathroom. I just wanted to go outside for some fresh air. When I came back, Charles was already helping Rita put on her velvet coat. "Rita doesn't feel well. I'll give her a ride home. I'll come back for you..." "No, no need. It's okay. I can go home by myself." I watched Charles and Rita walk out of the restaurant with his arm around her shoulder. All of a sudden, the tense muscles all over my body relaxed. #Chapter3 Unexpected Visitors Charles's POV: After sending Rita home, I went back to the office to deal with some business matters. In the evening, I received a message from Spencer. It read, "Charles, would you like to join us? Everyone is here." I replied, "Okay. I'll be there soon." I typed as I walked out of the office. Spencer owned the Mint Bar. It was one of the most popular bars in the city, and tonight, it was particularly crowded. As soon as I walked in, I saw Spencer and David. We all had been friends since we were little boys. "Have you seen Scarlett?" Spencer asked as soon as I was in front of him. "Yes," I answered and then asked the bartender to serve me a glass of drink. "Are you really divorcing her?" Spencer pressed, coming closer to me. "Yes," I answered impatiently. "How could you, man? Scarlett's, like, our girl. We grew up with her. You and Rita are being cruel to her." I remained silent as the bartender set my drink in front of me. I decided not to answer Spencer. But what he said was true. Truth be told, I was nervous when I spoke to Scarlett last night about the divorce. Meanwhile, she just sat there the entire time, looking all calm and collected. I could not decide whether it bothered or impressed me. We had not seen each other for three years. She was no longer the sweet little girl who wore her heart on her sleeve. She had grown a lot. Seeing her again in that cool disposition upset me a little. "Did she agree?" David asked curiously. "Yes, she did." At this time, I was regretting my decision to come out and meet my friends. I just wanted to have a drink with them, and here they were grilling me with all these questions. "So you're really marrying Rita?" "Yes." "Are you serious? Are you really going to sacrifice your happiness just because she saved you?" David got quite emotional at my answer. He accidentally spilled his drink on my clothes. "Oh, my. I'm so sorry, man," David immediately apologized. Since I did not want to sit there looking like a total mess, I excused myself and went home to change my clothes. I left the bar and called for a transport service. I had planned on going home, but as soon as I got in the car, I found myself stopping to think. Then, I asked the driver to take me to Garden Street instead. When I arrived, the house was brightly lit, and I could hear bursts of laughter coming through the open windows. A familiar Mercedes was parked in the garage. It seemed that my mother and grandmother had come to visit. I walked quickly to the door, but before I could input the password, someone had already opened the door from the inside. "Where were you? Why weren't you answering my calls?" My mom trotted over and scolded me. "I was in a meeting, Mom." "What happened to your clothes? Did you drink? Oh my God, you're a mess. Go get changed." She wrinkled her nose and ushered me in. I entered the house and saw Grandma and Scarlett sitting in the living room, talking and laughing. There were fruits and even an apple pie on the coffee table. "Hi, Grandma." I went over to say hello and picked up a slice of apple pie, but my grandma slapped my hand away. "Hands off. That's not for you. That's for Scarlett." "Charles, what happened to you? Come, let's get you some fresh clothes." Scarlett stood up and walked toward me. "You've been married for a long time. Why do you still call Charles by his first name?" Grandma asked Scarlett and then looked at me suspiciously. "Is there anything wrong with the way I address him?" Scarlett stopped and asked. "Don't young married couples such as yourselves call their spouses honey or babe or something?" Scarlett froze and seemed to think for a while. Then, she said, "Come, honey. Let me help you change." She helped me take off my suit jacket and flashed me a sincere smile. "That's more like it," Grandma beamed, her tone filled with satisfaction. She loved Scarlett very much. While Scarlett was abroad during the past few years, Grandma often asked me about her. I just replied perfunctorily every time. Before long, Grandma started a new topic. "Charles, I've made an appointment with the doctor for you this week. Don't drink until then. I want you to go get yourself checked out." I was stunned. "But I've just had a health check-up, Grandma. I'm very healthy." "I don't want you to have another health check-up. It's a more specialized check-up. It's been several years. Where are my great grandchildren? And I think it's not Scarlett's fault. It's yours." Scarlett turned to looked at me. A muscle flickered in her jaw. She looked as if she was trying not to burst into laughter. Before I could defend myself, my phone rang, and I heaved a sigh of relief. Scarlett, who was holding my jacket, took my phone out of the pocket and saw the name of the caller on the screen. I could tell that it was Rita by the way her face suddenly changed. "Is it that woman? Oh, for crying out loud!" my mother exclaimed. I took my phone from Scarlett and rejected the call. "Is it Rita? You're a married man now, Charles. Why are you still involved with that woman? You should be loyal to Scarlett. And what were those photos of Rita trying on wedding dresses I saw on the news? What's going on?" Grandma nagged. "It's not what you think, Grandma." "Then why did you decline her call? Is there anything that you two have to talk about that you don't want us to hear?" I did not know how to answer. I could lie to others but not to my grandma. She always saw through me. Grandma was so angry that she trembled. Scarlett quickly poured her a glass of water. "Charles will be more than happy to answer your question, Grandma, but let me take him to change his clothes first," Scarlett said, pushing me upstairs and into the bedroom. "I have a couple of white shirts in the third cabinet." As Scarlett went to get me a clean shirt, I took off the one that David stained with his drink. It was already ruined. I really would not spare David next time. Then, I felt a palpable silence behind me. I turned around. Scarlett was standing there and staring at me with one of my shirts in her hand. She dipped her chin, trying to hide her blushing face. "How long have you been standing there?" She did not reply. She just quickly closed her eyes. I walked up to her. This time, I was able to see more of the new her. She was no longer the little girl she used to be. Her past three years in France had changed her from a mere bud to a delicate rose. Her long eyelashes were trembling. She looked a little nervous as if she was suppressing something. Her face grew redder and redder with each passing minute. I took the shirt from her hand and quickly put it on. After I changed into a fresh shirt, we went back to the living room together. "I don't have many years left, Charles. Why couldn't you just live a peaceful life with Scarlett? Why are you always trying to upset me, huh?" Grandma was still blaming me. "Grandma, next time you want to come here, you can call me and I'll come pick you up, okay?" I still did not know how to answer her, so I just decided to change the subject. "No, thanks. You're always so busy. I don't want to inconvenience you. I just want to see if you're treating your wife right." "Grandma, I'm fine," Scarlett chimed in. "Very well then. By the way, don't forget the 60th anniversary party of the Moore Group tomorrow. Charles, I expect you to buy Scarlett a beautiful evening dress for the party. I want everyone to see how lucky you are to land someone like her. Don't you make me unhappy again, you hear me, young man?" "Of course, Grandma." After chatting with my grandma and my mom for a long time, I was finally able to convince them to call it a night and saw them off. Under the circumstances, there was no way I could mention the divorce to them without unleashing an uproar. #Chapter4 A Greedy Man Scarlett's POV: After I said goodbye to Charles and Rita at Rainbow Dream, Charles's mother, Alice, called me. She told me that she and Christine--Charles' grandmother were coming to see us. It had been a long time since I last saw them. I was so excited by Alice's call that I practically screamed my agreement at her over the phone. I could not wait to see them both, especially Grandma Christine. I had missed her and her delicious apple pies. They had always been very kind to me and made me feel like I was family. If they found out that Charles and I were planning to get divorced, they would be heartbroken. So Charles and I tried our best and acted like a normal loving married couple until Alice and Christine decided to go home. It just was not the right time to tell them. We had to be really careful as well because Christine was unusually perceptive. She could find there was something wrong with us if we were not careful enough. I was not expecting Charles home, but as soon as I saw him, I acted like a caring wife to him. I honestly thought I deserved an Oscar Award for my performance. Thinking about how Grandma Christine scolded Charles earlier like he was a naughty, restless little boy, I had to bite down my laughter. "What's so funny?" "What? Nothing," I mumbled. I needed to find a place in the house to be alone for a while. Since Charles and I talked about the divorce, I had been finding it a little difficult to stay in the same room as he was. "Where are you going?" "The kitchen." "Can you run me a bath, please?" Charles ordered with a cold face. "Okay." I turned on my heels and went upstairs to the bathroom. I stared at the huge white porcelain double bathtub and realized that I had never used it. Suddenly, I was imagining Charles inside it. Stop! I told myself to stop with the inappropriate thoughts about Charles! I shook my head and turned on the tap. After adjusting the water temperature, I waited for the bathtub to fill up. I sat on the edge of the bathtub and thought about the dinner party tomorrow night. Shall I go with Charles? If I were being honest, going with Charles to the party would make me a little uncomfortable, but I had not seen or spoken to his family in a long time. I would really like to see Alice and Grandma Christine again and also Lawrence. I had known them since I was a little girl, and I truly think of them as my family. While I was immersed in my reverie, the bathroom door suddenly swung open. I instinctively turned around to look, but I was not able to retain my balance. Next thing I knew, I was falling into the bathtub. Fortunately, the bathtub was almost full. It was so big that I felt as if I had fallen into a swimming pool. Scared to death that I was going to down, I flailed around instinctively. Then, I remembered that I was in a bathtub and stopped. The bathroom suddenly fell eerily silent except for the sound of running water from the tap. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry," I quickly got out of the bathtub. I scattered water everywhere as I stepped out. "Why are you apologizing?" Charles frowned and looked at me. I tried to wring some of the water out of my shirt, but I just felt like I was venting my frustration. Why did I have to sit on the edge of the bathtub? I could have just stood there as I waited for it to fill up. "I'll change the water." I quickly turned off the tap and opened the bathtub's drain. "No, I got it. You go change." Charles coughed, threw me his bath towel, and turned around. I wrapped the towel around my body and ran to my room to change into clean, dry clothes. After changing into fresh clothes, I grabbed another bath towel for Charles to use and went back to the bathroom. I found Charles standing there. From where I stood, I only saw one side of his body. He was not that heavily muscled, but he was taut and slender. He looked like a well-chiseled statue of a male Roman deity, and it made me catch my breath. I wanted to turn around and leave, but my eyes seemed to have a mind of their own. I could not help staring him down. Charles suddenly turned to look at me. Then, he started walking toward me. My eyes darted to the scar on his body. I looked at it carefully. Since when did he have that scar? "May I have my towel, please?" I had no idea how long I had been staring. If it were not for Charles's question, I would not have woken up from my fixation on his scar. "Oh. Yes. I'm sorry," I muttered. I lowered my head and handed the towel to him with both hands. After that, I rushed out of the bathroom. Before long, Charles's phone started ringing again, and Rita's name appeared on the screen. The sudden pang of pain startled me so much that I found myself clutching the sheets. I sat there, thinking about how my own husband never really belonged to me. After a while, Charles walked out of the bathroom in a bathrobe. He was drying his hair with a towel. He looked so charming. But I told myself to look away. "Rita called you just now," I told him. He just nodded and quickly picked up his phone. He glanced at me and then went to the balcony to call Rita. I could hear some of their conversation from where I was sitting. "Okay. Now don't cry. Drink some water first. I'll call Jenny and ask her to come over to your place. You need to get plenty of rest." I scoffed. Rita's performance would be insufferable even if it were in a movie. I did not understand why she had to torment everyone in real life as well, especially Charles. After hanging up with Rita, Charles came back in, walked to the wardrobe, and changed into a charcoal black suit. At this moment, I was no longer in the mood to watch him. The more I saw of him, the more heartache I had to endure. "I'm going out. Don't wait up for me. Call me if there's anything urgent," Charles told me as if he was reading off a manual. "Don't drive after drinking." Even if it broke my heart to think that he was running off to Rita, I still cared about his safety. I did not want him to get hurt. Charles appeared to be stunned. "I'll call the driver over." Then, he made a phone call. Not long after, a car arrived at the villa. From Charles's POV: I got in the car and was about to go to Rita's place, but the disappointment in Scarlett's eyes bothered me. I suddenly felt fidgety, and after a few moments, I finally told my driver, Burton, my destination. "The Mint Bar, please," I blurted out. I had already asked Jenny, Rita's doctor, to come see Rita. Rita would be fine if I did not show up at her place tonight. "Yes, Mr. Moore." When I walked into the bar, everything was still the same. The neon lights were still flashing, the music was still blaring, and the crowd seemed to have not thinned out since I was here earlier. "Charles! There you are! I knew you'd come back!" Spencer came up and punched me playfully in the shoulder. David poured me a glass of drink. I drank it all up in one gulp. "Wow, easy there, Mr. Moore. What's the matter? You look upset. Oh, I know. Let me tell you why you're upset, Charles. It's because you're too greedy. You want too much all at once. Let me tell you something—you can't have two women at the same time. Just give it up, man." "Will you stop talking for once, Spencer?" David chimed in and pushed Spencer away. He threw a cue to me. "Let's just play. It'll take your mind off things." "Sure. Why not?" I caught the cue, and David started setting the pool table. He let me break. Watching the billiard balls rolling on the table calmed me down for a second. "But seriously, Charles, do you mind if someone else pursues Scarlett? After you two are officially divorced, of course." Hearing this, I approached Spencer with the cue in my hand. "No, no, you misunderstand. I'm not talking about myself. Scarlett's like a sister to me. I just think that it's only fair that she also has someone special in her life, you know? You and Rita have been living like a married couple since Scarlett left three years ago. Don't you think it's about time that Scarlett went back to the dating pool? After all, she's single and ready to mingle now. She deserves to be happy, too." I took a shot at a ball near the side pocket, but I did not get it in. "Rita and I are not a married couple." "Do you mean that nothing happened between the two of you during the last three years?" Rita had always been in poor health. Every time I was with her, we just stayed together and didn't go further. Even if I wanted to, I could not put her through such a strenuous activity in her condition. "Oh, my. Buddy, don't tell me you haven't gotten her." Spencer shook his head. Before I could retort, my phone rang again. It was Rita. I rejected the call and turned off my phone. But on second thought, Scarlett was alone in the villa. If anything happened to her and my phone was turned off, she would not be able to find me. I turned my phone on again. "What's wrong? Was that Rita? Why didn't you answer?" Spencer asked in confusion. "It's none of your business, Spencer." "Charles, you can't waver between two women like this. It's unfair to both of them. Since you want to divorce Scarlett, you should treat Rita well." Somehow, the words "divorce Scarlett" sounded like nails on a chalkboard to me. "Scarlett and I haven't gone through the divorce formalities yet. We're still married." #Chapter5 The Brightest Girl Scarlett's POV: I looked at myself in the mirror. I wore a long white evening dress, a pair of high-heeled shoes, and a pair of pearl stud earrings. I tied my hair up into a tight, clean bun. But I still thought that there was something missing. Then I put on my black choker necklace with the small turquoise on it and smiled. My father gave it as a gift to my mother, and my mother handed it down to me. "Are you done? Come on, Scarlett, let me see. Can't you raise your phone so that I can see you?" Tiana and I were on video call while I was getting dressed. While I got ready for the party, she was protesting loudly on the other end of the line. "I only have two hands, Tiana. Calm down. I'm almost done." At last, I put on my favorite pink lipstick. "Turn around. Let me have a look." I looked at myself in the mirror and still felt uneasy. I picked up my phone and angled the front camera toward myself. Tiana covered her mouth and stopped moving. The picture had frozen. Was it because of a bad signal? "Tiana, are you still there?" "Oh, my God, girl! You look absolutely stunning! Oh, Charles is going to be stupefied by how gorgeous you look tonight! In fact, all the men at the party will be stupefied!" "Mrs. Moore, if we don't set out now, we'll have to take the helicopter," Burton, the driver, called at me from the driveway. "Thanks for the over-the-top compliment per usual, Tiana. I have to go. I'm already running late." Then, I hung up. I lifted my dress and went downstairs carefully. "You look beautiful, Mrs. Moore. You'll be a sensation at the party tonight." Burton opened the door for me. "Thank you, Burton. Let's go." I was not that much into attending formal events, but I was looking forward to this party. "Will we make it?" "We will, Mrs. Moore. Trust me." After saying that, Burton stepped on the accelerator and drove toward the Ritz Carlton Hotel. Before I knew it, I was at the hotel's drop-off area. I got off the car and felt the cold evening wind on my arms and face. Fortunately, it should be warm indoors. I entered the banquet hall, and many heads turned toward my direction. All the attention made me feel a little tense and wonder if I had somehow gone overboard with my outfit. "Scarlett! You're finally here." I heaved a sigh of relief as Christine approached me. "Hi, Grandma. Sorry I'm late." "Our little princess is finally here." I beamed as Alice and her husband Lawrence also walked toward me. "Dad, mom. Oh, I'm so glad to see you both. I deeply apologize for arriving late." "Don't worry about it, dear. The best is always the last one to show up anyway," Alice assured me with a smile. At this time, many people in the banquet hall had taken notice of me. One of them was a young man who waved at me and smiled. It was Spencer. I swept my eyes over the buzzing crowd and finally met a pair of cold, dark eyes. It was Charles, and he was staring right back at me. Other than the usual detached look, there was something else in his eyes tonight that I could not quite figure out. "Who is she?" "I think that's the girl Lawrence and Christine adopted. Don't you think she's magnificent?" "Yes, she is breathtaking. She is even more beautiful than Rita." …… Everyone began to talk among themselves. "Look, our little Scarlett has become a charming young woman!" Spencer came over with a smile on his face. David was right on his heels. "Long time no see." When Spencer hugged me, I caught a glimpse of Charles. He was standing by the stage and watching me. He still looked at me with those icy, unreadable eyes. This time, I caught a glimpse of annoyance on his face. "Ladies and gentlemen, before we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Moore Group tonight, let us first please welcome our dear CEO, Mr. Charles Moore, for his opening remarks." Charles went onto the stage, smiled at the emcee, and shook hands with him. The cold look on his face was gone, and he started his speech in a warm tone that I had not heard him use. He glanced at me from time to time, and I returned his gaze. A few reporters were invited to the party tonight. After Charles's speech, they were allowed to ask him a few questions. "Mr. Moore, there's a rumor going around that you and Miss Rita Lively are engaged. Is that true?" "Were you with her when she was photographed trying on wedding dresses?" …… I was not surprised by the questions they threw right at Charles. The Moore Group had always been in the spotlight, and Rita was an actress whose career fueled the rumor mill. Financial reporters could sometimes be gossipy. I turned to look at Alice, Christine, and Lawrence. They were not liking what was happening. "I think my personal life is the least of everyone's concerns tonight. And with that, let me welcome you to tonight's festivities. On behalf of the Moore Group, thank you for joining us and have a wonderful evening." Charles handled that quite well, and it was expected. He had been in the game long enough to learn how to deal with nosy people. After Charles ended his speech, the band resumed the music, drowning out the reporters' follow-up questions. Soon, the guests began to fill the dance floor. "Scarlett, may I have this dance?" Spencer walked over to me and offered me his hand. I beamed as he gracefully bowed to me like a real gentleman. I found it a little amusing, considering Spencer was quite a ladies' man back in high school. No amount of gentlemanly demeanor could ever cover up the trail of broken hearts he left in his wake. "Well, why not?" I took his hand and let him tow me to the dance floor. He put one hand around my waist and held my hand in the air with the other. I rested my other hand on his shoulder. "Hold me tighter. Are you afraid of offending Charles or something?" I said to Spencer. Spencer grinned and shook his head slightly. Then, he held me closer. We began to dance. After a few moments, I suddenly felt uneasy. I felt as if someone was watching me. I immediately dismissed the feeling. Maybe I was just thinking too much or maybe my choker was making me feel uncomfortable. "Take your hand off her." A familiar voice suddenly interrupted my train of thoughts. Someone had yanked Spencer's hand off my waist. I had no choice but to stop. I turned around sulkily and found Charles standing right behind me with that confusing expression on his face. I could not tell if he was angry or in pain. "What's the matter, Charles? I'm just dancing with our friend," I snapped. He looked stunned. He surely was not expecting such a reaction from me. But he did not say anything. He just turned around and stomped away like a little boy whose parents did not allow him to play outside. At this time, a waiter passed by, and I took a glass of drink from his tray and downed it in one gulp. I was not in the mood to dance anymore. "Why does he always swoop in and ruin everyone's fun?" I complained to Spencer. "Force of habit. Don't worry, Scarlett. Your good days are on the way." Good days? Did he mean the days after the divorce? I was not sure about that. Soon enough, the revelry in the banquet hall proved too much for me, and I had to get out to get some fresh air. I took off my choker as I made my way to the balcony. The cold night air felt so nice against my face. Spencer and David did not follow me, and I appreciated it. I needed some time alone to calm down and realign myself. Los Angeles was a different kind of beautiful compared to Paris where I spent the last three years to study. But even though Paris would always have a special place in my heart, Los Angeles would always be my home. But since I came home, I had felt a little lonely. I missed Tiana. I could not wait for her to return from her business trip. It was now suddenly occurring to me that I had spent the last three years of my life with just my European friends. Now I missed Tiana even more. A breeze blew, and my arms prickled with goose bumps. I took a deep breath and welcomed the discomfort. Somehow, it helped ease my nerves. Next thing I knew, someone was covering me up with a suit jacket. I instantly recognized the scent off the fabric. I turned around and saw a handsome face. I met the gaze of the man standing behind me, and the complicated feelings surged once again. "It's freezing out here. You're going to catch a cold." It amazed me sometimes how my husband turned from an uncaring man to a concerned one. It was like he had a switch somewhere that he flipped whenever he wanted. But why? Why did he do that? Why did he give me the cold shoulder and then turn around and mess with my head? I already said yes to the divorce. He was no longer obligated to care about me. "Aren't you cold?" I looked up at Charles. "No, I'm all right." At this time, my phone beeped. It was a message from Tiana. She said that she had already found a place for me to live. "I'm going to move out in a few days." "Why?" "Because divorced couples usually don't go on living under the same roof." "I haven't signed the papers yet." "The place is close to the office where I'm going to work. It'll be much more convenient for me." "Where you're going to work? You found yourself a job? I could've arranged that for you." Hearing that, I smiled bitterly in my heart. I suddenly realized that Charles had been arranging many things for me, the most notable of which was him arranging for me to grow into a woman worthy of his name. I had been living a life that he directed, and I had been flowing with his current. "No, thanks. I'm good. I've already spoken to their human resources department." "Listen, Scarlett..." "Why should I listen to anything that comes from you anymore?" I snapped once again. I started taking off the suit jacket, but Charles stopped me. "Are you trying to catch a cold so that you can make me take care of you? Or would you like me to go inside right now and get Grandma so that she can scold you?" he said with a half-smile. I rolled my eyes and put the suit jacket back on. "Take this." Charles put a bank card in my hand and then turned around to leave. "When shall we go through the divorce formalities?" I asked. "Why are you in such a hurry to divorce me? Is it because of that French artist? What's his name again? Piero? Pierre?" he asked sharply. I looked at him in disbelief...