Chapter 2 The Woman Everyone Chose

"Good morning, Auntie. Good morning, Uncle."

Along with Vanessa Caldwell's gentle voice, the entire environment seemed to suddenly change. The heavy silence in the dining room was replaced by cheerful greetings and smiles that Charlotte had never seen before whenever she was in the presence of the Hawthorne family.

Mrs. Hawthorne immediately stood up and greeted Vanessa as if she had been waiting for the young lady's arrival for a long time.

"Vanessa! It's good that you came. Come, sit down."

Vanessa approached and politely hugged the old woman before handing over the paper bags she was carrying.

"Daddy sent something from Paris. I remember that this tea is your favorite."

Mrs. Hawthorne's face lit up.

"Look at that. You really know how to remember."

Mr. Hawthorne shook his head while smiling.

"If all women were like you, men would have no problems."

Charlotte bowed silently while still holding the tray containing the broken porcelain. She couldn't help but tighten her grip on it. She and Vanessa were both women, but they treated each other very differently.

Vanessa noticed Charlotte and immediately approached her.

"Charlotte..."

Her voice was gentle, but Charlotte knew that behind the sweet smile, each word had a different meaning.

"I heard you're pregnant. Congratulations."

Charlotte forced a smile.

"Thank you."

Vanessa gently held Charlotte's injured hand. To everyone's eyes, she seemed to be just worried, but she gradually tightened her grip on the very palm that was injured by the glass.

Charlotte winced in pain.

Vanessa bowed slightly and spoke almost in a whisper.

"Does it hurt?"

Charlotte didn't answer.

Vanessa's smile widened even more.

"Don't worry..."

She paused for a moment. 

"That's just the beginning."

Charlotte's entire body seemed to stiffen.

Before she could speak, Vanessa had let go of her hand and faced the Hawthorne family again as if nothing had happened.

"Auntie, would you like me to make the tea?"

Mrs. Hawthorne smiled.

"Do you see that, Charlotte?"

Charlotte looked at her silently.

"I don't need to order Vanessa around. She knows how to take initiative. That's the difference between you."

"Mother..."

"What?"

Charlotte bowed weakly.

"Nothing."

Vanessa nodded and headed into the kitchen. As she passed Charlotte, she didn't even look back.

"It might be sad to think that you're just a wife, but on paper, you're not really accepted."

Charlotte bit her lower lip hard.

She wanted to say that Ethan loved her.

She wanted to say that Ethan didn't force their marriage.

She wanted to fight for the love she had held onto for six months.

But even she wasn't sure if that was true.

As Charlotte set the table, Mrs. Hawthorne spoke again.

"Charlotte."

"Yes, Mother?"

"What are you doing? Your work isn't finished yet."

"I'm cleaning the table."

"That's not what I meant."

Charlotte frowned.

"Clean the entire kitchen."

"Then, scrub the stairs up to the third floor."

"And make sure I don't see a single speck of dust."

Charlotte swallowed.

"Yes."

Before she could leave, her mother-in-law stopped her again.

"And don't forget the laundry room."

Charlotte's eyes widened.

"Mother..."

"You need to wash all our clothes now."

Charlotte hesitated.

"All of it?"

Mrs. Hawthorne's gaze became cold.

"Is there a problem?"

She shook her head weakly.

"Nothing."

"If there's nothing, move."

Charlotte silently lifted the heavy tray of food. As she walked towards the kitchen, she felt her stomach tighten again. She stopped for a moment and automatically grabbed the baby she was carrying.

She didn't realize that Vanessa had noticed.

She approached while no one else was looking.

"Does it hurt?"

Charlotte nodded silently.

Vanessa smiled.

"Be careful."

She glanced briefly at Charlotte's stomach.

"It would be a shame if something happened to what you were carrying."

Charlotte stiffened.

She quickly looked at Vanessa.

"What do you mean?"

Vanessa pretended to be surprised.

"Huh? I was just worried about you."

At the same time, Mrs. Hawthorne entered the kitchen.

"Vanessa, don't get too close to that."

Vanessa smiled immediately.

"I'm just worried about Charlotte."

Mrs. Hawthorne shook her head.

"You have such a kind heart."

Then she looked at Charlotte coldly.

"But not everyone deserves mercy."

Charlotte clenched her hands tightly.

She didn't know what hurt more—the words thrown at her or the fact that no one could see Vanessa's true face.

As Charlotte began washing the handful of dishes, a black Rolls-Royce slowly pulled up in front of the Hawthorne Mansion.

One of the maids looked over at the window.

"Madam... Sir Ethan has arrived."

Mrs. Hawthorne immediately smiled.

"It looks like my son is home."

Vanessa smiled too and fixed her own hair before leaving the kitchen.

Charlotte stopped washing the dishes. She didn't realize that a smile had formed on her lips when she heard her husband's name. It had been a few days since she had last seen him come home before midnight.

 A few moments later, the main door of the mansion opened.

Ethan Hawthorne entered, removing his tie and carrying a leather briefcase. He was clearly tired from consecutive business meetings, but his neat and serious demeanor was still intact.

"Mother."

Ethan nodded in greeting.

"Father."

Mrs. Hawthorne immediately approached.

"Have you eaten yet?"

Ethan shook his head.

"Not yet. I came straight here from the office."

Before Charlotte could approach, Vanessa greeted her first.

"Good morning, Ethan."

Ethan smiled slightly.

"Vanessa. I didn't know you were here."

"I just got here. I just stopped by to visit Auntie and Uncle."

"I see."

From the kitchen, Charlotte silently watched her husband. It only took a few seconds, but it was enough to make her feel better. She gently wiped her wet hands on her apron and walked out of the kitchen.

"Ethan..."

Ethan turned in Charlotte's direction.

Their eyes met for a moment.

Before Charlotte could speak, Mrs. Hawthorne suddenly interrupted.

"Charlotte."

Charlotte blinked.

"Please, Mother?"

"You haven't finished cleaning yet, have you?"

Charlotte bowed her head.

"Mother... I was just going to talk to Ethan."

Mrs. Hawthorne's gaze became cold.

"What you're going to say can wait."

Charlotte remained silent.

"But..."

"Go back to the kitchen."

Charlotte stopped.

"I don't want to see you neglect your work just because your husband is home."

Charlotte clenched the hem of her apron tightly. She looked at Ethan for a moment, hoping he would say at least one word.

But Ethan remained silent.

Ethan thought Charlotte was just following his mother's orders. He didn't see the wound on his wife's palm, nor the paleness of her face from hunger and fatigue.

Charlotte slowly lowered her gaze.

"Yes, Mother."

She silently turned and returned to the kitchen, while in the dining room Mrs. Hawthorne, Mr. Hawthorne, Vanessa, and Ethan began chatting as if nothing had happened inside the mansion all morning.

Charlotte closed her eyes tightly as she once again touched the cold plate.

She didn't know which hurt more.

The words she kept hearing from the Hawthorne family...

Or the silence of the man she had fought against the whole world.