Chapter 16: What had You Been Through All These Years?


    Charlotte was soaked to the skin while aimlessly wandering the streets in the downpour like a lonely


    spirit.


    Just when she had finally stumbled upon a 24-hour convenience store, the clerk shut her out at once


    while casting her nces that were full of contempt towards her abject state for fear that she would set


    foot in the store with her muddy shoes.


    She could only huddle herself up while shivering all over under the eaves outside the store, and her


    eyes unknowingly started to redden and well up with tears.


    Her father and brother had been missing, and Evelyn was constantly terrorizing her with all the threats


    against her family, and now the person that she loved the most even detested her to the core. All she


    wanted was a ss of hot water to warm herself up when she was down and out and stone broke, but


    even such a small wish could not be fulfilled.


    It was not the first time that she had desperately wanted to know whether it was because she had


    The door was pushed open abruptly at that moment, and the sound of approaching footsteps could be


    heard closing in on her.


    She instinctively thought that someone wasing to drive her away, so she slowly rose to her feet


    while supporting herself with her hands on the ground with a self-deprecating smile on her face. She


    uttered without even looking back, “Don’t worry, I’ll leave right now.”


    Her voice was caught by someone whom was standing behind her, and that person hesitantly took a


    few steps forward while calling out to her tentatively, “Are you… Lotta? Charlotte?”


    Charlotte was struck by the familiarity in that voice as well, and just when she was about to turn around


    to take a look at the owner of the voice, she was seized by a sudden rush of dizziness, and the whole


    world felt like it was fading away from her.


    She fell heavily down the steps in the next second when her body had suddenly lost its bnce.


    “Lotta!”


    …


    Charlotte had finallye around after drowning in a seemingly endless nightmare for a long time, and


    she was still immersed in a mncholic state after waking up.


    A graceful and reposeful figure was standing in front of the window when she had woken up, and the


    figure promptly turned her head upon detecting some subtle voiceing from Charlotte. Her


    countenance was beaming with joy when she had noticed Charlotte regaining her consciousness,


    “Have you woken up, Lotta?”


    The middle-aged woman walked over to her and proceeded to take a seat beside her bed as she


    exined while sping her hand, “I’ve asked someone to help bring you back to my home after you


    have fainted outside the store. I was going to give you a hot shower just now, but you were clutching on


    to your cuffs so tightly and simply won’t let anyone touch you.”


    “Where have you been all these years, Lotta? Why have you lost so much weight?”


    Charlotte stared at the middle-aged woman whom was seated in front of her, and she was instantly on


    the verge of tears after recognizing whom she was as if she had just awakened from a long dream.


    She was Lawrence’s mother, Victoria Harris, the woman whom had regarded her as her own child and


    treated her with so much love and affection with all her heart back then!


    Charlotte abruptly threw off Victoria’s hand on her in the next moment, and she got out of bed at once


    to escape from her without uttering a single word as she was mortified to face her at her current state.


    However, Victoria held on to her hand before she could leave, “It’s been so many years. I cannot let


    you leave us again.”


    She let out a deep sigh while looking at Charlotte’s scrawny physique, and her eyes were tearing up as


    well from her heartbroken state, “Take it easy. I won’t ask you anything that you don’t feelfortable


    in letting me know, but aren’t you curious about how Lance has lived throughout all these years?”


    “I do.” Charlotte immediately grabbed hold of her hand without a single hint of hesitation as her nose


    twitched, “I really do!”


    It was all she had thought of over and over again during the countless nights over the past few years.


    Did he change a lot? Did he have a girlfriend or even get married? Did he still loath me so much?


    Victoria had always suffered from heart disease, and it was Charlotte whom had saved her on the


    street seven years ago when she had not known Lawrence yet.


    It was seven yearster that Victoria had once again brought the homeless Charlotte back to her home.


    After taking a shower and changing into a clean dress that Victoria had prepared for her, Charlotte


    carefully hid her arm that was covered with pinpricks and proceeded to get seated by the table, and


    she started to stuff herself with the food in front of her with her head lowered.


    Victoria was staring at her quietly, and she still refused to believe the tabloid news which had reported


    that the reason for her return to City B was due to being dumped by another man that she was


    previously sleeping with.


    She wanted to ask for Charlotte’s rification on that matter, but she could not help but to sigh again,


    only walking over to the door while pointing at the steps outside as she gazed at Charlotte, “Do you


    know what has happened to Lance on the night that you have broken up with him, Lotta?”