SWNOVELS Chapter 13
Chapter 13
Inside the distinguished Sullivan residence, an architectural marvel that had withstood the test of time. Despite being centuries old, the upkeep was so meticulous the house always felt freshly built. It served as a testament to the Sullivan family’s prestige and grandeur.
Bubbling with excitement, Olivia led Charlotte into the grand foyer where they were met by Mary Johnston. “Mom, look who I found,” Olivia proudly announced.
The slender and classy woman turned to Charlotte. However, rather than showing the joy one might expect, her face bore a stern, cold demeanor. Mary set her teacup aside. “Olivia, would please check if Charlotte’s dessert is ready yet?” she ordered her daughter.
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“But Mom, Grandpa said I was to bring Charlotte straight to him when we got back. We can have our snack after!” Olivia rebutted.
“Olivia,” Mary warned, the sharpness in her tone cutting through the air.
The unexpected sternness of her tone staggered Olivia, who had been so full of vim and vigor till now. Charlotte, sensing the tension, disentangled her hand from Olivia’s and spoke calmly, “It’s okay. I could use a bite to snack on. Why don’t you check?”
Hearing this, a flustered Olivia quickly scampered away. Normally, Mary was a gentle person, but when she was upset, she could be fairly intimidating.
Once Olivia was out of sight, Mary turned to Charlotte, her gaze intense, her tone biting. “You disappear for three years and the moment you’re back, you’re causing us all sorts of trouble! You better know what you’re doing,” she reprimanded.
Charlotte bitterly mused, ‘So, Mary doesn’t care where I’ve been. She’s just annoyed I’ve brought problems to the Sullivan doorstep. Yes, the Sullivan family can be heartless sometimes. Zachary’s icy character must have been an inheritance from his mother.‘
“The Sullivan family being held under scrutiny is due to my relationship with Zachary,” Charlotte calmly began. “But rest easy. We will soon have nothing to do with each other.”
Mary was taken aback at Charlotte’s words, and her stern expression became an icy resentment.
“You’re intending to divorce Zachary?” she finally spoke.
“I thought that’s precisely what you wished for.”
Mary began to retort angrily, but Charlotte cut her off short with a polite bow. “If there’s nothing else, Mrs. Sullivan,” she intervened, “I’ll pay Grandpa Jerry a visit now.” With that, she turned on her heel, making her way to the adjacent building, and leaving Mary gaping in her wake.
She had stopped trying to curry favor with Mary. Their relationship was tense back when she was a
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Chapter 10
fiancée, but after marrying Zachary, it had only become worse. No one deserved such a hostile mother–in–law.
Reaching the central building of the Sullivan estate, the most majestic one at that, she saw Mark Dylan waiting for her at the entrance. As Jerry Sullivan’s trusted butler, he approached her respectfully as she neared. “Mrs. Sullivan,” he welcomed her, “You’re finally here. Mr. Sullivan has been awaiting your arrival.”
“Mark,” Charlotte greeted him, her posture relaxed.
“Yes, ma’am?”
“How’s Grandpa Jerry doing lately?”
Charlotte’s demeanor around Mark was in stark contrast to her confrontation with Mary. She looked amicable even. Mark, hearing her inquire about Jerry’s well–being, felt his eyes turn misty. “Mr. Sullivan is fine,” he assured her, “but he was deeply concerned about you all these years. He never thought you were gone… He kept sending people to find you, but, unfortunately…”
His voice trailed off, both of them acknowledging the unfortunate reality that Jerry had found no leads. The car crash had come out of the blue, leaving traces of her nowhere. Little did she know, people were deeply worried about her back home.
Zachary couldn’t believe she was gone and kept searching for her over the years. Meanwhile, she had been indifferent and living overseas. But now that she heard how much Grandpa Jerry had worried about her, she was on the verge of tears.