Single Mom's Sweet Husband (Charlotte)

Chapter 53

Sheryl looked up to find Elaine Emerson.

She wore a hypocritical smile under her thick, delicate makeup. Sheryl was a little frightened by her looks and backed away subconsciously.

By now, Charlotte had already caught up to her daughter.

However, she took no notice of Elaine as she grabbed Sheryl's hand and chastised, "Sheryl, you mustn't run around! There are so many people here, what if you meet a bad guy?"

Sheryl didn' t utter a word in response. Instead, she cowered behind her.

Charlotte raised a suspicious eyebrow at Sheryl's strange reaction. Just then, Elaine spoke. "So, you're Sheryl! What an adorable little girl you are."

Hearing this voice, Charlotte raised her head. Instantly, her face darkened.

"What are you doing here?" asked Charlotte with a scoff.

'Neat,' Elaine thought. Before she could hunt Charlotte down, she had taken the initiative to deliver herself to her doorstep.

Elaine smiled. "Lottie, why are you being so defensive? We used to be the best of friends."

"Mommy, are you two best friends?” asked Sheryl in a whisper.

Charlotte peered down at her daughter and shook her head unhesitatingly.

The last thing she wanted to hear in her life was the fact that Elaine and she used to be tight.

To her, this was perhaps the most shameful aspect of her life.

Charlotte couldn't find the right words for Elaine. She simply sneered and sidestepped Elaine to leave with Sheryl.

"Your father wants to see you. You saw him at the hospital last time around - his body isn't going to hold for much longer." Elaine's voice invaded Charlotte's ears from behind and her footsteps came to a halt.

Hearing the mention of Charlotte's father, Sheryl unwittingly said, "My grandpa?"

Tears welled up in Charlotte' s eyes immediately.

She used to despise her father into her bones.

But now that she was a mother herself, she realized exactly how much her father had been through.

Adding to the scene she had seen in the ward, she suddenly didn't feel as much hatred toward him anymore.

Seeing Charlotte frozen in her tracks, Elaine was treacherously delighted that she had managed to pull off her scheme.

She knew deep down that Charlotte had never truly let go of her past, of the Emerson family. Else, she wouldn't have shown up at the hospital in the middle of the night.

Taking advantage of this, Elaine continued, "Charlotte, you must think this over. Once you leave now, you may not be able to see the old man in the future."

Charlotte stood rooted to the spot and pondered for a moment before turning back to face Elaine.

She didn’t know why Elaine was so kind as to persuade her to return, but upon thinking about her father whom she hadn't met for five years, she decided it was about time.

"Let’s go," Charlotte said to Elaine.

At the Emersons’ residence.

With Sheryl's hand in hers, Charlotte stood outside the main gate.

As she looked at the house that couldn't be any more familiar, Charlotte' s heart only sank.

She was starting to doubt her choice. Was returning a wrong move after all?

"What are you standing there for? Come on in!" Elaine urged as she scorned the sorrow in Charlotte’s eyes.

Beside her, Sheryl could see without fail Elaine's malice toward Charlotte. She rolled her eyes at her exasperatedly.

Elaine was instantly enraged. However, she could only try to quell it as much as possible. After all, she still had some acting to do once they stepped into the house in a while.

Charlotte paid no attention to Elaine. She simply led Sheryl along as she strolled into the property and took in the view.

"Mommy, is this where you lived when you were a child?" asked Cheryl with burning curiosity.

"That's right! Look, that's the tree Mommy planted," said Charlotte as she pointed at a luxuriant locust tree at a corner of the courtyard. Content is property of NôvelDrama.Org.

She had planted that tree on her fifth birthday.

Hearing that, a frown manifested itself across Elaine's brows. She made a mental note to hire some gardeners to have it chopped off once Charlotte left.

After sauntering around for a good while, Charlotte was finally about to step into the living room.

Elaine promptly shot the butler a glance to have him bring the old man down from his study.

With Sheryl's hand still in her palm, Charlotte walked into the grand hall.

Just as she was wondering why Timothy wasn't around to welcome her, he made his appearance by the stairs following a coughing fit.

When Timothy's gaze landed on Charlotte, he immediately recalled that day five years ago, when she had fled home disobediently.

His face immediately contorted in anger like rainy clouds that hung over the sun. His menacing presence frightened poor little Sheryl.

Unwittingly, she shrunk behind Charlotte and muttered in a low voice, "Mommy, I'm scared."