Chapter 11

Charlotte got home an hour later because of the traffic. She had taken a cab with her parents back home. She walked straight to her room upstairs. She spotted her picture with Phoebe hanging on the wall. She removed it, sat on the bed and stared at it while she cried.

"I miss you so much Phoebe . I miss you." She said to herself as hot tears rolled down her eyes.

"Life won't be the same without you Phoebe. It won't." She cried.

Sophia walked into the room.

"Stop crying please." Sophia said patting Charlotte's shoulder as Charlotte rested on Sophia's shoulder.

"It's okay my child." She comforted her daughter.

"Mom. Phoebe is gone forever. She is gone and it's Tyler's fault. Tyler killed her mom. He killed her." Charlotte said crying bitterly.

"It's okay my child. Go into the bathroom and take a shower baby. Rinse the blood away. Sophia said still patting Charlotte's shoulder.

Charlotte stood up and walked into the bathroom. She took a short shower because anytime she scrubbed her body she remembered how Tyler had slept with her. She walked out of the bathroom five minutes later.

"You are done so soon?" Sophia asked.

"Yes." Charlotte said opening the wardrobe taking the first gown her eyes saw. She wore it without drying her body with the towel.

Charlotte sat on the bed resting her head on Sophia's shoulder as she slept off. Sophia gently placed her head on the pillow and tiptoes out of the room.

She walked back downstairs to Dave who was sitting down quietly staring at the empty space.

"How are we going to bury Phoebe? We have no money left."Sophia asked sitting down beside him.

"I don't know. I have no idea." He said.

"I miss my daughter so...

Sophia was cut off when she heard a knock on the door.

"Who could come to our house by this time?" Sophia asked.

"I don't know." Dave said.

"Let me check." Sophia said walking to the door.

She opened the door.

"What are you doing here? Are you here to kill Charlotte too?" Sophia asked.

"I am here to see Charlotte." Tyler answered shifting his neck tie.

"You can't see her."Sophia said closing the door but was stopped by Tyler's leg.

"Let's do this the easy way ma." He said gently scanning the house looking for Charlotte.

"What will you do if I don't let you in?" Sophia asked.

"Then Charlotte goes to jail." Tyler said.

"What? What do you mean?" Sophia asked nervously.

"Will you let me in?" Tyler asked

Sophia opened the door widely so Tyler could come in.

"Where is she?" He asked again as Dave walked up to him.

"What are you doing here?" He asked grabbing his blazers.

"If you know how much that costs you won't touch it that way?" Tyler said removing Dave hands.

"You have no right to come in here anymore. You already killed Phoebe what else do you want?" Dave asked

"I am here to take my wife with me." Tyler answered smiling.

"Which wife? My daughter is no longer your wife." Dave replied.

"Well your daughter signed a contract saying she would never divorce me." Tyler announced.

"You also signed a contract to pay for Phoebe's hospital bills. I could sue you too." Dave yelled.

Tyler sat on the chair.

"Have you forgotten my name? I am Tyler Dalton. Sue me and face the consequences. Now where is Charlotte Dalton?" He asked pronouncing the Charlotte Dalton slowly.

Charlotte woke up due to the noise.

"What's going on? Who is mom and dad arguing with?" She asked herself.

She walked downstairs and saw Tyler sitting.

"What are you doing here?" Charlotte asked as tears flowed down her eyes again.

"I am here to take you home." Tyler said standing up from the chair smiling.

"I am not going to your stupid home. I'm getting a divorce soon." Charlotte yelled.

Tyler clapped and laughed.

"How many times will I say this? You should have been here when I explained this to your parent." Tyler said checking the time on his wrist watch.

"You need to be fast please. I can't be late for work and this time pack your clothes because I won't allow you touch mine." He said sitting down and crossing his leg.

"Mom." Charlotte turned to her mom. "What's he saying? I am not going back to him right?" Charlotte asked her mom.

"I'm sorry." Sophia said crying.

"Stop! Don't tell me that crap again. You both forced me to marry this man. Phoebe is dead now all because of him and you want me to follow him home?" Charlotte asked.

"I am sorry, but if you don't follow him he will send you to jail." Dave said walking to Charlotte.

"I am so sorry." Sophia said trying to hug Charlotte but she moved back.

"Don't touch me. If you see me dying don't help me. If you hear the news of my death don't come for me. I disown you both." Charlotte said running upstairs.

She came back downstairs in a jiffy with a bag.

"Let's go Mr Tyler." Charlotte said.

"I'm sorry Charlotte. I'm doing this for you." Sophia said holding Charlotte's hand.

Charlotte removed her mom's hand from hers.

"Don't talk to me. I hate you. You ruined my life. I don't want to ever see you again." Charlotte said leaving the house and entering Tyler's car.

Tyler drove off to his house but the traffic slowed them down.

Charlotte continued to cry and stare at the window as the car moved slowly.

"I'm sorry about your sister." Tyler apologized.

"Don't." Charlotte said cautioning him not to talk to her.

"I feel guilty okay and I'm trying to make amends." Tyler said.

"Please don't talk to me please." Charlotte said with a shaky voice.

"Fine. I've tried my best." Tyler said moving to the second lane.

After two hours of moving slowly in the traffic, they got to Tyler's house.

Charlotte came down holding her bag as she walked inside.

"I'm going. I'll be back early today." Tyler announced and Charlotte ignored .

Charlotte walked into the house as Gloria spotted her.

"Charlotte ma'am, Charlotte ma'am."Gloria screamed as she ran to hug her.

"Welcome ma. Welcome back. I missed you so much." Gloria said.

"Thank you." Charlotte said giving a fake smile.

Gloria collected Charlotte's bag and called another maid to take inside.

Gloria saw the injury in Charlotte's arm.

"What happened to you ma?" She asked Charlotte scanning her body to see if she there was more injuries.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it."Charlotte said.

"We should go to the hospital to get this treated."Gloria said.

"It's okay Gloria. I am serious."Charlotte assured her.

"Okay ma. Just go upstairs and take a bath. I'll prepare something for you." Gloria said.

"No ma'am don't prepare anything when I am not there. Let's make a pie okay." Charlotte said walking upstairs.

"Okay ma'am. I'll wait for you."Gloria said.

"Don't do anything without me okay." Charlotte screamed from upstairs.

Charlotte walked into Tyler's room,took a long shower and changed into her own clothes. She ran downstairs to meet Gloria. She met her in the kitchen.

"I told you to wait." Charlotte said folding her arms.

"You must be really excited to make this ma'am ?"

Gloria asked

"Yes I am." Charlotte answered.

They started making the pie.

"Be careful ma'am." Gloria warned.

"Ma'am I know you must be thinking Mr Tyler is mean and annoying. I don't know what you think of him and to be honest I know I am in no place to advise you about your marriage with him. I just want to let you know that he is just going through a phase. He has been through a lot ma'am ever since he was a child. He needs someone like you to show him that true love exists. You might think he is mean but to be honest he cares about you a lot." Gloria explained.

"Gloria you can't understand. Tyler is a voluptuous beast. We both got married for the wrong reasons and I have to face the consequences." Charlotte said.

"Don't worry ma'am you'll see that Mr Tyler will change soon because of you. I promise." Gloria said.

"Gloria as I have said earlier you can't understand." Charlotte said remembering what had happened the night before she left the house.

"There is no way he can change. I am sure he is at the office sleeping with another woman now. It's none of my business though. Let's make pie and enjoy." Charlotte said.

"There is no need to hide your sadness ma'am. I can see through you." Gloria said focusing on Charlotte.

"I just lost my sister." Charlotte announced bursting into tears.

Gloria hugged her.

"I am so sorry ma'am. May her soul rest in peace."