“There is no need, Mr. Reynold, it’s just a common cold. I’ll just get some over-the-counter medicine later this afternoon and I’ll be fine,” Charlotte spun him down.
Mr. Reynold’s discerning eyes stared at her and she became uneasy under his glare. She bit her lower lip and played with the hem of her shirt.
“Your nose is already blocked. How can you simply take medicine?” Mr. Reynolds sighed softly and then waved her over to him.
Charlotte took several steps toward him, then cautiously stopped a few feet away.
“Remember to buy the medicine and once you get better, go to the office to see Kennedy.”
Charlotte nodded. “Yes, Mr. Reynold.”
“Okay.” Mr. Reynold nodded in content. “Go ahead.”
Charlotte thanked Mr. Reynold before hurrying back upstairs to grab her things before leaving the house as quickly as she could.
As soon as she left the Moore residence, Charlotte called her friend and Diana rushed over within twenty minutes.
As soon as she got in the car, Diana turned to her. “Have you thought about it? Do you want to get an abortion?”
Charlotte said nothing and quietly put on her seatbelt.
“Why aren’t you answering me?” Diana turned to look at Charlotte and saw that she sat expressionlessly. Frowning, she continued. “What happened to you? Didn’t you think carefully about everything after getting back last night? Don’t tell me you want to keep this child?”
As Diana spoke, Charlotte covered her abdomen with her hands. “This is a life. Isn’t it too cruel to just abort it?”
“Charlotte, are you kidding me? Your parents were cruel when they made you replace Christina and marry a crippled. Your ex-husband was cruel when he kept a mistress and threw you out of the house. If you keep this child, the Moore family won’t accept you and your family won’t want you if you have to go back to them?”
Diana’s words laid out everything for Charlotte clearly and she lifted her head to stare straight ahead.
“Listen to me, you need to abort the child. The Moore family is your only support. Furthermore, the origin of this child is uncertain. Who knows what it will be like when it is born?” Diana explained, practically deciding for Charlotte.
“I’ve said all I can as your best friend. You have to be the one to make the final decision.”
Charlotte thought about what Kennedy said the night before. He mentioned he’d give her three days to decide, but then said he wasn’t certain if he would. So, she should go for an abortion then if she wished to remain in the Moore family. If she were to leave the Moore family, she also couldn’t go back to the Wilson family.
After thinking about it for several painful moments, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Let’s go.”
“You’ve decided? Then let’s get you to the hospital.” Diana turned the car around and continued. “If this child was fathered by the person you love, then I wouldn’t object if you wanted to keep it. But this is a stranger’s child and you don’t know if it will bring you happiness or further problems. The best thing is to abort it.”
Both of them kept silent all the way to the hospital after that.
*****
Charlotte was extremely depressed while waiting for her number to be called, her leg bouncing anxiously as Diana comforted her.
Eventually, it was Charlotte’s turn and the doctor frowned when he examined her. “Ms. Wilson, it looks like the inner lining of your uterus is very thin and you would suffer severe bleeding from an abortion. We recommend, for your safety, that you don’t have an abortion.”
Charlotte frowned when she heard what the doctor said, and Diana was astonished when she heard it. “She can’t abort it?”
“Correct. It’s not recommended unless there was a medically significant reason to do so.” The doctor sighed softly. “Consider it carefully. Severe bleeding isn’t something to be taken lightly. Go back home and consider it carefully before coming back.”
Diana frowned deeply as they left the hospital. “What will you do if you can’t abort it? Good lord, how can this be so inconvenient?”
“I don’t know.”
“I’ll send you home first.”
Charlotte nodded, then shook her head. “No, I need to go to the office. Please send me to the Moore Group.”
Diana said nothing and drove her to the office. When she saw the Moore Group building, Diana couldn’t help but comment. “And I thought my family was rich. I didn’t expect the Moore Group to be this exorbitant.”
“Diana, thanks for everything today. I have to get going, though.”
Diana waved. “I’ll see you later. I’m going to contact some doctors to enquire about your condition.”
***
Charlotte had been at the Moore Group with Mr. Moore a few days earlier and it had left a deep impression on the receptionists. They treated her very well, greeting her and wishing her a good day.
Charlotte proceeded to the elevator without incident and headed up to the top floor where the director’s office was. She crept forward and saw the door to the office was open. Just as Charlotte was about to walk in, she heard Kennedy and Nathan’s conversation.
“The last time I asked you to find someone, you brought me that woman. Now you brought a pregnant woman for me. Nathan, have I been too kind to you all these years that you now do things without using your brain?” Kennedy sat at his desk and drummed the top with his slender fingers. He glared and his body filled with rage.
Nathan’s head hung in insubordination as Kennedy disciplined him. He looked like a pitiful dog.
Charlotte darted to the side as soon as she saw the two men in the room. She knew she’d be walking into a lions’ den if she went into the office while Kennedy was so angry. It was better for her to avoid him for the moment.
“Mr. Moore, I didn’t do it on purpose. You really didn’t give me much information to work with. So I’d rather that I make a mistake than to fail to carry out your task.”
Nathan felt wronged. He had been with Kennedy for many years and all his usual jobs he did for him had been work-related. Even if it was something complex, Nathan could still resolve it swiftly.
However, the task to find the woman without any information other than a date was near impossible. How would he be able to find the specific pregnant woman at the hospital?
“I didn’t give you sufficient information? Why can’t you get the information by yourself?” Kennedy laughed, and his sharp glare deepened. The drumming of his fingers stopped as he stared. “Or are you blaming me for your failures?” Kennedy’s cold and chilling tone made Nathan seize up and shake his head.
“Nothing of the sort! Mr. Moore, I’ll send some men to investigate. Next time I’ll personally interrogate before bringing the person to you.”
“Interrogate?”
“Rest assured, I promise not to harm the woman.”
“Get out.”
Kennedy was satisfied with Nathan’s answer and impatiently adjusted his necktie while dismissing Nathan. Nathan couldn’t wait for him to yell him away. The office was unbearably cold.
“Yes!” Nathan closed the door as soon as he left the room and saw Charlotte leaning against the wall.
As they exchanged looks, Nathan pulled Charlotte into a corner before she could speak.
“Are you tired of living? How dare you eavesdrop on my conversation with Mr. Moore?”
Charlotte shook her head and raised her hands in defense. “I just arrived, but who is he looking for?”
Everyone was curious. Charlotte was his wife, and it was understandable that she wanted to understand his matters.
Nathan narrowed his eyes at her. “Ms. Wilson, don’t ask something you shouldn’t. You were a replacement when you married into the Moore family and cannot be regarded as the rightful wife of Mr. Moore. If you don’t mind your own business, I’m afraid you won’t even retain the status of the missus.”