Embracing Change

CHARLOTTE

It felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders, and the drive back to the estate was the best I’d had in a long time. I rolled down the windows, and the evening breeze blew through my hair. Surprisingly, my headache had stopped throbbing.

The sweet taste of the bun still lingered on my tongue, and I craved more. I contemplated the distance I would have to drive to get them and forced myself to move in the direction I had chosen. However, as I drove past the gates, I had a grand idea.

Maria and I would eat out. Why not? It made sense; we were two women in that gigantic house and equally big estate. We needed to get out for a bit. She’d pick the restaurant, and we’d have a great time. I drove the car to a halt, and when I alighted, she was walking through the door holding a piece of paper and a pencil in her other hand.

“Whatever that is, I don’t want to hear it,” I announced. She looked at me with a puzzled expression. “Don’t look at me like that; we’re going out.”

“G