Chapter 5

Eugene Jacobs, one of Zac’s friends, approached.

He was also the one who had casually mentioned that he almost felt bad for Charlotte that night at the bar.

They had known each other for nearly three years, and Charlotte had always thought he wasn’t too bad.

“I just came to pick up a few things,” she replied.

Eugene glanced at the shopping bag in her hand. “Is this a gift for Zac?”

Charlotte didn’t feel like explaining, so she simply nodded.

“That brand’s watches aren’t cheap. Even their most basic models start in the five-figure range. You really don’t need to spend so much on a gift for him. He…” he hesitated, then stopped short.

Because what he really wanted to say—“he doesn’t deserve it”—was better left unsaid.

Zac had already admitted that he couldn’t let go of Wendy, that Charlotte was nothing more than a stand-in.

Last night, he had left Charlotte behind in front of everyone, openly taking Wendy’s hand and walking away.

Charlotte didn’t know what had happened after that, but Eugene did.

After they left the party, Zac and Wendy had spent the night at a hotel together.

There was a private group chat with all their friends in it.

Charlotte had never been invited to join, even after three years of dating Zac.

Yet, the moment Wendy returned to the country, Zac had added her in.

This afternoon, Wendy had unexpectedly posted a photo of herself and Zac in bed in their private group chat, along with a message:

“Make sure to save this as a keepsake, Zac.”

Less than a minute later, she quickly deleted it, claiming she had sent it to the wrong chat.

Eugene had seen the message pop up just in time.

He had thought about saying something but in the end, he let it go. It wasn’t his business. The less involvement, the better.

He had wanted to tell Charlotte the truth, to warn her to let go.

But as the words reached his lips, he changed his mind.

“Zac doesn’t need things like this. You really don’t have to spend months of your salary on such an expensive gift for him,” he said instead.

After all, Zac was his friend of over ten years.

Some things, he just couldn’t bring himself to say.

He also wanted to tell Charlotte that even if she spent months’ worth of wages on a gift, Zac probably wouldn’t even appreciate it.

But that was too cruel. He couldn’t bring himself to say that either.

Of course, Charlotte already knew Zac wasn’t worthy. The watch wasn’t even for him.

She simply nodded, smiling politely. “Got it. I won’t do it next time.”

They chatted for a little while longer before parting ways.

Eugene watched Charlotte’s retreating figure and sighed.

“She’s way too good for this. How did she end up getting caught up with Zac?”

Unable to hold back, he sent Zac a message.

“Bro, your girlfriend is seriously a keeper. I just ran into her. She was buying you a watch. A watch worth tens of thousands, just like that. That’s months of her salary, man. You should really appreciate her.”

*

Zac was having dinner with Wendy when he received the message.

The frustration that had been brewing inside him all day instantly disappeared.

His expression softened.

So Charlotte had realized she was wrong and was trying to apologize with a gift.

If that was the case, he would give her a way out.

He would accept the watch, say a few gentle words to smooth things over, maybe even apologize for his tone earlier.

Then he would throw in a few sweet lines to pacify her.

Charlotte had always been easy to please.

“Zac, what’s wrong? Who messaged you?” Wendy asked from across the table.

Zac put away his phone, his expression unreadable.

“No one important.”

Wendy didn’t press further.

*

A few minutes later, Zac excused himself to use the restroom.

The moment he was out of sight, Wendy picked up his phone from the table.

She had seen him enter his password before. It was his birthday so it was easy to remember.

Quickly, she typed it in and unlocked the screen.

The first thing she checked was his chat with Charlotte.

Their last conversation was from a week ago.

Charlotte had asked if he wanted to take a trip during the October holiday, mentioning that she finally had some time off and wanted to go somewhere.

She had even sent him a list of places she had been wanting to visit.

It took Zac five hours to reply. “What’s so great about traveling when the crowds are insane?”

After that, Charlotte hadn’t sent another message.

Wendy casually glanced through the destinations Charlotte had suggested, her lips curling into a faint smirk.

So much for three years together.

Zac couldn’t even be bothered to go on a simple trip with her.

Finding nothing else of interest in their chat, she backed out and continued scrolling until she came across Eugene’s message.

Reading it, she let out a cold laugh.

She thought Charlotte was finally ready to let go.

But no.

She was still trying to win Zac back, still hoping to make peace with him by buying a gift.

How pathetic.

Wendy locked the phone, placing it back exactly where it had been.

Then, she pulled out her own phone and dialed Monica Miller, Zac’s mother.

“Hello, Mrs. Gibson? I just ran into Zac’s girlfriend at the jewelry store,” she said sweetly. “She was trying on rings, pushing for marriage…”

*

Meanwhile, Charlotte carried the gift back to the villa and continued packing her suitcase.

She placed the gift for Sean carefully inside, but as she folded her clothes, her mind drifted to his face—that cool, strikingly handsome face.

She had known Sean for a long time.

Their family estates were in the same villa community, only two or three hundred meters apart. As children, they often ran into each other.

Sean was four years older than her. The first time she met him was at the Jasper family’s estate.

Her parents had taken her to visit, and at the time, she was only ten. She was just a small child who hadn’t quite grown into her looks. Meanwhile, Sean was already tall and refined, looking like the lead in a high school romance drama.

Charlotte could only remember her first thought upon seeing him.

He was breathtaking.

His features were sharp and striking, but his eyes were as cold as winter snow.

Her mother nudged her to greet him, and she obediently said, “Hi Sean.”

Sean, as distant as ever, gave a curt and indifferent response.

“Hello.”

Back then, Charlotte had thought, he must be a difficult person to get along with.

That misunderstanding lasted for years.

It wasn’t until high school that things changed.

Charlotte struggled with math, and somehow, Sean’s mother had found out. With a bright smile, she had casually suggested to Desmond, “Let Sean tutor Lottie! Math was always his best subject. He scored high on math tests.

By then, Charlotte’s mother had already passed away, and she was no longer the carefree little girl she used to be.

In just five years, she had grown into a quiet, rebellious teenager who didn’t care much for authority.

When Sean arrived at her house for the first time, the first words out of her mouth were, “I don’t need your help.”

Sean was twenty-one then, standing at over six feet tall. He was wearing a plain white T-shirt and dark gray jeans, his casually tousled hair adding a boyish charm to his otherwise serious demeanor.

He simply smirked and leaned against the doorframe.

“Well, too bad. I’m going to teach you anyway.”

Charlotte had assumed he would be strict and demanding.

She was wrong.

After glancing through her math test, Sean merely furrowed his brows before patiently walking her through every mistake.

One question after another, he explained everything without the slightest hint of frustration.

His voice was deep and smooth, carrying a hint of roughness, almost like a gentle rasp.

As Charlotte listened, math didn’t seem quite so unbearable anymore.

For problems with multiple solutions, Sean would take the time to explain each one.

At some point, the irritation in her eyes faded, replaced by a newfound sense of admiration.

“Wow, you’re amazing, dude. How do you still remember all of this after graduating high school?”

Sean closed his notebook and replied casually, “I don’t remember everything. I reviewed a bit before coming over.”

Then, he paused and tapped her forehead lightly with his pen.

“Watch your manners. From now on, call me Sean.”

That summer, during her second year of high school, Sean spent two months tutoring her.

At the time, he was in his third year at Jersey University, yet he had spent nearly his entire break teaching her math instead of going out.

When school started again, Sean still had vacation left. Every day, after class, Charlotte would come home to find him sitting in her family’s living room, waiting to tutor her.

Thanks to Sean, her math grades skyrocketed.

With her other subjects already strong, her math improvement pushed her overall performance up, and she successfully got into Jersey University.

She became Sean’s junior.

Back then, Charlotte had thought of him as nothing more than a wonderful, reliable older brother.

She respected him. She liked him. But there wasn’t a trace of romantic feelings.

So when her father brought up the idea of her marrying Sean, she couldn’t accept it.

He had always been her older brother figure.

How could a sister marry her brother?

As Charlotte lost herself in these memories, the bedroom door suddenly swung open.

Zac stood at the doorway, leaning against the frame as he looked at her.

“Are you done packing?”

Charlotte glanced at her suitcase and nodded. “Almost.”

Zac didn’t leave. Instead, he remained where he was, watching her.

After a pause, he said, “Charlotte, is there something you want to say to me?”