All Chapters of Too Late to Regret, The Substitute Wife Left: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Andrew’s POV While Julia’s parents had gushed over how rich Charles was, Charlotte had sent me a text. She claimed she had to see me, right away, and that it was important. Not willing to listen to anymore crap about that asshole Charles and his wads of money, I decided to get the car and give Charlotte a ride. Charlotte climbed in and leaned over to kiss me on the cheek. I brushed her off. “What’s so important?” I asked her. She bit her bottom lip and batted her eyes at me. “I just wanted to see you is all,” she confessed, trying to look demure. “For crying out loud,” I snapped at her. The car’s ambient scent, mixed with the overpowering jasmine perfume she wore, made me inexplicably irritated. “I have enough on my plate without your pathetic advances. Pull over,” I told my driver. He did as I instructed. “Get out,” I told Charlotte. She looked at me, surprised. “But how will I get hom

Julia’s POVI arrived at the hospital and frantically went to the front desk to ask the receptionist where Charlotte was.“Julia,” I heard Cecile call to me from down the hall. Rushing towards her, I saw that my father, Stewart and Andrew were also there. My heart dropped at the sight of Andrew. He was the last person I wanted to see right now.They were all hovering outside a door.“What happened?” I asked. Andrew was standing with his back against the wall, raking his hands through his hair.“She tried to kill herself,” Cecile said, her face pale and her eyes wild.Suicide? It took a moment for me to process what was happening. “What?” I admonished. “Why?”“She was raped at the bar,” Cecile told me. “In the bathroom. It’s just so awful. She called Andrew and he came to the bar. But he wouldn’t take her home.” Cecile paused for a beat to flash Andrew a discerning look. “I guess…I don’t know. She wasn’t thinking clearly. She went home and swallowed a bottle of pills, then she called t

Charlotte’s POVI wanted to wipe that smug smile right off her face. How dare she? The tone of her voice implied that the video surveillance had something to hide!Which, of course, it did.But still?!I’d just had my stomach pumped. I was in the hospital! And she just waltzed right in here and accused me of lying.“Do you want any more soup?” Andrew asked, causing my attention to turn to him.Feigning a pitiful look, I shook my head. “My stomach still isn’t well,” I whispered. “I feel so…tired.”He was acting stand-offish and a bit distant, not the reaction I’d hoped for when I swallowed the bottle of pills. Of course, I’d immediately called the ambulance, and the pills I actually took weren’t the pills that the bottle said they were. It was all a ruse. I didn’t actually want to kill myself, but I’d been so hurt when Andrew put me in a cab at the bar.I’d assumed he’d feel sorry for me, and guilty for not coming when I’d first asked him. Naturally, I was stunned when he didn’t take me

Julia’s POVCautiously, I sat down at the table, my eyes scanning the room full of kittens and cats. Charles, however, looked completely at ease.Charles and I were in a busy coffee shop, a trendy new cat café where customers could play with cats while they sipped overpriced lattes.The café had been Charles’ choice, a bit surprising considering his usually professional demeanor. Apparently though, he had a soft spot for cats.“I’m sorry I couldn’t help you more,” he said, stroking the lovely Siamese cat on his lap. He was referring to the video footage from the bar. Charles had done his best to track down the surveillance footage, but apparently, it had been erased.My heart had dropped when I heard that. So Charlotte had been lying about the whole night – that much was obvious. But without the footage, we had no proof.“Please, don’t apologize,” I told him, while a couple of cats swirled their way through my legs, rubbing themselves on my calves and making me smile. “You tried to hel

Julia’s POVAnxiously, my eyes roamed the throngs of people gathered at the front gate to the massive circus tent. The scent of freshly popped popcorn and sickly sweet cotton candy wafted through the air. People chatted excitedly, all eager to get inside and take their seats.“Mom!” I heard Oliver’s voice over the crowd. Turning, I saw him waving at me, a smile on his face. Then he rushed towards me and reached out his arms.Scooping him into my arms, the scent of his shampoo filled my nose. I held him close, savoring the feel of his body against mine. Then I held him at arm’s length. His plaid shirt was tucked haphazardly into his jeans, but it was his ‘special’ shirt, the one he reserved for birthdays and nice dinners out. I was touched that he’d worn his special shirt to come and see me.“You’ve grown,” I told him affectionately.“Nah,” he said shyly. “Well, maybe a bit.”Andrew sidled up to us, his expression discernable.“Julia,” he said.“Andrew,” I nodded cordially. Then a sil