Fated to the Tangled Love

Scarlett's POV:

I came out of the bathroom wearing a thin, backless lace nightdress. I was showing a lot of skin, and the nightdress was so short that it only partly covered my buttocks.

Standing by the French window, Charles Moore turned around. He was wearing a black striped bathrobe with the belt tied snugly around his waist. The top part of the robe was slightly open, revealing his strong, lean chest.

His gaze fell on me, and his eyes instantly lit up.

I knew I had successfully aroused his interest.

I had been married to Charles for three years, but we had never consummated.

I knew that he was in love with somebody else, so I flew to France shortly after our wedding.

A few days ago, Charles's grandmother called me and told me that it was time for the Moore family to welcome a new member.

I knew what she meant. To be honest, I didn't hate the idea of having a child with Charles. In fact, I was happy to hear it.

Because it was the reason I was waiting for to finally come back to Charles.

I had been missing him for the last three years.

Putting my hands behind my back, I slowly walked up to Charles. I let him look at me carefully from a distance.

The surprise in his eyes was undeniable.

"Come here," Charles said in a hoarse voice.

I bit my lower lip, approached him, and then wrapped my arms around his neck.

Charles snaked his arms around my waist and whispered in my ear, "Are you seducing me?"

His warm breath lingered in my ear, making my skin bristle with goose bumps and my scalp tingle.

"Is it working?"

Charles squinted at me and suddenly smiled. "Is this what you have learned in France in the past few years?"

"Do you like it?" I looked at him with expectation, and my heart started racing.

"Scarlett, you are beautiful," he said in a very light voice.

His praise came as a surprise to me. Did that mean he'd also been thinking of me while I was gone?

"Charles, let's..."

"But I want a divorce."

We spoke at the same time.

My mind went blank, and I swallowed my words in an instant.

The words at the tip of my tongue were, 'Charles, let's have a baby...'

Charles wanting a divorce was the last thing on my mind.

Charles let go of me and took two steps back, deliberately keeping a distance from me. "Rita's health is worse than before. She can't hold on much longer. I want to marry her."

It turned out that the rumors about him and Rita to be engaged were true.

It was just my wishful thinking that the media was making up stories.

"After our divorce goes through, I will give you another one hundred million dollars as compensation pursuant to our contract." His tone was light but firm. It seemed like his mind had already been made up, and there was no room for maneuver.

Hot, bitter tears started flowing out of my eyes. I quickly lowered my head. I didn't want Charles to see me this vulnerable.

"What's wrong?"

I wiped my face in a hurry and replied, "Nothing, nothing. I'm just so happy for me."

Charles asked suspiciously, "What do you mean?"

"I finally have a good reason to leave you. How can I not be happy?" I said jokingly. Worried that he wouldn't believe me, I plastered a big smile on my tearstained face.

Charles's face darkened, and he chuckled mirthlessly, "Wow. I wasn't expecting you to be cool with it."

I grinned wider. "I think it's a good decision."

A gust of cold wind blew in through the window, slightly lifting up the hem of my dress.

Only then did I realize that I was still wearing a ridiculously revealing piece of sleepwear.

The irony tasted like ashes in my mouth.

I grabbed a bathrobe, put it on, and tightly tied the belt around my waist. I closed the top part and folded my arms over my chest, hoping that it would warm my heart from the sheer iciness of Charles's words.

"If we get divorced, then you can marry Rita, and I can pursue my beloved. Two birds, one stone."

Charles frowned and asked, "When did you fall in love with someone else?"

I bit down the fresh surge of pain, took a breath, and willed my tone to relax. "Many years ago."

My mind screamed at me to tell Charles that he was the only one I'd ever loved.

"Tell me his name."

I found it a little odd that he wanted to know more about my mystery beau right after he told me that he wanted to divorce me. For a moment, I panicked because I didn't know what to tell him, and I couldn't make up a fake name on my feet.

Then, his phone rang, saving me from a totally unprovoked inquisition.

"Rita, what's wrong?" Charles answered the phone and walked into the closet.

When he came out again, he was already wearing a pair of pants and a shirt. He grabbed his jacket and put it on in front of the mirror.

"I have to go. Rita needs me. We can talk when I come back."

After saying that, he left without looking back.

It seemed that when it came to Rita, he was on call no matter what time of day it was.

After a while, my phone rang. I looked at my screen and saw an unregistered number.

"Hello, is Charles with you now?" There was a sweet voice on the other end of the line, but it made me feel uncomfortable. I could even imagine the complacent smile on the caller's face.

Although we hadn't contacted each other for many years, I still could tell that it was Rita's voice.

I pursed my lips and didn't say anything.

"Where's Charles? He promised to come and accompany me tonight," Rita pressed despite the absence of my response. Her voice was soft, but it sounded harsh to my ears. It pierced through my heart like a hundred needles.

"Didn't you just call him?" I snapped, letting my voice drip with annoyance.

"Oops, I forgot."

Rita burst into laughter, which sounded like nails on a chalkboard to me. "I'm so sorry that I've asked your husband to come over and see me at this time of night."

"Yeah, fine. Anything else?"

"Well, I just want to chitchat with you and ask if Charles has mentioned the divorce yet."

Suddenly, I heard Charles's voice in the background. "Rita, I'm here. Are you okay?"

I'd never heard Charles talk to me in such a gentle voice. Hearing him talk like that to Rita made my eyes sting with tears.

Without saying anything more to me, Rita hung up.

I tossed and turned in bed all night.

Rita obviously made that phone call to me just to provoke me, but more than her smug, rotten attitude, it was Charles's indifference toward me that made me lose sleep.

He didn't even call me the entire night.

But I could understand. Charles was with Rita now. I shouldn't expect him to pay attention to me.

I spent the whole night sitting on the bitter ache in my heart. Soon, daytime chased away the darkness.

There was a knock on my door.

I opened it and found Charles standing outside. He didn't come home last night.

"Let's meet Rita today," he said firmly.

There were dark circles under his eyes. Was he up all night making love to his precious Rita?

"What do you want me to do?" I asked flatly.

"Don't make her feel guilty. Tell her that you're in love with someone else and that she can rest assured," he answered, walking closer to me and eyeing me carefully.

"Okay."

Charles looked surprised. It seemed that he didn't expect that I would agree so readily.

"Very well. Freshen up and get dressed. I'll wait for you downstairs." Then, Charles left.

A few moments later, my phone rang. It was my best friend, Tiana.

"Hi, Tiana."

"Bitch, welcome back!"

"Thank you."

"So, are you staying this time or are you going to leave again the first chance you get?"

"I'm staying for the time being."

"Perfect. Come work for our TV station. You're a media professional, your voice is pleasant to hear, and you're easy on the eyes. It's a very suitable job for you."

"Okay, I'll consider it."

"Have you spoken to Charles?" Tiana asked tentatively, her voice suddenly taking on a low register.

"Yes, I have."

"Has he told you about the bimbo he replaced you with?"

"Yes, he has."

"Yuck! That jerk really has no shame! He told you about her just like that? Like it was nothing?"

"Yes. He's also asked me to meet her today."

"What? You're going to see that man-stealing whore? I bet she's been urging Charles to divorce you and marry her. Honestly, I don't understand why that woman is still trying so hard. The Moore family rejected her for Charles three years ago. What makes her think that they're going to change their minds now?" Tiana roared from the other end of the line.

"All said and done, Tiana," I said, forcing a smile.

"What are you talking about? You still love him, don't you?"

I didn't answer. Of course I still loved Charles. I had loved him for many years.

"Scarlett?" Tiana's worried tone snapped me back to my senses.

"I have to go. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

Scarlett's POV: On the way to the restaurant, I kept silent, and Charles didn't say anything either. We had been married for three years, but we acted around each other like strangers.

And now, I had to accompany my husband to see his fiancee.

The driver pulled over at the Rainbow Dream, a three-Michelin-star restaurant. It was the most luxurious restaurant in the city.

"Mr. Moore, Miss Lively is waiting for you on the second floor," the usher greeted Charles. It seemed that Charles was a regular customer here.

I followed Charles into the elevator.

"Try to look happy when you see Rita, okay? Don't pull a long face," Charles said coldly.

"All right," I replied, manufacturing a smile and putting it on my face.

Soon, we stepped into a private room.

"Scarlett, long time no see."

I fixed my gaze on Rita and desperately tried to keep my face neutral. She still looked so young and beautiful. Her face and skin were as smooth as porcelain. She must have spent a lot of money on taking good care of her appearance and her body.

Charles once said that she was dying, but I didn't feel convinced because she looked better than I did.

"Yeah. Long time no see," I said, flashing her a half-hearted grin.

"Have you gotten over the jet lag? How did you sleep last night?" The smile on her face looked sincere, as if she wasn't the one who called to provoke me last night.

"I slept all right, thank you for asking," I replied.

Today's main dish was steak. Charles was cutting Rita's steak for her.

I didn't think I'd seen Charles being so considerate to someone.

"Charles told me last night that you're seeing someone."

"Yes. He's a painter," I immediately made up a story.

The moment I answered, I noticed that Charles's hands trembled slightly.

"Do you have any photos of him?"

Rita's curiosity caught me off guard. I took a look at Charles, but he didn't look at me.

"Well, I don't. We're not yet officially together. It doesn't feel right to have photos of him in my phone if he isn't my boyfriend yet," I explained, lowering my head and refocusing on cutting my steak.

"Then are there any photos on his Facebook account?" Rita pressed.

"I think so. Let me look for it for you." As I spoke, I took out my phone and thought about which of my classmates I should choose to act as my fake pursuer.

Pierre was the first person that popped in my head. He was one of my good friends.

I pulled up his Facebook page and found a photo of him in front of the Eiffel Tower. Pierre had long hair and a young and handsome face. He looked like an artist, and he was completely different from Charles.

I handed my phone to Rita.

"He looks like a romantic boy from Paris. I'm really happy for you. Charles, it turns out that Scarlett's type is totally different from you." After saying that, Rita showed Pierre's photo to Charles.

Charles just glanced at the screen and groaned, "They're a perfect match."

"Is he coming to America?" Rita asked and handed my phone back to me.

"He's still in Europe. He's holding an art exhibition in Lyons. He's actually considering developing an art career here in the United States, so it's entirely possible for him to move here," I said, making up more lies.

"Do you love him?" Rita prodded.

I was stunned for a moment.

After collecting myself, I answered, "Of course I do." I tried my best to keep clam as I didn't want to give myself away.

"That's great. It seems that we don't need to worry about Scarlett after all, Charles. Let's wish Scarlett and her special someone happiness," Rita chirped and raised her glass.

Charles also raised his glass, his face still bereft of emotion.

"Scarlett, I wish you and your man a wonderful life," Rita beamed at me, her face brimming with sincerity. Even though I didn't find any holes in her genuine facade, I knew that underneath her angelic face lurked an ugly monster.

"Thank you. I wish you and Charles a wonderful life, too."

We all downed the contents of our glasses.

When I put down my glass, my hand trembled. A wave of nausea rolled in my stomach. I bit down the sickness that I felt and wished that the meal would be over. I didn't want to spend another minute in the same room as the pretentious Rita Lively.

"Excuse me. I need to go to the bathroom," I muttered, rose from my seat, and left. I didn't really need to use the bathroom. I just wanted to go outside for some fresh air.

When I came back, Charles was already helping Rita put on her velvet coat.

"Rita doesn't feel well. I'll give her a ride home. I'll come back for you..."

"No, no need. It's okay. I can go home by myself."

I watched Charles and Rita walk out of the restaurant with his arm around her shoulder. All of a sudden, the tense muscles all over my body relaxed.

Charles's POV:

After sending Rita home, I went back to the office to deal with some business matters.

In the evening, I received a message from Spencer.

It read, "Charles, would you like to join us? Everyone is here."

I replied, "Okay. I'll be there soon."

I typed as I walked out of the office.

Spencer owned the Mint Bar. It was one of the most popular bars in the city, and tonight, it was particularly crowded. As soon as I walked in, I saw Spencer and David. We all had been friends since we were little boys.

"Have you seen Scarlett?" Spencer asked as soon as I was in front of him.

"Yes," I answered and then asked the bartender to serve me a glass of whiskey.

"Are you really divorcing her?" Spencer pressed, coming closer to me.

"Yes," I answered impatiently and lit a cigarette.

"How could you, man? Scarlett's, like, our girl. We grew up with her. You and Rita are being cruel to her."

I blew a puff of smoke in the air as the bartender set my drink in front of me. I decided not to answer Spencer and just drank my whiskey. But what he said was true.

Truth be told, I was nervous when I spoke to Scarlett last night about the divorce. Meanwhile, she just sat there the entire time, looking all calm and collected. I could not decide whether it bothered or impressed me. We had not seen each other for three years. She was no longer the sweet little girl who wore her heart on her sleeve. She had grown a lot.

Seeing her again in that cool disposition upset me a little.

"Did she agree?" David asked curiously.

"Yes, she did."

At this time, I was regretting my decision to come out and meet my friends. I just wanted to have a drink with them, and here they were grilling me with all these questions.

"So you're really marrying Rita?"

"Yes."

"Are you serious? Are you really going to sacrifice your happiness just because she saved you?" David got quite emotional at my answer. He accidentally spilled his wine on my clothes.

"Fuck!" I cursed angrily.

"Oh, my. I'm so sorry, man," David immediately apologized.

Since I did not want to sit there looking like a total mess, I excused myself and went home to change my clothes. I left the bar and called for a transport service. I had planned on going home, but as soon as I got in the car, I found myself stopping to think.

Then, I asked the driver to take me to Garden Street instead.

When I arrived, the house was brightly lit, and I could hear bursts of laughter coming through the open windows. A familiar Mercedes was parked in the garage.

It seemed that my mother and grandmother had come to visit.

I walked quickly to the door, but before I could input the password, someone had already opened the door from the inside.

"Where were you? Why weren't you answering my calls?" My mom trotted over and scolded me.

"I was in a meeting, Mom."

"And why do you reek of alcohol? Did you drink? Oh my God, you're a mess. Go get changed." She wrinkled her nose and ushered me in.

I entered the house and saw Grandma and Scarlett sitting in the living room, talking and laughing. There were fruits and even an apple pie on the coffee table.

"Hi, Grandma." I went over to say hello and picked up a slice of apple pie, but my grandma slapped my hand away.

"Hands off. That's not for you. That's for Scarlett."

"Charles, what happened to you? Come, let's get you some fresh clothes." Scarlett stood up and walked toward me.

"You've been married for a long time. Why do you still call Charles by his first name?" Grandma asked Scarlett and then looked at me suspiciously.

"Is there anything wrong with the way I address him?" Scarlett stopped and asked.

"Don't young married couples such as yourselves call their spouses honey or babe or something?"

Scarlett froze and seemed to think for a while. Then, she cleared her throat. "Come, honey. Let me help you change."

She helped me take off my suit jacket and flashed me a sincere smile.

"That's more like it," Grandma beamed, her tone filled with satisfaction.

She loved Scarlett very much. While Scarlett was abroad during the past few years, Grandma often asked me about her. I just replied perfunctorily every time.

Before long, Grandma started a new topic.

"Charles, I've made an appointment with the doctor for you this week. Don't drink until then. I want you to go get yourself checked out."

I was stunned.

"But I've just had a physical examination, Grandma. I'm very healthy."

"I don't want you to have another physical examination. It's a more specialized check-up. It's been several years. Where are my great grandchildren? And I definitely think it's not Scarlett's fault. It's yours."

Scarlett pursed her lips and looked at me. A muscle flickered in her jaw. She looked as if she was trying not to burst into laughter.

Before I could defend myself, my phone rang, and I heaved a sigh of relief. Scarlett, who was holding my jacket, took my phone out of the breast pocket and saw the name of the caller on the screen. I could tell that it was Rita by the way her face suddenly changed.

"Is it that woman? Oh, for crying out loud!" my mother exclaimed.

I took my phone from Scarlett and rejected the call.

"Is it Rita? You're a married man now, Charles. Why are you still involved with that woman? You should be loyal to Scarlett. And what were those photos of Rita trying on wedding dresses I saw on the news? What's going on?" Grandma nagged.

"It's not what you think, Grandma."

"Then why did you decline her call? Is there anything that you two have to talk about that you don't want us to hear?"

I did not know how to answer. I could lie to others but not to my grandma. She always saw through me.

Grandma was so angry that she trembled. Scarlett quickly poured her a glass of water.

"Charles will be more than happy to answer your question, Grandma, but let me take him to change his clothes first," Scarlett said, pushing me upstairs and into the bedroom.

"I have a couple of white shirts in the third cabinet."

As Scarlett went to get me a clean shirt, I took off the one that David stained with his wine. It was already ruined. Damn it. I really would not spare David next time.

Then, I felt a palpable silence behind me. I turned around.

Scarlett was standing there and staring at me with one of my shirts in her hand. She dipped her chin, trying to hide the furious blushing in her cheeks.

"How long have you been standing there?"

She did not reply. She just quickly closed her eyes. I walked up to her.

This time, I was able to see more of the new her. She was no longer the little girl she used to be. Her past three years in France had changed her from a mere bud to a delicate rose.

Her long eyelashes were trembling. Her lips were pressed together in a thin line as if she was suppressing something. Her face grew redder and redder with each passing minute.

I took the shirt from her hand and quickly put it on.

After I changed into a fresh shirt, we went back to the living room together.

"I don't have many years left, Charles. Why couldn't you just live a peaceful life with Scarlett? Why are you always trying to piss me off, huh?" Grandma was still blaming me.

"Grandma, next time you want to come here, you can call me and I'll come pick you up, okay?" I still did not know how to answer her, so I just decided to change the subject.

"No, thanks. You're always so busy. I don't want to inconvenience you. I just want to see if you're treating your wife right."

"Grandma, I'm fine," Scarlett chimed in.

"Very well then. By the way, don't forget the 60th anniversary party of the Moore Group tomorrow. Charles, I expect you to buy Scarlett a beautiful evening dress for the party. I want everyone to see how lucky you are to land someone like her. Don't you make me unhappy again, you hear me, young man?"

"Of course, Grandma."

After chatting with my grandma and my mom for a long time, I was finally able to convince them to call it a night and saw them off.

Under the circumstances, there was no way I could mention the divorce to them without unleashing one hell of an uproar.