Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 60573 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 303(@200wpm)___ 242(@250wpm)___ 202(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60573 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 303(@200wpm)___ 242(@250wpm)___ 202(@300wpm)
Smiling, Charlotte dipped her bread into the sauce and listened to the couple debate with each other about how they were going to keep on eating for the remainder of their lives. It was funny to watch. Whizz and Lacey were very much in love, and Charlotte saw the bond between them. Sally was giggling as well, and the atmosphere around the table was one of friendship and love.
“This is really good,” Sally said.
“I’m pleased. It would taste great with pasta as well.”
Lacey sighed. “It’s good with bread.”
“Did you burn the pasta on purpose?” Charlotte asked, trying to repress laughter.
“Totally. I love my bread, my carbs.”
“She’s totally lying,” Whizz said. “She can only handle some coffee in the morning, and pouring cereal into a bowl.”
“You do realize that you will pay for this,” Lacey said, looking at Whizz. “I can find other ways of making sure you’re not a happy man.” Lacey raised a brow.
“Ew, gross, you took it to the gutter,” Sally said. “I have young, delicate ears.” She covered her ears and had a disgusted look on her face.
“Do you see what I have to put up with?” Gash asked.
Smiling, Charlotte enjoyed the feeling of having a family. It had been so long since she’d felt this happy, and being around Gash and his club helped. In that moment, she no longer felt sad or in need of taking out revenge on the bastard who had ruined her life. At least Gash knew the truth.
The reality of their situation crashed through, and Charlotte lost her appetite. Leaving the bread in the bowl, she listened to the conversation around the table without saying anything. At the end when she made to take the dishes, Whizz stopped her. “You cooked, we’ll clean up.”
“You go and freshen up,” Lacey said. “I left some clothes out for you. They should fit, or they might be a little bigger.”
Nodding, Charlotte made her way toward the bedroom. Lacey had already told her where she’d be sleeping that night. Opening the door, she made her way toward the bed, and sat down. Sinking her fingers into her hair, she closed her eyes, taking deep breaths.
You can do this.
You can do this.
Squeezing her eyes closed, she concentrated on her breathing, and was instantly taken back to a memory.
“You said it would get easier.” Charlotte sobbed the words out as best she could. It had been two weeks since she had last tried to take her own life, and the pain hadn’t gone away. Doctor Williams had promised her that she would start to feel better.
“Charlotte, I promised it would get easier, but I said it wouldn’t happen right away. It’s going to take time.”
She gripped her head, screaming as loud as she could. “I’ve got to go. I’ve got to help him. He doesn’t know, and he’s in prison.”
Doctor Williams touched her knees, and she couldn’t help it. She lashed out, hitting him hard. Charlotte attacked him, needing to get out. She only landed a few blows before he took over, pinning her to the chair. The door to his office opened, and she saw the nurses waiting to inject her with something to make her relax. She didn’t want to relax. Charlotte wanted them to miss, to kill her, or let her take the needle and finally end her life.
“Stay back,” Williams said, shouting at his employees.
“Sir—”
“This is what she wants, isn’t it, Charlotte? You want us to react so we give you an opening that means you can take your own life?”
He held her tightly so that she couldn’t move. Williams was damn strong for a doctor, and she had underestimated him. Tears spilled from her eyes.
“Let me go!”
“No. I’m not going to let you destroy yourself.”
Gritting her teeth, she watched as the nurses left his office, and all fight left her. She was exhausted, tired, and fed up. “I’m tired of fighting. I’m tired of feeling,” she said.
“How we react to circumstances within our life is what defines us, Charlotte.”
“That’s a nice way of saying that I’m fucking up.”
Williams sighed. “You’re in pain. You’ve been handed a life that you don’t deserve. I’m going to make sure I can help repair the damage that has been caused to you.”
“You can’t fix me. I’m not some kind of puzzle.”
“I know, but I can create a foundation within you that makes you strong enough to fight. I can’t let you out of here, Charlotte.”
“What do I have to do?” she asked.
“You’ve got to learn to fight the pain, to keep on trying.”
Gash entered the room, pulling her out of her thoughts.
****
“What’s wrong?” Gash asked.
Charlotte had disappeared from the table, and he’d seen the change within her. As he stared at her now, the smiling woman was gone, replaced by this sorrowful shell. She looked like Charlotte, acted like her, but it wasn’t her. Seeing her like this, all he wanted to do was find Jeff and Rebecca. Before heading upstairs, Whizz had promised to have the information he needed by the end of the night.