Chapter 67: Chapter 67

A MONTH had already passed since we got married. After a week in LA, we already went back here to New York. Of course, we brought Pluto here with us.

"What do you want for dinner?" I asked Gideon when he called me on the phone that afternoon. "I'm going to cook."

I only work three days a week now.

"Hmm…" I heard from him on the other line. "Fillet mignon?"

I pursed my lips. "Wow, you wanted to test my cooking skills, huh?"

He chuckled. "Just cook whatever you want, sweetheart. I'll eat anything you prepared. What do you want me to bring home?"

I pursed my lips. "Yourself, of course."

I heard his chuckle. "Aside from myself, baby?"

"Just go home, safely."

I just finished cooking pan-seared fillet mignon when the doorbell rang.

"That must be your daddy!" I said to Pluto who was sitting beside me. "Stay here. I'll get him."

I left Pluto in the kitchen and went to the door. But my eyes widened when I found out it wasn't Gideon who was waiting for me outside.

It was Charlie.

"Charlie…" I greeted him when I recovered from the shock. "You're here in New York." I blinked as I looked at him.

It's been seven months since I last saw him. His looks stayed the same. But his aura changed. He grew some facial hair. That made him look older than the last time I saw him.

My brows furrowed a bit when Charlie didn't answer me, instead, he remained in the doorway, his jaw clenched… his eyes looking at me with intense fury.

"C-charlie…? Is there something—"

I wasn't able to finish my sentence when Charlie suddenly grabbed my wrist and dragged me inside.

"Charlie, what the hell are you doing?"

Charlie stopped when reached the receiving area. Without letting go of my wrist, he faced me.

My lips parted in shock when I saw his expression. His face was grim.

"C-charlie."

This was the first time I'd seen him with that kind of expression. He looked murderous.

My heart hammered inside my chest. My lips quivered when an idea hit me in the head. Did he somehow…. I swallowed the lump in my throat.

"C-charlie…"

His jaw clenched as his sharp eyes continued to pierce me. "For once… just be fucking honest with me, Bianca," his voice low and dangerous.

I could feel my heart wanting to leap out of my chest. My lips started to quiver.

"Who's the father of your dead child?"

"C-charlie…"

I shut my eyes as tears automatically fell from them.

Her eyes hardened on me. "Don't just cry, Bianca! Answer me!" His grip on my wrist tightened. "Who's the father of your child?!"

My mouth opened and closed… Then finally, I found my voice.

"I'm sorry, Charlie…" I bit my lower lip and lowered my head. "It was… you."

Charlie let go of me. The next thing I heard was a punch on the wall. I froze when his fist landed on the wall behind me.

My mouth went dry when I saw blood on his hand. His knuckles were bleeding.

"C-charlie…" I whispered, biting my lip to stop myself from sobbing. "P-please calm down. We can… we can talk about this."

Charlie looked at me. His eyes were bloodshot in anger. I could feel his anger with the way his eyes pierce me.

"Just why, Bianca…? Why did you have to lie to me?"

I swallowed.

"I… I was already married to Gideon when I found out I was pregnant with your child. Gideon asked me not to tell anyone about this… Only Gideon and I knew, Charlie."

"I asked you, Bianca. When I saw you at Mom's party, I asked you but you lied to me…"

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "I just… I just didn't want to complicate things, Charlie."

If looks could kill, I'd probably be dead by now with the way Charlie was looking at me. "When I brought you to the mausoleum, I asked you, Bianca… When you told me that Gideon only forced you into marrying him, I asked you if I was the father of your child… but you still fucking lied to me!"

"I'm s-sorry, Charlie," I said, my voice breaking. "I just didn't want to hurt you more…"

He let out a sarcastic smile. "Really? By lying to me, Bianca?"

"Imagine that? I buried that child not knowing she was mine?! How could you be so heartless?" Tears filled his eyes. "You had so many chances to tell me, Bianca. You chose not to."

"Charlie… I'm sorry." I let out a sob. "I'm sorry…" My back leaned against the wall as my hand covered my face. I felt weak. I didn't have the energy to remain standing. "I'm sorry, Charlie… I know what I did was unforgivable. I'm sorry for keeping the truth from you…"

"Your sorry won't do anything, Bianca…" he said in a hard tone, his voice full of anguish.

I swallowed. "How did… you know?" I managed to ask. "Did… someone…"

He looked at me. "I found out that Gideon was infertile, Bianca…"

My mouth dropped open. What? Gideon was infertile?

"I saw his old medical records, Bianca. He's infertile. He couldn't bear a child."

"H-how—"

My voice was cut off when the door opened and revealed Gideon. His eyes widened when he saw me. "Bianca? What happened?" He was immediately in front of me.

Before I could answer, his eyes flew to Charlie. "What did you do to Bianca?" His voice thundered. His jaw clenched hard.

He was about to attack Charlie when I grabbed his arm and stopped him. "Gideon… Charlie knows…"

I felt Gideon stiffen. But he remained standing in front of me, trying to cover me from Charlie's sight.

"Really, Bianca?" Charlie asked sarcastically. "You've managed to tell this to your amnesiac husband but not to me?"

"C-charlie…"

"Since when did you know, Gideon?" Charlie's sharp eyes focused on Gideon. His jaw clenched hard. His bruised hand slammed into a fist.

I heard Gideon sigh. "Seven months ago… when I found out the truth about your past relationship."

Charlie laughed without humor. "You two made a fucking fool out of me. Especially you, Bianca! How could you do this to me?"

I took a step towards him. Gideon tried to stop but I just shook my head at him.

"I'm sorry…" I said, kneeling in front of him.

"Bianca has her reasons, Charlie," I heard Gideon say. He tried to pull me up but I remained in my position.

"Bianca only wanted to protect you from pain, Charlie. She didn't want to hurt you… She still cares about you."

"Wanted to protect me? From what? You two have already hurt me enough!"

"If you're mad, pour all your anger on me, Charlie. Not to Bianca. It was all my fault. Everything started on me."

Charlie ignored Gideon. His eyes went to me.

"I loved you, Bianca…" Charlie said, looking at me with regret in his eyes. "I fucking love you, you know. But all you did was hurt me."

His jaw clenched hard. "You've hurt me by marrying Gideon. You've hurt me when you choose to stay with him when you clearly had the option to leave. You'd hurt me when you fell in love with him. I thought you'd already hurt me enough. But now this…" He gritted his teeth as if stopping himself from doing something violent. His knuckles red from bleeding.

"You're a lying bitch, Bianca."

"Stop it, Charlie!"

My eyes widened when Gideon grabbed Charlie by the collar.

"You have no right to insult my wife."

Charlie pushed Gideon away, getting off his touch.

"Maybe you two really deserve each other," he spat.

"Just leave, Charlie."

Before Charlie left, he turned his head to us.

"You two will never be happy as long as you're together. Remember that. You'll regret choosing Gideon, Bianca."

"Are you okay?" Gideon asked me, he cupped my face and tried to wipe my tears away. Then he pulled me into his arms.

I buried myself in his chest and let my tears fall.

"Hush, sweetheart." Gideon rubbed my back while placing soft kisses on my head.

"I've hurt him, Gideon…" I cried. "Did you see the look in his eyes… He's not the Charlie I knew, Gideon. I made him like that…"

"You only did what you think is good at that moment, Bianca. Stop blaming yourself, please." He cupped my eyes and looked me in the eye. His fingers touched my cheeks, drying the tears from them.

"He said we'll never be happy together."

"And he's wrong, sweetheart." He reached for me and placed a soft kiss on my forehead.