Chapter 46: Chapter 46

“No, no cake batter for you, Sawyer.

Even with one hand busy with the bowl full of flour and eggs he was mixing, Charlie was still able to get Sawyer off the counter, preventing him from sticking his nose into the cake batter inside the pan she had abandoned nearby.

“This is not good for you. “ she said, in a cute little voice, even if the expression on his face wasn't very friendly “You have your own special diet now, remember? “ when Sawyer let out a sullen meow, Charlie just chuckled, kissing the space between his ears, “You can bitch all you want, baby, but I'm not going to let you get sick again.

Leaving her grumpy kitten on the floor near where Matilda lay with her paws up, taking a nap, Charlie returned to her cake batter odyssey, wondering what she had done wrong this time. As Morgan needed to resolve an emergency at her office much earlier than usual, that Saturday morning, she found herself bored and with nothing to do, since all her college activities were already done and it was her day off. in the shelter. So, even though a part of her was trying to warn her that this might not be such a good idea, Charlie decided she would surprise Morgan and try baking a batch of cupcakes, following the Collens' secret recipe he had taught her, shortly after Sawyer was finally released from the veterinary hospital two weeks ago.

However, this was much more than an attempt to make him happy and thank him for sharing something so important with her, Charlie had to admit. It was the first step she would take in weeks to move her plan forward. After what had happened with Sawyer, she simply couldn't muster the strength within herself to try to seduce Morgan anymore, let alone break the iron resolve she was starting to realize he had. All she'd wanted, these last two weeks, was just to stay glued to him as long as possible, until they couldn't tell where she started and he ended.

So, thanks to his efforts and her reassurance, things were back to the way they were before. He smiled at her and was as attentive as ever, but kept a noticeable distance. She could touch him and talk to him all she wanted, but now he kept his bedroom, bathroom, and office doors locked. She had thought that leaving those panties on his pillow would be the final push he needed, but he was apparently determined to pretend it never happened.

That stubborn idiot...

Therefore, she was determined to make those cupcakes at least edible, to try to make him lower his guard a little again and be able to resume his plan where he had left off. However, when lifting the spatula from inside the bowl and realizing that that totally liquid mass was far from the impeccably creamy mixture that Morgan had taught her, Charlie realized that perhaps that plan was going to take longer than she expected. That was already her third attempt, and even so, she still hadn't even managed to get to the stage of putting the dough on the stove. The first attempt had turned into a kind of cement that made her decide to throw everything in the trash, including the bowl. The second looked like a polluted river, because of the strange color and the strange pieces that had formed in the middle of the mushy mass. She'd even been stubborn enough to stick it inside a greased pan, but she'd had the nerve to shove that mess into Morgan's stove and threaten to blow it all up, at best.

Who had thought that was a good idea, anyway?

She was just about finished flipping the third dough into the garbage bag, to prevent Sawyer from trying to steal some again and ruining her entire recovery period, when her cell phone rang. Leaving the bowl with the mountain of containers she'd soiled that day, Charlie walked over to the kitchen table, where she'd left the device charging. However, looking at the screen and realizing that it was an unknown number, Charlie hesitated for a moment, wondering who it could be. But remembering that she had given her number to a significant number of documents and people at the college, she finally decided to answer.

" Hello? she called, curious.

“Did you really block the number of the woman who has been like a mother to you for the last few years? “ a totally recognizable voice asked on the other end of the line, making Charlie's teeth clench “You little ungrateful...

" Samantha?! “ Charlie snarled, possessed “What do you think you're doing calling me? We have nothing more to say to each other!

“Oh, of course we do. “Her old stepmother retorted and Charlie could almost see her narrowing her eyes, just by her menacing tone of voice “You know, when Morgan told me he wanted to contest the will, I thought you'd be smart enough to talk him out of it, just as you were smart enough to talk him out of it. him to marry you. But apparently it wasn't.

“You should know he never bluffs. “ Charlie smirked “ Our marriage is an example of that.

“ You must be feeling so powerful now that you're a Sullivan, don't you, brat...? “ Samantha snarled on the other end of the line, muttering dangerously “Do you really think that some judge is going to rule in your favor, when he realizes what a spoiled little girl you are? Do you have two millionaire inheritances to receive in less than a year and still want to touch what's mine? Who do you think you are?! You'd better drop that idea immediately, otherwise I'll...

“Do you want to know who I am? I am the only daughter that Anthony Manson had! “ Charlie rumbled, getting more and more furious “ And so, even though he never bothered to be a real father to me, I am entitled to what he stole from my mother's family! Besides, Samantha, if you're so sure no judge would rule in my favor, then why bother calling to threaten me? “ she asked venomously, satisfied to hear the other woman snarl “ Or is it that you are afraid that the will will be divided more fairly, as it should have been done from the beginning?

“You think you can stand up to me, you stupid little bitch? “Samantha spat, and even though they were only talking on the phone, Charlie felt like she'd gone back to the time when she was locked in her room, being forced to put up with those curses. “Do you think you have a chance of beating me? To take what I've spent the last ten years working towards? Do not make me laugh! You better open your eyes and see reality at once or I'll be forced to show you what I'm capable of!

For some reason, the image of Sawyer covered in his own vomit flashed through Charlie's mind for a second, unsettling him. Morgan had asked those responsible for building security to review the camera footage, to try to figure out who had placed that can of tuna laced with rat poison near the Dumpsters, but whoever it was had positioned himself in a way that the cameras caught no more than his baggy shoes and pants, coincidentally or not. That remained a mystery, but... Samantha wouldn't be able to hurt an innocent animal, would she? Sawyer had nothing to do with it and there was simply no way she could sneak into Morgan's building... right?

“ Have you finally realized what I'm trying to say? “ she could hear Samantha's evil smile on the other end of the line “ Maybe you started to think you gained some power, just because you managed to convince Morgan to marry you out of pure mercy, but it's time to wake up, Charlotte .. You are no match for me and I suggest you don't pay to see how true this is. In the end, I'll get everything I deserve… Including the man I stole for a few months…” Samantha's wicked mutter made her explode.

“You better stay away from my husband! Charlie roared, causing Matilda to wake up and Sawyer to startle.

" Husband? “ Samantha sneered, with a laugh “ You want me to believe that you have the right to call him husband? It's not achieved with a piece of paper, you innocent little girl, it's between the sheets and I'm sure he shouldn't even touch you. “Her ex-stepmother pinned her, hitting exactly in her soft spot“ How could it? I would also be furious if I was forced to live with a bland, ridiculous little girl like you, who is probably not able to satisfy even herself. But maybe I should thank you for that... It'll be so much easier to show him how much better I am than you when he finally comes down on his knees to me, begging me to relieve all the frustration you've built up. in him...

" Shut up! “ Charlie interrupted her, with an angry shout “Don't you dare talk to me like that again or refer to my husband that way! And if you think that threatening me will convince me to give up the process, then you are very wrong! To tell you the truth, I didn't even want that money! Morgan was solely responsible for convincing me to file this dispute. But now, more than ever, I want to have everything I'm entitled to! And I will! “ Charlie promised “ And if I can take everything from you in the process and ruin your whole life of luxury and appearances, then even better!

“Why, you…” Samantha started to snarl, but Charlie didn't give her a chance to finish.

“ I hope you're ready to hear that call again in court, because I'm certainly going to have my lawyers cons follow the recording and prove that you are trying to threaten me! “ she assured, determined “ So, if you don't create more problems for yourself, I suggest that you don't dare call me anymore and, mainly, that you stay as far away from my husband as possible! Oh, and before I forget... Go fuck yourself, Samantha! Charlie snarled, before hanging up on her, blocking the number immediately.

But even after that conversation ended, Charlie couldn't move, frozen in place by pure rage and revolt as her blood boiled in her veins. How could that woman be so low as to say that kind of thing to him? Did she really think Morgan would ever look down on a woman as horrible as she was? That he would approach her just because he was stubborn enough not to sleep with Charlie...?

Although Samantha was right when she said that they still hadn't slept together, let alone consummated their marriage...

A high-pitched meow interrupted her thoughts, almost at the same time as something soft nudged her leg and, looking down, Charlie realized that Sawyer and Matilda had moved closer to her feet, eager. And, as the little dog continued to run around her, seeming to be trying to find where she was, Sawyer slowly approached and, to her complete surprise, climbed up on her ankle, stretching her front paws towards her knee, almost as if asking for a lap.

“Are you two trying to comfort me? “ she sniffed, with an emotional smile, as she took each of her furry babies in one of her arms, so she could hug them “I'm sorry if I ended up scaring you with those screams, but that woman drives me crazy... But she that you don't lose by waiting, now! “ Charlie grunted, determined “ I'm going to show her what happens when you mess with me! And she dare not even think about Morgan from now on...! she growled, even though insecurity was starting to crack her voice.

She hated to admit it, but Samantha's words had gotten to her, as much as she was trying to fight it. It didn't help that Morgan had ignored all her attempts to seduce him, which had left her doubting whether she was attractive enough for him. Could it be that if she were someone else, a thinner woman with a surgically constructed body, he would be more tempted, to the point of not resisting as much? Could it be that she had misunderstood something and all of that were just natural male reactions?

Shaking her head to rid herself of those silly doubts, Charlie clenched her fists, refusing to let her determination leave her. What she needed now was not to give up. On the contrary, she needed to be more incisive. Push and push and then push some more, until finally Morgan reached her limit. She had been kind and patient enough with him thus far, trying not to alarm him with her seduction. But now, she would make it impossible for him to pretend that nothing was happening.

" What do you think? “ Charlie smiled at Sawyer and Matilda, with a Machiavellian smile “ I wonder if it's time I used my plan B for today?