"Mr. Parker, I'm telling you, that's not Charlotte."

If Charlotte was really kicking around, she'd know that the chick trying to cheer up Liam was Sophia, an old buddy from her Parker Group days.

"Charlotte wouldn't do this sort of thing."

Sophia watched the woman making a big show of being all cute and cuddly, feeling a deep sense of regret.

Charlotte was way more low-key and had a strong moral compass. Even if she had a change of heart and fell for Vincent, she wouldn't be all over him like that, especially not in public. Liam just stared at Serena and Vincent being all lovey-dovey, not saying a word to Sophia. They came back hand in hand, laughing it up with Vincent's pals.

Serena was a live wire, bold and bubbly, totally different from Charlotte's chill vibe.

"There's no way that's Charlotte." Sophia would rather think Charlotte bit the dust in that accident than see her turn into whatever this was.

After her moment of reflection, Sophia turned around to find Liam had disappeared.

Liam popped in just for a second, seemed like he just wanted a peek at Serena, and then he ghosted.

Once he was gone, the crowd chilled out and started pushing drinks on Vincent and Serena.

After downing a few bottles, Serena excused herself to use the bathroom, and when Vincent offered to accompany her, she refused, "Catch up with your friends, it's been years."

She found herself alone at the end of the hallway, pushed open a window, and took in the chilly night.

"Don't catch a cold in that breeze," a low voice said from behind her. Serena's mood soured instantly. "Why can't I shake you?"

Liam stayed quiet. He didn't know what to say to Charlotte... or Serena...

All those rehearsed lines from the last four years just evaporated, and now he couldn't get out a single one.

So he just stood there, silently and greedily staring at her back.

The bathroom was co-ed, and with Liam blocking the way out, Serena was stuck.

She didn't want to walk past him, but after a few glances back, she burst out, "Liam, you haven't started thinking of me as some Charlotte stand-in, have you?"

She was ticked off by the thought, "I'm crazy about Vincent, we've got an adorable son, and I'm not lacking in anything. I'm living the dream, and I'm not about to play second fiddle to some Charlotte fantasy of yours!" Her clear disdain threw Liam for a loop. The hunch he had about her being Charlotte started to shake.

Was she really Charlotte?

Charlotte wouldn't talk to him like that, wouldn't look at him like that.

Even when she was mad, even when she was hurt, Charlotte's teary eyes always had love in them.

But this woman? She only had scorn.

Not even hate.

And Charlotte was supposed to hate him.

Out of nowhere, Liam started talking, "Look, I've figured out all the stuff Chloe did, like that car crash to get you and hire someone to kill. But the kid is still little. When he is older..."

"Vincent told me about Chloe's schemes already," Serena cut him off coldly, "But Charlotte's gone, Liam. She can't wait for justice, and you can't wait for her forgiveness."

She gave a hollow laugh, "Your kid might live to a ripe old age, but Charlotte's sleeping with the fishes."

That whole thing about Charlotte had been haunting Liam forever. It made it hard for him to eat or sleep; he was a wreck.

He'd been holding onto this idea that, because they didn't find her body at sea, maybe Charlotte wasn't really dead. That hope was the only thing keeping him going. For a second, when he saw Serena, he thought his dream had come to life.

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Charlotte was alive.

Even if she came back hating him or not remembering him, just having her back was enough.

But Serena's cold words just smashed all his hopes to bits.

"I'd have been better off dead," he thought.

It would've saved him from this never-ending nightmare, this constant guilt.

"So why are you still here?" Serena's voice dripped with sarcasm, "I got the story from Vincent. Charlotte was the one who pushed you out of the car. She should've been the one to make it out, based on where she was!" "You just assumed Charlotte would always save you."Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

"You took for granted that she'd give in, that she loved you, that she couldn't watch you die no matter what."

Serena's words hit Liam like a ton of bricks. He'd almost managed to block out the crash after waking up from being knocked out.

But he missed Charlotte like crazy and couldn't stop thinking about all their times together.

Of course, he also remembered what she'd said in the car.

'I hate you.'

'But I can't stand to see you die.'

Serena was spot on-Charlotte couldn't just watch him die. She loved him way more than he deserved.

Serena scoffed at Liam's regret, "If Vincent pulled any of the stuff you did to Charlotte, I'd leave him so fast. Wouldn't think twice!"

"There's plenty of folks who'd love me, and I can love whoever I want. Why would I waste my life on a guy like you?!"

"Vincent said Charlotte was smart, gorgeous, and tough. Someone like that deserves to be loved by everyone. If she hadn't bumped into you, even a homeless guy would've treated her right, would've given her a happy life!" "Charlotte's real mistake was just bad luck and lousy taste-falling for a guy like you!"

Serena was totally mocking him.

If anybody else had the nerve to talk to Liam like that, they'd be in hot water before the day was out.

But this was Serena.

She looked just like Charlotte, and Liam couldn't bring himself to dislike that face, not even one bit.

He just sat there staring at her, like he was watching Charlotte give him an earful.

And the more he looked all lovesick, the more Serena got irritated.

She felt a shiver run through her.

Then, from a short distance away, Ethan's little voice gave Serena the perfect out. "Step aside, my boy needs me."

"Ethan's such a cutie," Liam said, not keen on ending the conversation. He couldn't look away from her, Charlotte or not. He'd been missing Charlotte for so long.

Four years. More than a thousand days and nights.

This was the first time he'd seen Charlotte's face somewhere other than in pictures.

He was just trying to say something nice about her kid, so Serena couldn't really lay into him for that.

"Of course he's cute, look who his mom is!" she shot back. But then her mind wandered to something else.

"Vincent said you and Chloe had a kid, how's that going?"