Charlotte nodded, her gaze brimming with understanding and sympathy. I continued,"Elena came to see me again, professing her feelings and all that. But after attending a few reunions with her and some classmates, I realized we were no longer on the same level—it felt even more unsuitable. So, I turned her down again. Yet somehow, she managed to win over my parents, to the point where they practically handpicked her to be their daughter-in-law."

"If it weren't for my father's situation, I probably still wouldn't have agreed. But my mother and I owe her family far too much. You know this—her family covered my father's medical bills, the cemetery plot, the funeral expenses. They handled everything flawlessly. What could I do? She's already calling my mother‘Mom.'" I sighed deeply, my heart a tangle of emotions.

Charlotte's lips curled into a sly smile."You're still in love with Sophie, aren't you? That's why she left after hearing about you and Elena."

I glanced up at Charlotte. Women truly had a knack for these matters."More or less," I admitted softly.

"Then why don't I ever see you with Elena?" Charlotte arched an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.

I chuckled helplessly."She thinks I don't love her, that I only agreed out of gratitude. She asked me to think it over. I don't know why she's become so fixated on this—she used to be carefree and never cared about such things. But now, it's like she's trapped in a cycle of overthinking."

Charlotte burst into laughter, her voice crisp and melodious like silver bells."Women always change. You used to dislike her carefree nature, and now that she's grown more sensitive, you're the one who feels unsettled." As she spoke, she playfully tapped my forehead with her finger, as if scolding me for not understanding a woman's heart.

I shook my head with a wry smile, a complex mix of emotions swirling within me."You're right. I really don't understand her." In truth, her transformation caught me off guard. I couldn't shake the image of her once-bright, star-like eyes, now clouded with melancholy and unease. Her change made me question whether I had somehow been at fault.

Drinking with Charlotte always felt liberating. Her carefree demeanor made her a rare haven for me, like finding a sheltered port in a relentless storm. Though we weren't particularly close, every meeting felt like reconnecting with an old friend. That night, in a dimly lit bar, we drank late into the night, our laughter mingling with the soft clink of glasses, as if the world had faded away, leaving only the two of us.

"You know," I murmured, swirling the wine in my glass,"sometimes I wish I could be as unrestrained as you."

Charlotte squinted at me, her lips curving into a mischievous smile."You think too much. Life is short—why let those troubles weigh you down? Come on, down this glass!" With that, she raised her glass and drained it in one go.

By the end of the night, we were utterly intoxicated, stumbling out of the bar like a pair of drunkards, leaning on each other for support as we made our way to a nearby hotel.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

The next morning, I woke with a pounding headache, my skull feeling like it had been hammered repeatedly. As I blinked my eyes open, I found myself on an unfamiliar bed. It all came rushing back—Charlotte and I had drunk far too much and ended up booking a room.

A knock on the door startled me. Throwing on a robe, I opened it before collapsing back onto the bed. Charlotte strolled in, her tone half-amused, half-exasperated."Aren't you getting up? Don't you have work?"

That's when it hit me—I had work today. But the throbbing in my head made the thought unbearable."I have a headache. I don't feel like getting up."

She walked over, her delicate hands pressing against my temples."Get up already. You still haven't handed in the approvals from yesterday."

Sighing, I muttered,"You're like some landlord's wife, hounding people to work at the crack of dawn." Stretching lazily, I added,"Go on, get out. I need to get dressed."

Laughing, she stood and teased,"What a kid. I've seen it all before." With a sway of her hips, she sauntered toward the door.

Sitting at my desk later, I barely had time to catch my breath before someone came looking for me. I handed over the approved documents from the previous day and firmly reminded them,"From now on, just give me the results—I don't need to be bothered with every detail."

"Stop coming to me for signatures, just show me the results." I waved my hand dismissively, signaling that they could leave.

However, within minutes, the door to my office swung open once more. Charlotte walked in, holding a cup of soy milk and a bag of dumplings, placing them on my desk.

"You really should hire a secretary. You can't possibly do everything yourself," she remarked, raising an eyebrow as if to subtly remind me of something important.

I glanced at her and replied,"I'll talk to Angela about it shortly."

My phone rang—it was Angela from HR.

"Angela, are you free? Can you come by for a moment?" I tried to keep my voice as calm as possible.

A few minutes later, Angela entered the office. I turned to her and said,"Angela, please arrange for a secretary."

Angela smiled faintly, replying,"We've already made arrangements. Sophie actually asked us to start the search before she left, but we haven't yet found a suitable candidate who meets her standards."

Her tone was light, but I could sense the underlying pressure and frustration in her words. Sophie's high expectations for newcomers had drained our talent pool almost completely. Hearing this, I felt a surge of gratitude. Sophie had been thinking ahead for me, even before she left. She always quietly sacrificed so much for the company and the team. Unfortunately, now I couldn't even make a simple phone call, only exchanging a few words during work matters.

"Alright, take your time with the selection process," I said, striving to appear relaxed.

Lunchtime arrived, and I was about to head to the cafeteria. As I reached the door, I was surprised to see Charlotte walking in, holding a steaming plate of food. Her appearance caught me off guard; this woman certainly had nerve, boldly walking in without a care for what others might think.

"What are you doing here?" I frowned, a little concerned. Such actions could easily be misinterpreted in the office.

Seeing my expression, she met my gaze with a hint of defiance and smiled,"I'm not afraid—why should you be? The worst they'll say is that I'm trying to flatter you!"

Shaking my head, I took the plate from her, feeling unexpectedly touched. While Charlotte could sometimes come off as a bit reckless, her straightforwardness and sincerity always made it impossible to stay angry with her.

"Don't you worry about what others might say?" I asked, my tone tinged with concern.

"What's there to fear? Let them say whatever they want. I'll do my thing, and they can't control that. Besides, it's actually harder for them to say anything when we're doing this," she replied nonchalantly, sitting down next to me and pushing the meat toward my side."I'm on a diet."