It was just another morning at the breakfast table. Theo sat in his usual spot, silently focused on his food. As he stirred his spoon through the warm porridge, Cherry plopped down across from him with her usual energy.
Before she could even settle in, the housekeeper, Abigail, approached with the landline phone in hand. "Madam, your friend is on the line."
Without even glancing at the phone, Cherry casually waved it off. "Tell them I'm not home."
Caretaker Abigail hesitated for a second. "But madam… it's your best friend, Blendy."
That made Cherry snort with laughter. "Blendy? Seriously? What kind of name is that? Sounds like a blender! Hahaha."
Theo, who had been quietly listening, couldn't help himself. " As if your name is the 8th wonder of the world."
Cherry gave him a mock glare. "Excuse me? What's wrong with my name? C-H-E-R-R-Y, short, sweet, and universally loved?!"
"Right," Theo said dryly. "But I was talking about your actual name, Charlotte. French origin, meaning 'free man' or 'petite.' Honestly, it's so common in Europe that every second girl has it."
Then, eyes flicking toward her with a teasing glint, he added, "Though I have to admit, the meaning fits. 'Free man'—you definitely don't care what people think of you, pulling stunts left and right. And 'petite'... well," he glanced subtly at her height, " no need to explain that one, is there?"
Cherry narrowed her eyes at him, puffing out her cheeks. "Oh, so you think you're tall enough to tease me, huh? Should I bring a measuring tape next time? My six-feet giant?!"
That shut Theo up, he looked away, and Cherry smirked, giving a victorious little "Hmph."
Caretaker Abigail, who had patiently been holding the phone this entire time, looked at Cherry again. "So... ?"
Cherry didn't even pause her eating. "Yup. Just tell her I'm not here."
Caretaker Abigail, "Madam, you haven't spoken to any of your friends in these days. You're not picking up their calls or replying to texts, and now they're calling the mansion's
landline directly…"
Cherry put her fork down and looked up, "Then tell them I don't live here anymore. Say I've moved. Abroad, even. Make something up. I just want to eat in peace."
Caretaker Abigail nodded and left the room, leaving Theo to glance at Cherry with a hint of curiosity.
"What exactly do you want?"
"Dad came to visit you and it was me who called him. After watching you act completely out of control. I thought that maybe if you saw him once, you'd calm down for a while, maybe for a month like usual. But clearly, that didn't help at all. Now, I have no idea what new obsession has taken hold of you?"
"And if all of this is some another twisted attempt to get Dad's attention, then let me be perfectly clear, whether you know it or not, he's not even in the country. He left for France on a major business trip. Right now, our company is negotiating a software collaboration with a top French tech firm. This deal is crucial. No matter what you do or say, he's not coming back just because you throw another fit."
As his words landed, Cherry's expression shifted, her lips parted as realization dawned.
"So it was you?"
You're the reason I ended up in that painfully awkward situation with that cold-faced man!
"You know what? I've probably said this a dozen times already, but since no one listens, I'll say it again, loud and clear: I am Cherry. I'm a single woman. I've never been married, and I have absolutely zero interest in your father, your Charlotte's so-called husband."
She jabbed a finger at the air for emphasis.
"I don't care about any of this! All I want is to go back to my own world! Whatever that man does, whether he remarries, keeps a mistress, affairs or has a dozen one-night stands, it's none of my business!"
She paused for a second, then suddenly blinked and covered her mouth. "Oh… oops."
With a sheepish laugh, she quickly added, "I probably shouldn't be saying all this in front of a kid, right? Yes, yes...forget what I just said! Let's pretend that never happened, okay? Hahaha!"
No matter how stressed she was or how strange the situation got, Cherry still held tightly to her core values. She knew that—
No matter how chaotic things became, children didn't need to hear adult bitterness, frustration, or messy details.
Theo didn't say anything more. Quietly, he left for his school.
Cherry, meanwhile, had just finished getting ready. She was about to head out in search of answers, anything that could help, when suddenly, she ran into a girl outside the mansion. The girl looked to be around the same age as her.
Before Cherry could even react, the girl rushed up to her and threw her arms around her in a tight hug.
"Where have you been, girl?!" she exclaimed, holding her close.
Pulling back slightly, she grabbed Cherry by the shoulders, giving her a gentle shake.
"Someone told me on the phone that you moved away?! You're not answering my calls, not replying to any messages, and you've vanished from our club meetups and shopping trips! Your phone is always off! What is going on in your life?"
Cherry blinked, stunned by the girl's energy, and then it hit her. Judging by her behaviour,
she had to be one of original Charlotte's friends?
Taking a wild gusse, "Blendy?"
The girl's eyes sparkled with recognition and relief. "Yeah, it's me! Your Blendy! Who could be else?! But where have you been? I've been worried sick. You act like you don't even know me anymore."
Cherry internally groaned. Just what I needed… another unknown person!
"I've just been… a little caught up with things," she said, trying to sidestep her and walk away.
But Blendy wasn't having it. Real friends never let things slide so easily.
"Caught up?! Where are you even going? Talk to me! What happened? Are you sulking over that so-called husband of yours again?!?"
She quickly reached for Cherry's hands and looked them over. "Let me see! You haven't done anything crazy again, have you? Cutting your veins? Some kind of breakdown?"
"And why aren't you talking to any of us anymore? You've completely disappeared! This isn't like you, my Lil' C!"
As Blendy started chatting with Cherry, she quickly sensed Cherry's unease and hesitation. Although Cherry wasn't eager to engage, she realized she had no choice but to respond. Deep down, Cherry also wanted to use this opportunity to learn more about the real Charlotte's life, her relationships, who she could trust here, and who might be against her. It was like gathering vital information, so she could navigate this place wisely and stay one step ahead.
Cherry soon understood that Blendy was one of Charlotte's closest childhood friends, a kind of best friend. They shared a mutual circle of friends and history. Like Cherry, Blendy came from a wealthy family but unlike her, she took pride in being independent. She managed her own finances by overseeing a division of her family's thriving makeup business, specifically, the nails and hair care department.
Blendy had come with every intention of dragging Charlotte into her usual routine, shopping sprees, spa sessions, and the glamorous parties their social circle adored. Her real motive, however, was to figure out what exactly had been going on with her friend Charlotte lately. But of course, the person she was speaking to now wasn't her friend anymore, it was Cherry.
Naturally, Cherry had no intention of tagging along. With a few light-hearted comments and a friendly smile, she dodged Blendy's invitation. Making up a few believable excuses, she gently steered the conversation away and excused herself before Blendy could press further.
Once Blendy was out of sight, Cherry sighed in relief and got into her car. There was only one person on her mind, Theo.
By the time she arrived, school had already ended. Students were scattered across the schoolyard, laughing and walking home. Cherry waited near the gate, eyes scanning the crowd, but Theo was nowhere to be seen.
Minutes passed. Still nothing.
She pulled out her phone and called his driver.
" Where's Theo?"
" That.... " The driver hesitated on the other end.
" What?!"
"Madam… the young master told me not to reveal anyone about where he was going. Not even Mr. Moore so...."
Cherry's voice turned cold. "Exactly why you need to tell me now?!"
The driver caved under her commanding tone. "He… "
" TELL ME NOW?!!!"
The driver, clearly nervous, finally gave in. " We went up the hill behind the school, madam. Said he needed to be alone."
" What?!"
" The hill? What's the madman doing up there?"
Clicking her tongue in frustration, she muttered, "This brat…" Then, not wasting another second, she turned on her heel quickly towards the hill.