Chapter 4 Anna's Humiliation

Alexander's heart softened immediately, and his voice became much gentler: "Does it still hurt? Let me massage it for you." As he spoke, he reached out to grab her blanket.

"Get lost!" Charlotte glared at him through gritted teeth, wishing she could tear him to pieces.

"This is the contract I've drafted. If there are no issues, we'll start implementing it from now on." Alexander handed her the contract with a gentle smile.

Charlotte was in a terrible mood because of their inexplicable sex yesterday. She coldly snatched it from his hand and glanced at it. This Alexander guy was indeed a shrewd fox who had been fighting in the business world for years - every clause was written clearly and in perfect order. Charlotte was somewhat speechless.

It seemed his thinking was still quite upright - he wouldn't force her to perform wifely duties. That was a relief.

"Anything else you want to add?"

She shook her head. "I hope you won't go back on your promise to me. You said you'd help Michael..."

"Of course, I'll definitely do my best to help him. This matter can't be known by others - you'll bear the consequences yourself." Alexander waved the contract in his hand, the corners of his mouth lifting.

Although Charlotte regretted what happened yesterday, she knew there was no turning back. The only thing she could do now was try her best to be his respectful contract wife for one year. As for the drunken mistake, she could only treat it as a one-night stand after drinking... Damn it, her first time was gone just like that. So frustrating!

"You were really passionate last night." He leaned down and blew a breath of air near her ear.

"Get out, get out now!" Charlotte was both embarrassed and angry, her cheeks betraying her by flushing red.

Seeing her angry expression, Alexander found her even more adorable. He reached up to ruffle her hair. "Get up quickly. We need to go to your house in a bit."

Charlotte looked at him in confusion: "You're going too?"

"Please remember at all times - we're married." After saying this, he turned and left the room.

Charlotte, who had just signed the contract, suddenly felt a bit of regret. She had a vague feeling that things weren't as simple as they seemed on paper.

Married? She really didn't feel married at all. What happened yesterday was just an accident to her. Besides, they hadn't even registered their marriage yet.

Maybe she should talk to him properly now and just pretend nothing happened yesterday. From now on, they could go their separate ways. After all, she had repaid his favor by helping him solve the wedding escape problem, so wouldn't it be better if they just continued their separate lives?

Michael might not need her help at all. But she knew how difficult his company's financial situation was right now.

It was like two opposing thoughts were fighting fiercely in her mind. She was torn inside...

No, she couldn't just watch Michael struggle or even fail, and right now the only one who could help her was Alexander. She knew very well how beneficial this contract marriage could be.

He had an unforgettable fiancée, she had someone she'd secretly loved for years. Two people without fate were destined never to intersect in the future. As long as she could get through this year and wait for Michael's company to go public, she could walk away clean. Whether it was worth it or not, it would all be worth it then.

Yes, this was the only way. Her inner conflict finally turned into compromise.

"I guess I'll never have a chance with Dear Wilson in this lifetime." She sighed, a sense of loss churning through her body.

After what happened yesterday, she knew she no longer had the right to like him. This secret crush that began with a flutter of her heart was ending with such a pathetic incident.

Falling out of love before even confessing - this was probably the most miserable and terrible one-sided love in the world.

"Mrs. Wilson, Ms. Wilson is here."

Charlotte had just come downstairs when she was startled by the sudden voice. She turned around and saw a woman about fifty years old in work clothes looking at her.

"You are?"

The woman smiled broadly, though her voice was somewhat stiff: "I'm Clio Webb, a servant of the Wilson family. I've been working here for over ten years. If Mrs. Wilson doesn't mind, you can call me Clio."

"Hello, Clio. Sorry for the trouble." Charlotte gave her a warm smile.

"You're the lady of the house - what trouble? Just let me know if you need anything in the future. But Ms. Wilson came early this morning, saying she has something to discuss with you. She's waiting in the living room!" Clio was quite satisfied with her politeness.

Ms. Wilson? Who was that?

Seeing her confusion, Clio quietly told her about this Ms. Wilson's identity. Her name was Anna, she was nineteen years old, Alexander's cousin. She was currently studying abroad and had only returned for the wedding. Alexander had two uncles, but she was the only daughter in the entire Wilson family, so everyone doted on her.

"Where did Alexander go?" Charlotte asked.

"He went to prepare gifts for visiting your family. You can tell Mr. Wilson really likes you."

Charlotte smiled bitterly. Like? She and Alexander had only reluctantly met because of the wedding - how could there be any liking? But she was a bit surprised that he personally went to arrange gifts for visiting her family.

"Is Ms. Wilson easy to get along with?" A woman's sixth sense told her this cousin had come with bad intentions. Who would visit someone's door so early in the morning for no reason?

Clio smiled and said tactfully: "Ms. Wilson is beautiful and privileged. Although she's a bit mischievous, she's quite lovely. She has a cheerful personality and many friends. She's very good friends with Ms. Taylor."

Charlotte's body trembled involuntarily. Very good friends?

This was bad - was she here for revenge?

Charlotte steeled herself and walked toward the living room. His villa was really huge - without Clio leading the way, she'd probably get lost. The luxurious decorations symbolized the owner's supreme status.

"You're Charlotte." Anna elegantly sipped her coffee without even looking up.

Charlotte couldn't help but admire how beautiful this girl was - pretty features, delicate skin, wine-red wavy long hair, white low-cut shirt, golden yellow short skirt, wearing high heels, with a curvaceous figure. She exuded a sexy aura all over. Whether it was because she was too pampered or because of the lighting, at first glance she looked a bit like a doll in a shop window.

"I'm Charlotte Harris. Hello." Charlotte smiled, feeling a bit awkward at being ignored.

When Anna looked up at her, a mocking smile appeared at the corner of her mouth, and her pleasant voice said: "So you're the mistress Alexander keeps on the side. I'm increasingly impressed by his taste."

She actually had to admit Charlotte was quite beautiful, but it was her status that made her angry.

Charlotte had gotten drunk and been thrown directly into the car by Alexander and brought back, so naturally she hadn't brought anything with her. Even the clothes she was wearing were prepared by the Wilson family.

Faced with Anna's blunt disdain, Charlotte didn't know how to respond. What could she say? Her identity as the third party was already established. No matter how she explained, Anna wouldn't believe her anyway.

Who would believe that she and Alexander didn't know each other before marriage, that they had no relationship at all? Even she herself didn't dare believe it.

Although she was indeed unwilling about being threatened, Charlotte actually had her own selfish motives. Michael's company was about to go public, but now there was a shortage of funds and no connections. If Alexander could kindly help him a bit, things would be much easier to resolve.

Alexander was cunning, but she wasn't easy to bully either. He made her bear the label of being a third party to salvage his dignity from being abandoned, while she needed his financial power and influence. This marriage was mutually beneficial for both of them.

"Don't think that just because you married Alexander you're really Mrs. Wilson. I'm telling you, you're not. You're just a third party who interfered in someone else's marriage, a shameless third party, destined to be scorned by the world for the rest of your life. Let's see how long you can last!" Anna became even more furious when she saw Charlotte's silence.

So what if she had some beauty? There were plenty of beautiful women in the world. No matter how outstanding she was, she was still far inferior to Sophia. What was there to be proud of?

Charlotte remained silent. How should she respond? Admit she was a third party?

No, she wouldn't.

Even if no one in this world believed her, she was still willing to believe in herself.

"Make me a cup of coffee. Don't tell me you can't even do that!" Anna looked at her with ill intent, extremely unwilling in her heart.

Charlotte came back to her senses. "Just a moment." She headed toward the kitchen.

Charlotte felt uncomfortable inside but still appeared calm, unruffled by praise or criticism. Compared to the difficult days after her parents left her, this was nothing.

She quickly made the coffee - she was quite efficient at this sort of thing.

"It's a bit hot, be careful." Charlotte placed the coffee on the table with a slight smile.

"A third party is a third party. You can do such lowly work as making coffee so skillfully - no wonder you could bewitch Alexander into abandoning his original fiancée to marry you." Anna sneered with disdain.

Charlotte felt like cursing. If making coffee was lowly work, wouldn't drinking coffee be even lower?

Anna took a very elegant sip, then her pretty eyebrows suddenly furrowed. She casually put the cup down on the table, using too much force so that quite a bit of coffee splashed out.

The brown coffee on the white tabletop was somewhat jarring.

"What's wrong?" Charlotte was puzzled. She was quite good at making coffee - didn't it taste good?

Anna smiled charmingly and spoke with full sarcasm: "Why does perfectly good coffee have a foul smell? It's disgusting."

"Then I'll have Clio make you another cup!"

"That would be troublesome."

Anna handed her the coffee. Charlotte took a tray to receive it, but Anna's hand suddenly shook and a cup of scalding hot coffee poured directly onto her hand.

"Ah!"

Charlotte's face went white with pain. Her delicate skin turned bright red and the next second developed blisters of various sizes, with coffee stains all over her hand.

This woman definitely did it on purpose!

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to. You won't blame me, will you!" Anna pretended to explain nervously, but inside she was thrilled.

Serves you right - this is your punishment for being a third party!

"Anna, what are you doing!" A stern voice rang out. Both of them looked up simultaneously to see Alexander had appeared at the door at some point.

"Alexander, you're back!" Anna bounced over and clung to his arm, starting to act cute.

Alexander just glanced at her indifferently, then withdrew his arm and quickly walked toward Charlotte. He lifted her hand and looked at the blistered skin, his brows furrowing, his voice serious: "How did this happen?"

Charlotte withdrew her hand and said lightly: "It's nothing, I just accidentally burned myself. It's fine."

Watching their intimate moment, Anna became even more angry. It seemed Charlotte had completely bewitched Alexander - even Alexander, who had always doted on her, was ignoring her and wholeheartedly concerned about Charlotte.

Damn it!

"Next time let Clio make it for you. What can you do when you're so careless?" Alexander complained, his face looking rather unpleasant.

"It's fine. I'll just wash it and it'll be okay. You two chat." Charlotte smiled slightly and walked out.

Only after watching her disappear through the doorway did Alexander glance at Anna, his voice cold: "What brings you here so early in the morning?"

"Can't I come if there's nothing wrong? It seems Alexander has married a beauty and forgotten about his little sister." Anna lowered her head looking aggrieved.

Alexander's heart softened. He reached out to pat her head with a doting expression: "You're my sister - I could forget anyone but not you!"

"Then who's more important, me or that third-party sister-in-law?" Anna blinked her eyes adorably.

"Of course you're more important - you're my sister." Alexander showed a warm smile.

"That's more like it. I'll leave now and come visit you when I have time." Anna smiled, picked up her handbag and prepared to leave.

"I'll have Jeremy Wright drive you."

"No need, I can get back on my own." She left gracefully.

Watching her retreating figure, Alexander's smile immediately froze. Third-party sister-in-law? Third party!

Just as Charlotte was about to apply medicine, Alexander came in. He took the cotton swab from Clio's hand and sat beside her, carefully treating her wound. Clio tactfully went downstairs.

"Anna is a bit mischievous. As her sister-in-law, you'll have to be understanding about whatever happens." Alexander didn't look up, focused on applying the medicine, his expression calm.

"She didn't do anything wrong. This is my own doing." Charlotte blurted out.

Alexander's hand paused. He looked up at her. "Are you angry?"

"No." Charlotte smiled.

Alexander suddenly leaned his face close and lightly pecked her lips, his smile warm: "Good girl."