Forsaking the Years of Longing
Chapter 8

Charlotte turned around, and the two men, seeing that she wasn't angry, seemed to relax. Jaziel stepped forward, taking her hand. "Youdon't need to worry about packing; it's too much work. I'll have my driver come over, and we'll move everything to the new place together."

Nolan nodded in agreement. For a brief moment, Charlotte felt as if she'd glimpsed the versions of them from long ago, when their eyes held only her.

Back then, they were young-she loved to chat, and they loved to laugh. But now, those youthful promises had turned to empty words.

Glancing over at Sophie, Charlotte shook her head. "No need. There's a lot I want to sort myself." Without waiting for a response, she turned and left.

Once home, she packed for a while, freshened up, and had barely laid down when she received a call from Sophie. Her sweet voice came through the receiver, brimming with barely concealed pride.

"Charlotte, I went to both Jaziel's and Nolan's houses tonight. Their parents were so kind to me," she said. "They even showed me their family heirlooms, saying they wanted to give them to me. Do you think that means..."

Charlotte interrupted her calm and clear, "I'm not interested in anything about you and them. It's none of my business." She hung up immediately

The day before her departure, Charlotte went out. She'd arranged to meet her best friend, Lily, for lunch. Charlotte had few

friends in Miami, as Jaziel and Nolan had always tightly controlled her social circle. They hadn't allowed her to date, accept love letters from boys,. or even make female friends without interference.

Back then, they'd pitifully said, "Charlotte, aren't we enough for you? You're so wonderful; we're even worried that girls/might fall for you."

Their possessiveness was overwhelming, wanting her attention solely on them. But now, they were the ones pushing her away.

At a newly opened restaurant, Lily was already waiting. When she saw Charlotte, she greeted her with a big hug, sadness welling up again at the thought of her leaving.

"Charlotte, I can't believe you're heading back to New Orleans to get married. I'm really going to miss you." She sighed. "I honestly thought you'd marry either Jaziel or Nolan and stay in Miami. Then we'd still get to hang out together often." Charlotte gave a slight smile. "They made their choice, and so have I."

Hearing this, Lily's face fell, her expression darkening at the thought of Sophie. Frustrated, she said, "You were so good to Sophie, and yet she..."

Charlotte laughed, cutting her off. "Forget about people who don't matter. Once I'm married, I won't see her again. Whatever she does won't affect me."

1

Just then, Sophie walked into the restaurant. Since Charlotte and Lily's table was near the entrance, she overheard part of the conversation and immediately came over, looking curious. "Charlotte, who's getting married? Can I come? I've never been to a wedding before!"

Charlotte had rarely encountered someone with such little sense of boundaries, but perhaps because she was used to Sophie's antics and knew she was about to leave, she remainedcalm.

Lily, however, was visibly irritated, setting her utensils down with a glare.

"It's my wedding!" Lily snapped. "And you're not invited. Satisfied with that answer?" She continued, her voice louder and harsher. "Do you have any sense of boundaries? Are we even that close? You're so nosy about everything. Do you even taste-test sewage trucks as

they pass by?"

Sophie flinched, as if genuinely frightened, and tears began to roll down her cheeks. She turned toward Jaziel and Nolan, who had just entered the restaurant behind her, her big eyes silently pleading for help.

Unaware of the context, Jaziel's face darkened as he saw Sophie's distressed expression. He instinctively pulled her into his arms. "As long as I'm here, you're welcome at any wedding you want to attend," he said firmly.

Nolan chimed in, "And I'm here too! Forget weddings; if you want a star, I'll climb a ladder to get a fresh one for you. Don't worry about irrelevant people."

With both men comforting her on either side, Sophie finally broke into a smile through her tears.