Single Mom's Sweet Husband (Charlotte)
Chapter 48

Tilly Page!

It was her!

"Ms. Emerson, I really didn't mean to do it. Tilly found me in the group chat and offered me a sum of money. At that time, my mother was ill and in need of money. I wasn't thinking straight when I agreed to it. Ms. Emerson, please give me a second chance!" begged Stephanie.

She latched herself onto Charlotte's arm as if she was a lifebuoy amid the vast ocean that would keep her from drowning.

Charlotte grew silent from deep thought. "I'll give it a try. Do you think you can ask Tilly out?"

"Of course, of course." Stephanie hastily wiped her tears away and nodded like a bobblehead.

Without delay, Stephanie invited Tilly to meet up at the coffee shop right downstairs.

Soon, Tilly arrived.

She had on a cap and a pair of sunglasses, as well as a scarf that wrapped tightly over the bottom half of her face.

Clearly, she dreaded anyone recognizing her.

At one glance, Tilly spotted Stephanie sitting in a sofa seat against the wall. She hastened over.

Before she could sit down, she chided impatiently, "Why are you still looking for me? Didn't we settle everything already?"

Stephanie lowered her head in an attempt to avoid eye contact with her. This left Tilly a little baffled.

"I'm the one who's looking for you." A voice spoke and Charlotte trod over from the adjacent sofa seat.

Seeing Charlotte, apprehension clouded Tilly's face. She instinctively got up to flee, but Charlotte reacted quick enough to grasp her wrist. "Ms. Page, don't make me call the police now; sit down, and let's have a chit-chat." With that, Charlotte released Tilly and seated herself. Charlotte didn't appear to be joking. Tilly obediently sat down at the table.

Charlotte hadn't noticed this before, but Tilly had exceptional control over her mental state. She removed her glasses and sorted out her emotions. As she looked up, she presented a friendly smile. "Ms. Emerson, your face is all over the internet! It's a wonder that you still have time to ask me out for tea." Charlotte watched Tilly smile as if nothing had happened and felt an ironic admiration sprouting within her heart.

"I'm sure you know very well my purpose for meeting you today. So, are you going to explain yourself, or do you want me to say it?" Despite the smile on Charlotte's lips, her eyes seemed to contain no warmth. The air around her had ostensibly plunged to absolute zero. The formidable intensity emanating from Charlotte knocked the air out of Tilly's lungs. This lady was certainly a different person from the low-profile, submissive Charlotte Emerson she knew from before.

For a moment, Tilly couldn't replace her tongue.

Charlotte raised an eyebrow at her. "If you're not telling, then I'll start."

And she did. "On the 7th of June, which is last Saturday, you instigated Stephanie Noland of our company to steal our confidential design plans. Is that true?"

Tilly's eyes darted around the restaurant. She turned her head to one side and shrugged dismissively. "I have no idea what you' re saying."

"Is that so? Also, this week - yesterday, that is - two articles that attacked me personally appeared online with an outrageous amount of reposts. This is very good evidence of libel, to be added into consideration for your court sentence," Charlotte enunciated each word unhurriedly.

Tilly's face gradually darkened. "What gives you the right to accuse me of this?"

"Well, I'd say it's the original drafts in your computer, and also the fact that many of these accounts are minions that you have recruited."

The color immediately drained from Tilly's face. She glared at Charlotte nervously and said with difficulty, "Haha, these are just your guesses. If you're so almighty, then bring out the evidence! What's my motive behind this?"

She didn't expect that Tilly would still try to escape blame after she had laid it all out for her.

Charlotte smiled. "Because of your dismissal, you bear a grudge and have been on a constant lookout for an opening to take revenge on me." She paused and waved the phone in her hand. "Also, I'm very sorry to inform you that all of my 'guesses' have a valid backing, including witnesses."

At once, Tilly turned and looked daggers at Stephanie, whose head was lowered right to her chest. "You fool! Didn't I tell you to delete all the records? Listen up, if I were to go to jail, you won't end up that much better than me!"

Stephanie was taken aback. She trembled and unwittingly glanced toward Charlotte for help.

Charlotte landed a comforting pat on Stephanie's shoulder and said to Tilly, "Tilly Page, you are the mastermind behind this. Just you wait to be prosecuted."

With that, Charlotte rose from her seat and gestured for Stephanie to take their leave together.

"Charlotte, it's not me, it' s Emerson Corporation! They located me and had me do these. I may have written those articles, but the photos were not my doing. They were the ones who gave it to me!" Finally, Tilly couldn't hold it in anymore and she lurched forward to grab Charlotte's arm.

"Who gave you the photo?" Charlotte pressed.

Tilly hesitated for a moment before saying, "Mrs. Emerson's secretary."

A frown instantly furrowed Charlotte's brows. Not unexpectedly, it was Elaine playing tricks behind her back!