Chapter 5
Harrison's POV
Looking at Jonathan's mocking expression, I couldn't hold back and punched him right then and there.
He pressed a hand to his bleeding lip and smiled even more smugly. "Harrison Arden, remember this. I'm going to take away everything you have."
He succeeded. I had nothing left now.
He continued, "You still don't know that the person who filed that anonymous report against you a year ago was Charlotte, do you? I should really thank her for it. If she hadn't given us your computer password, the plan wouldn't have come together so perfectly."
It turned out that Charlotte had been betraying me far earlier than I thought. No wonder she kept pushing me to confess during the time everything went wrong.
During the year I was transferred away, she was always unusually busy. At first, she would still video-call me, but eventually, she didn't even bother replying to my messages.
The love she once had for me was real, but so was the fact that she no longer loved me.
I paused, then walked away in a daze. If that was how things were, I wished her nothing but happiness.
I stayed at the hotel for seven days. During that time, I didn't reach out to Charlotte, though she would occasionally send me good morning and good night texts, and we'd exchange a few words here and there.
Meanwhile, Jonathan relentlessly sent me videos of the two of them together, trying to provoke me into doing something reckless. I ignored all of it.
…
On the seventh day, I stood outside the hotel.
Charlotte didn't show up as promised to see me off. Instead, she called. "I'm sorry, Harrison. Jonathan's illness flared up again. I won't be able to see you off this time. When you come back next time, I'll definitely be there to pick you up on time."
Unfortunately, that day would never come.
"Charlotte, goodbye," I said.
After hanging up, I had someone deliver the present I had prepared, then got into the car I had arranged and headed for the airport.
At the hospital, Jonathan lay on the hospital bed, gripping Charlotte's hand tightly and refusing to let go.
Mom and Dad stood on either side of the bed, pleading with her. "Charlotte, please do us this one favor and stay with Jonathan a little longer. He's sick and can't handle any stress.
"His feelings for you are genuine. He even got down on his knees and told us that he would marry no one but you in this lifetime."
Charlotte said uncomfortably, "Mr. Arden, Mrs. Arden, no matter how many terrible things Harrison has done, I've already done my part to make amends on his behalf. Let's end our arrangement here."
At that moment, a courier poked his head through the doorway. "Excuse me, is Ms. Charlotte Vaughn here? I have a package from Mr. Harrison Arden."
Charlotte's face lit up. She signed for the package and unwrapped it. When she saw that it was my journal, she froze for a moment.
Jonathan's face instantly turned pale. Just as he reached out to stop her, she pulled out the fake medical record tucked inside the journal.
Charlotte hurled the record straight at Jonathan's face. "Jonathan Arden, is this the cancer you claimed to have? Is this what you meant by not having much time left? I must've been insane to believe someone as full of lies as you are."
She pulled out her phone and called me. The call connected a moment later.
She said angrily, "Harrison, I'm sorry. Jonathan lied to me. He told me he was sick, but none of it was real.
"Wait for me at the airport. I'm coming to find you right now. I don't want anything here anymore. From now on, wherever you go, I'll go too. I never want to be apart from you again."
She headed out the door expectantly, but the voice that came through on the other end of the line belonged to a stranger. "You must be Mr. Arden's partner, right? The cab he was riding in was involved in an accident on the way to the airport. Unfortunately, he didn't make it. Please come to identify his body."
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