The next morning, sunlight streamed through the cracks in the curtains, spilling onto the carpet.
Charlotte opened her eyes just in time to see Emily changing the water at her bedside. Emily was surprised when she noticed Charlotte waking up. "Charlotte, you're awake!"
Charlotte nodded silently.
There was a faint sound coming from outside the door. Charlotte glanced over, her expression puzzled. Emily explained beside her, "Ian and Diana are both back, and your father is outside interrogating them."
Charlotte's expression shifted slightly at that news. She looked somewhat anxious.
This matter was clearly her own problem, yet it seemed her father was pursuing it as if her brothers and sister were solely responsible, which felt unfair to them. The guilt inside her intensified as she thought about it.
Seeing Charlotte attempting to get up, Emily quickly intervened, "Hey, Charlotte, don't move! Your injuries haven't healed yet!"
As if sensing their presence, the voices outside suddenly ceased, and the room fell quiet. Soon, the door was pushed open, and Derek and Chris hurried in, followed by a worried Diana and a distracted Aaron.
"Charlotte! You're awake?" Diana was the first to approach, half squatting beside her bed, holding her hand. "Does it still hurt? Is it getting better?"
Ian stood nearby, his concern evident though he didn't speak.
"I'm... I'm fine," Charlotte replied, her voice hoarse.
"Drink some water first." Ian fetched the thermos from the bookcase and handed it to her with a straw. Charlotte drank and then softly said, "Ian, Diana, I'm sorry for worrying you guys."
"Don't say that, Charlotte," Diana said, her eyes reddening as she patted her head.
Charlotte shook her head slowly. "It was an accident. Don't worry, guys."
Then she looked at Derek and Emily, "Father, Mother, don't blame them. It's all my fault..."
Derek's expression turned unusually cold and stern upon hearing those words.
"You and Diana are the most unsettling for us in the family. Your brothers have the responsibility to protect you, and yet, they hid so much from us."
It was the first time Derek had been this angry, and the tension in the room became palpable.
"Father," Charlotte stood up and grabbed his sleeve.
"Charlotte!" Diana exclaimed, but Charlotte silenced her, turning to Derek with pleading eyes.
"Please... don't blame them..."
Chris couldn't help himself and took two steps forward, saying, "Charlotte, lie back down! You don't need to worry about this. I'm a man; I can take responsibility!"
Charlotte then looked back at Emily, who was also red-eyed, and said, "Mother..."
Derek's expression remained cold. Unbeknownst to anyone, the hand under his sleeve had already formed a fist. His face was as cold as ice, his eyes filled with steely resolve as he declared, "Go to the dark room by yourselves, and I will personally come to deal with you!"
Charlotte was so anxious that she almost jumped off the bed. Diana quickly turned her attention to her, her cool face betraying worry and heartache.
"Father..." Charlotte hissed, grabbing Derek's clothes, "Punish me... I accept the punishment..."
She was an adult now; she couldn't let someone else take the blame for everything.
In the standoff, Derek crouched down, leveling himself with her, his eyes serious. "Charlotte, are you really willing to admit you're wrong?"
Charlotte's eyes reddened as she vigorously nodded her head.
"That's good. Since you're willing to take responsibility," Derek said, "Your punishment is to leave the country, go away from here, and don't come back anytime soon."
Charlotte was slightly stunned.
Derek continued, "This matter revolves around you, so the simplest solution starts with you. We're concerned for your safety regarding the Livingston family. So, for now, you'll accompany your sister overseas. I have contacts there who can help you, and Diana can take care of you while she's busy with work."
Charlotte remained rooted in place. The rest of the Scott family stayed silent, as if they had anticipated Derek's decision.
All his prior sternness was aimed at getting Charlotte to agree to leave. While they could have forced her away like before, they knew her well enough to understand she would find a way back. This was the only way to make her leave willingly.
Originally, Kingsley's illness was alarming enough, but Charlotte insisting on staying made them worry even more. Now, with danger from the Livingston family involved, the Scott family felt even more resentment.
Moreover, Charlotte was now suffering from a stress-induced mental disorder, so they couldn't allow her to stay with Kingsley for long.
In order to prevent her from getting hurt even more in the future, Derek didn't hesitate to step forward and take on the role of the villain this time.
Charlotte was silent for a long time and finally said in a hushed voice, "Okay, I will go...." She understood what her father meant.
She knew all too well the worry and concern in her mother's eyes and the eyes of others. But as she had said herself, she was going to take on her own responsibilities. She couldn't let her family worry about her like this anymore.
They wanted her to get away from here, to calm down and get well, and she was willing to go. Just...
Charlotte looked up and said slowly, "Before I leave, I want to see Kingsley in the hospital."
She could choose not to let her family worry, but that didn't mean she was going to give up on her relationship with Kingsley.
She would give him time to take care of the family business, and she would give herself time to get well. Her family would only truly support her relationship with Kingsley if she could stand by him well enough not to get hurt but to be happy instead.
Charlotte was very clear about this, except that before she left, she had to see Kingsley to feel comfortable.
But upon hearing her request, everyone immediately frowned.
"No way!" Derek reflexively refused Charlotte's request.
However, his opinion this time was overruled by Emily.
As a wife and mother, Emily fully understood Derek's and her children's psychology. So, when Derek was forcefully trying to punish her children, even forcing Charlotte in this way, she didn't step in, but let Derek decide what to do.
Until this moment. She stepped forward and said, "Derek, I agree with Charlotte's request."
Derek looked up at her, his eyes bloodshot for a moment.
Diana and Aaron both looked over, surprised but with a touch of understanding.
Emily faced Derek's gloomy expression and spoke out, "I know how hard it can be to end a relationship. If Charlotte is forced to suffer like this, I just hope she can have some time to let go slowly. Even if she leaves here, her heart will still be here. This kind of situation is just adding to her pain unnecessarily, and it's not conducive to her condition."
Emily continued, "So, I'm willing to give her a chance to say a proper goodbye and be able to rest easy without regrets afterward. Derek, what do you say?"
Derek's expression slowly changed from initial cold, sullen disbelief to realization. He fell silent before saying, "Alright."