She’d only wanted to help Letty, but now she’d ended up hurting herself instead. Carmelita’s knees buckled and she crashed to the floor.
“Since everything’s been sorted out, let’s stick to the original plan,” Robert said, glancing at the time. He stood up, reached for Charlotte’s hand, and spoke gently. “Charlotte, are you alright with this?”
“I am,” Charlotte replied, getting to her feet. She looked straight at Carmelita, her voice calm. “It doesn’t matter if you meant to or not. Everyone’s responsible for what they do.”
Carmelita looked up at her, tears rolling down uncontrollably. She was filled with regret.
…
After leaving the office, Charlotte quietly walked alongside Robert. They hadn’t gotten far when she spotted Letty at the entrance, laughing and chatting with someone.
“Letty, you’re heading to Solenia for the competition next Monday, right? I’ve got a bet going with some people in our department that you’ll take first place.”
Letty flicked her long hair over her shoulder and let out a soft laugh. “There are a lot of really strong contenders this time. I’m honestly not sure I’ll win anything.”
She sounded like she was unsure, but inside she was thrilled.
While they joked around, Letty caught sight of a tall figure not far away, watching her with a frosty stare.
“Letty, I heard Charlotte’s competing too,” her classmate said, sounding annoyed. “But everyone knows where she stands. She’s not a threat to you.”
Letty didn’t respond. The moment her eyes met Charlotte’s cold, indifferent gaze, she felt a strange sense of unease. Still, she pushed it aside. She’d been studying medicine for six or seven years, had made it into The Cabinda Medical Branch, and her skills were top notch. There was no way Charlotte could threaten her.
Last time, Charlotte had embarrassed her in front of everyone. This time, at the Solenia competition, Letty was determined to make sure Charlotte wouldn’t have it easy.
…
“I’m fine.” Stella quickly pushed his hand away, taking a couple steps back. Her face had gone pale and her voice was barely above a whisper. “Thanks.”
The way she pulled away made Roger’s eyes darken. He grabbed a wet wipe from the table and handed it over. “Here, for your pants.”
Stella kept her head down, taking the wipe with shaky hands. “Thank you.”
She hurried back to Shirley’s side, looking flustered.
Roger watched her for a while before glancing away, only to catch Charlotte’s eyes on him. There was something knowing in her gaze that made him look away quickly, a little embarrassed.
Charlotte took a sip of her milk, her eyes growing thoughtful. She understood exactly what was going on now.

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