She stepped out of her room, determined to finally glimpse the world beyond the confines of this grand mansion. She wasn't sure what she expected to find, but one thing was certain, she needed to see this world beyond the four walls that had started to feel like a prison.
But the moment she entered the vast hall, she froze.
There, on the velvet sofa placed in the center of the hall, sat a man.
Not just any man but someone whose presence seemed to shift the entire atmosphere around him.
He looked to be in his late twenties, with sharply defined features that could have been sculpted by an artist. His jaw was strong, his lips slightly parted as he brought a porcelain cup of coffee to them. He wore a perfectly fitted three-piece suit in charcoal grey, the crispness of the fabric a quiet testament to his status. His hair was neatly styled, and a glint of an expensive watch peeked out from under his sleeve as he adjusted his phone screen with practiced ease.
Behind him stood two members of the staff, along with another man, sharply office dressed. She guessed, with little effort, that he must be his secretary pr something. He stood silently, almost rigidly, as if waiting for orders.
She glanced toward the entrance of the hall, and there stood two more men, tall, muscular, with dark complexions and a commanding presence. Their suits were subtly tailored, but their eyes never stopped scanning the space. Bodyguards. Their presence confirmed what her instincts were already screaming.
Cherry didn't want to jump to conclusions, but the way everyone treated him, the silence, the reverence, the subtle fear, made it very clear.
Is he the man of the house?
I mean... my now so-called husband?
Just yesterday, I overheard the maids gossiping, their sir is too busy being allergic to emotions to even look at Charlotte, who, by the way, was drop-dead gorgeous?
They said he barely visits this mansion because 'work is life' or whatever.
So why is he here today, just the very next day?
And can we talk about the irony for a second? Me, the girl who's never had a serious relationship unless you count chocolate, suddenly has a husband popping out of nowhere like a popcorn?
Yeah. Weird. Very very much.
Cherry stood frozen, unsure of what to do or how to even act. Honestly, she hadn't planned on running into anyone, least of all him. Her plan for the day had been simple: step out of this oversized mansion and finally explore the world beyond it and some fresh air, for refreshing her mind.
For a brief moment, she considered offering a polite "hello." After all, technically speaking, the credit cards she was about to swipe, the bank account that are going to be paid—all of it came from him. Charlotte had no income of her own, and Cherry was walking out the door with his money in her handbag.
But then, she saw him. Sitting, sipping coffee and scrolling through his phone like a cover model straight out of a luxury magazine. He didn't even glance her way.
Not once.
So really, why should she bother?
Without saying a word, Cherry turned to leave.
And then, "Stop," came his voice. Calm, cold, and commanding.
Cherry halted and looked over her shoulder.
She turned slowly, gaze meeting his for the first time. His eyes were hazel, and cold, his face clearly not in the mood for nonsense.
"What do you want?" he asked, as if talking to an employee. "Say it quickly. I heard you've been causing some sort of scene lately."
"Whatever it is, spit it out now. And do not, do not, stir up anything around Theo."
"And please," he added as an afterthought, "don't ask me to attend kitty parties with you or act like some happy couple in public. I'm flying to France for a business deal. I'll be gone for a month. So unless it's urgent, spare me."
Cherry blinked. How typical. A young, absurdly handsome husband, too busy to spare a glance at his beautiful wife.
Never around. Never interested. Always working. And of course, the wife spends her time trying to win him over.
She smirked inwardly.
Not me. He could stay as distant as he wanted. No matter how good he looked, she wasn't about to hand him the emotional badge of "husband."
So she decided to take her chance. Still, if she was going to be Charlotte for the foreseeable future, she might as well enjoy the perks. So she smiled sweetly and said,
"Actually, yes. I want a black card."
He raised an eyebrow.
"Just like the one you gave your little madman—uh, I mean, your son. I'd like one too."
He stared at her. "And if I give it to you, will you stop all this nonsense and quit bothering everyone?"
Cherry beamed. "Yes."
He said, "Alright then."
"You'll have it by tomorrow. I'll inform the finance team to handle the paperwork. Just make sure to keep it to yourself, don't go around stirring chaos. That would be... appreciated."
"Hm."
Cherry gave a casual nod. With no further business left, she turned and walked out, following her original plan to explore this world and her answers.
Her quiet exit left a ripple of confusion inside the house.
Everyone, staff even the guards, had naturally expected the usual drama. After all, every time Sir returned after ages, Madam would do her best to charm him. Whether through sweet persuasion or stubborn tantrums, she'd always tried to grab his attention, desperately clinging to whatever thread of affection she could find. Wasn't that what all those past emotional outbursts were about?
Even today, the way she'd suddenly appeared right after his arrival had made them brace for another round of theatrics.
But this… was new.
She just walked away? No tantrum, no fight, no crying, no pleading? Not even a sigh?
That was unexpected.
Noticing the shift in pattern, the secretary leaned slightly toward the man and murmured under his breath, " Boss… is there a chance Madam is planning something unusual?"
The man remained unbothered, his voice clear. "If she is, we'll know soon enough, Secretary James."
Secretary James hesitated, then asked cautiously, "Shall I ask our men to keep an eye on her?"
"That won't be necessary," he replied without a flicker of concern. "Just send me tomorrow's files. We need to go over the rest of the schedule as well."
Secretary James gave a small nod. "Understood. Sir today's next metting is your' around 1 hour--- "
***
Cherry had begun exploring this strange new world in her own way. With Charlotte's luxury car and personal driver at her disposal, getting around was no issue. But despite the luxury, she felt like a misplaced puzzle piece. This wasn't her world, and these weren't her people. So, instead of shopping or salon hopping like the real Charlotte probably would have, Cherry spent most of her time with her face buried in her phone, reading and researching everything that could help her make sense of this bizarre reality.
Her search history had become a strange collection: "parallel universe theories," "time travel accidents," "soul-switching incidents," "scientific evidence of alternate dimensions," "fictional stories where characters wake up in other people's bodies." Anything that offered even a thread of logic she could cling to.
But herself, she didn't know where exactly she wanted to go. Sitting in the back seat, thoughts swirling in her mind, she tapped her chin and finally said, almost uncertainly, "Um… can you take me to Theo's school?"
The middle-aged driver looked at her in the rearview mirror, clearly surprised. "Pardon, Madam?"
"Yes," Cherry repeated. "I think his school ends around 2:30, right? I want to pick him up."
The driver hesitated before replying, "Madam, the young master already has his own private car and chauffeur for that."
He didn't say the rest of what he was thinking: Ever since you married into the family, you've never once gone to his school and now you want to pick him up?
But Cherry was unfazed. "Well, that's fine. But today, I want to see him. So, are you taking me, or do I need to walk there myself?"
The poor driver had no choice. He nodded and started the car.
When they reached the school, the driver parked a little distance from the main gate. It was five minutes before dismissal. Cherry stepped out, clutching her small handbag, and walked slowly to the entrance.
The school was elite, beautiful, clean, modern, and buzzing with student life. Uniformed kids began to spill out through the gates, laughing and chatting as they rushed toward waiting cars and parents.
Then she saw him, Theo, walking surrounded by a group of boys his age.
In a bold attempt to get noticed, Cherry lifted her arm high and began waving energetically in the air. Her voice followed shortly after, laced with urgency and a hint of excitement.
"Theo! Over here! Here... here... look this way!"
There was something restless in her voice, as if she absolutely needed to speak with him. She hadn't yelled exactly, but her voice was loud enough to turn a few heads, especially his.
Theo, surrounded by his group of children, turned instinctively at the sound. The moment he saw Cherry standing by the school entrance, his steps faltered. His expression shifted subtly, eyes narrowed faintly, not in anger but in confusion, as if his brain needed an extra moment to register the image in front of him. Her? Here? Out of the blue? It was written all over his face, What is she doing here?
For a split second, Theo eye's froze.
Naturally, the group around him noticed her too, and the questions began.
"Who's that? Someone from your family?"
"Is she your sister?"
"Your cousin, maybe?"
"I've never seen anyone pick you up before, who is she?"
"What's her name?"
"Wait a second… I think I saw her in one of those lifestyle magazines my mom reads. Is she... your stepmom?"
Theo didn't respond. His face remained blank, as if he had mastered the art of giving absolutely no reactions when he didn't want to. But internally, he was bristling. Without a word, he simply picked up his pace and began walking toward his personal car, deliberately brushing past her as if she weren't even there.
But Cherry wasn't about to let him brush her off that easily. She stepped forward and blocked his path, standing directly in front of him.
Theo, " .... "