The Cherished Wife

 novelbin

Charles's eyes lit up, ready to say something, but just then, the door swung open. Noelle walked in, a cup of herbal tea in her hands. She had caught the tail end of Charles's unfinished sentence, and her expression clouded over. "Grandpa, Charles!"

She took a seat next to Charles. "What's up? What are you guys chatting about?"

"What else? We're talking about you two lovebirds, of course!" Samuel said, trying to sound casual as he steered the conversation off-topic. Noelle kept probing, but Samuel dodged every question about the one thing she wanted to know. Her curiosity and desire to uncover her true origins burned stronger, but with Samuel tight-lipped, she was stuck.

Thankfully, Charles was there to smooth over the awkwardness.

Charles drove them back. Noelle sat in silence next to him, her head down and her mood obviously off. Charles did not start a conversation. Instead, he played a song to soften the tension between them.

Finally, Noelle could not hold back any longer. "Isn't there anything you want to ask me?"

Charles kept one hand on the steering wheel, glancing at Noelle with a steady gaze that seemed unshakable. He laid his other hand gently on hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "I've told you, I'll wait for you to talk when you're ready. We'll talk whenever you've figured things out."

Noelle's eyes darted away as she pushed Charles's hand aside for the first time. She turned to gaze out the window, and it was a long time before she spoke. "You already knew, didn't you?"

"Knew what?" Charles asked.

Noelle bit her lip. "About who I really am to the Shaw family!" She was getting upset at Charles playing dumb. She was already humiliated, and it was clear...

"Noelle!" Charles cut her off, exhaling softly. "I've told you I don't care about your last name. All that matters to me is that you're you you're my wife, Noelle, and that's all that matters, okay?"

Noelle whipped around to face him, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

She tried to smile, but it came out twisted with bitterness. "When did you figure it out?"

"I wasn't far behind you!" In truth, he

let

had started with a hunch, which was expected, but he had no proof. It was not until Noelle's breakdown that Charles felt sure about his suspicions, though he still had no concrete evidence.

Noelle looked down, her voice a whisper. "Do you think I'm a joke? Everything I've worked for was never really mine to begin with. No wonder they treated me so poorly and never liked me. I'm not their child after all, so now it all makes sense. They

don't like me because I'm not their daughter."

"Noelle, remember I'm here for you!" Charles gently laid his hand on Noelle's, his eyes filled with earnest concern. "I've told you before, you've got me. Even if the whole world turns its back on you, I'll be right here."

"Really?" Noelle's voice wavered a bit, her confidence slipping. "Charles, did you know I've always wanted my mom to just hug me for the sake of it and formy dad to remember my birthday? They never do. My mom's never hugged me once!" She fiddled with her fingers as she spoke, "It's always after Winter's birthday that they remember mine. It's been my grandfathers who've been there for me every year."