Chapter Five

An entire wall was dedicated to a sturdy cabinet filled with exquisite afternoon tea china. The fine patterns and gilded details on the china radiated its beauty and opulence.

Charlotte quickly tidied up her belongings, primarily to rapidly become familiar with Claire's living environment and align the information Claire had told her with reality. After touring the bathroom, which was larger than her entire home, the butler came to invite her downstairs for lunch and informed her that her father would be returning home tonight.

Charlotte quickly went to the dressing room to change clothes. The entire dressing room was filled with expensive luxury handbags and high-end custom-made clothing. Charlotte chose a white evening gown, quickly tidied her hair, and then went downstairs.

On the five-meter-long dining table, delicious food and red wine were already set up. The mother was wearing a red off-shoulder evening gown, adorned with sparkling jewelry, exuding a charming aura. Sitting across the table, dressed in a grey suit with slightly greying hair, the serious-looking man was Claire's father.

When Charlotte approached the dining table, ready to sit down, the butler, carrying a golden box, placed it on the table. "Miss, this is a gift from the master."

The box slowly opened, revealing a set of exquisite golden porcelain inside. In fact, for Charlotte, she didn't like these things. She didn't understand why one would buy such expensive porcelain for drinking coffee. In her opinion, Ikea's 8 euro cups were also of good quality.

But now she was Claire, the daughter of a wealthy and high-profile designer. She emulated Claire's expressions and tone, expressing surprise and liking, "Thank you, Dad, I really like it."

Noticing her mother nodding in satisfaction, Charlotte took her seat. Claire had mentioned that her mother would smile and nod when in a good mood, maintaining a smile even when in a bad mood but with a slight frown. It seemed her mother was in a good mood today.

This dinner was quite relaxed for Charlotte. They talked about their respective jobs, as well as business and investment-related topics at the table, with none of the discussions focusing on her.

None of the questions about what she had been doing in these four years, what experiences she had, the reasons for leaving home, and why she suddenly returned were raised. Not a single one of the prepared responses that she and Claire had worked on was used.

Just as she was leaving the table with her mother, her mother glanced at her clothes and slightly frowned, showing some dissatisfaction. "Claire, go to my room and wait for me."

Charlotte felt a bit uneasy. According to the villa layout she had memorized earlier, she slowly made her way to her mother's room. The villa was even larger than she had imagined, and after a few wrong turns, she finally aligned the layout of the rooms on this floor with the floor plan and found her mother's room.

This room was even larger than Claire's, but the style was completely different. The decor of this room followed a modern style, with predominant colors of sophisticated black and grey.

"Claire." Shortly after Charlotte entered the room, Claire's mother pushed the door open and called her name. Upon entering the room, the mother walked straight to Charlotte's back.

"You seem to have gained weight, this figure won't look good in a wedding dress."

Following behind her, Charlotte arrived at a wardrobe even larger than the room itself. It felt like a high-end fashion store, complete with a massive spiral staircase. As they ascended the stairs, Charlotte finally understood why the floor plan of the villa was so intricate.

Looking down from the staircase, the crystal chandeliers in the hall showcased the beauty and luxury of all the high-end couture dresses.

"You've got worse at choosing clothes, Claire. This dress you're wearing is an old model from five or six years ago. Have you forgotten that? Oh, right, is it because you've been with a poor boyfriend, so your taste has gone downhill?"

On the luxurious facade, Charlotte instantly snapped back to reality, almost forgetting her current situation. She didn't respond to Claire's mother's words, didn't argue, just lowered her head slightly and followed her to the second floor.

The luxury on the second floor far exceeded that of the first floor, as every corner was practically overflowing with diamonds and jewels.

Claire's mother walked up to a set of jewelry, speaking somewhat indifferently to Charlotte behind her, "Put away that look of ignorance. I would expect, after four years of not seeing you, you wouldn't make such a rude expression, Claire."

Her words sent a chill through Charlotte's heart.

As she lifted her head, Charlotte could see herself in the mirror—beautiful blue eyes, lovely light brown curls, everything was perfect, beautifully perfect. However, it couldn't conceal her stiff expression and the shock deep within her pupils.

Yes, she hadn't witnessed such a scene before. In Charlotte's 23 years of life, she never had the courage to step into any jewelry store. She would only glance at the beautiful and dazzling jewelry displayed in the tall cabinets when passing by shop windows after class or finishing her shift at the ice cream shop.

She never had any fantasies about them because she was well aware that the price of those jewels was something she couldn't afford even if she worked her entire life. What she needed to address were the current challenges and difficulties, like next month's rent.

"These sets will be sent to your room by the butler. Since you've returned, you need to understand that you represent not only yourself but also the image and status of the entire family. I hope you can be more appropriate in the future. Perhaps you should consider revisiting etiquette courses, Claire."

In the darkened room, Charlotte looked at the spacious space filled with new high-end clothing and jewelry. Under the moonlight, they appeared so beautiful. It was her first realization of the power that money brought—the privilege to indulge in all things beautiful.

That night, Charlotte sat among the luxurious clothing and expensive jewelry. She didn't sleep the entire night, her emotions fluctuating between excitement and calmness.

From the second day onwards, she never saw Claire's parents again. Occasionally, she would encounter Claire's mother and her friends in the living room during afternoon tea, or Claire's mother would gather all the designers at home to modify designs. However, the rest of the time, they were almost impossible to find. Claire's father was even more elusive. His communication with Claire was limited to the constant stream of gifts delivered by the butler, ranging from exquisite porcelain to luxurious cars and yachts.

So, Charlotte doesn't see Claire's parents during this dinner, and she doesn't find it surprising. However, what shocks her is that their manipulation of Claire's life is not subtle; it is constant and pervasive.

The day after this dinner, Claire's breakfast, lunch, and dinner consisted only of eggs. According to the butler, her mother had devised a strict weight loss plan for her, hoping she would adhere to it and expecting her to adjust her condition today and resume social activities from tomorrow.

No one knew what was going through Charlotte's mind as she stripped naked before eating and stood naked at the table while the so-called dietitian and health manager recorded her weight and body fat, wiggled her body, measured her chest and waist, and measured the circumference of her arms, calves and thighs.

The sudden reduction in food intake leaves Charlotte feeling intensely hungry throughout the day, but it's bearable.

After enduring a day of hunger, Charlotte fell asleep early that night, perhaps due to the lack of sleep the previous night, as drowsiness overcame her suddenly and intensely.

The next day, without any surprise, it is still a diet meal for Charlotte. Chewing on vegetables, she feels like she is going to vomit, a protest initiated by her stomach.