Cheated (Mr. Control Freak)

XLIII. WE DONT GET ENOUGH LOVE

I can't say I'm depressed about the death of Charlotte, but I'm truly sad. It's always heartbreaking when a life is lost, especially since she is someone's someone, but Charlotte wasn't a good woman, she really had it coming for her. Not saying she deserved it, but the way she treated people wasn't always the best.

It's particularly saddening how she died, if she had a heart attack or contracted cancer I think that would've been a little easier for her family to deal with.

She was shot six times at point blank range in her head. The poor woman had no chance.

Sitting at her funeral, with her dead body lying in an ivory casket just a few feet away, was surreal.

Especially since I just saw her a day before it happened. I had done her makeup just the way she liked, not know its be the last time I'd see her in person, alive.

It's crazy how death changes your whole perception about a person, you don't remember all the bad things they do but you remember all the bad things you did or said to them.

I clutched onto Max's arm, letting him know that I was here with him. Even after what Charlotte put him through I knew he still cared for her and was hurting.

Alec was nowhere to be found and I can't say I'm surprised.

The ceremony concluded after Charles spoke and she was loaded into the hearse to be driven off to the burial site.

The burial went off without a hitch and each one of her kids threw a shovel of dirt onto her casket.

I gave my condolences to the family, especially Charles, and left with Max.

"Are you okay?" I asked Max. He has been really reserved ever since he found out a couple days ago, I'm beginning to worry about him.

"Yeah. Just processing everything." He answered after a while of silence.

I placed a soothing hand on him and smiled sympathetically; my poor friend.

"Are you hungry? I'm buying."

A small smile touched his face, "of course."

Now I'm no Sherlock Holmes but I don't think it's a coincidence that three weeks after Alec's mother gets out of prison, Charlotte turns up dead.

But we can't pin it on her because we have no proof, but she was supposed to get out much earlier; she fought a fellow inmate and got months added onto her sentence.

Preparing for a fight perhaps?

****

"I can't believe he's here." I whispered to Max, staring straight at Tristan.

Shortly after we came back from the Hamptons around around a year ago, Tristan announced that he was moving to Dubai for all the business opportunities there and I haven't seen him since; well, until now.

He looked good, just aged a little, but mostly just as I had remembered.

I, however, dyed my hair blonde and cut it shorter. Max claimed I was trying to seduce him by going blonde when it first happened.

Honestly, I just wanted a change but I'm so sick of it and want to go back to black.

"We should say hi." Max urged me.

"You're kidding right?" I said but Max was already dragging me to his table.

"Hey Tristan." I said awkwardly after Max nudged me.

A whole year of no love life and my skills just go out the window. No more Morales Charm, it seems.

"Wow, hi Valentina. How are you?"