Get away from me! shouted Emily at Charlotte, who was sobbing. Go make a life of your own without him!
But David is my husband. We have a daughter together. You cant build your life on someone elses heartbreak.
Oh, dont start now! Its not right to live a loveless life. Its not David abandoning his child you are. I have no objection to him seeing his daughter.
Emily turned on her heel and walked away. That evening, David made a decision. He packed his belongings and left Charlotte. She pleaded with him not to do anything rash. Determined for answers, she wanted to know what made her rival better than herself.
I cant live with you anymore. I dont care for you. Things with Emily are different. Ive started a real life with her.
Months passed. At first, Charlotte was in pieces. But eventually, she realised she had to go on, however tough it was. Her little girl was growing up. Charlotte, an economist by training, decided to look for a job as an accountant. At the interview, the company manager, Mr. Thompson, showed her a surprising amount of empathy. He admired her sense of responsibility and keenness to improve her professional skills. Fortunately, Charlottes mum happily agreed to care for her granddaughter while she worked.
Charlotte focused on building her career and decided her personal life could wait. After several years of perseverance, she proved herself a valuable employee and eventually became deputy director.
The only man Charlotte dealt with regularly was her boss. He was always considerate and courteous, and Charlotte couldnt help but warm to him, though she knew he had a wife and children. She never dreamed anything would happen between them.
Frank Thompson, as he was called, didnt feel the same restraint. One afternoon, he confessed directly to Charlotte: he was ready to leave his wife, and hed been in love with Charlotte for years. He promised to support her daughter no matter what.
Her past experience of broken relationships had left a mark on Charlotte for a long time, so she didnt know what to do.
She remembered the words she once spoke to her husbands lover: You cant build happiness on someone elses misery.
But Frank was persistent. Over time, their relationship at work slowly deepened. Frank kept telling Charlotte the same thing he didnt love his wife. Their marriage, he said, had been a mistake, and hed only managed to make them both unhappy. Nevertheless, Charlotte held her ground. Shed overheard some of Franks conversations with his wife and knew all too well what his wife was going through. Charlotte couldnt find it in herself to tear apart a marriage and leave another family in pain. She dreaded meeting Franks wife, but she knew it might happen sooner or later. Sure enough, one day after work, Charlotte spotted a woman approaching and immediately recognised her.
The woman stopped, speechless and pale.
Its you, isnt it? she asked.
Its me, replied Charlotte, barely audible. Emily stood in front of her.
Emily began to insist that Charlotte was now in the wrong, just as she had been. You cant build your life from the suffering of others.
Remember what I said to you years ago? Charlotte answered, ice in her voice.
Yes, and I was wrong. I had no right to take your husband from you. Sooner or later, everything comes back round like a boomerang. Please, dont take Frank from me. Ive never loved anyone the way I love him. Hes the reason I left your ex-husband. I cant live without him. Youve stood where I am, you know how it hurts. Surely you understand. And youve got your daughter to think of too.
Enough! Charlotte snapped.
She wasnt looking for revenge on her old rival, even though it was Emily. But Frank managed to convince her that she too deserved happiness.
Charlotte, if I stay with Emily, all three of us will be miserable: me, you, and Emily. Nothing will change. I dont love her honestly, I never have. I only ended up with her because she wouldnt let go. Ill leave Emily one way or another.
Charlotte thought long and hard about it. Would anyone end up any happier if they carried on as they were? Even if Frank remained with his wife, Charlotte would know only guilt and sorrow. In the end, she chose to give her own happiness a chance.
Life often reminds us that its easy to judge others choices until we find ourselves in their shoes. Sometimes, seeking true happiness means facing hard truths with courage and empathyfor ourselves, and for those we may hurt along the way.
