Benjamin was taken aback by Charles’s cold remark, and it reminded him of the past. Back when Annabelle’s father, Richard Lawson, had failed to secure his family’s inheritance against the second wife, Annabelle had asked Charles to intervene. When Charles refused, she had broken up with him in a fit of frustration. Charles hadn’t tried to stop her; he’d simply agreed.
Looking back now, it was clear that Charles hadn’t really cared for Annabelle as much as they all had assumed. The whole "Anna as a stand-in for Annabelle" idea was nothing more than a theory cooked up by their circle—it had never been confirmed by Charles himself.
Still, Benjamin hadn’t expected Charles to be this heartless, tossing out such a hurtful comment without even a second thought. The casual indifference in his wo
