Charlotte just smiled and said nothing.
Her marriage with Alexander had reached a crossroads. Maybe the next second, they would go their separate ways. No one could say for sure.
It had nothing to do with staying up late. It only depended on whether two people could move forward together.
Last night, things seemed better between them than before. It felt like the past had finally been put to rest.
If it could stay this way, that wouldn't be a bad thing. But she was afraid it would only stir up more trouble.
After all, life was far more complicated than any plan or imagination.
"What are you thinking about?"
The sudden sound of Charlotte's voice snapped Evelyn back to reality. She turned her head, looked at Charlotte, and laughed.
"Nothing!"
"Nothing? You didn't even hear me calling you. Pregnant women don't get Alzheimer's that fast!" Charlotte muttered.
"Nonsense. You're the one with Alzheimer's!" Evelyn shot back with a smile.
"I really do have a tendency toward dementia now. My memory is terrible. Sometimes I search for something that's already in my hand for ages!" Charlotte rarely admitted such things.
"Is it because you're too busy with work?" Evelyn asked, concerned.
"I don't know. Maybe. Or maybe I'm just too lonely. Maybe I need to find a man!" Charlotte laughed.
"Just wait. There's one ready-made for you. You can chase him with all your might!" Evelyn teased.
"I can't catch up with him. Even if I rode on a flaming wheel, I'd never make it. I've given up completely."
"That doesn't sound like you, Miss Charlotte! You're supposed to be braver the more you're defeated!"
"I'm tired," Charlotte replied simply.
Because her heart was tired. So she had no motivation or courage left to keep holding on.
It wasn't that she hadn't tried. She had spent her entire youth chasing after Noah. But in the end, she still failed.
Noah had once had a deep talk with her. He said that even if they ended up together, they probably wouldn't be happy.
At the time, she was depressed and disagreed. Now, looking back, she realized he was right.
Noah had liked Evelyn for years. And Evelyn was her best friend. Even if she finally got together with Noah, she would still care about that fact. Noah had Evelyn in his heart. That problem would always exist. It couldn't be ignored.
Especially when they were actually together. She would become more possessive. How could she tolerate a love like that?
So Noah was right. If they were really together, they wouldn't be happy. It would be even worse than their current friendship.
"Tired," Evelyn repeated Charlotte's words and sighed. "It seems like we've all gotten old all of a sudden."
In the past, they would never have said that. Even when they faced difficulties, they would be down, but they never felt this cold.
But now, they seemed to have gone through too many ups and downs. They didn't want to explain much anymore. They just simply said they were tired.
Charlotte turned to look at Evelyn and smiled.
"You're different from me, happy Mrs. Sterling!"
"It really is different. I'm married, you're not. You can still be carefree, but I'm about to become a mother!" Evelyn echoed.
"Oh, shut up. You're making fun of me!" Charlotte complained.
"It's true. When you get married, you'll understand. People inside the wall envy those outside, and people outside envy those inside!" Evelyn said with a smile.
"What's wrong? Having a conflict with Mr. Sterling?" Charlotte asked.
"No!" Evelyn shook her head.
Problems between a husband and wife were best solved by themselves. Outsiders couldn't help.
Besides, a lot of things couldn't be explained in just a few words. And she wasn't used to confiding in others. So she was more used to bearing these things alone.
"If not, then you and Alexander should be happy. If you are, I'll believe in love again and yearn for marriage!" Charlotte said with a smile.
"Why do you suddenly put so much pressure on me? If I'm not happy, does that mean you'll never get married?" Evelyn joked.
"It's possible. My parents' marriage wasn't so good. So I really don't have any desire to get married."
"When you meet your Mr. Right, you'll change your mind."
"I'll have to wait until I meet him first!"
The two chatted and soon arrived at the restaurant Charlotte had mentioned.
Charlotte knew every building within five kilometers of the company where Noah worked. Because to get closer to him, she had once wandered aimlessly around him countless times.
Loving someone so humbly. And in the end, still failing. Charlotte had to admire her own perseverance and courage.
She parked the car in a nearby parking spot, and the two walked over. Charlotte sent Noah a message saying they had arrived, along with the restaurant's name and address.
They entered the restaurant and asked for a private room. Charlotte and Evelyn went inside, drank some water, and waited for Noah to arrive.
"This restaurant doesn't look like much from the outside, but it's very elegant inside."
"That's true. After all, every inch of land here costs a fortune. So they had to extend the space inward," Charlotte replied with a smile.
If she hadn't hung around here often, she probably wouldn't have noticed this place. But since she came here once, she fell in love with the food. Sometimes, even when she had nothing to do, she would drive here just to eat.
Evelyn called Alexander and told him she was going shopping with Charlotte and was about to have lunch.
Alexander told her to be careful and have a good time.
Evelyn answered for a long time.
Finally, she heard Alexander say on the other end of the phone,
"Evelyn, I'm very happy."
Evelyn didn't know why, but her face suddenly turned red. She answered vaguely and hung up.
"Is it hot in here?" Charlotte looked at her and asked.
"Yeah," Evelyn replied.
"Pregnant women must be more sensitive. Your face is all red!" Charlotte continued.
Evelyn touched her cheek. It was really hot. But she was too embarrassed to tell Charlotte. When she heard Alexander say he was very happy, she couldn't help thinking about last night. She felt a little shy.
Noah arrived soon. After all, the restaurant was near his company. It was within walking distance.
"Have you been waiting long?" he asked, looking at them with a smile.
"We just got here a little while ago. You're here, so order!" Charlotte answered and handed the menu to Noah.
"You haven't ordered yet?" Noah was surprised.
"No, we waited for you to order!" Charlotte replied firmly.
"This is my first time here. I really don't know what's good!" he said while looking at the menu.
Then, based on his understanding of Evelyn and Charlotte's tastes, he ordered a few dishes.