Her Dark Desires-Chapter 46: He Also Lost A Child

"Where is your wife?" Charlotte asked as soon as she entered her son’s house.

Seeing the way his mother was dressed, Zach asked "Are you finally going on a date?"

Charlotte removed her coat with a smile and said "I’m glad you still have your humor. Tonight is the auction of the art collection and I need your lovely wife to accompany me. People need to see her and recognize her as the daughter-in-law of the Sanders family."

"She just lost her child, Mom."

"Lying in bed won’t help her. The girl needs to go out and breathe in some fresh air."

"And you are offering to take her out? Are you perhaps warming up to her?" Zach asked with a smile.

Even though she saw a smile on Zach’s face, she could still see the sadness in his eyes, it made her wonder if he had even been sleeping.

"Yes, I am offering to help. I do not hate your wife, Zach, and I want to get to know her. Also, just a little secret between the two of us, I started loving her the moment I saw Sloane’s swollen and bruised face." Charlotte laughed as she remembered that day.

Zach rolled his eyes and said, "I will go call her, but promise me something."

"I will take care of her, Zach."

"Thank you." Zach sincerely said and left to call Eliana.

He opened the master bedroom and saw Eliana standing at the window side and looking outside.

Zach walked to her and stood behind her. He kissed her cheek and asked "Do you want to go outside? Mom wants you to accompany her to an auction, and you can buy anything you fancy."

Instead of answering him, Eliana asked "Do you think little treasure is in heaven and is watching us?"

Zach froze when he heard her question. He didn’t know what to say or how to answer her.

After seconds went by without Zach answering her, Eliana gently removed herself from his embrace and said, "I should go get dressed, it wouldn’t be nice to keep your Mom waiting."

"If you don’t want to go, then it’s all right," Zach said after finally finding his voice. "I will talk to Mom and tell her you are not feeling too well."

"I will go. Besides, I’m already starting to feel suffocated here." Eliana said and left Zach alone to go get ready.

Suffocated? Was she feeling suffocated by him? Zach thought to himself but he decided not to think too much of it and went back to his mother.

...

Dressed in a long black gown with a slit that reached her knee, Eliana arrived at the venue of the auction with Charlotte by her side.

"If you like something, you can just buy it," Charlotte said to her daughter-in-law, who only nodded in return.

The arts were beautiful, but Eliana wasn’t interested in any of them until she saw an art that caught her interest.

It was of a girl standing on a lonely road with a baby in her arms, but even though the art sparked an interest in Eliana, she did not attempt to buy it.

After the auction ended, Charlotte asked, "Seeing that you did not attempt to buy any of the art, I guess you are not a huge fan of art."

"No, I’m not," Eliana replied. She looked at the champagne before she drank it in one go.

"I hope the Sanders family daughter-in-law isn’t an alcoholic." A voice said, walking towards the mother and daughter duo.

Charlotte frowned as she saw Julia "My daughter-in-law just needed to unwind, don’t think too much about it."

Julia glanced at Eliana and said "She was more prettier at her wedding than now. She looks different, slimmer, and sad."

"And you are still the same, nosy as ever. How a woman like you became the Mayor’s wife still amazes me." Charlotte said with a cold smile.

Julia frowned and decided to change the topic. "I thought now that Zach has a wife, his birthday celebration was going to be grand, but who would have thought that the man still prefers to keep a low profile."

Eliana frowned when she heard that. Birthday? Zach’s birthday is on the 22nd, so what was the woman talking about? Wait a minute! Today is the 23rd, which means Zach’s birthday was yesterday.

Did she forget Zach’s birthday? But how? She has never once forgotten his birthday or failed to get him a gift, so how was it that she didn’t even remember his birthday yesterday?

"Even if he did have a birthday celebration, you and that husband of yours, might not have even gotten an invitation. Tell Logan to behave, this is his last tenure, after all. He shouldn’t ruin it by being too greedy." Charlotte said and walked out.

Eliana followed her mother-in-law outside and saw her lighting a cigarette. She looked at the woman in surprise as she asked "You smoke?"

"You want some?" Charlotte offered.

"No, thanks."

The both of them stood in silence for a while before Eliana asked "Did you bring me here to make me realize that I forgot about Zach’s birthday?"

Charlotte glanced at her as she let out a smoke and said, "I brought you here because you were doing nothing but locking yourself up in your room all day, and besides, I didn’t even know you forgot about his birthday. He had told me the both of you had a quiet celebration together, I was a fool to believe him."

"I know you said I should become stronger and shouldn’t be sad, but sometimes I can’t help it," Eliana said as her eyes became watery. "I looked at the sky and wondered if he was there, watching me. If I attempt to be happy, will he be sad that I forgot him so soon?"

"A mother can never forget about their child. Do you think if your child is truly watching you then it will be happy to see you sad all the time? Do you think the child that was in your womb was so selfish that he wouldn’t want to see his parents happy? If your child was truly watching you, do you think he is currently happy with the way you are? You even forgot about his father’s birthday, and you may not want to admit it, but if you keep acting this way, then it will get to a point when Zach will end up feeling exhausted. He also lost a child, Eliana. He also needs your love and attention."

"I know. I can’t believe I forgot about his birthday and he didn’t say anything. I feel so horrible." Eliana said as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Charlotte sighed and said, "I finally figured out what I want you to be to me."

"What?"

Charlotte dropped her cigarettes and squashed them with her heels before facing her daughter-in-law. "I do not want you to be my daughter-in-law."

"I won’t leave Zach." Eliana stated firmly.

"Be my daughter. I want you to be my daughter and not a daughter-in-law."

Eliana was surprised. She didn’t know what to say but she felt a warmth in her heart.

Though Charlotte was a cold woman, she was a woman who loved her sons and would do anything for them, but the first time Charlotte hugged her in the hospital, a part of her wished that a woman like Charlotte was her mother, and now it was as if that wish was coming true.

"If I become your daughter, does that mean I can come to you, Mom?" Eliana found herself asking.

Charlotte shrugged and replied "Sure."

Eliana smiled and hugged Charlotte, she embraced her tightly and whispered, "Thank you for being my Mom."