Chapter 143 His Ex-Girlfriend
Charles replied: [You can come over. The housekeeper's here, and so is Zero.]
Zoey couldn't help asking: [Who's Zero?]
Charles: [My dog.]
Zoey: [Why call it Zero?]
Charles didn't respond again. After bringing the dog home, he had to head to the office to handle business.
Having gotten his approval, Zoey was so thrilled she immediately bounced out of bed and had her driver take her to Charles's villa.
Charles's place wasn't too far from her house—about a twenty-minute drive. The house had a plump housekeeper in her fifties, very warm and welcoming. No matter who came by, she had everyone call her Mrs. Chubby.
Seeing Zoey arrive, Mrs. Chubby said, "Mrs. Gonzaga, Mr. Gonzaga went to the office. He said when you got here, you could look around as you please."
Zoey felt uncomfortable the moment she heard that title. "Mrs. Chubby, just call me Zoey."
"Is that okay?"
"Why wouldn't it be?"
Zoey added, "I want to see the bridal suite."
"It's upstairs. Already almost all set up, just waiting for you." Mrs. Chubby smiled.
The second floor had a large room—the villa's master bedroom. This would be their bridal suite. Red sheets were already laid on the bed, and their wedding photos hung above the headboard.
The wedding photos had been rushed. Charles didn't have time, so they'd only changed outfits at the studio for a few indoor shots—no outdoor photos at all. Her mom had nagged about it countless times, saying Charles didn't value her. But Zoey didn't mind.
She thought other people's wedding photos looked nice but were exhausting to shoot, having to follow the photographer's directions for every pose. Where would Charles find the time? He was a company president, after all.
Looking at the wedding photo on the wall again, she was smiling like she'd eaten ice cream on a hot summer day. Charles looked a bit forced, but Zoey consoled herself: Charles was just that cool. Making him smile like a goof? Absolutely impossible!
Other than the wedding photos, the bridal suite was flawless—spacious and roomy. Even the closets had been replaced with new ones. Zoey fantasized about rolling around on that big bed with Charles. How comfortable that would be.
She still remembered that night in the car—his powerful physique, his measured strength...
Zoey didn't dare think any further. She headed downstairs.
Charles's household was very simple—just one housekeeper, one butler. She'd often heard he had eight bodyguards, but Zoey had never seen them.
As she reached the entrance, a dog excitedly bounded toward her. The husky jumped into Zoey's arms like a little kid. It even seemed to brush against her chest.
Mrs. Chubby came over and scolded it. "Zero, behave yourself!"
The dog was clever. With Charles gone, Mrs. Chubby ruled the house. She wouldn't indulge it—if it got naughty, it'd get smacked. It obediently lay in front of Zoey, then lifted one eye to peek at her.
Zoey was amused by its antics. She reached out to pet its fur. It became quiet, letting Zoey stroke it docilely.
After Mrs. Chubby left, Zoey got bored and started humming to Zero, like she was soothing a baby. The dog listened and actually fell asleep.
Mrs. Chubby came back and, hearing Zoey sing, couldn't help saying, "You sing beautifully—even better than celebrities."
"Right? Lots of people say that." Zoey wasn't modest at all.
She loved singing. She had a TikTok account with videos of herself playing guitar and singing, though she never showed her face. Over two years, she'd accumulated millions of followers. Some record company people had invited her to sign and debut, but Zoey refused.
Mainly because she wasn't hurting for money, and her parents didn't want her in the public eye. She just kept singing as a hobby.
Seeing it getting dark, Zoey quickly stood and asked Mrs. Chubby, "Charles is coming home for dinner tonight, right?"
"That's right."
"Is dinner ready?"
"I'm working on it."
"What does Charles like to eat? Any preferences?"
"Just light flavors. Mr. Gonzaga doesn't like heavy oil or spice."
Zoey said quickly, "Then let me help cook."
Mrs. Chubby hurried to respond. "How could I trouble you? I can handle it."
"I'll just watch from the side. That way if you're not here in the future, I can learn to make his favorite dishes." Zoey said.
Seeing that Zoey had no airs and was adorable, Mrs. Chubby agreed to let her in the kitchen.
Zoey washed her hands. Looking at the ingredients Mrs. Chubby had prepared, she became like a curious kid.
"Mrs. Chubby, why does this dish need sugar?"
Mrs. Chubby said, "Adding sugar makes the flavor more complex."
"What about this dish? Why not put the broccoli and garlic in the pan together?"
"Then it wouldn't be fragrant. The garlic needs to be sautéed first to bring out the aroma."
"..."
Zoey wanted to grab a notebook and write everything down.
Zoey asked again, "Mrs. Chubby, how long have you worked for Charles?"
Mrs. Chubby thought carefully. "About ten years or so. I started doing housekeeping for the Gonzaga family in my thirties. Later, Mr. Gonzaga saw I was capable and made great food, so when he moved, he transferred me here."
Zoey couldn't help asking, "Do you know about Charles's past? Did he ever bring girls home before?"
Mrs. Chubby couldn't help but smile. "We've been trained not to discuss the employer's private matters. But I can tell you—you're the first girl Mr. Gonzaga has brought home."
"Really?" Zoey couldn't believe it.
"Of course it's true."
"But I heard he had a girlfriend before."
Hearing this, Mrs. Chubby's expression changed. "It's best not to bring up the past. Don't mention it in front of Mr. Gonzaga either. He'll get upset."
Zoey was startled and didn't dare ask anymore.
...
When Charles got home from work, the husky didn't come running to greet him. He walked inside to find the dog sprawled by the sofa, sleeping. Seeing him enter, it only glanced at him with one eye without even lifting its head.
Charles knew—someone must have made it comfortable. It was lazily savoring the afterglow.
"Charles, you're home?"
Zoey poked her head out from the kitchen to greet him.
Charles froze. Only then did he remember—he'd agreed to let Zoey come see the bridal suite.
All these years, whoever greeted him when he came home was either the husky or Mrs. Chubby. Now there was a young woman—he needed a moment to adjust.
"Charles, dinner's ready. You can eat after washing your hands."
Charles walked into the dining room and saw the prepared dinner on the table.
Mrs. Chubby came over smiling. "While we were cooking, Zoey helped out too. She's such a capable girl."
Zoey hadn't expected Mrs. Chubby to speak up for her. She quickly said, "I didn't really help that much." She'd only peeled a few garlic cloves.
Charles sat down. Zoey went to serve him soup. Mrs. Chubby tactfully left.
Charles looked at Zoey. Thinking about how he'd be coming home to eat with her every day from now on, he felt a bit uneasy again.
But he'd made a promise. He needed to adjust gradually.
Zoey sat down and started peeling shrimp, but didn't eat. She peeled a small pile and passed them to Charles. "Charles, have some shrimp. Mrs. Chubby said you eat light, so we kept it simple!"
Charles picked up a piece with his chopsticks, then smiled at her. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." Zoey smiled brightly.
As long as he was willing to eat, she felt happy. She ended up eating quite a bit herself.
This was Charles's first time seeing a girl who could eat this much. Usually at business dinners, the women he saw wouldn't touch carbs at all, just nibbled at their food.
Zoey had a great appetite. Because she ate with such relish, as if the food before her was a rare delicacy, he found himself eating with more enjoyment too.
After finishing, Zoey rubbed her round belly. "That was the best meal I've ever had."
Charles usually worked out after dinner, but tonight he'd eaten so much he was too stuffed to move. He could only sit on the sofa.
He finally understood why so many guys gained weight after getting married. Eating alone versus eating with someone—completely different.
After finishing dinner, Zoey busied herself cutting fruit for him in the kitchen.
Charles noticed she hadn't come out for quite a while. Worried she was cutting too much to finish, he figured he should go remind her.
But when he reached the kitchen doorway, he saw her cutting fruit while humming.
Charles froze in place. It was like returning to the past, seeing that girl who loved to sing.
In a daze, he walked over and wrapped his arms around her from behind.
Zoey was caught off guard when Charles suddenly embraced her from behind. Her heart trembled, thinking of those scenes in idol dramas—the male lead hugging the female lead from behind, those sweet moments.
Does Charles love me this deeply?