Chapter 22-3

"Miss Charlotte your breakfast is ready," Rose spoke softly as she pushed the plate of food towards her. It was scrambled eggs and bacon, but she wasn't in the mood. "Thanks." She mumbled picked up her coffee taking a sip of the hot drink. She heard the back door open and didn't even glance their way when Aaron and Damien walked in. "Miss Jones, Mr Keating has requested we take you to the hairdressers for a haircut." Charlotte grabbed a bit of her hair that was getting longer but not long enough to cut. "I don't need a haircut." She was hoping to grow her hair a little past shoulder length. "Mr Keating has already booked the appointment and instructed them on what he wants done." Charlotte closed her eyes, knowing she didn't have a choice. The silver lining, she would get out of the house for a few hours. "What time?" She opened her eyes and saw Aaron gazing her. "We need to leave in 20 minutes," Damien grunted at her and she looked towards her breakfast, not really in the mood for it or her coffee. "Let me get ready." She pushed herself away from the kitchen counter and walked up to her room. Not knowing how long she would be, she packed her larger handbag with a blank book and pencils she was hiding in the closet along with the contraception pills she was taking. Once she had grabbed all her stuff, she made her way back down the stairs where her bodyguards were waiting for her. They walked out the front door first and Arron opened the back door for her. She slid inside as Aaron followed her after her. She didn't understand why one of them always had to sit with her; it wasn't like she would jump out of a moving car, though she did pounder on the idea once. "How is the wedding planning going?" Aaron asked. Out of the pair of them, Aaron did all the talking while Damien grunted like he didn't want to be here. "Fine." Her answer was sharp as she remembered Landon yelling at her last night about flirting with her bodyguards. "You're a lucky girl, many would kill to be marrying into money the way you are. You don't have a dime to your name and when you marry Landon half will be yours." He laughed to himself as Charlotte continued to look out the window as giant houses passed by them. The rest of the trip to the salon was quiet and Aaron tried to engage in conversation, but when he realised she wasn't responding he stopped. They parked the car and Charlotte got out and followed Damien into the salon. "We will be across the road. Remember the rules we don't want to call Mr Keating." The threat was heavily whispered into her ear before they left. "Miss Jones, please follow me. Mr Keating has already told us what you would like. He said you have selective mutism and gave us all the details." The young hairdresser smiled at her taking her to her seat and Charlotte just smiled tightly and nodded her head knowing she wasn't allowed to talk to anyone. Charlotte closed her eyes after they started filling up her hair with foils, not understanding what Landon had planned. She didn't want to dye her hair or get it cut, but she didn't have a choice. The hairdresser hummed to herself in the stylish salon, asking her if she wanted tea or coffee. "Oh, my god Charlie is that you." She heard the voice of Harriet and she opened her eyes and saw the glowing look on her face as she walked over to Charlotte. She had obviously just had her hair done, and the salon was so big it didn't surprise her she didn't see her earlier. "You vanished from the face of the earth. I asked Chase what happened, but he wouldn't say a word." Harriet took a seat in the empty chair next to her and Charlotte looked her over once. Married life agreed with her as she glowed from the inside with happiness and love. She opened her mouth to say something but found she couldn't. She could feel that watchful gaze and when she turned around in her chair, she found Aaron had moved into the salon and was staring at her. Looking back at Harriet, Charlotte realised this was a sick test. Landon had done this on purpose. She knew it. She knew she didn't need a haircut, but it an excuse to see if he had broken her. So instead of talking and asking about the honeymoon, Charlotte opened her mouth to push Harriet, her old friend and Chase's sister away. "Look Harriet, it was nice seeing you and everything but I don't have time to talk to you or your brother so tell him to stop calling me. I have more important things to be doing with my life than seeing and talking to you and your brother. So, if you guys could just leave me alone, I would appreciate that. Also tell Chase if he keeps harassing me I will have to take legal action." She felt sick when she saw the look on Harriet's face, and she wanted to beg and plead with her to take her away right this moment. Take her to Chase instead, she kept her face cool and bored. "What the fuck, Charlotte. You know what go fuck yourself. You broke my brother's heart once before and for that I could forgive you for following your dreams, but not this time. You have strung him along and I hope your fiancé finds out what a cheating, two-timing, gold-digging whore you really are." She hissed quietly to her before standing up and storming out of the salon. Charlotte felt a single tear run down her face and when she looked in the mirror behind her, she saw Aaron on the phone smiling and walking over to her. "Mr Keating for you." Charlotte wiped away the single tear and answered the phone. "Good girl Charlotte. You are learning, my precious, obedient, little slut. You like it when I have to make you obedient, don't you?" Charlotte could feel his smile through the phone while her heart was breaking. "I do." She responded in the only way he allowed her to. A mockery of the vows to come, a mockery of what a marriage should be. "That's my girl. Now enjoy the rest of your day at the salon then go home and rest up do you understand?" Sighing she whispered the 2-word response before hanging up the phone and giving it back to Aaron.