************CHAPTER ONE ** DON'T LOOK BACK********

Charlotte King was married once a long time ago to the first man she truly loved, Greg D'Marris, Charlotte thought her first husband was amazing she thought they were amazing together. She thought their life was a fairytale. Her life was damn near perfect. Until one day when a friend told her something. Something that shattered her world. Her husband did something stupid he did something thoughtless something mean. Something that Charlotte was not willing to forgive. Life got hard. Life was no longer a fairy tale. So Charlotte walked away and left Greg behind. Charlotte cut and ran and didn't look back. She is a different person now and she doesn't want to go back there. She doesn't want to talk about it to anyone- not even Cooper.

October 2002

"Charlotte I need you to be available this Wednesday for my campaign speech over at the town hall building ". Greg barked at her as she walked in the door. Greg was an attractive man. His good looks and charismatic nature helped him to move up the ladder of success rather quickly. He was in his late twenties but already a popular and accomplished attorney in their town. Now he was running for deputy mayor.

"I can't Greg. I'm booked with patients on Wednesday and I have a few procedures scheduled that I really shouldn't cancel". Charlotte tried to explain.

"Get another doctor to cover for you!" Greg ordered "I need you there."

"It's not that simple Greg" she told him. "I'm sure I could get someone to cover for me but my patients want me, they trust me and don't want another doctor to do the procedure"

"Come on baby it's just one thing I'm asking you to do for me. I need you there. How's it going to look if my own wife is not there to support me for my speech."

"Greg my job is important too, I can't just drop these procedure's. My patients scheduled them a while ago and I don't feel right canceling them or asking another doctor to cover for me and do them." Charlotte pleaded.

"Charlotte you're my wife and I need you there. Reschedule the procedures for another date. Case closed! Greg commanded her.

"Fine" Charlotte said disappointed and went to get the phone.

Greg wasn't always this way, When Charlotte was a resident at the hospital, he used to love when Charlotte came home and told him about her day. She would come home excited about some new procedure she did that day at work or something new she learned. In turn, Charlotte would be excited to hear about his day in court. He would go over his defense strategies with her before court and ask her opinion on what she would think if she was in the jury. They would celebrate big time whenever he won a case which was most of the time. He was amazing .They were amazing. So amazing that he was asked to run as deputy mayor. Now he was busier than ever tending to his campaign.

"Okay I called and rescheduled those cases for next week" she told her husband of five years. They married young when they were in grad school. She was in med school and he in law school but they made it work because they were in love. It was an eternal love or at least they both believed it was.

"Good girl, come over here and give me some sugar." Charlotte obliged and kissed her husband. "I love you. " she told him as they kissed.

"Now isn't this better baby than us arguing about your job" Greg said as he picked up his wife and carried her into their bedroom.

The next day at work:

"Hey Charlotte is it true that you rescheduled the procedure for Mrs. Whitman, that she was waiting to have done on Wednesday.?" Dr. Nicole Ross asked. Nicole was Charlotte's best friend and co worker. They went to medical school together.

"Yeah and I feel terrible about it but Greg has a campaign speech and he needs me to there for support." Charlotte told her friend.

"He needs you there as his trophy wife, you look good on his arm." Nicole joked with her.

"I just hope he doesn't need me to go to any events with him this weekend because we have that medical convention in LA and I've been looking forward to that. I love LA" Charlotte boasted to her friend.

"Me too' Nicole told her I can't wait! After we go to the lectures in the morning I plan on spending the rest of the day at the beach."

"And don't forget shopping." Charlotte reminded her. They've got the best shopping in LA. I already scheduled an appointment at that spa we went to the last time we were there. I scheduled a haircut, massage and facial for myself."

"Thanks for reminding me, Char. I'm going to call the spa too. I could use a massage and they give the best haircuts. Oooh la la. I am getting so excited for that trip".

"Me too" Charlotte answered

Later that evening

"Hey sugar I'm home." Greg called out to Charlotte as he walked in the door.

" I'm so happy to see you my future deputy mayor" she told him as she kissed him hello. "I made steaks on the grill for dinner.

"Oh no Charlotte! Remember the last time you made them you overcooked em. They were all dry. You should have waited for me to come home and do it.

"I wanted to surprise ya" She said as they sat down to eat. "So what do ya think? I know I didn't overcook them this time. They're still a little pink in the middle just the way you like them."

"How long did you marinate them?" he asked

"I marinated them overnight. Why ?" Charlotte wondered.

"Well they don't have much flavor, you should have used that steak marinade I bought in Texas last time I was there.

"I would have but we ran out " Charlotte told him

"Next time just leave it for me to do". "My gosh, if you want anything done right you gotta just do it yourself around here." he mumbled to himself but Charlotte could hear him clearly.

"Sorry you don't like it. Cooking has never been my strong suit but I tried." She apologized

"Don't worry about it sugar, just leave the steaks to me for now on." He joked with her. "Listen they're having a dinner party Saturday night at the Hilton for our campaign so I need you to look nice. I want you to blow them away when they see you."

"Greg, I have the medical convention in LA this weekend."

"You'll have to cancel" he told her.

"I can't. I signed up for it months ago and paid two hundred dollars to attend, not to mention the airfare and hotel reservations"

"Don't worry about the money sugar"

"It's not just the money. I've been looking forward to spending time in LA with Nicole". "We made appointments to have our hair done and we wanted to go to the beach while we were there." Charlotte told him

"LA is over rated. Besides I'm your husband I trump over your best friend."

"Greg, I've been looking forward to this trip." Charlotte pleaded.

"Cancel it sugar. I need you at the dinner party. You're my wife" Won't look good at all if you don't attend." Greg gave her a kiss on the lips. "Listen babe I know deputy mayor is small potatoes but next it'll be mayor then governor. I want to go all the way to the top with you by my side. Think of it as taking a step toward our future together."

After dinner Charlotte called Nicole:

Hey Nicole it's Charlotte.

What's up girlfriend?

I can't go to LA this weekend. Greg has a dinner party for his campaign and I have to attend.

Boy, he really has you whipped, girl!

Bye Nicole

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