Almost every inch of the island was covered in trees, and it took everyone some time to find a somewhat spacious and safe spot.
After consulting the guide and confirming that they were at the right spot, Vivian had everyone start setting up their camps.
The crowd complained away as they worked, but Vivian managed to keep everyone in line and everything went somewhat smoothly. Everyone was assigned a task.
Vivian wanted to distract herself and stop herself from thinking about what happened with Finnick, so she talked to Sarah about how they’d secure their camps in place.
“Chief Editor,” greeted Charlotte from behind just as the two ladies were talking. Vivian turned around and, as suspected, Charlotte had called out for her.
Vivian felt a little bad when she recalled how the young lady looked sorrowful by the cable car. I guess Finnick wasn’t nice or even polite to her…
“Charlotte, I am so sorry. Did Finnick bully you?” asked Vivian apologetically while walking toward Charlotte.
“Not at all. We hung out well,” replied Charlotte happily. Vivian didn’t expect that response. She definitely didn’t see it coming when Charlotte added, “At first, it felt like Mr. Norton is a little reluctant to hang out with me, but we later got along really well. Besides, I think Mr. Norton…”
Charlotte covered her lips and grinned shyly before continuing, “I think Mr. Norton really admires me. He probably feels a little awkward about getting too close to me since you’re around. That’s kinda why I want to talk to you. Can I ask a favor?”
“What is it?” asked Vivian, who suddenly felt inexplicably sad after hearing what Charlotte said. Vivian recalled how she previously saw Finnick and Charlotte chatting away happily. That convinced Vivian that Charlotte wasn’t lying.
Finnick Norton, that hypocritical bast*rd. Why pretend to be angry with me when he’s so happy being around the young, beautiful lady? Also, why bother saying those disgusting and corny words?
“Vivian, can you help me create another opportunity for Mr. Norton and me to have some alone time together again? I want to strike while the iron is hot, and maybe bring the two of us closer,” requested Charlotte. She deliberately acted like she was excited when she said those words.
Finnick had warned her earlier against trying anything funny again, and she truly was frightened at the time. However, she later thought about it and found that she wasn’t okay with it.
Charlotte thought that she was way better than Vivian. I am young, beautiful, and full of life, and I truly love Finnick. Why should I step aside and let this old woman have him?
Charlotte’s friends once told her that men were all animals and would instinctively be attracted to beautiful women. That would apply to any men, even the ones who seemed distant.
Charlotte’s past experiences of being courted by men reaffirmed her belief about what her friend said. She became certain that Finnick simply hadn’t had the chance to notice how beautiful she was. I will definitely have him at the palm of my hands if I just push more and be more proactive!
Naturally, Finnick wasn’t the only one Charlotte needed to work on. The most important bit was to make Vivian think that Finnick actually had a thing for Charlotte. That way, Vivian would work hard to stay away from Finnick, and that would give Charlotte a better shot.
Seeing how happy Charlotte looked made Vivian feel even worse.
The latter felt disgusted when she thought about how Finnick declared his love for her. He flirted with the young lady a second ago, then pretended to be a lovesick puppy with me a second later. My gosh, he is getting better at putting on an act.
Vivian never suspected a word Charlotte said because the former had always seen the latter as a quiet and reserved lady. She would never have said something like that if Finnick didn’t lead her on.
To add to that, Vivian had seen with her own eyes, that the two of them were close together in an ambiguous situation. It was clearly what Charlotte had described, that the two of them were happy together.
At that moment, Vivian saw Finnick as a playboy who pretended to be a gentleman. He really is the perfect example of a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
