Too Late for Regret novel Chapter 123

Chapter 123

Analise’s POV

One Month Later:

I’m almost four and a half months pregnant, and just beginning to show. Things have been hectic as we just finished our new formalwear line. Once again, Charlie and I made headlines. People loved the ads featuring Charlie and me together. They also loved Drew and Emily, as well as Mark and Gwen. The new sales were off the charts, as the lingerie ad had been a huge seller. The pieces we wore ended up selling out six times before sales finally

settled down.

It was unexpected, but I was thrilled. I didn’t want to do the same thing each time, and the holidays were coming up. I have to admit this was my favorite photoshoot to date. I designed my dress to hide my small baby bump. It was an empire waist, which made my breasts the star of the show. The high–waist emphasized my hourglass figure, with the flowing skirt concealing my baby bump. The deep red was perfect for the upcoming Christmas season, which was soon approaching.

Charlie looked like a walking dream in his tuxedo. He was always the most handsome man in the room to me, anyway. Gwen had a deep green dress that set off her eyes. It was a halter top, but she liked showing off her legs. She swore they were her best feature. So she had a deep slit that teased a glimpse of leg as she walked, showing off her favorite heels. Mark couldn’t take his eyes off her. One of my favorite shots of our group was her leg boldly showing, with her hand confidently placed on Mark’s shoulder. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen her this happy.

Emily was wearing a gold dress, and she looked stunning in it. Her blonde hair is being worn longer than usual. It’s clear that Drew likes it like that. He dotes on her, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they became engaged soon. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her. She had a modest neckline, but the dress was form–fitting. The dress then transformed into a mermaid–style design. She rocked it, looking effortlessly elegant and charming at the same time. We’re selling all three dresses in the same three colors that we are wearing.

We are still keeping my pregnancy under wraps. The dress managed to hide the secret that I’m carrying, for the moment. Dad threatened Sath that if he told Holden, before we were ready to announce it, he would cut Added to the library he totally meant it, but he has a soft spot for Seth. Seth has taken it seriously, as Mom had threatened him, too.

The trial with Tiffany is set to resume tomorrow. She finally managed to hire an attorney, but

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Charlie is on edge. He said that he believes that she’s planning something, and we need to be prepared. I’m sure we do. She has to be making plans because there’s no way she can get out of this. What she did was heinous. She still thinks she can avoid it, due to the length of time since her actions. Unfortunately, for her, she can’t dodge because she won’t be anticipating what’s to come.

Rodney is coming in from another direction on this. One that she can’t excuse. The weight gain that I experienced from her abuse took not just a physical, but a mental and emotional toll on me. My weight gain is proof of the trauma I suffered from her actions. I can use that against her. The first trial didn’t get very far, so she has no idea what he’s going to hit her with. Her parents are going to be the ones who end up paying for the emotional damage she gave me. However, it will ultimately benefit others.

Whatever amount I win from this trial, I will be matching. I decided to build a shelter for abused children. They will have a safe place to stay as their family tries to get on their feet. Most of the wings will be for women, and one separate wing for men. Tiffany taught me that abuse can come from anyone. No one looking at her would think she was capable of doing what she did to me. It was the main reason I documented everything. The children’s welfare is what’s most important to me. I used the money from the first trial to buy the land and start breaking ground.

Most importantly, it will be a safe place for children. I’ve already made plans with other businesses to help donate clothing, shoes, and necessities. I’m very excited about it. We’re still in the process of naming it, but progress is moving along very nicely. My parents are volved, as is Seth, which was a surprise. He and Dad donated money, and my mother is onating her time, effort, and money to make the place as welcoming as possible. Mom even spoke to her parents to see if they would like to participate in this.

They did, and our budget increased dramatically. I’m impressed at how much effort my mother has put into designing each space. She has put a great deal of thought into how she wants it to look. She wants the children’s areas and their rooms to provide a safe space. With my grandparents‘ dona e were able to buy furniture for all the rooms. There will be 25

1. gs. Some would need to stay for a while to find a safe place to hem time to get on their feet. To know that when they leave, they

rooms in each of

relocate. We

will thrive

Cha

lot of input. His family has provided a great deal of help. His mother elped design the industrial kitchen, which they paid for. With plenty of parate snack area. Two industrial fridges and a walk–in freezer. Teresa and rilled about this project and are happy to be on board. Charlie’s father, Chuck, ed for our laundry room. Ten industrial washers and dryers are ready to go. e with folding tables, rolling carts, and anything they need to do their laundry. He they needed to stay on the property, as some of their situations could potentially be

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dangerous.

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Melissa, Charlie’s mother, had my mother design the snack area. A place where they can go to find a variety of snacks. It also has a fridge that will be loaded with juices, water, and soda. Charles and Teresa also paid for an addition. Right next to the laundry area will be a full library with books for all ages. It was added to the back of the building, where it receives full sun, and the entire back wall of the room is curved. It features window seats with padded and colorful nook cushions.

Each window offers a different view, and there are tables for adults as well as smaller tables for children to use for arts and crafts. I saw my mother’s vision, and I loved it. It is a cozy space to just hang out. There will be computers on the desks near the entrance. That way, the parents can apply for jobs or look for a new place of their own when they are ready to

move out.

I wanted to do something like this before, but I didn’t have the time or knew exactly what I wanted to do. I was just too busy with work to even make plans. But with Charlie’s help and encouragement, it’s taking shape. He already has a full crew hired to work as security for the building. Both inside and outside.

Former coworkers are happy to help protect not just the children, but also the parents with them. Charlie paid to have a bunkhouse built on the property. I loved the idea, and the bunk house will be up and running first, as we needed security in place.

I don’t want the person who hurt the child to ever be able to get their hands on them again. This venture has brought all hands on deck, and they couldn’t have been more excited about it. The closer it gets to being opened, the more excited I become. I didn’t want to name it after my family or his. I wanted a softer name for it. I was pregnant with a son, and we had been tossing around names, but we hadn’t settled on one yet. I know his family wants another Charles, but Charlie wants us to call our son by a different name. Although he still

wants to use Charles as a middle name.

Charlie’s grandmother, Teresa, has already started making menus with Melissa. They even hired a nutritionist to make sure that the meals are well–balanced. She reached out to some of the vendors that deliver to her restaurant to see if they could also donate. We have the non–profit license and our EIN. That way, they can claim the deductions they make to the non–profit. Small boxes of cereal, bread, milk, and lunch meat, the basics, and hot meals as well. Even a two–thousand–dollar donation a month helps a great deal. I knew this would be an expensive venture, but with so many chipping in, it’s taking shape quickly.

We will be running ads at bus stops, soup kitchens, schools, and churches, and also conducting a news segment to spread the word. We weren’t too worried about unexpected visitors. The area I picked to build is very close to the local police and fire departments.

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Charlie is even building a perimeter fence to ensure that only authorized people can enter.

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