In her room, Charlie sat surrounded by books, her mind absorbed in their pages. Meanwhile, Serena was away, in a meeting with her business teacher, Malori Chen.

As Charlie got bored with her reading, she decided to explore the belongings of the original Charlie. Behind the manga books in the cabinet, she discovered a hidden drawer. Eager to uncover its contents, she attempted to open it, only to find it securely locked, requiring a key.

Searching the study area, Charlie eventually located the key and eagerly inserted it into the lock. With a quiet click, the drawer opened, revealing what appeared to be the diary of the original Charlie. Wide-eyed with curiosity, Charlie carefully picked up the diary, wondering what secrets it held within its pages.

'I feel guilty looking through this but if I want to understand her better, I feel like I need to see this.' Charlie thought.

Charlie opened the diary...

Dear Diary,

Today, I saw Serena Sutherland again. She's just as beautiful as she was when we were kids. I thought I saw her smile at me, but maybe it was just my imagination. Everyone seems to like her, and she has a lot of friends. She's from the Sutherland family, after all. I wonder if she remembers me, or our promise to get married when we grow up.

"So the original Charlie remembers the promise she made with Serena.' Charlie thought.

Dear Diary,

Serena is really smart. Everyone talks about how she's always at the top of the class. She seems to be adjusting well. But how is she, really? I'm scared that my dad will find out I still want to be friends with Serena, after everything her family did to ours. But maybe Serena was never really my friend. Maybe she was just using me to hurt our family.

Dear Diary,

Serena seems kind, unlike me. She helps other kids, while I used to bully them. But can I trust her again? My dad says Serena is two-faced, just like her parents. I almost got hurt because of the Sutherlands. But why does my heart race whenever I see her?

'She seems to really like Serena...' Charlie thought again.

Dear Diary,

Serena's parents died. I saw her crying at school. Why do I feel sad too?

Dear Diary,

My dad is marrying Serena's sister. He says we'll be sisters too, but I don't want Serena to just be my sister.

Dear Diary,

Dad says Serena will live with us. He says I should never trust her. He says Serena told him that I'm a loser and a pushover, and that she's always been disgusted by me because of my feelings for her. I feel so angry. But did she really say those things? I thought she liked me, even just a little.

Dear Diary,

Dad says Serena wants to hurt our family. He says she's only acting nice to get me to trust her, and then she'll stab me in the back like before. He says I need to be careful around her and make sure she knows her place in this house.

Dear Diary,

You've started living with us again, and it's the first time we've spoken in years. I scared you by giving you a dead mouse. I wanted to show you that I'm not a loser or a pushover. But did I go too far? I want to apologize, but my dad says I should never trust you. He says you're just acting. I don't know what to believe anymore.

'This kid... Cornelius fed her lies... She went too far, but I can't help but feel sorry for her... Don't worry, Charlie... I'll protect Serena this time.' Charlie thought.

Charlie's story is like a tangled web, complex and full of knots. It's as if she's trapped in a maze of lies and deceit, with Cornelius pulling the strings, shaping her perceptions of the world around her. From what I've gathered, she's been through a lot, and it's left her deeply scarred.

I can't help but feel a sense of pity for her. It's evident that she's been fed a steady diet of mistrust and suspicion, making her question the motives of those closest to her. Her accident only seems to have amplified her feelings of betrayal and resentment, leading her to lash out at Serena, perhaps the only person she feels she can control.

But behind her actions, I sense a deep-seated pain and confusion. It's almost as if she's trying to protect herself from further harm by pushing others away. It's tragic, really, to see someone so young caught up in such turmoil.

Charlie sighed by the informations she's gathered she felt like her mood went down hill after reading the diary of the original Charlie.

Charlie stepped out of her room to see if Serena had returned home. Knocking on Serena's door, she called out, "Serena, you there?"

The door creaked open, revealing Serena inside. Charlie's face lit up with a smile.

"Hey," Serena greeted her.

Charlie felt an overwhelming desire to embrace Serena tightly, so she wrapped her arms around her girlfriend, holding her close.

Surprised but touched by the gesture, Serena hugged Charlie back, sensing that something was troubling her.

"Are you okay?" Serena asked, concern evident in her voice.

"Yeah, just missed you. Feels like ages since I last saw you," Charlie admitted.

"It's only been three hours, Charlie," Serena teased, chuckling softly.

"For me, that's too long," Charlie replied, pouting playfully.

They entered Serena's room. While Serena brushed her hair, Charlie watched, her mind occupied with thoughts.

Serena couldn't help but notice Charlie's sighs. "Hey, what's wrong? You've been sighing a lot," she pointed out.

Charlie opened her arms, silently asking for a hug. Serena obliged, walking over to her and enveloping her in a warm embrace.

As Charlie held her tight, Serena gently her hair, silently offering comfort.

"So, what's been bothering you?" Serena inquired softly.

"Just thinking about someone," Charlie replied, her voice tinged with concern.

Serena furrowed her brows. "Who?"

Charlie smiled, pulling Serena closer. "Just this girl... She's been through a lot and doesn't know how to express herself. She ended up hurting someone she cared about because of the lies she was told," she explained.

Serena listened intently, growing curious. "Hmm... Sounds like a tough situation. But who is she?"

"Just someone," Charlie replied vaguely, her thoughts lingering on the troubled individual.

Serena sat beside Charlie, noticing the weight of her worry. "Charlie..."

"Yeah?" Charlie respond