The Love Guide for the Supporting Female Character

4

“I... I’m not ready to get married,” I muttered, avoiding his hopeful gaze and feeling more uncertain with every word.

Charles’s eyes dimmed with disappointment. He loosened his grip on me, lowering his head as an air of sadness enveloped him. “Oh, I see…”

In the end, Charles chose to stay behind at the Shaw mansion, silently retreating to his room, while I returned to the Miller household alone.

The moment I stepped into the living room, my brother, Brandon, with his bright red hair sprawled across the couch, glanced over at me.

Seeing my defeated expression, he casually tossed aside his gaming console, propped his feet on the coffee table, and crossed his arms, ready to unleash his mockery.

“What now? Tried wrecking that jerk’s marriage again and failed?” he snorted.

The Millers were one of the most powerful families in the country, with influence that far surpassed the Shaw family. As the youngest daughter and the heiress, I was the apple of my family’s eye, protected by three older brothers who doted on me endlessly.

The original Elizabeth Miller always prided herself on being a refined lady from a prestigious family. Naturally, she never got along with her rebellious third brother, Brandon, who never cared about maintaining appearances.

Their relationship soured even more after Elizabeth became fixated on her childhood friend, Ethan, to the point of interfering in his marriage.

Ever since Brandon discovered that, he never missed a chance to ridicule her.

Ignoring his usual scolding tone, I slumped onto the couch beside him, reflecting on my choices.

The image of Charles retreating to his little room with tear-streaked cheeks haunted me, making my heart ache with guilt.

“Ugh…”

Noticing my uncharacteristic silence and repeated sighing, my brother frowned, his eyebrows knitting together like two fuzzy caterpillars. He reached out to feel my forehead, his expression turning into one of disbelief. “Did you get possessed or something?”

For once, I hadn’t called him a useless good-for-nothing or defended Ethan like Elizabeth usually did.

I swatted his hand away, glaring at him with watery eyes. “You’re the one who’s possessed! I just lost my phone and didn’t have any cash on me, so I had to walk all the way back. My feet are killing me!” I whimpered, rubbing my swollen ankle.

Brandon groaned dramatically, tossing a few tissues my way. “You’re such an idiot.”

Then, as if trying to rub salt in the wound, he added, “Serves you right for clinging to Ethan. Didn’t he always claim you were the one for him? So why’d he let you walk home on your own?”

“Okay, okay, I admit it. I was blind before, but I don’t like him anymore,” I retorted, pouting.

He raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical of my sudden change of heart. “You finally saw through that jerk Ethan’s opportunistic nature?”

Without waiting for my response, Brandon crossed his arms smugly. “I told you your taste in men was terrible.”

“Oh, and yours is any better?” I shot back, rolling my eyes before dragging his past into the conversation. “Who was it again that fell head over heels for a girl just because she did one dance during the high school assembly?

“You were bragging to everyone about that ‘sweet little angel’ of yours,” I mimicked his cocky posture. “And how long did it last? Barely three days before she ditched you!”

5

The next time I saw Charles was at his official family introduction party at the Shaw mansion.

He had been cornered in the garden, with red wine poured over his clothes and cake smeared across his face.

My brows furrowed, and I was about to rush over when Brandon grabbed my arm.

Dressed to the nines and holding a wine glass, Brandon nodded toward the figures watching from the third-floor balcony. “This is their family’s mess. Stay out of it. He’s being targeted on purpose.”

I followed his gaze.

On the balcony was Ethan’s father in his wheelchair, with Ethan behind him, pushing the chair. Beside them stood a middle-aged woman in an elegant silk evening gown, watching the scene unfold with an almost cruel indifference.

“It’s all part of their plan?” I asked, bewildered.

Brandon took a sip of his wine and grimaced. “Ugh, awful stuff,” he muttered before continuing.

He ruffled my hair, smirking as he explained, “You really don’t get it, do you?”

“That new young man they just brought back? He’s actually an illegitimate child. His mother has recently passed away, and their father, Philip, has forcibly brought Charles back, something the Shaw family would’ve never accepted otherwise.

Philip Nelson, father of Ethan and Charles, turned out to be quite the schemer.

Based on what my brother revealed next, I finally pieced together some details that I had previously overlooked and that weren’t mentioned in the original story.

It turned out that Philip had married into the Shaw family, becoming the live-in son-in-law in his youth when he married Ethan Shaw’s mother, Vivian Shaw. Hence, their children took on the Shaw surname.

However, Philip had always held a torch for his first love.

Even after marriage, he continued his secret affair, which eventually led to the birth of his son, Charles.

A few months ago, Charles’s mother passed away from illness, and fearing that his intellectually challenged son wouldn’t have anyone to care for him, Philip used his influence to bring Charles into the Shaw family.

While outsiders rarely knew these details, the Shaw family was painfully aware of the situation, seeing it as an unspoken blemish on their reputation. They would never truly accept Charles.

The only reason they tolerated his presence was because of Philip’s cunning maneuvering, which had allowed him to gradually seize control of the Shaw Corporation.

Once Ethan grew up and fully took over the Shaw family business, returning it to its rightful owners, Charles’s fate was bound to be grim.

“A pretty face, almost like a pop idol, but such a pity he’s a bit slow,” Brandon sighed, shaking his head. He seemed oddly sympathetic about it.

My gaze returned to the balcony, where Ethan’s mother was smiling triumphantly. I clenched my fists.

It wasn’t an uncommon tale in the circles of the wealthy, but what had Charles done to deserve this? He was just a boy, innocent and slow to understand the world around him.

Why should he suffer for the sins of those who came before him?

My frustration reached a boiling point, and I flung my skirt behind me, charging toward the bullies harassing Charles.