Chapter 9
I laughed out loud. “Adam, you should feel grateful. If it weren’t for my mom’s last words, her emphasis on duty holding me back, I would have found countless ways to take you both down with me.”
He looked at me, stunned, confusion clouding his face.
I walked straight upstairs. This time, he didn’t follow. After taking a shower, I received a call from Louise. Her tone, usually sweet, had turned bitter and venomous. “Claire, you‘ re really something. Still clinging to my brother after everything? You may be his ex–wife, but don’t think I don’t see through your schemes!”
I pulled the curtains aside slightly and saw that Adam was still standing outside, not leaving. I grabbed my other phone and called him. As soon as he picked up, Louise’s rant came through the other line.
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I held the phones together, letting him hear it all, then settled in front of my vanity, calmly continuing my skincare routine while she kept ranting.
“You’re a parasite, Claire!” Louise‘ s voice rose with rage. “Marrying him may have made you his wife, but he’s always been mine! You and your mother deserved what happened! You‘ ll see–I’ll make your life miserable!”
“Louise,” I interrupted her coldly, “you‘ re only calling to insult me because Adam won’t answer you himself, right? Isn‘ t your usual ‘poor little sister‘ act working this time?”
Her voice turned shrill. “You‘ re the one who’s pathetic! I’m nothing like your sick mother! And yes, I made up the whole
‘hereditary illness‘ story. But my brother adores me and he’ll believe anything I tell him.” Her tone was smug, like she‘ d scored some major victory. “And guess what? He still won’t believe you, no
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matter what you say.
I smiled to myself and finally spoke up to the silent Adam on the line. “Please remind your sister to stop calling me.”
I hung up and powered down the phone, then went to bed.
The next morning, I awoke to a list of missed calls. I ignored them, went downstairs and saw that Adam was still waiting outside. He looked disheveled, a shadow of stubble marking his chin.
When he saw me, his eyes turned red, filling with an odd mixture of regret and desperation. “Claire, I’m so sorry.”
“Sorry?” My tone was flat.
“I had no idea Louise would lie to me about something like that. If I’d known… I swear, if I’d known-” His voice broke and he choked out, “I’m so sorry. I was too blind to see it. I won’t let her get away with it. And your mother… I’m truly
sorry.”
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“That was my mom, Adam, not yours. spat out each word, “You don’t need to apologize to me. As far as I’m concerned, you and Louise are exactly the same.”
“Claire, please don‘ t be like this.” He stepped forward and, to my shock, tried to embrace me. “I’ll make sure she never comes between us again. Just come home with me. Let’s start fresh.”
“Get off me!” I shook free, then slapped him across the face. “Stay away from
me!”
The slap didn’t even faze him; he just stood there, staring at me with empty eyes as I walked away. When I turned the corner, I could still feel his gaze on me, hollow and hopeless.
Later that day, a video of Louise arguing with someone went viral. She looked wild- eyed and furious, screaming about loyalty while Adam stood by, expressionless.
