Clara's POV "And you're certain that's her outcome?" Derek inquired."Mr. Montenegro, what suggestions do you have? That we're not proficient in our roles?" The physician inquired.Derek was cut off. With a heavy sigh, he bent his head and nervously ran his hands through his hair.We didn't say anything as I gradually accepted reality.After a while, Derek said, "I need to breathe."He repositioned his chair and left the room.I was startled when he slammed the door.His response showed me he was as surprised by this as I was.Perhaps he was unrelated to this.I cleared my voice to get the doctor's attention and sat straight."I believe you were mistaken. No, I'm not expecting it," I told him."You are, indeed," he said. "I understand that may be difficult for you to accept at first, but you'll come to see it as nothing more than a gift." He made a statement.How on earth am I expecting?Could there have been a relationship issue between Derek and me? No, I just slept off and woke up
Clara's POV"I have no idea how this came to be. I hadn't even applied. They stated they were so happy with my performance that they wanted to assist me when they summoned me into the principal's office. The nicest part is that I was the only one chosen out of everyone in the school." She went on."Achievements!" I answered, emulating her enthusiasm.It was just what she needed. She would be allowed to attend college and follow her goals."My dear, you have my undying admiration," Mom embraced Katy tightly.I wanted to be joyful for my sister, but the doctor's remarks kept returning to me.I faked a grin, trying not to overthink about it. I remained enmeshed in my universe."Are you OK, Clara? You don't seem very well. Mom enquired.I lied and said, "I'm alright; I just had a busy day." I furrowed my brow. "Ivy, may I just take you away for a little while?" So I did.Ivy placed the salad to one side and scrubbed her hands.She went upstairs to my room after me.Mom called after us, "D
Clara's POVI didn't reply to Derek's SMS last night. I was at a loss for words with him. After thirty minutes of being in the vehicle together, he remained silent.While I was still coming to terms with this, I was at a loss for words with him.Ivy rubbed my back and muttered, "You did the right thing," as we entered the lobby.Ivy persuaded me to see the doctor and obtain a pregnancy test. That's what I did this morning right away. We were now at least two hours late for work since she stayed with me the whole time.They promised to give me access to the findings later in the day. But I asked them to email the conclusions to me since I had work to do."We'll find out the truth in a few hours," I continued.We strolled forward inside the hotel."Ivy, Clara!" There was a loud cry.When Ivy and I looked around, Marcus was irrationally approaching us.We were aware of our dire situation. What was the rationale we had come up with for our delay and traffic?Marcus came to face us, and I
Clara's POVI kept strolling further into space.At the long bar counter, a lady was perched on a stool. In her hand, she had a glass. With her back to me, her curly beach blonde hair was the only thing repulsing me.She turned back and slowly scowled at her face, and my mouth fell open."Madison," I mutely said.She took half of whatever was in the glass at once.She motioned for me to proceed. With hesitation, I did so.Why, and why did she ask to see me here?"You are welcome to have a seat," she gestured to the stool next to her.I just kept going ahead. I sat down next to her, making sure there was space between us.Her glass smashed against the counter.She brought me here, but why? Was it because the previous time, I interrupted her and Derek?You may probably guess why I brought you here to avoid any chatter from the other maids. I hope that we continue having this discourse together." She said,With a nod."I know you will be spending a lot of time with Derek because you are
Clara POV I looked at Derek's mother and instantly froze.By "undo all my handy work," what did she mean?Was this all orchestrated by her?She was the first to speak, breaking the stillness. She said, "I'm Layla, Derek's mother. You must be Clara. We didn't have a chance to introduce ourselves when we met last time."I attempted to perfect a grin by nodding. I was starting to feel anxious.My mind was racing with a million questions. What was her intention, and why was she here? Has she heard about the baby? And in that case, what would she do? So many questions left unsolved."I believe it's reasonable to suggest that I have to give you an explanation," she went on.She waved at me to come sit down.I was so shocked that it took me a while to react.We faced each other as we sat down on the living room couch.Her driver was right outside, so should I order anything to drink for the two of us?I rejected that with a shake of my head.Before speaking, she cleared her throat and cross
Clara's POVShe gave the impression that Derek was a five-year-old kid incapable of making his judgments.It was still not clear to me how Madison was my issue."I don't want to get involved with this; Madison is not my concern," I said.Perhaps it was time for me to go on from here and escape this lunacy. I didn't want to be a part of this any longer."The other day, you saw their friendliness. Who knows what else may have transpired between them, given how she showed off in his shirt? Her face took on a look of contempt.I finished her idea, "They didn't sleep together."Maybe I was naïve and didn't want to see whatever you before me become me; perhaps they couldn't have. Maybe she wanted to sleep over, and he only borrowed his shirt."She's a woman like you know, so maybe not yet. We must put an end to Madison because she is a monster. She would love to make you her puppet if she ever got to own his home, I don't doubt it, assuming she hasn't already attempted." She said,Suddenly,
Clara's POVAs much as I knew I would never carry out her plan, that was the least I could do for her. Besides, Derek was already so invested in this whole thing that it would break him to learn later that there was no baby and everything was a lie. Better to tell him the truth now than when he was too attached.I responded, "You should probably go soon; this room is for visitors.""It seems like you haven't lent at all. The woman said.That responds to the query.It seems she was the one who leased the suite room—likely under a different name to avoid raising red flags.I wanted to walk away from this mayhem, but one last question kept bothering me."Why am I?" May I ask?"Why was she being so adamant? I mean, if she could carry her scheme this far, she could probably find someone else to take my place.She said, "Because Madison views you as a danger."With no more inquiries, I turned around and departed from the room.What made rich men want their wives to marry into wealthy famili
Clara's POV"No, I'm not pregnant," I said to Ivy after receiving the negative test results.Ivy sighed and looked disapprovingly at that, her grin fading."If there was a chance in heaven, would you contemplate bearing his child?"Madam inquired.I was aware of her suggestion."No, I won't sell myself to get money," I said.Another sigh escaped her.She said, "Okay, then we just have to make the most of the circumstance while it lasts."Taking another look at the menu, she summoned another server and started placing huge takeaway orders."It's something your mother would appreciate," she said.To get her to stop fighting with me in front of all those significant people, I had to conceal the menu from her.We had our final meal at the restaurant around this time.When it did come, Ivy and I were quiet.This pizza tasted like something I had never eaten before; I was missing its flavour while still on my tongue.However, I should have seen that my joy would not last long since Marcus en
Derek POV The things he is willing to do make me sick to my stomach, and I'm finally done. He deserves everything coming to him. I was glad that the trial with Maddison's mother went smoothly. Turns out, there is nothing Maddison loves more than her reputation and money, and for that, she is willing to let her mother rot and make herself the victim.I was finally done with the cooking and dished our food in the dining room.I slipped my hand into my pocket, ensuring the ring was safely secured.Clara voiced her approval. I'd made a Pad Thai dish for her, knowing it was her favourite. I finally influenced her. "If my mom calls, please tell her I'm not pregnant." She stated this in the middle of her dinner.I nearly choked on my food as my eyes widened."Are you pregnant?" I questioned, puzzled. "Of course yes. She came over the other day and found a pregnancy test in my bathroom." She explained."Oh," I noted, amazed. "That explains why she's been texting me a lot more often." I am
Derek’s POVI must have looked at my watch about five times in the same minute. Why was I nervous? I've made far more risky decisions, and none have ever made my heart beat this fast. The house had already been set, our dinner table was perfect, and the garden was just as I had instructed. Clara would be arriving any moment from now, and I was almost done cooking. Everything was perfect, so why was I this nervous?I wiped the sweat off my brow. Vincent was right; my idea was stupid. What was I thinking about planning a proposal here? Surely, I could have thought of a better idea.I needed to calm down. Hopefully, she had another busy night, and she wouldn't show up.Maybe I should turn off my lights and pretend I wasn't home. But she'd walk in. That's what I get for giving her an extra key.Since we've both been tied up with work, we have dinner almost every evening. It made sense that we'd both have the keys to each other's apartments after she moved out of her mother's.I needed to
Derek POV About a month ago, my mother decided that the best way to end her obsession was to start a new one. She went and got herself a replacement kid. I don't know who in their right mind decided that it was okay for her to adopt a ten-year-old kid. I'd be fine with all this, except the kid hates me. I've done nothing wrong to him. Maybe I'm a bit biassed, but it only took one visit to know there was no longer any space for me in that house."You should be happy about this," Vincent laughed. "Your mother will finally get to fix all the mistakes she made with you. It happened to me, too." He laughed.The secretary walked in to announce that an old friend of ours, Dexter, had arrived. We were working on a new business venture, and we had been waiting for him to start our meeting officially.Dexter walked into my office as laid back as usual. He had barely changed much since I'd last met him. He had a few classes in college together.We exchanged greetings as Dexter settled himself i
Derek's POVSOME MONTH LATERI swivelled in my chair, fiddling with my pen as I tried to develop ideas. When I needed my brain the most, I couldn't think of anything. I've never felt this anxious about anything before."Are you certain that's a good idea?" I inquired of Vincent, who sat across from me.He had visited my office to discuss our new business deal. We just happened to have moved on to the next item on the agenda.He looked at me in disbelief, as if there was only one obvious answer. "Yes, which woman wouldn't want you to take her to Paris and propose to her in front of the Eiffel Tower?" He answered sarcastically. He threw his hands in the air in disbelief.As incredible as his idea sounded, that didn't sound like something Clara would want. She wasn't that sort of girl.I leaned into my chair and stared at the ceiling. I always thought the proposal would be the hardest part, but I guess so was how to propose."If you think that is too cliché, you can go on a private islan
Clara's POV I leaned on the door and peeked through to stare at Derek's motionless body. My eyes were quickly whelmed in tears. I never wanted things to end this way.Without thinking, I pushed open the door and walked in.I collapsed into his chest, held onto him tightly, and sobbed."Please wake up and get back to me; I'll do anything. I love you." I whispered. I held onto him even tighter.I wish I'd said this when he wasn't fighting for his life. There were so many things I would have loved to have done differently, but now I can't take any of it back.I suddenly froze as I felt a hand patting my head.I looked up.I blinked at Derek, who was staring back at me. For the first time, I saw clearly. Derek wasn't covered in bandages or had wounds all over his face, as I expected."It's okay, I'm alright." He answered.I wiped away the tears, my vision becoming clearer. "You are not hurt?" I asked, finally realising what had happened."No, but I will be if you continue squeezing me li
Clara's POVDAYS LATERIt took a few days before the doctors could clear me out and send me home. I was being discharged today, and I had decided it would be the start of my new life.Derek hasn't come over as much, at least not to see me. It meant he was starting to get it. This way, we'd both be able to move on eventually.I was packing the few items Mom had brought to make me more comfortable when I heard a knock on my door. Layla peeked through the door before walking in.She has been responsible for ensuring a fresh batch of flowers in my room every day. She visited me a few times. I was glad she never pushed anything between Derek and me. Without me explaining, she said she understood.Today, there was something different about her. She didn't look like she was dressed for the runway, nor did she carry around her fancy handbag. She was wearing flat shoes. I noticed her eyes were red."I'm so sorry I haven't visited you much in the last few days. How are you, sweetheart?" she ask
Clara’s POV I was relieved when the nurse announced I'd have a visitor until I saw who it was.The sound of the walking stick should have been enough to know who it was. I could have used the time to pretend I was dead or, better still, leave the room,m but I was foolishly hopeful.Derek's grandfather walked into my room with his usual sinister look and a mightier-than-thou attitude.He looked over at me and smirked. "You don't look too bad. I guess everyone exaggerated how bad you were." He commented. If my hand weren't connected to an IV, I'd be the one leaving this room. He was here for a peace offering."Why are you here?" I asked."Don't worry," he replied, raising his hand. "I won't be here for too long. I wanted to be here in person to ensure my message was clear. I hope you liked my flowers." He smiled. "It's funny how I've tried to make sure you and I don't end up as a family, yet here we are." He chuckled. "You've cost me a lot lately, you and all your recent drama." He pau
Clara's POV I understood him, too. I made many bad decisions that I thought were good at the time, and he reacted that way because of it. I should have never done any of what I did, either. I know and understand that lies can never be good.But I wish things were different."You should leave," I finally replied. My mouth became dry, perhaps because I knew I was about to tell one final lie."Of course, you need some rest. I'll see you in the morning." He concluded. He smiled weakly and leaned in to kiss me on my forehead."You shouldn't come back," I added as he pulled away.He stared at me with confusion, but he dismissed whatever he was thinking as his face lightened up. "Of course, I'll be here," he answered.I shook my head at him. "You shouldn't come back to see me, not today or ever. We should end this. Everything that did or didn't happen, all of it." I explained."You should get some rest. We are not thinking right now; so many things have already happened on the same day," he
Clara's POVI woke up to a beeping sound and bright lights around me.All the anxiety rushed in. It took me a while to calm down and realise I was no longer tied up there. I was safe. I still couldn't close my eyes and not reimagine everything. I wish I could forget everything. About a month ago, I never imagined my life would turn out this way.The sedatives were wearing off when my family came rushing into my room.Mom and Katy were the first to strangle me with their hugs and kisses. Soon enough, my room was covered in flowers and soon balloons got well.It was a relief to see everyone again. I thought I never would.We spoke for hours and even cried. You never know how to appreciate these small moments until they can be taken away.I was glad to hear that the woman had finally been arrested. I hope she is locked away somewhere she can never hurt anyone again. Although everything seemed to settle, I couldn't help but think the real storm would soon follow.A nurse stopped by multip