Chapter 9: We Are Legally Married, You Are My WifeHis face was too close that I could feel his breathing, his deep amber eyes were as mesmerizing as the day I first saw them clearly, in his office. I totally understand why I went with him that night and risked it. And I am not sure whether I should be grateful or not that he does not remember me, that he does not know me. That I had spent a night with him before.Well, he probably often beds women he meets at bars for a night. I was no different from them. I was just a thing for a night, then that is it.“You think you can run away from me, huh? How cute,” he smirked and then turned around, gulping another of his liquor. I frowned at his mocking, and walked to my room, badly desperate to shower and change into cleaner clothing.
Chapter 10: Drop the Act, Claire. I Knew You“I am really sorry about yesterday. What happened?”“I… someone snatched my bag. And I panicked and you were the one who entered my mind immediately and who could help me here in the city. But it is okay now, the police were only able to recover my phone, and my bag, it seems they only wanted the cash.” I lied, I know. But no matter how much I wanted to tell her everything that happened on the weekends, from getting kicked out by my father, to being used as a payment and well, getting married to a billionaire, I was given a gag order by my very nice husband.“Well, are you okay? They did not hurt you or anything, no?” she asked worriedly. She had always been the only friend who remained by my side since college. She had always been there for me and helped me in man
Chapter 11: A Ticket to ParisTwo things had been bothering my mind since I got home, to his unit. I believe I could call this home from now on. First was his past relationship and why he married me instead of going after her, and second, was the thing of the past year, does he remember? I stared at the back of his head while he was watching the city lights, wondering what was going on in his head.“What is it?” he uttered while his eyes remained on the view in front of him.“Huh?”“I could feel your eyes watching me, Claire.” he replied.“What made you decide to get married? Why me? You do not know me.” I said, giving him a question in the hope of getting an answer to th
Chapter 12- Departure: Alone After DarkI knew it would come to this, what did I even expect?But was this not what I wanted in the first place? To not be chained to him and to have my freedom? To live my own life. Probably, I got too attached in that very short period of living with him, or perhaps, I was too delusional.Yes, that’s right. It was my delusion. He was just nice at some times, but overall, he was nonchalant, he did not care, and we were just coexisting.And tomorrow on, he would not be at home. I should be happy that I have the whole unit to myself, but, why do I feel like I am being cheated on? I chuckled sarcastically to myself and I sighed as I walked to the loading zone where I would wait for a cab. I do not want to be late on my first day. I ha
Chapter 13: His ReturnFor seven long days, the apartment echoed with silence, devoid of the usual presence of Alex. At first, I tried to convince myself that his absence was a welcome relief, an opportunity to embrace the solitude and focus on my work. However, as the days passed by, the emptiness of the unit became increasingly noticeable and kind of suffocating. I kept wondering when would the door open and reveal Alex. But it has been a week. I want to call it freedom; a freedom that I wanted since day 1, but I do not seem to enjoy it for I am looking forward to something that would return anytime. Hopefully.I get to pass my proposal today that I threw myself into every while I come home. The assistant manager, Mr. Twine to whom I was ordered to pass the proposal glanced through the paper with an indifferent expression. His eyes, hidden behind the lenses of his glasses, flicked through the pages in what felt like mere seconds. I held my breath, aw
Chapter 14: Happy Birthday, AlexI was only able to muster some courage to ask him where he had been a few days after his arrival, even though I already knew where he went, I still asked since after he arrived, he had been quiet all day and night, despite living in the same unit and eating in the same kitchen, we did not speak to each other.“So, if I may ask if you do not mind. Where have you been?”“Why do you care?” he retorted.“I am your wife. Am I not?” I replied, stabbing the lettuce from my plate.“On papers, yes. But mind your own business.”And so I did, as advised by my very own husband, then silence followed, with only t
Chapter 15: Meeting Alessandro VermontI had no choice but to carry the loads of papers in my arms and go back to the conference room to distribute these files. The other employees on our floor just glanced and some stared at me while I passed them by, and no one offered to help, as expected, they must be one of those who hold grudges and judgments towards me. Making my way to the conference room was no easy task with my pencil skirt and high heeled footwear, adding to the struggle in reaching the conference room. But what choice do I have but to suck it all up for this is what I have requested, to have a job, rather than stay in the unit the whole day and night. It has been more than a month and I have only saved up a portion of my salary since I do also have some personal expenses incurred, and a week ago I was also compelled by my step mother to send them money since my father was rushed to the hospital. I k
Chapter 16Dancing With Another Man“So, tell me about it, where do you work now?” Tanya asked loudly to my ears after taking a sip of her vodka spritz.The DJs set was fire and the dance floor was filled with dancing bodies, going with the beat, and swaying with the fast rhythm of the music. The room was shrouded in darkness, pierced intermittently by vibrant laser lights that cut through the smoky haze, creating an almost surreal, dreamlike atmosphere. The lights flash in rhythmic patterns, painting the walls and the gyrating bodies in neon blues, reds, and greens. The smell of alcohol clung to the air, mingling with the faint scent of smoke from the fog machines that added to the club's theme. Waitresses walked through the crowd, balancing trays of drinks high above their heads, barely navigating the chaos.
Chapter 81: The ProposalClaire's hands trembled as she fought to shut the door. Her voice was low and angry, almost a hiss, "Leave, Alex. Leave. I don’t want you here." But no matter how hard she pushed, Alex's grip on the door was stronger. He wasn't letting go this time.She glared at him, her heart pounding in her chest, but the truth was, his sudden presence after all these months had unraveled her. She was pregnant, alone, and already emotionally exhausted. Seeing Alex, of all people, standing in front of her only intensified everything she had bottled up inside. Her emotions clashed violently. The man she loved — the man who had hurt her — was standing just inches away.“I’m not leaving,” Alex said firmly, his voice filled with a quiet desperation. “Claire, please… just let me talk to you.”Tears pricked at the corners of Claire’s eyes as she struggled with her emotions. She wanted to hate him, to push him away and protect herself from any more pain. But as she stood there, fac
Chapter 80: Leave, AlexTanya’s sharp voice cut through the phone after the nonstop calls from Alex. "What do you want, Alex?" Now that he learned about Claire’s pregnancy, he couldn’t calm down, and the search for her was too slow and it was making him restless, he could not just sit down and wait. There was an easier way, and that was through Tanya, so he reached out to her multiple times.Alex took a deep breath, steadying his nerves. "I need to know where Claire is." Silence. Tanya refused to reply. She promised Claire that she would not tell a soul where she was."I know she's pregnant, Tanya," Alex continued, his voice betraying a hint of desperation. "I need to find her. I need to be with her."Tanya’s sigh crackled through the phone. “Pregnant or not, you’ve lost the right to know where she is. You made your choices, Alex. Now, Claire’s making hers.”Alex closed his eyes, pushing back the frustration. “I understand how it looks. I made mistakes — I was so focused on the compa
Chapter 79: His Child“We’ve found something,” Jones’s voice said, pulling Alex from his haze.“What is it?” Alex asked, straightening up in his chair, suddenly alert.“We tracked down Tanya’s relatives in the Philippines. Took a while, but we’ve confirmed a connection. She’s got a cousin there, and from what we can tell, Claire could be staying with them.”Alex felt a rush of adrenaline, a flicker of hope he hadn’t felt in weeks. Finally, there was something concrete.“Do we know where they live?” he asked, his tone sharp, all business now.“Not yet, but we’re working on it. We’ll need to send someone over, a private investigator. We’ve already got people on the ground following up leads, but it’s delicate. We’ll need time.”“How much time?”“Could take a couple of weeks, maybe more. We’re doing everything we can.”Weeks. The word echoed in Alex’s mind. Claire could be slipping further away every moment that passed, but there was no other option. He had to be patient. Something he ha
Chapter 78: MiserableThe following days passed in a blur of frustration, alcohol, and regret. Alex could not shake the feeling of loss, the gnawing emptiness that had settled in his chest since Claire disappeared. He had always prided himself on being in control, on having everything within his grasp, of everything going his way. But now, everything felt like it was slipping through his fingers like he was not in control of things anymore. Claire had become an unforeseen factor that was driving his life into ruin. His apartment, once filled with the quiet presence of Claire, felt cold and empty. It was not just the absence of her physical presence — it was the absence of the warmth and life she had brought into his space. Without her, the apartment felt like a hollow shell, a reflection of the growing void inside him. Before, he never minded, he never noticed, for he never let anyone in ever again after Aubrey Chen, but somehow, Claire made everything different. The once cold and ho
Chapter 77: Can't Hide ForeverThe phone rang again, its shrill tone slicing through the suffocating silence of Alex’s office. He was slouched in his chair, a half empty glass of whiskey resting on the edge of his desk. The burn of alcohol did little to numb the persistent ache gnawing at him ever since Claire disappeared. For a few seconds, he stared at the phone, considering letting it ring, as if ignoring the call could somehow silence the storm raging inside him.But something about the persistent ringing was tugging him from his haze. With a frustrated sigh, he reached for the phone.“Yes?” he answered when he recognized the caller, his voice rough and groggy from drinking all day.“Sir, it is Jones,” came the steady, familiar voice of his security head. “We have finally tracked down Claire’s last known whereabouts.”Alex straightened in his chair, his heartbeat quickening. “Go on,” he urged, gripping the phone tightly.“She boarded a flight to the Philippines. We confirmed it th
Chapter 76: Fight for HerAlex pulled out his phone, staring at Tanya's contact. She had always been close to Claire, her best friend. If anyone knew where Claire had gone, it would be her. With a deep breath, Alex tapped her name and waited for the line to connect.The dial tone rang once, twice, then a click as Tanya picked up."Hello? " Tanya's voice came through, cautious.Alex cleared his throat. “Tanya, it is Alex.”There was a pause on the other end. "What do you want, Alex?"“I need to talk to you. About Claire.” His voice was firm but not demanding. He did not want to escalate things, but he needed answers. “I need to know where she is.”Tanya scoffed, the sound sharp and unforgiving. “You need to know where she is? Are you serious? After everything, Alex? After all those photos of you and Aubrey?”“It is not what you think,” he started, but Tanya cut him off.“Oh, it is exactly what I think. Do you think I did not see the articles? The photos? Claire saw them too, Alex. She
Chapter 75: ClosureA few days had passed since the divorce papers landed on Alex’s desk, and despite that he had pushed the papers in his table drawers, out of his sight, the fact that he had to make a decision and the existence of CClaire’s signature on the paper did not leave his mind. The cold reality of Claire’s absence became more noticeable as he moved through his daily routines. She was gone, and there was no escaping it. He tried to bury himself in his work, as he always had when things got complicated, but this time, even Vermont Corp. could not keep his mind from drifting back to her, in addition to the relentless inquiry of Alessandro Vermont about Claire each article he had read on the internet about Aubrey Chen. Alex never had an answer to them and just let his father get mad over it, accusing Alex of manipulating him to get the position he had wanted, only abiding by the conditions he had set to get what he wanted, and now that he had it, he had completely neglected his
Chapter 74: Life He Wanted, Needed"Mr. Vermont, this just arrived for you," one of the assistant secretaries in his office said, placing it on his desk.Alex barely glanced at it, offering a distracted nod. "Thanks, just leave it there," he replied, his eyes still on the screen. He had been engrossed in back to back meetings, discussing expansion strategies, reviewing reports, and making decisions that would impact the company’s future. His mind was occupied with the endless responsibilities that came with being the new president.The envelope remained unopened on the corner of his desk until he finished reviewing a lengthy financial report and he finally reached for it, intending to deal with it quickly before moving on to the next task.He frowned looking at the envelope with only the return address of Humprey’s Law Firm printed on it. He had no idea as to why the law firm had sent him papers knowing that he was not facing any lawsuits or any legal matter which if it involved the c
Chapter 73: The AnomalyThe soft murmur of conversation and the clinking of glasses surrounded Alex and Aubrey as they finished their dinner at one of New York's most exclusive restaurants. The dim lighting cast a warm glow over the elegantly set table, making the evening feel almost intimate despite the public setting. Alex glanced at Aubrey, who was smiling softly as she swirled the last of her wine in her glass."That was lovely," Aubrey said, her voice smooth and melodic. She set her glass down and looked at him with a satisfied expression. "It has been a while since I have had such a relaxing dinner."Alex nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. "I’m glad you enjoyed it." He signaled the waiter, who promptly brought the bill. As Alex reached for his wallet, he could not help but notice the flicker of movement outside the restaurant's large windows. Paparazzi. They had been spotted.It had started with a few people recognizing them, whispers spread through the restaurant like w