Clara's POV
"Clara!"
The pool turned out to be as deep as a man-made lake, and it was hard for me to stay afloat. James quickly took off his suit and was ready to jump in.
"James, what do you think you're going to do?” But Zoe stopped him.
“You're going to get your clothes soaked! Just let the waiters do the job."
I made my way to the edge, searching for a spot to grip and pull myself up. But this chill numbs my body, and my dress severely limits my movement.
"Just let her, James; she wouldn't have fallen if she didn't act so stupid."
The waiters quickly came over soon after. Someone quickly came down to help me get to the edge of the water faster, and then they lifted me out. "Here's the towel ma'am, you can also change your clothes if you want."
Zoe then reached out and touched me, but I immediately pushed her hand away.
"Clara? What's wrong with you? I just wanted to help you. Look, you're all soaked. You need to dry off soon to avoid getting sick. Come to the bathroom; let me help you."
If it weren't for her, I would have just dived into the pool.
"Save your help for yourself; I don't need it."
"James, you heard that. I just wanted to help Clara..."
I brushed her off and was ready to leave them when James' strong grip seized my wrist.
"What’s going on with you? Zoe offered her help, and this is how you express your appreciation?"
I got away from him and rolled my eyes. Of course, James didn't notice that Zoe tripped me up until I fell. He couldn't see what was behind that pretty face because he loved this woman so much.
"I'm heading home; I don't want to have this argument, James," I said, tired.
"You'll only leave if I allow you to leave."
"James, are you out of your mind?" I was in disbelief.
My soaked clothes clung to my body, leaving little to the imagination, yet he chose to hold me back rather than let me go.
"We need to talk." James snapped then pulling me away from Zoe.
"There's no need to talk. Are you sure you don't want to involve Zoe as well?"
I could see how she didn't want me and James having some minutes just the two of us.
"Clara, you've gone too far tonight. You made a trivial problem into a big one. Your attitude is so childish. And look now what you did; you embarrassed yourself. Don't you feel ashamed?"
"Zoe tripped my leg."
"Stop making up stupid stories like that; Zoe wouldn't do something like that. I know her; she wouldn't harm a fly, much less anyone else."
The sound of his voice made my chest hurt. Now I realize that James rarely yelled at me, even though he was always cold. It hurt even more to know that in his eyes, I was the wrong one.
My hands trembled slightly as I recalled that what had just happened could have had dire consequences for the baby. I have endangered our unborn baby.
"From the start, you were the one who treated her poorly. Zoe was thrilled to meet you and hopes she can become good friends with you." James remarked
But he didn't understand. I lost him to her. Given our positions, how could James believe we could be close, let alone good friends?
"What do you want me to do then?"
"Apologize to Zoe right now. Tell her that you regret what you did and say you will not repeat this behavior."
I remained silent which made him lose his patience. Then I felt James' hard slap land on my cheek painfully.
"I said right now. It's not too late to fix your mistake, Clara. You've upset me with your attitude tonight."
Zoe is truly like a diamond in James' eyes, while I'm just like mere refuse in comparison. I stared directly into his eyes; I didn't care anymore if he noticed my tears.
"I hate you, James." I shoved his tall body with all my strength until he stumbled backward.
"Clara!"
I ran as fast as I could, leaving the restaurant.
*****
My heels have snapped. My sprained ankle from when I fell into the pool earlier is still quite painful to walk on. Yet, that paled in comparison to the unexplainable ache in my chest.
I strolled down the sidewalk aimlessly and paused in front of a shuttered kiosk to check my reflection in the glass. My cheeks were red and sore, my clothes all damp and my hair was disheveled; I looked just like someone who had lost their mind.
"Clara!" A hand clasped my arm from behind.
"Lily?!" I didn't expect to run into my cousin here. "How did you get here?"
Lily gently held my face, taking in the chaotic state of my makeup and the tears streaming down my cheeks.
"I followed you. Damn, you're a mess, Clara. James didn't make any effort to at least take you home, did he?"
I shook my head slowly. "D-do you have any idea what went down?"
"I was at the restaurant with my friends earlier when I noticed someone who resembled you hurrying out. So I decided to chase after you, and here you are."
My gaze dropped. Feeling embarrassed. I must have looked so silly.
"Hey, what's going on? Did you quarrel with James? How the hell are you all soaked? Oh, and who was that beautiful woman I saw with you two earlier? I've never seen her before."
"I-I'll tell you everything later.." I had no idea how to begin, "But please, don't tell anyone about this yet. I don't want to tarnish his name."
Gossip like this spreads like wildfire; and for someone like him, it could lead to a scandal. I don't want to put him in that kind of trouble.
"Okay.." Lily replied, easing my tension. "For now, do you have any plans where you'll go?"
My phone is dead. I need to change right away since I start to shiver. Yet I don't know where to go; returning to James' house isn't an option for now.
Is he planning to bring Zoe to his house tonight? Will they sleep together?
I shook my head, banishing the haunting thought.
"I'm not sure, Lily; perhaps I'll rent an apartment."
Lily let out a sigh. "Ah, so you did quarrel with your husband. Let's just go back to my house then."
Clara's POV"You can stay in your old room," Lily said as we reached the second floor of my uncle's house."Is it alright for you to bring me here?" I’m asking because I remember Auntie Jena doesn’t like having me at her house at all."Yes. Don't worry about Mom and Dad, I will speak to them.""Thank you so much, Lily."When Lily left, I stepped into my old bedroom. This space was once a storehouse; this room just had a single bed and a wardrobe, we didn't have money to purchase additional furniture back then. Once I got married, it looked like my uncle and aunt decided to leave this room unoccupied. I got into the shower and slipped into my old pajamas. Then a wave of drowsiness washed over me, and I drifted off to sleep. The sun was shining brilliantly when I woke up the next morning. I hopped into the shower and threw on some clothes. I was brushing my hair when there was a knock echoed from the door. "Wait a minute..." I rushed to open the door and saw David, my older cousin, s
Clara's POV"How could James did that to you?” Emma asked. “He is a jerk." She's my only friend, the first person I call as soon as I step out of my uncle's house. No one from my family has reached out to me in the last few days, but I’m not surprised since they’ve never really been there for me.No one cares where I am or what I'm doing. But I was thankful I still have Emma. She stayed over and gave me some support."Because the love of his life has returned, so James wants to end our marriage," I said.Emma grasped my hand firmly."I know you can stop loving him and get through all of this, Clara; you are truly one of the most resilient people I've ever known.""Thanks. I will start looking for a job from now on." I've realized that I can no longer rely on James. "I need to take care of myself and the baby-" I promptly shut my mouth. Nearly let it slip!"What do you mean? What's baby?"I shook my head. "Forget it. I sometimes say nonsense. Tomorrow we leave at 8, right?" I change t
Clara's POV"Oh, I don't mean any offense, but honestly, I was surprised to see you here in that ridiculous outfit. By the way, what are you doing? Do you work as their sales girl?" Zoe chuckled softly.I noticed the sarcasm reflected in her gaze."Whatever I do is none of your business, Miss Sinclair. Excuse me, I have to go back." I cut her off; I didn't want to have any conversation with her.But Zoe stopped me just as I was ready to leave her. She raised her left hand in front of my face, and the breathtaking diamond ring that was on her finger immediately drew my attention."Call me Mrs. Morgan." She said with delight, "Isn't this beautiful? This is not our official wedding ring, but James insisted I purchase it. He said it would look very beautiful on my finger."The ring was indeed gorgeous, with a large diamond that sparkled brilliantly. The cost must have been very high. I held my clothes tightly, the weight of my wedding ring still resting on my finger.And It was just a coup
Clara's POVKeith and I were both shocked to see each other here. From what I know, he was in charge of a international branch of Morgan's business group. He lives with James' grandfather.When did he get back? "Oh, hey Keith." I greet hesitantly, placing the drink on the table, "When did you come back?" "Yesterday." Keith offered a comforting smile that instantly eased the tension in the room. “Great to see you again, Clara. How are you? Are you with James now?"I know Keith noticed my uniform, yet he chose not to ask about it. I understand he wants to avoid further awkwardness and I genuinely respect him for that. "I'm doing well." I turned to Bill. "Now may I excuse myself? Some things need to be tidied up in the back." And as soon as he nodded, I quickly made my way back.Once the exhibition concluded and we wrapped up the cleaning, I was ready to head home with Emma when I noticed a sleek black Mercedes Benz parked in the lot. I squinted and spotted Keith gesturing at me.Af
Clara's POV"I'm talking to you, Clara; answer me. Have you gone mute?" James' tone was intense.When I dare to meet his gaze, all softness has vanished. His gaze was filled with nothing but disdain and revulsion as he looked at me."I-" I wanted to tell him that he had no power to stop me from leaving, especially since he had already made it clear that he chose Zoe.Did he forget what happened between us at the restaurant? But I felt like my lips were sealed tight."Hold on, I invited Clara because I thought you'd appreciate this, James; it's supposed to be a surprise. What happened between you two?"Keith glances back and forth between me and James, a look of confusion on his face.James didn't spare him a glance; his gaze remained fixed on me while I felt lost where to start.My pregnancy, Zoe's presence, our divorce..."Take it easy, love," Zoe put her hand on James' arm; she tried to soothe his anger. It did work. His expression softened instantly."I'm sure we can solve this pro
Clara's POV"Oh James, my head is spinning, and it hurts," Zoe complained, pressing her temple where it had collided with the table. "I'm sorry, Zoe. I didn't see you at all," James calmed her down while trying to check on Zoe's condition.The moment James's demeanor shifted completely when he talked to Zoe, it felt as if I had been hit by a bolt of lightning, leaving me utterly speechless.The only thing that brought me back to awareness was this ache in my stomach. A wave of anxiety washed over me as I remembered the condition of my baby at that moment.'Stupid me! I have endangered my baby again!'"Are you alright?" I felt Keith's hand on my shoulder as he helped me stand up. Keith asked as he noticed my hand that was gripping my stomach tightly. "Where does it hurt?""My belly... I think it hit the table a little hard.." I responded with a stutter, trying to suppress the intensifying pain.Not long after, the waiters and a man who seemed to be the manager of this restaurant hurrie
Clara’s POV"I will, Clara. I promise this secret is safe with me." Keith finally said though I know his heart weighed down"Promise?" I extended my pinky. We sealed it with a pinky promise. We chuckled, realizing how we had transformed into little kids."I love seeing you laugh." Keith said. "Clara, may I touch your belly?"I nodded at his seemingly innocent demeanor. Keith placed his hand on my belly as if he could sense the baby moving inside."You can't feel it yet, Keith; at this moment, the baby is just about the size of a strawberry." I smiled, yet there was a heaviness in my heart, knowing that this moment belonged to James, not his brother."When will I be able to feel it move?""That's a few more months to go."Keith responded, "I'll be here when that day arrives, Clara."A few days later.I was relieved Keith at least kept his promise to keep my pregnancy a secret. This morning, after enjoying breakfast and preparing for my job interview at a famous bakery, I heard Emma hav
Clara's POVZoe finally noticed me in the doorway, her expression silent, yet she shot me, 'Are you surprised to see me here?' look.How could I have possibly missed the fact that I would likely see her again if I returned to this house?"Oh, you're finally here. Thank you, Eda, for bringing her to me, even though I had to wait for quite a while. Now you can leave us." Zoe saidEda seemed unsure, but in the end, she left with a look of regret. I fixed my eyes on Zoe; what new plan was she concocting this time?"So this is your new assistant that you hired, Zoe? Are you sure you still want to hire her? She's already late on her first day. Imagine how awful her performance moving forward."Even though Zoe's friend spoke in a low tone, every word was distinctly audible to me."And are you sure you want to hire such a young and beautiful housemaid? I don't mean to fan the flames, Zoe, but you know cases of bosses having affairs with their maids are quite common."I clenched my fists tightl
Clara's POVI didn't even have a moment to respond to Miss Olivia because the next second, I rushed out of my apartment, headed downstairs, and jumped into my car to drive off. It was already nighttime. It was already dark outside. Of course, what else could you expect? It was nearly nighttime.My daughter still wasn't back home. My heart raced with panic and fear. I pushed through the pain as my burning hand clutched the steering wheel firmly. The streets buzzed with workers returning home after a long day at the office.As soon as the green light lit up, I hit the gas without hesitation. I nearly hit someone who was about to cross the street and I noticed her spit on my car. Right away, I felt a wave of guilt wash over me. I nearly put her in a dangerous situation.This urgency made me speed up as much as I could. I realized I needed to make it there right away. When I got to school, I parked the car haphazardly and hopped out. I sprinted toward the building, heading straight for
Clara's POVAs soon as I got to my restaurant, it was crowded with people. I noticed some of the last customers rushing out; I think Diana has informed them that we’re temporarily not accepting dine-in. As soon as I reached my car, my eyes caught a glimpse of black smoke rising into the blue sky, and my heart sank instantly.Without a second thought, I rushed straight to the source of the chaos: my kitchen. I pushed through the back door, even though I could see the firefighters working to extinguish the flames, and it was obvious they weren't allowing anyone else in at the moment. But my mind was so clouded with panic that I couldn't think clearly.I burst through in a panic, and a thick cloud of smoke hit me, stinging my eyes and searing my lungs. Suddenly, a hand pulled me out without warning."Ma'am please stay right here! They need to extinguish the flame first until everything is safe for us!"I knew it was Diana's voice. She was right, but I was too overwhelmed and anxious to r
James' POVI think Clara really took her daughter out of there after our encounter earlier. Because I haven't seen them anywhere though I've been searching for them for a while. Maybe if I had gone after her right away I wouldn't lose her track like this. I set my time to come to this place just to see her, but now she's gone.Why is that? The question keeps echoing in my mind. What makes her so anxious about me being close to her daughter? She treated me like I had a past of kidnapping and selling children, now viewing me as a danger to her kid.Her final words, when I brought up the father of her daughter who wasn't able to attend this event, lingered in my mind.Why is she bringing up our past relationship? About the way I treated her back then? Yeah, I used to be awful to her, and I regret it now. But why does it have to do with the absence of her daughter's father?I tried to figure out how old her daughter was and the year Clara pretended to die just to get away from me. If I'
Clara's POVJames remained unfazed by my threat, and it frustrated me. It frustrates me to realize that even now, after gaining some power and not feeling as weak as I once did, It is still not enough to stand against him, let alone beat him."Clara, don’t you think your attitude is a little too much? I just ask about where your daughter is; I have no desire to harm her at all. Please don't take this the wrong way." He went into detail.But I chose not to be deceived. I could tell what he was really thinking; he asked where Layla was so he could harm her.“Oh, I get it, your daughter is one of those kids who performs, right? She’s one of those talented kids. It's a shame you're the only one here to see this." He said.I lost my temper. His words got under my skin. "What does that mean, James?" "Where's her dad? He should be here with you to see her talent shine. Why aren't you inviting him to a special event like this?"I balled my fists. "If it weren't for what you did to me, Layla
Clara's POV“Is the camera all set, mommy? You remembered to bring it, didn't you?" Layla asked.We made our way to her school. With one hand on the steering wheel, I dug into my bag with the other. As soon as I discovered what she was referring to, I pulled it out and presented it to her. "Of course, I remember."She smiled with satisfaction, and I couldn't help but smile back. I just wanted to ensure she wouldn't have to stress about anything. Today, I made it a point to ensure the show was thoroughly documented, so we could watch it later, just like I promised her yesterday.We got to Layla's school ten minutes later. I parked the car, and we jumped out. When we got there, the school was already pretty packed with the students mostly her classmates already hanging out. Most of them were accompanied by their parents.I noticed Layla's gaze swapped around before she looked at me "Where's Uncle Keith?"Keith couldn't give us a ride because he had an unexpected meeting at his office
Selena's POVSeeing Clara here in Keith's apartment hit me like a ton of bricks. What made it even more annoying was not only her presence, but the fact that they were in each other's embrace so tightly. I was also surprised to see she still had the nerve to come to Keith after how she just ruined the dinner with his family last time. How can someone be so shameless and completely devoid of guilt like she is?I stood there, taking in the scene before me, feeling a sharp pang of jealousy in my chest. I saw Keith's hand wrapped around her waist, holding her close. It made me want to pull him away from her. I realized I couldn't watch it any longer, so I jumped in.Once I successfully separated them, I tell my purpose for being here. I'm here to follow up on the promise Keith made to me a few days back and to make sure that Clara isn't going to ruin our agenda.Clara's expression shifted instantly when she learned that I wanted Keith to drive me to my filming location. I could tell she
Clara's POVI found myself lost in thought as I drove into Keith's apartment. Layla's words kept echoing in my mind, and I just couldn't shake them off.How she wants a father figure to be present at the performance. She wouldn't care if it was all just a facade, even if it was only for a day, as long as she could experience a moment with both of her parents there. My heart felt like it was being crushed, and I didn't pay attention to driving until I nearly went off the road.I blinked and let out a deep breath. I always made sure she never felt like she was missing out on anything. I was overly sure that I had managed to provide her with a joyful perfect life, not realizing there was one part she needed that I could never truly provide.I would never be able to provide a father figure for her.The life she lives now is a result of the choice I made six years ago when I chose to conceal my pregnancy and leave James behind for good.'It's all your fault.' A voice in my head starts to w
Clara's POVA week later.I stood with the other parents, listening for my daughter's name to be announced. The classroom was nearly vacant when the teacher finally called my daughter's name. With a sigh of relief, I stood up from my chair and walked over to the stunning woman wearing square glasses.Olivia Webber, Layla's teacher, welcomed me with a warm smile. “Miss Russel, it’s great to see you again after such a long time. I'm so excited to share Layla's accomplishments with you!" She said.I took a seat in front of her and smiled. I felt relieved because, despite the long vacation that required me to take her to New York, Layla managed to keep up with the lessons. "I’m sorry Layla had to take such a long day off from school a few months back," I said.Miss Olivia flashed me a knowing smile “No worries. Layla is an incredibly smart kid, and I have no doubt she can keep up effortlessly. See? She proved it through her outstanding academic performance this semester."Then she we
Clara's POVIris Morgan's cry echoed through the room as Keith pulled her close with his arm.I was standing in the corner of the room, feeling completely out of place and unsure of what to do. I wanted to do something to support Keith and comfort her, but I wasn't sure if they would be open to it. I came to understand that, I was partly responsible for this situation."Mom you may stop your cry. Look I'm not going anywhere. So stop worrying." Keith said as his mother now stopped sobbing.But tears still streaked down her face now as they stared at each other.Iris said with a shaky voice, "How can I not worry when this is the first time I've seen you change so much? I hardly recognize the son I brought into this world anymore."Keith shook his head. He let out a sigh that sounded tired "What do you even mean? Nothing has changed here? I'm still your son."Selena walked over with a glass of water and passed it to Iris. The woman accepted it and expressed her gratitude to Selena. Sele