Claire’s POV
I spun around toward the source of the voice and saw Sissy standing at the doorway, her arms crossed and her eyes blazing with anger.
"Was he the reason you ran away and ca here?" She snapped, her glare piercing through .
I swallowed hard, knowing I was about to get an earful. "Sissy, I—"
"We had an important eting after the contract signing yesterday! Do you know how bad your image looks to the entire cast now?" She interrupted, her tone sharp and unforgiving.
"Baby," I said softly, turning my attention to Eliam, who peeked out from behind nervously as his tiny hands were clutching on my dress for comfort. "Go to your daddy for a while. I will co out once I have finished talking with my friend, okay?"
Eliam hesitated, his big, worried eyes darting between Sissy and . Before I could reassure him further, the nanny appeared at the door.
"Forgive for the interruption, ma’am, but I will take Young Master from here," she said with a gentle smile, stepping into the room.
"Thank you," I whispered, giving Eliam a quick hug before releasing him into her care. He glanced back at one last ti. His face looked unsure as his eyes were filled with worries, but he followed the nanny obediently.
Once the door clicked shut, I turned back to Sissy, her anger still palpable.
"Sissy, I know I ssed up, but—"
"You didn’t just ss up, Claire! You vanished!" She exclaid, throwing her hands up in frustration. "Do you have any idea what people are saying? They think you are unreliable, careless, and unprofessional!"
Her words were strict and right, but I tried to keep my composure. "I didn’t an to cause problems, Sissy. I really had a situation at hand. I couldn’t do anything and for the contract, I needed ti to..."
"Ti? Ti for what?" She asked, her voice softening just a fraction as she took a step closer. "Claire, you are one of the most talented people I know, but you are not acting like it. What’s going on with you?"
I looked away, unable to et her gaze. How could I explain everything in such a few words? So many things had happened, and yet I couldn’t co up with the right words to tell her everything.
"Fine! I will fix it," I finally said, my voice quiet but determined. "I will show them I am not unreliable. Just give a chance, Sissy."
Her expression softened further as she let out a sigh. "You would better. You are too good to let this ruin your career, Claire."
I nodded, a small wave of relief washing over . Sissy might be tough, but I knew she cared about more than anything in the world. Now it was up to to prove her faith in wasn’t misplaced.
"So, what’s up?" Sissy asked, taking out of my thoughts. Her piercing gaze fixated upon . "Why did you co here in the first place? What’s really going on? Wasn’t this the place you didn’t want to co ever!?"
I hesitated as I bit my lip. I searched for the right words. "I... I told you, Sissy. I had a situation that I couldn’t compromise on," I said, my voice faltering slightly. "I had to be here. I didn’t have a choice."
Her brows furrowed, skepticism etched on her face. "A situation? What kind of situation, Claire? You are not making any sense. Do you know how bad it looked when you didn’t show up?"
I exhaled slowly, trying to steady myself. "I know it was unprofessional, and I already said I am sorry. But I had to be here for Eliam. He needed ."
"Eliam?" Sissy’s expression frowned her brows, but her frustration didn’t fade entirely. "Claire, I understand you see him as your son, but you are also a professional. You have worked so hard to build your career—why throw it away like this?"
"I am not throwing it away," I said firmly, eting her gaze. "I am trying to balance everything, Sissy. I can’t just abandon him when he needs the most. He is my priority."
"Hah!" Sissy scoffed as she sat on the corner of the bed as she gestured at the couch in front of the bed as her expression was filled with disbelief. "How is he your priority, Claire? Let’s be real. He is not even your son! He might be the product of so mistress your ex-husband fooled around with. Are you seriously telling you are going to waste your energy taking care of another woman’s child?"
Her words hit like a slap, cold and cutting. I froze, my breath hitching in my chest. Of all the things she could have said, I never expected this. Slowly, I raised my eyes to et hers, my anger bubbling under the surface.
"Can you use your words wisely?" I snapped, my voice low but firm. My each words were laced with controlled fury. "You have no right to talk about them like that. Especially Eliam!"
Sissy’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, but I wasn’t done.
"He is just a child, Sissy!" I continued as I rose to my feet and stepped closer to her. "An innocent, loving little boy who has done nothing to deserve such cruel words. Whatever mistakes adults make, he shouldn’t have to carry their bla."
She blinked, her expression faltering montarily before she crossed her arms again as if to prove her words right. "I didn’t an it like that—"
"No, you did," I interrupted, my tone sharper now. "And it’s not okay. I won’t let anyone, not even you, speak about Eliam as if he is so burden or mistake. He is my responsibility, and if I have chosen to love and care for him, that’s my decision. Not yours. Not anyone else’s."
"Are you really out of your mind?" Sissy rose to her feet and...
Reviews
All reviews (0)