Sissy rolled her eyes dramatically, crossing her arms as she stared at Claire in disbelief. "Nope! I can’t believe this! You must be possessed!" She grabbed Claire’s hand with mock urgency and started dragging her along.
"Co with ! Let take you to a holy priest!" Sissy exclaid, her voice full of exaggerated concern.
Claire yanked her hand away gently, shaking her head with a chuckle. "Co on, don’t be ridiculous!" she said, picking Eliam up in her arms. "I may not be rolling in cash, but you see, I have a husband who is very rich."
Sissy froze mid-step, her jaw nearly hitting the floor. "Wh... What?" she stamred, blinking at Claire as if she had grown a second head. "Don’t you an ex-husband?"
Claire shrugged nonchalantly. "Technically, no. Our divorce papers were never submitted," she said with a sheepish smile. "Back then, I was too dumb and didn’t know much about all these legal things. I just wanted to get away."
"Wait... seriously?" Sissy staggered back, clutching her chest as if she had been physically hit by the revelation. "Damn, girl! What if Evander had been a terrible guy? What if he used that against you? Do you have any idea how risky that was?"
Claire rolled her eyes, laughing softly. "Relax! I am not the sa naïve girl I used to be. I can handle myself now."
Sissy gave her a pointed look, still shaking her head. "You are lucky, that’s all I will say. And maybe a little crazy."
Claire smiled and ignored her as she turned her attention to Eliam, who was perched on her hip, wide-eyed and grinning at their back and forth. "Now, let’s not waste any more ti! Eliam is waiting for his first real shopping adventure, right, baby?"
Eliam nodded eagerly, his little hands clapping together. "Yes! Mommy and Aunty Sissy are so funny!"
Sissy couldn’t help but laugh at the little boy’s enthusiasm, her earlier skepticism lting away. "Alright, alright. Let’s go spoil this little prince rotten," she said with a grin.
"And maybe get you so of those handbags you were eyeing," Claire added teasingly.
Sissy smirked. "Now you are talking, girl. But just so you know, if we were thrown out of the store, I am definitely blaming you!"
Claire laughed, adjusting Eliam in her arms as the trio headed toward the store, their lighthearted banter filling the air. It felt good to enjoy a carefree day, even with Sissy’s dramatics and Eliam’s endless curiosity adding to the chaos.
They entered the store as Claire looked at Sissy. "Kindly buy all the things you want."
Sissy smiled and responded. "Fine. But don’t co crying to when your bank account starts weeping!"
"Deal," Claire said with a laugh, taking Eliam’s hand and leading the way into the store.
As they walked into the luxurious store, Eliam gasped, his tiny hands clapping with excitent as his eyes sparkled at the dazzling displays. "Wow, Mommy! Can we buy this whole place?"
Claire chuckled, reaching down to ruffle his hair. "Maybe soday, sweetheart. But for now, let’s stick to handbags and dresses, okay?"
Sissy, already gravitating toward a rack of designer handbags, smirked over her shoulder. "And maybe a little sothing extra for your favorite aunt?"
Eliam tilted his head, his brows furrowing. "But you are my only aunt."
Sissy grinned, winking at him. "Exactly! That’s why I am the best."
Before Claire could respond, Sissy grabbed Eliam’s tiny hand and looked at her friend with a mocking smile. "We are shopping together, and you are staying right there. We, the aunt and nephew, need our space."
"Yes! We will buy lots of cool things for Mommy too!" Eliam giggled as he followed Sissy, his little feet almost skipping with excitent.
Claire shook her head, smiling fondly as she watched them. Seeing Eliam’s joy filled her heart, and she took a deep breath, savoring the mont. She was about to follow them when an all-too-familiar voice pierced the air.
"Well, well, well! Look who we have here!"
Claire froze mid-step, her smile vanishing. Slowly, she turned toward the voice, her body tensing.
"I can’t believe soone like you managed to get in here." The sneer in the girl’s voice was unmistakable as it was dripping with venom.
Claire’s heart dropped as recognition dawned on her. "Mia?" she said in a stunned whisper, her entire body stiffening as the mories ca rushing back like a tidal wave.
Mia stood there, arms crossed, her perfectly manicured nails tapping against her elbow as she gave Claire a look of contempt. "Still as pathetic as ever," Mia scoffed, looking Claire up and down with exaggerated disgust.
The mories hit Claire like a freight train. Mia, Diana, and their group of torntors— the whispered insults, the laughter that had echoed in her ears, and the cruel tricks they had played on her. There was a ti when Claire had been pushed so far into despair that she had considered giving up entirely by taking her life and ending everything for once and all.
But then... Evander appeared, saving her from the despair.
Since then, whatever happened to Claire, just the thought of him had been like a warm ray of light piercing through the dark storm of her mories. He had appeared in her life at her lowest, offering her strength and a way out. He had been her north star, guiding her to a life she never thought she could have.
Claire straightened her shoulders, brushing off the painful mories as she t Mia’s gaze head-on. "What are you trying to do here, Mia?" she asked, her voice calm but firm.
Mia smirked, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Oh, I don’t have to explain myself to soone like you. But I have to say, it’s shocking to see you here. Did you win the lottery or sothing?"
Claire took a steadying breath. This wasn’t the sa Claire who had let Mia’s words cut her deeply. This was a new Claire— a stronger, more confident Claire. She wouldn’t let Mia ruin her day.
"No lottery needed," Claire replied smoothly, a small smile tugging at her lips. "But I am glad to see you are still as predictable as ever."
Mia’s smirk faltered for a mont before she composed herself. "Still full of sass, I see. Let’s see if that attitude can buy you anything in this store."
Before Claire could respond, Sissy appeared out of nowhere, Eliam in tow. "Hey, what’s going on here?" Sissy asked, her tone sharp as she eyed Mia.
"Mia," Claire said simply, her voice steady now.
Sissy’s eyes narrowed as she sized up the girl, instantly catching the hostile vibe. "Oh great, another self-proclaid queen bee who can’t mind her business. You know, Claire doesn’t need to prove anything to soone like you."
Eliam, sensing the tension, tugged on Claire’s hand. "Mommy, who is this lady? She is not nice," he said loudly, his innocent voice cutting through the tension like a knife.
Mia’s eyes darted to the little boy, her smirk faltering briefly before she turned back to Claire. "Mommy? Did you marry so old man or sothing? Or —did you finally hitch yourself to a sugar daddy?" Her voice dripped with sarcasm as she crossed her arms. "You know what? Enjoy your little shopping spree while it lasts. I am sure reality will catch up with you soon enough."
Claire raised an eyebrow, her posture calm yet commanding as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Really?" she said with a sharp edge in her tone. She glanced at Sissy, who was glaring daggers at Mia. "Sissy, darling, why don’t you go ahead and shop more? I will catch up with you in a bit."
"What!?" Sissy’s eyes widened in disbelief. "You want to leave you alone with this bitch trying to ss with you?"
Claire leaned toward Sissy, her voice soft but firm. "Co on, I don’t want Eliam to hear any of this. Take him with you, please."
Sissy huffed, clearly annoyed but understanding the situation. "Fine! But if she even tries to pull sothing, call . I will handle her." She cast one last glare at Mia before walking away, taking Eliam with her.
As they disappeared from sight, Mia’s smug expression returned. "Really? You just sent your only backup away? What now, Claire? Do you think you can intimidate just because you have a sugar daddy?"
Claire’s lips curled into a small, confident smile as she tilted her head. "Backup?" she said smoothly. "Oh, Mia, I don’t need backup for soone like you. But if you are so curious about my life, yes, I am married to a rich man. And yes, I am enjoying it. If you think I am mooching, then sure, let’s go with that."
Mia’s sneer deepened as she scoffed. "I heard from Diana that you married into money, but now I can see it’s true. Mooching your way to the top— our typical Claire."
Claire took a deliberate step closer, her gaze steady and sharp. "Oh, I am mooching, Mia. But the difference between us? I don’t need to chase after scraps or beg for attention. And looking at you," she said, her eyes sweeping Mia from head to toe, "I doubt anyone would even bother taking you in."
Mia’s face flushed with anger, her composure slipping. "Go screw yourself! You have no idea who you are ssing with!"
Claire shrugged, unfazed. "Maybe I don’t. But let tell you this, Mia—you can’t ruin what you didn’t build. So save yourself the energy and stop embarrassing yourself."
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All the Chapters will be edited as I am sick these days.
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