Susan’s POV
I was losing my mind, but I couldn’t let Evander see that. His indifference toward only fueled my desperation and rage. How could he stand there, so composed, so unbothered, while I was falling apart? But I knew him well— I knew exactly which buttons to press to make him crumble.
If Claire and Colten’s situations weren’t enough to shake him up, I had another card to play: Gloria and his deceased child. After all, Gloria’s sches were the foundation of who Evander was today— the cold, heartless monster incapable of love.
"You think Claire will forgive you?" I sneered, my voice dripping with venom. "Do you think she will overlook the fact that Gloria plotted the death of your child because of you?"
I felt him inhaling deeply as I imagined his grip tightening on the phone as he struggled to hold himself together. A sinister smile spread across my face, satisfaction bubbling in my chest. This was it—the crack in his armor.
I didn’t know exactly when I beca this twisted, this inhumane, but at this mont, I didn’t care. Evander had pushed to the edge, and now it was my turn to drag him down with .
"You heard ," I continued, my voice growing colder. "Your precious mother— the woman you always tried to protect— used your child as a pawn in her cruel ga. She didn’t just want to hurt Claire; she wanted to destroy both of you. And guess what? She succeeded."
I paused, savoring the silence on the other end of the line. "It’s ironic, isn’t it? The sa woman you spent your life defending is the reason you lost everything. Your child, Claire, your happiness—it’s all because of Gloria. And you know what’s worse? She didn’t even care."
I could feel the power shifting. For once, Evander wasn’t the one in control, and it was exhilarating.
"I have beco the kind of person I never thought I would be," I admitted, though not aloud to him. "But after everything you have done to , Evander, I can’t bring myself to care anymore. You broke , and now I am going to break you."
I took a deep breath, steadying myself for the final blow. "You may think you can win Claire back with your so-called love, but let tell you sothing: she deserves better. She deserves soone who didn’t let their own mother destroy her life. Soone who didn’t let their child die because they were too blind to see the truth."
Silence hung heavy between us, and for the first ti, I felt like I had the upper hand. But even as I reveled in his tornt, a small part of wondered how far I had fallen. Was this who I had always been, or had Evander turned into this monster?
No matter the answer, I wasn’t stopping now. Not until he felt the sa pain I had endured.
Evander’s POV
I looked at Claire, her face pale and tear-streaked. Her eyes t mine, filled with anguish and betrayal as I put the phone on mute and kept hearing Susan’s nonsense.
"Evander," Claire whispered, her voice trembling, "is it true? Did Gloria really...?"
I couldn’t find the words. The revelation was not anything new to , but it did crush , but one thing was clear—I needed to make this right.
"Susan," I said through gritted teeth as I unmuted the call, "what else? What else did Gloria do?
Susan’s laughter echoed again, sending chills down my spine. "Do you really want to know? Or are you afraid you won’t survive the truth?"
For Claire, I had to endure this. For our child, I had to uncover everything Gloria had done. Even if it shattered , I needed the truth.
"Do you know... Gloria wanted to kill your child but..." Susan’s words trailed off, her voice laced with hesitation, as if she were savoring the mont before delivering the final blow.
"If you don’t want to talk, then I will hang up!" I snapped, my patience running thin. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to hear her out— I did. I needed answers, no matter how painful they might be. But Susan’s smug, manipulative tone made my blood boil. She was playing gas, and I didn’t have ti for them.
Deep down, I knew she had more to say. If she didn’t spill everything now, I would go straight to Gloria. Not that Gloria would willingly confess anything. She was too cunning, too calculated. But could she truly have stooped so low? Could she have killed an unborn child, her own grandchild?
The thought alone made my chest tighten with grief and anger. My mind raced, piecing together the fragnts of truth Susan had let slip. If what she was saying was even partially true, then Gloria wasn’t just cruel—she was a monster.
A sharp pain pierced my heart as I thought about the child I had never even had the chance to hold. The child Claire and I had created was a symbol of a love that had once been pure and untouched by the darkness surrounding us. I had already lost so much, but this... this was a wound that would never heal.
I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms as my rage boiled over. If Gloria had truly done this—if she had taken sothing so precious from —I wouldn’t let her get away with it. I wouldn’t rest until she paid for what she had done.
"I swear..." I muttered under my breath, my voice trembling with fury, "I will make her pay. She will know what it feels like to lose everything."
Claire deserved answers. She deserved justice for the pain Gloria had inflicted on her. And I would give it to her, no matter the cost.
"Susan, if you are trying to provoke , congratulations—you have succeeded," I said, my voice cold and steady. "But you’d better finish what you started. If there is more, I want to hear it. All of it."
Susan chuckled softly, a cruel and taunting sound that grated against my nerves. "Oh, Evander, you have no idea how deep this goes. But don’t worry—I will let you know when the ti is right. For now, let’s just say Gloria isn’t the only one with blood on her hands."
The line went dead, and I was left sitting there, seething with anger and consud by despair.
I turned to Claire, searching her misty eyes for answers. My voice, though desperate, held a soft plea. "Tell . Tell everything that happened that day. Don’t leave anything out. Even the smallest detail might help."
"Wh... What?" Claire’s whole body trembled, her lips quivering as her eyes darted away from mine. Yet, there I stood, cruelly demanding her to relive the darkest day of her life.
My heart clenched at her fragile state, and guilt hit like a tidal wave. "I am sorry!" I exclaid, pulling her into my arms without hesitation. "I shouldn’t have asked you sothing so painful. I am sorry, Claire."
She hesitated for a mont before hugging back, her hands clutching the back of my shirt as if afraid to let go. Her trembling didn’t stop, and I could feel her heartbreak in every shaky breath she took.
"I... I wanted to tell you," she whispered, her voice breaking with raw emotion. "I wanted to tell you that I was pregnant, but no matter how many tis I tried..." She paused, her grip on tightening. "Either Susan or Gloria... they would appear. They wouldn’t let ."
Her words made feel more hurt. I held her closer, my own emotions spilled on the edge of control. "Claire... you tried to tell ?"
She nodded against my chest, her tears soaking into my shirt. "I tried so many tis, Evander. But they always found a way to interrupt, to stop . And then... then that day ca."
Her voice faltered, and I felt her shudder as the mories overwheld her. "That day... I was on my way to et you. I couldn’t wait any longer. I needed to tell you, to see your reaction, to feel the happiness. But..." She broke into a sob, her entire body shuddering.
"But what?" I asked softly, my voice barely above a whisper. "Claire, you can tell . Please."
"They found out," she choked out. "Susan and Gloria... they knew. I don’t know how, but they knew. And they..." She pulled away slightly, just enough to look up at with tear-streaked cheeks. "They made sure I couldn’t reach you. Every ti I tried to reach you, Susan would show sothing, making think that you guys are having an affair."
"Every ti... I tried to shake it off," Claire said, her voice quivering as her hands trembled at her sides. "But the more I tried, the more Susan plotted against . It was like she always knew how to shake all my beliefs."
She inhaled deeply, as if trying to summon the strength to continue, then stepped back from my embrace, her eyes swimming with pain. "It didn’t matter what I did. It was always the sa if I tried to confront or ignore her. She made sure I saw things— pictures, ssages, monts that would break . Either you two were conveniently in the sa room at so hotel, or when she started modeling while being your secretary, she was always stuck to you, like glue. She was always making think that sothing was going on!"
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