Claire’s POV
I was furious that Susan had called, but the way Evander was handling her gave a small sense of satisfaction. Yet, with every venomous word she spat, calling Evander a monster made my blood boiled. I wanted nothing more than to storm over there and punch her smug face. But I clenched my fists as I laid there in Evander’s arms, trying to control my anger.
Now wasn’t the ti for impulsive actions and let her know that we were already together, lest she design sothing new.
I didn’t want the world to know about Evander and —not yet. Not until our foundation was solid and unshakable. I wanted us to be secure in this relationship, untouchable by the manipulative gas of others. I didn’t want either of us to fall prey to misunderstandings stirred by a scandalous article or any sorts of rumors.
But as the conversation delved deeper, my heart twisted painfully. Susan had struck where it hurt the most.
She began talking about my child—my baby. My baby, whom I still missed every waking mont. The grief as raw as it was on it’s first day that clawed at , but what shattered completely was her revelation. It wasn’t just a cruel twist of fate that had taken my baby from . It had been orchestrated.
Staged.
By Gloria.
The mont I realized the truth, a storm of rage and anguish surged through , breaking through the dam of control I had tried so hard to maintain. My entire body trembled with the intensity of emotions I had bottled up for so long.
"Evander..." I choked out, my voice unsteady as I clutched at his arm, my nails digging into his sleeve. My vision blurred with unshed tears. I wasn’t just in grief—it was pure fury.
I would not let Gloria get away with this. I couldn’t.
"Claire..." Evander’s voice was soft but strained as he turned to face , his eyes searching mine.
He asked to tell him everything—out of the blue. This topic had been a silent agreent between us like an unspoken taboo we had both avoided since we got back together months ago. He never asked about it, and I never bothered to tell him.
I thought I was protecting him by keeping it buried. I had lived through that pain, and I didn’t want Evander to bear the weight of it. He already had his own share of wounds—deep, raw, and impossible to heal completely. But now, he wanted to know.
The mont he asked, my composure shattered. Tears spilled from my eyes before I could stop them, my heart twisting as if my sorrow had beco too heavy to carry alone. Yet, even in that mont where we both were equally in pain, there he was—holding , apologizing softly for even bringing it up, as though my pain was his fault.
But what about him?
How had life treated him?
Evander, who had never known a mother’s love, only pure and relentless hatred for him. She had destroyed him again and again, leaving him hollow. The grandmother he adored lay in a hospital bed beca like a child. His father was like a distant shadow who had never been there for him. The brothers he cherished so much were both gone, leaving him alone in a world that had done nothing but take from him.
And what about ? Had I treated him any better?
Had I ever truly tried to understand him? Had I ever made an effort when he wasn’t making one?
No.
All I had done was make a few calls, visit his office a handful of tis when he wasn’t there—or maybe he was, but Susan always made sure I didn’t see him. I never used my position as his wife, never demanded answers, never fought for us. Instead, I let my insecurities take over . I made assumptions, let my thoughts run wildl, and when Evander was at his most vulnerable mont—when I could have been his emotional support, when we could have stood by each other—I walked away.
I left him.
But Evander? He never left . Not once.
So, who was I to bla for everything that happened? Gloria? Susan? They were villains, yes, but they only set the traps. I was the one who naively, stupidly, fell for them.
This realization made feel even heavier that I couldn’t even hide anything from him. This wasn’t just about the pain of losing our child or the betrayal we had faced—it was about the pain I had caused him by not standing by him when he needed most.
Now, I had a chance to nd it even if it was just a little bit, to stand by him, to fight for us, to make sure we both healed. And this ti, I wouldn’t let anything—or anyone—tear us apart again.
"I know... I know it was my fault that I fell into their trap because I never believed in you enough," I sobbed, my words barely ca out of my mouth. "But that day... it was as if they had delivered the final blow, looking at how things went so flawlessly for them."
My hands trembled as I wiped at my tears, trying to steady myself enough to speak. "I saw you both on TV. She was flaunting a ring—one that looked exactly like yours. I an, you never even wore your wedding ring in public, but... you had one, Evander. One just like hers that day."
My voice cracked, and I struggled to continue. "Then during the interview, she said things... things that made it sound like you two were together. You even hinted that she was a better partner for you. And you—" My breath hitched as fresh tears rolled down my cheeks. "You said sothing... I don’t even rember the exact words anymore, but I can still see the way she smiled at the cara, the way she snuggled close to you. It felt like she was mocking , rubbing it in my face that I didn’t belong in your life."
Evander’s arms tightened around , pulling so close that I could feel the rapid beat of his heart against mine. His grip was firm but gentle, like he was afraid I might slip away if he let go. "I... I ant in work related partner," he said, his voice was barely audible.
And then, I felt it—a warm drop on the back of my hand. Confused, I glanced up at him, only to freeze in shock.
Evander was crying.
Tears stread down his face, glistening under the faint light, carving trails through his stoic expression. The man I had only ever seen as cold and unyielding was crying in front of !
My heart clenched painfully at the sight.
How could anyone call him incapable of love?
How could anyone say that about a man who was breaking in front of , not for himself but for the hurt he believed he had caused ?
"Evander," I whispered, my voice shaky as I reached up to gently cup his face. "Why are you crying?"
His eyes locked onto mine, and I saw everything in them—the guilt, the sorrow and the love. He didn’t say anything, just leaned into my touch as if it was the only thing grounding him.
"I am so sorry, Claire," he murmured, his voice barely audible but filled with so much anguish that it shattered whatever walls I had left around my heart all this ti.
In that mont, I realized sothing. Evander wasn’t just a man shaped by the pain of his past; he was a man willing to fight through it for the people he loved. And despite everything, he loved .
And I? I had been too blind to see it. Too wrapped up in my own problems to realize that he had been fighting for us all along.
"Please... please continue," he said in a low tone as he held tightly. His embrace trembled slightly, the sa way my own body had shaken earlier.
But this ti, it was different. This ti, it was my turn to be his shelter. I didn’t want him to feel lonely anymore. I wanted him to know, that I was here for him—always, whenever he needed .
"And then..." I took a shaky breath, gathering the courage to speak the words that had haunted for so long. "I made the worst decision of my life. I decided that I would leave you because... because I thought you had found your happiness. I had no hatred or malice toward you. I only wanted you to be happy, to smile again. That’s all I wanted for you back then."
My voice broke, but I forced myself to continue. "I an... you did smile from ti to ti in the pictures with her, and I thought... I thought that was enough. I wanted to see you smile, Evander. You never smiled at like that. Not once."
His hold on tightened, and I felt his heartbeat pounding against mine.
"That day..." My words trailed off a bit as it was hard for to continue. "That day, I was in so much pain, so much agony, that I couldn’t think straight. I didn’t care about anything—not even the weather. It was raining heavily, but I didn’t stop. I just kept walking, driven by this overwhelming jealousy and envy. I was drowning in it, Evander. It consud ."
I swallowed hard, my tears now flowing freely, unchecked. "And because of that... because I couldn’t control myself... I lost our child."
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