Claire’s POV
Evander stood there silently, staring at without a single word. The silence stretched, filling the room with a tension that made my skin crawl. I was desperate to know what he wanted from — what he expected to do to finally be free of him.
"Are you not going to say anything?" I demanded as I clenched my teeth. "If you have nothing to say, then please call my friend. I want her here."
First, he said I needed to make up for him. Now he just stood there like he was lost in thought. I was beginning to think he had lost his mind. I shifted my gaze away from him, frustrated.
After a mont, he spoke, as his voice was surprisingly calm. "I can see the love you have for , Claire," he said. "But what I regret most is that I was blind to it all those years ago. If I had seen it five years ago, maybe I wouldn’t have done the things I did to hurt you."
His words caught off guard, and for a second, I felt my defenses start to waver yet again. But I pushed those thoughts aside, reminding myself that I needed to move on from this person.
"However, Claire," he continued, his tone soft but steady, "it wasn’t only you who was hurt in this marriage. I was hurting, too. There were monts when I felt like I was on the edge of giving up, and seeing you by my side was the only thing that kept going. The coldness, the distance you felt from — I felt it from you too. Yes, I made mistakes... but you weren’t exactly perfect either."
I stared at him, completely caught off guard. Was he seriously trying to justify everything he had done by saying I had my own faults? Was he saying I had sohow made him treat this way? Anger started to bubble inside . He was the one who had started all of this— keeping at a distance, acting like I was nothing but a stranger.
And when did I ever tell him I hated him? When did I say I had only married him for his money? I an... maybe I had said things like that out of frustration, but I didn’t rember ever saying them to his face. Yet, here he was, acting like those words were so kind of truth that had given him permission to push away all these years.
"So that’s your excuse? You are saying it was my fault, too? Are you trying to bla ?" I scoffed.
"How can I bla you, Claire?" he opened his mouth to talk and added. "I am just trying to tell you about the pain I went through, just like you told about yours. Don’t I have the right to share that too?" He looked away for a mont, as if not expecting to care. "But it’s fine. You don’t have to worry about my pain. I just need you to make up for what you did... Then I will let you go... if you want."
I felt a small hope in his words, but his last words made doubt him.
"Are you really sure you will divorce ?" I asked as my voice shook. Part of wanted freedom, but another part of couldn’t help but doubt him. If he truly loved , wouldn’t letting go be as painful for him as it was for all those years ago?
He looked at as his eyes were dark and serious. "No," he replied, making my heart sink. "I didn’t say I would divorce you. I am saying I want you to make up for everything you put through first."
Confusion swept over . "Make up for it? How?"
Evander looked at , a hint of amusent in his eyes. "Seeing you so confused," he murmured, "makes feel like you really have no clue."
Before I could respond, he leaned in close, his breath warm against my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. "Let make it up to you, Claire," he whispered, his voice low and husky. "That’s all I am asking for, and this is the only way you can make up to !"
He paused, letting his words sink in before brushing a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "Give just three months," he continued, his eyes never leaving mine. "If, by the end of that, you still think I am not good enough, then you can leave . You can even divorce if that’s what you really want."
My heart raced, and I searched his face, trying to see if he was serious.
"I want to show you that I love you, Claire. I want the chance to prove it... and to chase after you," he said softly, his voice filled with a sincerity I hadn’t heard from him in a long ti. But I didn’t want to waver, so just as I opened my mouth to say sothing, he cut off.
Evander sighed as his expression hardened. "I am leaving since you clearly don’t want here," he said. There was a hint of sadness in his voice. "I will send your friend to you, but rember this, Claire— this is the only way you will be free."
Before I could react, he stepped closer, gently placing his hand on the back of my head and pressing a soft, lingering kiss to my forehead. I froze as my heart raced, caught off guard by the sudden tenderness. By the ti I ca back to my senses and looked around, he was already gone.
I sat there in a daze. What just happened?
===
What will Claire do now? Will she let Evander chase her back, or she would ignore him and not respond to his love?
Do comnt to let know about How was the Chapter, guys?
Reviews
All reviews (0)