Chapter Eight

Jeff's words echoed in her head and she felt something die inside her chest.

She was barely cold in the earth and he was already talking about marriage to Irene.

Claire's hand slipped from the monument and her knees buckled as she stumbled backward, catching herself against the cold marble.

He never loved her and he never would.

That moment of grief on his face and the tears in his eyes had meant nothing at all because it was all an act.

She had been so stupid to come here and so pathetic to hope for something that would never exist.

Her chest felt tight and her throat burned as tears streamed down her face silently.

She contemplated stepping out from behind the monument and confronting him right there, telling him she was alive and watching his face. But what would be the point when he'd just made it clear that Claire being gone was exactly what he wanted?

No, it was better this way and better that she stayed dead to him forever.

She had to leave before she fell apart completely.

Claire turned away from the grave carefully and took a shaky step backward, then another.

Her foot caught on the edge of a small headstone and she stumbled forward. Her hand shot out desperately and slammed against the angel statue to catch herself.

The sound echoed through the quiet cemetery.

"What was that?" Irene's voice cut through the air sharply.

Claire froze and flattened herself against the monument.

Her heart stopped beating as she heard her footsteps coming closer and pure terror flooded through her.

"Probably just a bird." Jeff sounded like he couldn't wait to get out of there.

"No, I heard something over there behind that angel monument."

Footsteps crunched on gravel, they were coming closer, she swallowed as her heart threatened to jump out of her chest.

Run! Her mind screamed at her but her legs had turned to stone and tried to make herself as small as possible while trying not to breathe.

"I don't see anything." Jeff's voice was closer now and Claire's heart hammered so hard she thought they would hear it.

Irene sighed, “I could have sworn that I heard something.”

"It's a cemetery, Irene, there are birds and squirrels everywhere, come on, we need to leave”.

Their footsteps stopped and Claire held her breath until her lungs burned.

Their footsteps moved away and Claire stayed frozen against the monument for what felt like hours, too terrified to move in case they came back.

Finally, when she heard car doors slam and engines start in the distance, she dared to peek around the edge of the statue.

The cemetery was empty now except for the groundskeepers filling in the grave and Claire was alone with the body everyone thought was hers.

Her legs gave out and she sank to the ground behind the monument as sobs tore from her throat. She pressed her fist against her mouth to muffle the sound.

She had almost died and Jeff didn't care because he was already planning his wedding to the woman who had tried to murder her.

Something cold settled in her chest, it was time to admit the truth to herself that no matter how hard she tried, he would never love her and he would never want her and he would never believe that Irene is the manipulative one and not her because Irene had her claws in him so deep that he couldn't see anything else.

Claire's hand moved to her stomach and pressed there protectively as fresh tears poured down her face.

Her baby would grow up without a father because Jeff didn't even know the child existed and Claire would make sure he never found out.

She couldn't let Jeff near this baby when he'd already made it clear what he thought of her and anything that came from her.

This child deserved better than a father who would look at them with disgust and resentment.

Claire wiped her face roughly and took a shaking breath, she had come here hoping for even a little bit of hope and had found only cruelty, but she wasn't that pathetic girl anymore who would beg for scraps of affection from a man who despised her even at her death.

Claire pushed herself up on trembling legs and took one last look at her grave where a body that wasn't hers lay buried under fresh dirt.

"Goodbye, Jeff." Her voice was barely a whisper. "I hope you and Irene are very happy together."

She turned and walked away from the grave without looking back. She flagged down a taxi with a steady hand and settled into the back seat.

Through the window, she watched the cemetery disappear behind her and felt nothing but a cold emptiness where her love for Jeff had once lived.

That love had died today and been buried along with Claire Anderson.

When she got back to the private hospital, Howard was pacing in her room and his face flooded with relief when she walked in.

"Thank God, I was about to send someone looking for you because..." He paused and stared critically at her face. "You went to the funeral."

It wasn't a question and Claire didn't answer, she sank onto the bed as her legs finally gave out completely.

"He asked Irene to marry him." She said and looked up at Howard, her eyes were dry but empty.

She felt a sudden burst of anger and injustice, "Standing over what they thought was my grave, he was talking about marriage with her, what did I ever do to him? All I did was love him, I did everything…” her voice broke and she could feel the sob o

Howard's face darkened with rage but he said nothing, his insides twisted with guilt, he had brought this pain on her by making sure that his grandson got married to her.

“I want you to help me, please”. Claire's voice was stronger now and clearer.

“What do you want Claire, whatever your wishes are, I promise to fulfill it if I can”.

Claire's face softened and she hugged him, “thank you very much”.

Howard patted her back, “you don't need to thank me Claire, helping you will some how appease my guilt for the pain I caused you by making you marry my grandson”.

Ckaire shook her head vehemently, “It's not your fault, I married him because I loved him, never you blame yourself”.

She paused and stared at him, “since he thinks I am dead, please, I don't want him to find out that I'm alive”. She forced the word through the clog in her throat and Howard stared at her with concern.

“Are you sure about this?”

Claire nodded and continued, her voice filled with determination, he is the only one who can help her.

"I want to disappear and become someone new and make sure Jeff never finds me or my baby."

“Claire…”

Claire quickly grab his hands, “please grandpa, just do this for me and I will be forever grateful to you”.

Howard studied her face carefully. "Once we do this, there's no going back."

"I'm sure." Claire placed both hands on her stomach. "I'm going to protect this baby and give them the life they deserve, far away from their father and far away from everything that happened here."

Howard nodded slowly and pulled out his phone. "I'll make the arrangements tonight. I have a house upstate that no one knows about." Howard's voice was calm and reassuring. "You'll stay there until the baby is born and then we'll figure out the next steps…”

He paused and stared at Claire, “I want to be part of my great grandson's life but I promise that my grandson will never find out about it since he has proven to be blind, let him remain so but please, do not keep my great grandson from me."

Claire swallowed and nodded, for some reason, she trusted his words and felt a strange sense of peace settle over her exhaustion.

She was finally leaving and she was never coming back.

"Thank you, Howard for everything." Her voice was quiet.

"You don't need to thank me." Howard squeezed her hand. "I'm just sorry it took me so long to help you."

Claire lay back on the bed and closed her eyes as her hand stayed protectively over her stomach.

Tomorrow she would leave and become someone ne. When she had attended her supposed funeral, she had said goodbye to the girl who had loved Jeff Anderson with everything she had.

That girl was gone now and in her place was someone harder and stronger and determined to survive.

For her baby's sake, she would become whoever she needed to be.

She must have fallen asleep because when she opened her eyes again, the room was dark and Howard was gone.

A note sat on the bedside table in his handwriting: "Everything is arranged. Car comes at 5 AM. Pack light. New clothes waiting at the house. Rest now. - H"

Claire folded the note carefully and tucked it under her pillow, then placed both hands on her stomach.

"It's just you and me now." She whispered to her baby. "And I promise I'll keep you safe and I promise I'll be strong enough for both of us."

A sharp cramping pain suddenly shot through her lower abdomen and Claire gasped.

Her hands flew to her stomach as terror flooded through her.

No, no, no.

Not the baby.

Please, not the baby.

The cramping came again, stronger this time and sharper, and Claire curled onto her side as panic seized her chest.

"Help." She tried to call out but her voice was too weak. "Somebody help me."

The pain got worse and Claire felt wetness between her legs that made her stomach drop with horror.

She was losing her baby.

After everything, after all of it, she was losing the only thing she had left.