Chapter six

The darkness was thick and heavy, pressing down on claire from all sides.

She tried to open her eyes but her lids felt weighted, glued shut. Her body wouldn't respond to her commands. She couldn't move her fingers or her toes or anything.

Am I dead?

The thought drifted through her mind slowly.

Maybe this was what death felt like. Floating in nothingness, aware but not alive.

"My baby." The thought jolted through her like electricity. She tried harder to move, to wake up, to do something.

A beeping sound reached her ears. Steady, rhythmic like a machine.

Hospitals have machines and dead people don't go to hospitals.

She forced her eyes open. The light was dim, not the harsh fluorescent glare of the operating room. Her vision was blurry, unfocused. Shapes moved in and out of clarity.

"Claire?"

A voice. Male. Familiar but not Jeff's.

She blinked hard, trying to clear her sight. A face materialized above her. Older, lined with worry.

Howard Anderson. Jeff's grandfather.

"Claire, can you hear me? Don't try to sit up. You're safe." He said

She tried to speak but her throat was so dry. Nothing came out except a croak.

"Here." Howard held a cup of water to her lips. "Small sips."

The water was cool and soothing. She drank greedily until he pulled it away.

"Easy. Not too much at once."

Her vision was clearing now. She could see the room around her. Not the operating theater. A private hospital room. Soft lighting. Expensive equipment. One of the VIP suites she'd only seen in pictures.

"What happened?" Her voice came out rough, broken.

"The surgery didn't happen. I stopped it."

She stared at him speechless, trying to process his words through the fog in her brain.

"You stopped it? How..." He brow furrowed in confusion.

"I'm sorry for everything you had to go through because of my grandson, one of the doctors called me to tell me what was going on and I am glad that I arrived just in time".

"The doctor called you" Claire asked in surprise.

"Don't forget that I owned the hospital first before leaving it for Jeff, I still have staff who are loyal to me there".

The relief was so intense she started crying. Great gasping sobs that hurt her chest. Howard handed her tissues and waited patiently while she fell apart.

When she finally calmed down, he sat in the chair beside her bed.

"Claire, I need to tell you some things. And you need to listen carefully."

She nodded, wiping her face.

"Irene was never sick. The medical records were fake. She bribed doctors to falsify test results. She was planning to have you killed on that operating table."

"I know."

Howard's eyebrows rose. "You knew?"

"She told me. Before they took me to surgery. She said there would be no transplant. That they would just let me die and blame it on complications."

His face darkened with rage. "And Jeff? Did you tell him?"

Claire smiled sadly, "I tried. He wouldn't listen. He never listens to me." 

Howard was quiet for a long moment. When he spoke, his voice was heavy with regret.

"I'm sorry, Claire. I should have stopped this years ago. I should have protected you from my grandson."

"It's not your fault."

"But it is, I forced that marriage. I thought Jeff would eventually see what he had. I thought time would change him." He shook his head. "I was wrong."

Fresh tears burned her eyes. "I was happy to be his wife, I have loved him for years and don't know how to stop loving him".

"Don't cry please, it will upset my great grand child".

Claire's startled expression made Howard throw back his head in a fit of laughter, "You don't think I'll know do you?"

Claire managed a small smile and shook her head.

"I believe my grandson is not aware". Howard asked, staring into her eyes.

"I planned to tell him, but..."

"It's okay Claire, you do not need to explain yourself, I understand that my grandson can be a pain in the ass and I apologize on his behalf but he's an adult, Claire. I can't force him to see reason." Howard leaned forward. "But I can protect you. That's why I need to ask you something important."

She stared at him, her curiosity piqued.

"Do you want to go back to him? Right now, he saw the clone of you that I made and he thinks that you're dead and he's mourning you..."

Claire couldn't stop the hope that jumped into her heart as it started beating faster, was he seriously mourning her death? Did he regret everything and realized that he loved her after all?

Does she want to go back to him if he regrets his actions?

She stared at Howard and blurted the first thing that came to her mind.

*

*

"I don't know". She stated finally.

Truth is that she wanted to go back, what if Jeff has finally realized that he loves her? What if they have the opportunity to be happy together as a family?

Howard noticed her expression and sighed.

"Whatever decision you make Claire, I will support you, whether you choose to leave him or not".

Claire smiled through her tears, "you are so good to me grandpa".

"You are my precious daughter in-law, of course, I will be good to you". He replied and then grew serious.

"Jeff has set the date of your funeral to be tomorrow".

Claire went still as she looked up at Howard from where she was lying down on the hospital bed.

Her chest tightened at his words, he was burying her so soon? Well of course, be wants to get rid of her and move on with Irene as fast as possible.

"I bet he's still grieving right? That why he wants to bury me so quick". She said as tears formed in her eyes. She turned her gaze to the other side of the bed but couldn't stop the tears that dropped from the corner of her eyes.

Howard's expression softened as he looked at her. "Claire, don't do this to yourself."

She knew the answer but her heart still wouldn''t accept it. He hadn't loved her in their five years of marriage, why does she think that her death would change anything?

"He asked you to die for Irene dimwit". She cursed inwardly.

She would get over him, she has to.