54| CLARA

AIDEN

I came to meet Clara in my office, seated in one of the waiting chairs. She flashed me a smile on seeing me, one which I did not bother returning.

Clara here, is my mom, more specifically—my stepmom. She has been my mom since I was four, and it was very easy to forget the stepmother tag at this point.

Clara was not a bad woman, but she was not the best either. For one, I hated the way she was very quiet, easily manipulated. I understood the fact that she got married to Pops at a young age, but still, she had gotten too old to keep acting so damn naive.

We literally had no relationship, cordial or whatsoever. We only spoke and acted all loved up in public when the need arose, it was the reason why I was confused as to why she had come to visit.

"What are you doing here?" I asked her after making myself comfortable on my work chair.

Clara just stood up from the waiting chair and began to walk towards me, stopping to sit on the chair opposite me with my office desk between us. I