CLAIRE (ELEVEN)

“Oh, I thought you were Mrs. Marshal.”

“No. She is my stepdaughter. Claire Osborn.”

Raviel put his arm around my shoulder, then patted it gently.

“My wife is still on her way here. Actually, she doesn’t know about this party and we are going to surprise her.”

“Oh, we are really impressed that you have built a good relationship with your stepdaughter. Once again, I apologize for the mistake earlier.”

“It’s no big deal. Enjoy the party, Mr. Armstrong. Claire and I will greet the other guests while we wait for my wife.”

Raviel led me to another crowd near the buffet. This time he made a clear introduction at the beginning before people mistook me for his wife. Raviel must have known my discomfort about it even though I didn’t say it out loud to him.

“Wow, you have such a beautiful stepdaughter? Are you sure you’re not attracted to her, Rave?”

A man teased Raviel while elbowing him lightly in the ribs. The man seemed to be a close friend of his since he was so bold to make such a lame joke.

“Watch your words, Reese. My stepdaughter might not like what you said,” Raviel growled and gave Reese a sharp glare.

Reese’s face instantly went pale. He turned toward me, his expression a mix of guilt and fear.

“Oh, sorry. I was just joking.”

“It’s okay. We have a very healthy relationship at home, don’t we, Dad?”

I saw a flash of surprise in Raviel’s eyes when I called him Dad. It was the first time. I had never called him Daddy since he stepped into my and my mother’s lives. I felt too old to call him Daddy. And I had wild thoughts in my mind about the nickname. Raviel was like a sugar daddy because he showered me with his money. Ugh, gross!

“Yeah, our relationship is very healthy. Don’t worry, Reese. Enjoy the party.”

“Hey, where are you going? What’s the rush?”

“Claire and I are going to greet Karina. My wife should be around the corner and will be here any minute.”

“Okay. Sorry about my joke, Claire.”

“Never mind. I’ll pretend I never heard it.”

Raviel dragged me to meet some of his other colleagues. We made small talk for a while, talking about our daily lives, the hot Hawaiian weather, and other trivial things. Raviel once again had to explain to people that I was his stepdaughter and not his wife. After we had exchanged pleasantries with his fancy guests, Raviel dragged me to a quieter corner of the bar.

“It’s been five minutes and your mom isn’t here yet.”

“You should call her. She’s probably lost or has some trouble with her car.”

“Okay, give me a minute.”

Raviel left me alone in the corner to call my mom. I felt lonely amidst the hustle and bustle of this party. I felt like I didn't belong, and they didn't bother to draw me into their circle because I was nothing but Raviel Marshal's stepdaughter.

Huh, it made me miss Olive and my boring college life, but at least I was surrounded by people my age. If I started talking to them, they would give me input that was understandable to each other.

“I called your mother. She said she was on her way and would be here soon.”

“Great. Do we need to hide now?” I chuckled softly at my joke.

Honestly, I was a bit uncomfortable with the stares people threw at me when I was alone with Raviel. They seemed to accuse me of having a special relationship with my stepfather. Yeah, it could not be denied that Raviel had always appeared in my erotic dreams.

“We’ll wait until your mother’s car enters the parking lot. And then, we’ll stick to the plan I told you earlier.”

“Okay.”

I sighed softly. It was time for me to tell Raviel this.

“I know this will never be enough to repay you for all your kindness to us, but thank you. I really appreciate it. You made my mother happier than her lovers and ex-husbands ever did. Thank you so much. Dad,” I grinned, teasing him with the nickname because I think Raviel liked it a little.

“You don’t have to thank me for anything. But, why did you suddenly call me Dad? You never even wanted to do it when your mother told you to.”

“I don’t know,” I said, giving a slight shrug.

“It just suddenly crossed my mind. It feels weird and funny to call you Dad. I’m hardly fit to be your daughter.”

“True. You’re far better suited to be my wife.”

Raviel suddenly touched my cheek. I was speechless about it. The atmosphere between us felt heated and intense. My cheeks must have been flushed red. My heart pounded against my ribs, stirred by Raviel’s touch, so gentle and full of affection.

“They thought I was your wife. Did you never introduce Mom to them?”

Raviel shook his head. His palm was still gently rubbing my cheek. I wanted to brush his hand away, but my own hands seemed unwilling to move. They remained stiffly clenched at my sides.

“I never felt the need to.”

“Why?”

Raviel stared at me intensely. His lips were tightly pressed together, as if he never planned to answer.

“Because...”

The ringing of his phone interrupted the tension between us. Raviel pulled his hand away from my cheek and reached into his pants pocket to take out his phone.

“Hello.”

“........”

“Yes. I’m Raviel Marshal. What happened?”

I looked at him curiously because his expression suddenly turned tense. But it wasn’t the kind of tension because of something exciting, but more like something terrifying.

“Are you sure that’s my wife? She’s on her way to the Garden Bar to celebrate our anniversary.”

“.............”

“My daughter and I are at the Garden Bar now. We’re going to the hospital to see her.”

A sense of tension began to grip me, too, the moment Raviel mentioned the hospital. Had Mom been in an accident and rushed there?

Raviel was still talking seriously with the caller. Was she okay? Every line on Raviel’s face suggested she wasn't. His jaw set hard. He gritted his teeth as he said "yes," then ended the call.

"What happened?"

I didn’t wait for him to recover from the shock before bombarding him with questions.

“I need you to calm down first, Claire.”

“What happened to Mom? Is she okay? Do we need to go to the hospital right now?”

“No. The police are on their way here, while your mother is being taken to the hospital.”

Raviel took a deep breath before saying something that almost made me faint.

“Your mother died.”