Chapter 6

Adrian’s expression barely shifted, but his eyes darkened, cold and unreadable as they settled on Claire’s face.

Damien and Ryan both went still.

That had gone a little farther than either of them had expected.

A public apology?

That did not sound like an apology at all. It sounded like Claire was trying to humiliate Sienna in front of everyone.

Sienna’s face cooled immediately. She pressed her lips together, as though she were the one being wronged. “Claire, are you done?”

Watching how certain Sienna sounded, Claire had to admit it was almost impressive, the way some people could cry victim while still holding the knife.

But once people had decided what they wanted to believe, there was no point wasting energy defending herself.

She was divorcing Adrian.

There was nothing to gain from sinking into the mud with rotten people and letting them drag her down with them.

She turned and walked away.

But as she passed Adrian, his indifferent gaze caught on her face. The corner of his mouth even lifted slightly, though whether it was amusement or contempt, she could not tell.

Then he said, slowly, “So this is your new tactic? Soft one second, sharp the next?”

Claire stopped and stared at him. “What?”

Adrian lowered his gaze a fraction, that faintly mocking curve still at his mouth. “Why aren’t you arguing now?”

A second ago, she had seemed perfectly capable of fighting back.

And just like that, Claire understood.

Her eyes burned red at once.

Not from weakness.

From rage.

So in his eyes, everything she had ever felt, every breakdown, every moment of hurt, every stretch of numb despair, even her decision to finally walk away, was nothing more than performance?

No matter how furious she was, no matter how badly she was hurting, in the end he gave it only one name.

An act.

She was not Sienna.

She did not have a room full of people ready to shield her, excuse her, speak for her.

If she kept arguing, all it would do was make her look more pathetic.

And Adrian clearly thought she was still putting on a scene. To him, this was only more proof that she was childish, unreasonable, impossible.

Nothing she said would matter.

Nothing she did would make him believe her.

So what was the point?

Little by little, Claire calmed down. The anger drained out of her all at once, leaving behind nothing but exhaustion.

She nodded at last, almost obedient.

“Then I wish you both every happiness,” she said. “Will that do?”

Without waiting for his reaction, she walked out.

This time, she did not look back.

Three months.

She only had to endure three more months.

Then this suffocating marriage would finally be over.

Adrian watched her leave with a cold glance.

Two seconds later, he looked away.

He had no intention of responding to the barbs in her tone.

Some emotions, if you ignored them long enough, disappeared on their own.

That had always been the pattern between them.

For seven years.

Afterward, Claire said nothing to Avery about what had happened upstairs. She did not want Avery storming off to start a fight.

She had no appetite left anyway.

After they parted, Claire returned to the apartment and started unpacking.

By the time she was nearly done, it was close to nine.

That was when she realized the medical text her mentor had sent her was missing.

Claire ran a hand through her hair and let out a tired breath.

Then she remembered.

She had left it in the safe at the marital home.

She did not waste a second. Throwing on a coat, she got back into the car and drove over.

Adrian hardly ever came home.

She would not run into him.

She went upstairs on instinct, pushed open the bedroom door, and stopped short the moment her eyes met his.

Adrian was standing by the floor-to-ceiling window.

His phone was on a video call, and in the brief glow of the screen, Claire caught sight of Sienna’s face.

They looked like lovers in the middle of an all-consuming affair, the kind who wanted each other every waking second.

Adrian frowned at her. His voice was cold from the first word.

“Why didn’t you knock?”

Claire actually froze.

She was his wife.

She had lived in this house for seven years.

And now, because he was carrying on with Sienna, she needed permission to walk into her own bedroom?

“Get out.”

His tone sharpened into a command.

As though she had barged in on something private she had no right to hear.

Claire felt her heart clench hard in her chest.

Almost automatically, she stepped back and pulled the door shut.

She had no intention of torturing herself. She was not going to stand there listening to her husband murmur sweet words to another woman.

She went downstairs.

Martha, one of the maids, had heard the noise and come out to look.

The moment she saw Claire, she said, “Mrs. Sterling, Madam Sterling called.”

Claire glanced at the landline.

After a brief pause, she walked over.

Martha knew that although Claire had never mattered much to her husband, Madam Sterling at the ancestral home had always treated her decently enough. She did not linger to listen and simply went upstairs to gather the dirty laundry.

“Claire?” Madam Sterling’s warm voice came through the receiver.

Claire checked the time and thought of the medical book still upstairs. “Grandma, you’re still awake.”

The old woman chuckled. “This old body of mine is doing just fine. I’ve been learning from you young people and staying up late. Besides, with all those tonics you keep sending over, I’m better than fine.”

Claire said nothing, waiting for the real reason behind the call.

It came exactly as she expected.

Still sounding cheerful, the old woman said, “Claire, since you understand medicine, why don’t you prescribe something to help regulate your body? You should prepare properly if you want a healthy baby. You know how the Sterling family is, too many boys and not enough girls. Wouldn’t it be lovely to have a sweet little great-granddaughter? A baby would help your marriage too. Adrian actually likes children very much.”

The subject of children had never disappeared.

Not once, in all these years.

And not once had Claire let so much as a hint of Ellie slip.

Now that she had decided to divorce him, she certainly was not going to start.

Even if she were not leaving, what would be the point of her taking care of herself alone?

Adrian had no real interest in intimacy to begin with.

And more than that...

He had once told her, in his own words, that he would never have children.

There was no way Madam Sterling had not heard the rumors about how firmly he opposed the idea.

And yet here she was, still telling Claire to regulate her body, take medicine, get ready.

Sometimes it really did seem as though women were expected to give and give until there was nothing left, then be blamed for whatever remained undone.

The unfairness of it scraped at her until it was almost unbearable.

To end the subject once and for all, Claire tightened her fingers around the receiver and said plainly, “Grandma, I’m planning to divorce Adrian.”

Silence fell instantly on the other end.

Pure shock.

After a long pause, Madam Sterling finally spoke, her voice gone stiff. “I know you’ve suffered, Claire. Adrian... that boy was never taught how to love anyone. But at the very least, the two of you have managed to live in peace all these years. Think it over a little more, will you?”

“I won’t,” Claire said. “I’ve made up my mind.”

The old woman fell silent again.

Then she let out a heavy sigh, and when she spoke next, her tone had turned decisive.

“Claire, the Sterling family has wronged you. Don’t worry. Even if you divorce, I’ll make sure you’re looked after. There are plenty of good young men in our circle. If someone suitable comes along, I’ll arrange the rest of your life as soon as possible.”

Claire nearly choked.

She had not expected that.

The divorce was not even final, and Grandma was already trying to line up her next marriage as compensation?

It was... astonishingly efficient.

And somehow, it left a bitter taste in her mouth.

So everyone had known.

Everyone had known exactly how miserable her marriage to Adrian had been.

They had simply taken it for granted that she would keep yielding, keep enduring, keep swallowing every grievance in silence.

So they had all chosen not to look too closely.

But not anymore.

After the call ended, Claire checked the time.

Ten minutes had passed.

Surely the man who was still, technically, her husband had finished whispering to his lover by now.

All she wanted was her book so she could leave.

She had just turned toward the stairs, ready to go upstairs and get it over with, when the front door flew open.

Brenda Sterling from the second branch strode in, thunder on her face.

She walked straight up to Claire and swung.

Claire reacted fast enough to shift half a step back.

The slap did not land cleanly, but the base of Brenda’s fingers still scraped hard across her cheek.

Smack.

Claire’s face went numb anyway.

Then Brenda pointed at her and snapped, “Have you lost your mind with jealousy? What do you gain from acting like some bitter wife who wants to drag everyone down with her?”

The slap had come so suddenly that Claire had not even fully processed it yet.

Before she could answer, she heard footsteps.

She turned.

At some point, Adrian had come downstairs without her noticing.

His phone screen was still lit with the video call.

And right there on the screen, Claire saw Sienna looking at her.

Then, while Claire stood there with the fresh mark of Brenda’s hand burning across her face, Sienna suddenly...

laughed.