Mandy reflexively covered her face with both hands, causing part of the left side of her face to blister and her hands to be even more badly injured.She screamed. Her face and hands were burning, the pain was excruciating, and the wounds looked horrifying."It hurts! Oh God, my face! Oh!""Gaby!" Claire also screamed in horror, her legs giving out beneath her as she collapsed to the ground.Gabriel grabbed Mandy by the collar."Do you know why I'm hurting you?" he asked.Mandy shook her head, still crying. The pain was so intense that she was about to pass out.Gabriel smiled."Because you're a filthy whore. Because you ruined my career. Because Jason loves you more. And because you're pretty and famous. Hurting you just feels more satisfying.""No, you're wrong. Jason loves Claire. He doesn’t love me. He truly loves Claire!"Claire was terrified, but when she heard Mandy say that, she laughed.Gabriel gave a sickening laugh too."I don’t care. Besides, seeing you like this is actual
Gabriel didn’t call a press conference. This time, it was the fans—or maybe the haters—who snapped pictures of him and Claire meeting at a café, and the photos quickly spread across social media.That made Jason furious again. The next day, Paul came to the house, even though Jason had already left earlier that morning.Claire looked at Paul, puzzled. “Are you here to take me to the press conference?”Paul shook his head.Claire was even more confused. “Then what?”Paul took out a document and said, “Mr. Jason asked me to give this to you.”“Divorce Papers”—those words were written in bold letters on the front cover. Jason had prepared this five years ago, and he had always kept it in his office.Back then, Claire had refused to sign it because of the baby, but not anymore.She took the papers and walked straight to the coffee table without a second of hesitation.Paul couldn’t help but advise her. “Ma’am, maybe you should wait until after today’s press conference. Mr. Jason will hear
“You?” Mandy was shocked when she saw Claire stepping out of Jason’s room.Claire pouted and purposely left the door open so Mandy could see Jason half-dressed.“Hey!” Jason was startled and quickly turned his back to them while buttoning his pants. “Close the door!” he said to Claire, and she immediately shut it.Mandy looked even angrier and clearly jealous.“You’ll never get what already belongs to me,” Claire said confidently, even though deep down she wasn’t sure at all.Mandy was furious, and it showed on her face, while Claire just gave her a disgusted smirk.“You should just wait outside. Why are you always trying to sneak into someone else’s husband’s room, huh?” Claire said with a smug smile. “Go to the kitchen and make yourself a drink, little sister. I’m too exhausted to entertain guests. I think I’ll go back to sleep.”Mandy followed behind her. “You bitch!” she shouted, raising her hand, ready to pull Claire’s hair.But Claire noticed some maids walking by and sneered. “
Claire was sitting by the riverbank when the drizzle started. Her hair was almost wet, and her tears blended with the rain on her pale, thin face.Suddenly, she heard footsteps, and a thick jacket was placed over her shoulders.Claire was a little startled and turned around, but felt disappointed when she saw it was Gabriel.Why was she disappointed? What exactly was she hoping for? Did she think Jason would come and protect her?Gabriel was shocked when he saw how sad she looked.“Chloe, why are you crying?”“It’s nothing,” Claire said, turning her gaze back to the river.Gabriel pressed his lips together and sighed, clearly regretting something.“I’m sorry, Chloe. This whole mess has made everyone hate you, and the worst part is, I couldn’t do anything about it,” he said.“If I could, I’d fix everything so you wouldn’t have to suffer.”Claire felt a bitter sadness. Everyone mocked her, insulted her. Even her husband thought she was cruel. But this man—he was being kind.She didn’t k
“Mandy was curious about the wound on your head, so I told her about it,” Claire said. Seeing Jason’s slightly pained expression, she gave him a bright smile. “So? Should I explain it in more detail?”Jason’s voice turned hoarse. “You know… if you say something, you better be ready to take responsibility.”Claire looked into his eyes, a bit panicked, but she just turned her face away without saying anything.They left after that. Jason sat in the front seat next to Paul, who was driving, while Claire and Mandy sat in the back.The villa where Grandma lived was surrounded by mountains and a river. When they arrived, Claire breathed in the fresh mountain air.She thought it would be nice to stay here for the rest of her life. But was that even possible? And more importantly, would she have enough time to prove her innocence?While Claire was cooking in the kitchen, she also made herself some tea and felt at peace. That is, until she heard footsteps behind her.It was Mandy. She walked i
That afternoon, Theo came by again and handed Claire two boxes of medicine.After taking the meds, Claire walked out to the backyard and ran into Jason. She didn’t even look at him, as if he wasn’t there. But Jason grabbed her wrist and looked at Theo."What did you give her?"Before Theo could answer, Claire said coldly, "Just some vitamins." Then she pulled her hand away and walked off without looking back."You came all the way here just to give her vitamins?" Jason asked Theo again.Theo chuckled. "Not really. She said she wasn’t feeling well and asked me to bring some. But I also came to report on Grandma’s health," he lied.---Back in her room, Claire looked at the medicine and found a note: (You need to take both types of medicine together. Only once a day, or skip it if you’re not feeling any symptoms.)Seeing the note, Claire smiled. Theo really was a good guy.The medicine worked. Her pain eased within an hour. Since Jason had left with Theo, she reached out to Paul.When P
Jason pulled Claire into his office. He grabbed her collar and cornered her.“What did Gabriel give you? Or is he just that good in bed that you're this loyal to him and willing to admit to everything just to protect him? Tell me!”Claire let out a mocking laugh.“I already told you he’s not the one who did it. Why are you so set on ruining someone who’s done absolutely nothing to you?”“Then why are you protecting him like this, without caring about your reputation, my reputation, or even DA Group?” Jason gritted his teeth like she had betrayed him.Seeing how furious he was, Claire just laughed harder, even to the point of tears.“Why would this ruin your reputation? I admitted he’s just Chloe’s assistant and servant. Chloe’s not your wife. This shouldn't affect your image at all,” she said. “But fine, no matter what I do, I’m always wrong in your eyes. If I admit it, I’m wrong. If I don’t, I’m still wrong. You’re right, I’m still cruel. I’m sorry—will that be enough?”“Claire!” Jas
"Guess what I'm gonna do at the press conference?" Jason said, a sly edge to his voice.Claire turned to him, brows furrowed. "What?"Jason pressed his lips together, then said each word slow and cold, "Gabriel’s taking the fall for this. No matter what."Claire stiffened. "What are you talking about?""He's the reason this mess started," Jason snapped. "He used my wife's name to stir things up. You think I'm just gonna let that slide?""It’s not clear yet who's really behind it," Claire argued, her voice sharp. "You can’t just accuse people without proof."Jason’s hands curled into fists. "I don’t care. As far as I’m concerned, he’s guilty.""Jason ...""Get out."Claire glared at him, hurt flashing in her eyes, but she spun around and walked out without another word.Behind her, glass shattered against the wall. She paused for half a second, heart racing... but didn’t look back.Jason had lost it. Completely. No matter how much she did for him, it was never enough.What else did he
"What’s your plan for the press conference later, sir?" Paul asked.Jason frowned and stayed quiet for a moment. "I’m going to tell everyone that Chloe is my wife. Claire has been using Chloe’s name.""You can’t do that," Mandy cut in. "Your rivals have been waiting for a chance to drag your name — and the company — through the mud. If you admit she’s your wife, they’ll jump at the chance to call her a cheater with Gabriel."Paul didn’t agree either, but he stayed silent.Jason let out a low grunt. "I want to make Claire’s identity clear so nobody dares to spread baseless rumors anymore.""Even if the press holds back, people will still gossip," Mandy said sharply. "You should say that Chloe did this for Gabriel, that she was just lying — pretending to be Claire because they look alike. Besides, you already told everyone she was just a maid. If you suddenly claim she’s your wife, it’ll sound like you’re contradicting yourself. The media will tear you — and DA Group — apart.""Stay out