14While the lines of worry lessened around Cole's mouth as the ladies seemed to notice his words, Claire scanned his face for visible lies.He could be lying to fool her. Unfortunately, all she saw was genuinity.Moreover, he had no reason to lie. He may be Hunter's best friend, he was supporting Claire."Nice excuse but my friend and I are not imbeciles. That woman and rape... What a joke!" Penelope said, her words reduced the impact Cole's announcement had created.She refused to believe that it happened. She cringed and added, "I'm forced to wonder whether you are involved with Zara to destroy Claire's relationship. Cole, tell me honestly, are you doing this because you are jealous of your best friend having a loving and faithful wife? You want to separate them because you never had a chance at true love. Ain't I right?""If you can't say anything good, don't open your stinking mouth, Penelope Baker." Cole hissed out. His eyes grew darker, and if looks could kill, he would have
15"Claire!!!" Penelope shrieked her name out of shock as she watched her friend go down on her knees.Claire was being helped by her when two strong arms came around her shoulders. A knot seemed to untie within her chest as a faint smile crossed her lips."Hun—" Her mouth hung open on a gasp as Claire observed the face mere inches away from her."Jesus Christ! You are burning with fever, Claire. Come on, get up. Let me take you to your ward." That was Cole furrowing his brows in concern at her.The dam of miseries seemed to unbolt in her heart. Claire flickered her heavy lashes. She looked behind Cole's shoulders at her husband, regarding her with a detached stare. Hunter didn't seem in his senses. Even if he was then he didn't care one bit about her. He was right there by the wall, in the same position, just his face's angle had lowered to look at her."Come on, give me your hand." Cole's words caused her breathing to fracture.While she was struggling to get up, another man was he
16 Penelope was too inflamed by Hunter's behaviour to keep her mouth shut. However, Cole eyed her dangerously. It reminded Penelope of the doctor's words. They should keep stress causing factors away from her. "Err... I was saying... I was saying that though Hunter was worried for Zara he didn't forget to check up on you, Claire. Hunter spent his nights sitting by you on this stool. He never left you alone for once throughout the night and his back is brutally stiff now." Penelope blurted out. She peered at Cole as if asking with her gaze if her lie was up to the mark. Since the doctor said they must not give her stress, the best way to avoid it was to give her happy news so her mood would be elevated. But Cole's blazing glare indicated that it was more than too much. Claire wouldn't believe that provided that Hunter hardly waited to see her when she last woke up. Even on that night when Zara was being operated in the operation room and Claire fell on the floor while getting
17"Yes," Claire answered with a grin that was neither relieving nor soft to the eyes. With trembling hands Penelope passed her phone to her and watched as she searched for Daniel Calvart, Hunter's lawyer's number. Both of them were caught by surprise when her phone blared loudly. For a moment Penelope lost her breaths as she thought it was Dominic, Claire's father. She couldn't afford to have him call his daughter now as she had lied to him that they were in Claire's house for a few days. She had assured him that when he saw his daughter next, it would be accompanied with good news of her leaving her heartless husband. Whatever had transpired with Claire was known by very few people. Nobody from Claire's family knew about her condition. About her being in hospital for being neglected by her husband and torturing herself with starvation. "Monty? Who's that?" Penelope asked as she read the name of the caller. "That's my detective friend from school." Claire answered as she though
18"Your instincts were right about her. Zara indeed contributed to her husband's demise. She included heart attack causing pills in his medication to get rid of him. It wouldn't have been tough for her to do it considering that she's a medical student. Faking his death as a heart attack was simpler for her because she was friends with a well-known doctor in Silverhills with whom she met during her marriage. More like friends with benefits.” Monty gave his insights while Claire and Penelope were reading Zara's husband's fake and real autopsy reports. Monty really did a great job. He got so many evidence, both faked by Zara and the real copy, along with his hand drawn connections and corrections in places where the information was inaccurate. "Zara left Hunter in greed of living an opulent life as her fiancé, Clifford Phillips, was at the peak of success and Hunter was still climbing the ladders to the same position. Hunter may have been an heir to the wealthiest family in Bloomcrest
19Zara was startled. Her eyes aimlessly stared at the floor while the position of her head froze to an angle overlooking the white tiles to her left. She refused to blink as the pain from the slap spread throughout her skull, making her cheek throb."Don't you dare try to lure me with that melodiously sweet voice of yours. I am not Hunter and it will not work on me, bitch!" Claire hissed, her voice full of malice.Zara slowly lifted her face, her eyes perused the woman standing in front of her closely. She saw a beautiful woman during her lowest. A woman who could have been the strongest if only the person she loved the most supported her.Claire kept her chest from heaving. The back of her eyes was searing. She tried to blink it away as she maintained eye contact with Zara."I know what you are, Zara Levine, and what intention you have come here with. But know that I will not back away easily. You can be a cunning whore for all I care. In front of me you are nothing." Claire said in
20Seeing her twisted expressions and hearing those mind-rotting words, Claire felt a shockwave pass through her. Even though she was aware of what she said, it still sounded disgusting and heart wrenching to her. She fisted her hands on her side and gritted.Was she even a human? A woman? She can't be. Because a woman would never talk like that to another woman let alone do it. Unless the woman is a loose woman. And to say, Zara seemed to be godmother of them all "You can never win from me." Claire stated. "Haha, you cannot win what is already a lost battle, Claire. This was a one sided battle from the very beginning. Don't embarrass yourself more. Be a good girl and stop thinking about Hunter. Divorce him and find yourself another guy." Zara said haughtily. "You better alter your intentions. Hunter will never be yours as I will not let your plan work.""Really?" Zara raised an eyebrow while her lips upturned into a smirk resembling Pennywise's smirk from IT. "Let me give you a
21Claire was brought towards a bench near her ward to the opposite side of the corridor. She was made to sit, which she ignored, as her chest was burning. Getting out of the hold of Cole, and turned to the whitewashed wall. Upon the blank wall she could see the scene playing. She thought back about how Hunter kissed Zara before the door closed, the burning sensation that was only in her chest began to envelope her entirely. "Claire, Claire..." Someone was talking to her. Although she heard Cole's name in Zara's ward, she still hasn't seen who it was. She only felt hands tugging at her wrists, trying to make her sit. "You are pale, Claire. Breathe deeply." She went back inside that ward homing that witch psychologically, her eyes brimming with new tears. Her body convulsed and the tips of her fingers burned with chills. The realization that the scarlet, beautiful flower has bewitched Hunter to hold it made her lips tremble. He was pricked by the flower's thorns. Its poison was