Chapter 2 : Taking over

Evelyn – POV

I dialed her number again. No answer.

My chest tightened. The last time we spoke, we had argued. Clara had tried to warn me about Ethan, but I hadn’t listened. I was too blinded by love. Too stubborn to believe her.

Now, I needed her more than ever.

I called again. Straight to voicemail.

Fine. If she wouldn’t answer, then I would go to her.

Minutes later, I was at her café, the familiar bell over the door chiming as I walked in. The smell of roasted coffee beans filled the air, but it did nothing to steady me.

I pulled one of the waiters aside, forcing my voice steady. “Tell Clara… someone’s here to see her.”

The worker nodded and left. I slipped into a corner table, sinking into the seat like I was hiding from the world.

Tears spilled before I could stop them, hot trails down my cheeks. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t control it. The café buzzed with soft chatter, but all I could hear was the sound of my own breaking heart.

I could barely see through my tears, but I noticed the worker pointing me out to Clara. Our eyes met. For a second, Clara froze—and then she turned, ready to walk away.

Panic rushed through me. I stumbled up from my seat and ran to her, grabbing her hand before she could escape.

“Clara… I’m sorry,” I whispered, my voice shaking. “Please, I’m sorry…”

I kept saying it over and over, the words choking in my throat as tears streamed down my cheeks.

Clara stopped, her body stiff beneath my grip. Then she turned, placed her hands on my shoulders, and straightened me up. Her eyes scanned the café—everyone was staring.

“Evelyn,” she whispered sharply, “not here. Follow me.”

She pulled me along, and I followed like a child, unable to stop crying, terrified of what she might say when we were finally alone.

**

**

Clara didn’t stop until we were away from the curious stares. She pulled me into her office in the café. My sobs echoed against the walls, and I hated how broken I sounded.

“Evelyn,” Clara snapped, her eyes hard on me. “What’s wrong with you? You look like a mess.”

“I… I saw him,” I stuttered, my lips trembling. “Clara, I saw Ethan… with someone. With a man.”

Her face didn’t move. No shock, no disbelief—just silence. That silence cut deeper than anything.

“You knew, didn’t you?” I whispered, my voice cracking.

Clara looked away, and that was my answer.

I covered my mouth, shaking, the brown envelope flashing in my memory, Ethan’s groans still haunting me. My chest burned with betrayal.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I cried, my nails digging into my palms. “You’re my friend!”

“I warned you, Evelyn,” she said, her voice trembling, though her eyes stayed sharp. “I told you so many times what kind of man he was.”

Her words cut into me. Tears blurred my vision as she kept going.

“I told you he was cheating, remember?” Clara’s voice cracked this time, and her eyes glistened. “I told you more than once, Evelyn. But you wouldn’t listen.”

I covered my mouth, sobbing harder, but Clara didn’t stop.

“You remember when I told you not to allow him handle BR Corporations?” she whispered, a tear sliding down her cheek. “And what did you say? That everything you owned belonged to your husband.”

Her reminder crushed me. My chest tightened, and my legs gave way beneath me. I dropped to the floor, crying so hard I couldn’t breathe, the weight of all her words pressing down on me.

Clara knelt beside me, tears falling from her eyes, but she didn’t speak again. She let me cry, and every second of silence made me feel the truth even more.

***

****

After Clara had let me cry my heart out, letting me spill everything I had been holding in, I felt hollow and broken—but also strangely sharper, like my edges had been sharpened against the pain. She brought me back to my house, living me alone to sink into my harsh reality.

It was late. The house was quiet, except for the soft ticking of the living room clock. I sat on the sofa, still shaken from earlier, my hands wrapped around a mug I didn’t remember pouring.

The front door creaked open. I didn’t look up.

“Evelyn…” His voice was soft, almost hesitant. I felt his arms slide around me from behind, a familiar warmth I didn’t return. “You are still awake?”

I stayed silent. My body stiffened, refusing to respond.

“I’ve decided,” I said finally, my voice steady though my chest burned inside. “I’ll take over BR Corporations from tomorrow… as the real CEO.”

His arms tensed around me. I felt him inhale sharply.

“You… what?” he asked, his voice low, incredulous.

I didn’t turn. I didn’t look at him. I didn’t let him see how much I was trembling. “I said I’ll be taking over. Everything that belongs to me… starts with me, now.”

Ethan was quiet after that. I could feel him studying me, trying to read the woman I’d become.