Chapter 4: Cold Night

Evelyn – POV

Blinding headlights. A loud horn. My body froze in the middle of the road. I couldn’t move—fear had me chained. Tears blurred my vision as the car screeched to a halt just inches away.

My chest heaved. My knees buckled, and I dropped down, gasping for air, clutching at nothing as if it could steady me.

“Miss! Are you okay?!” The driver’s voice rang out as the car door slammed shut.

I lifted my head, my breaths still ragged. A man was running toward me, his face lined with worry.

“You almost ran me over,” I managed, my voice hoarse, my body shaking.

“I’m so sorry,” he said quickly, hands raised like he was pleading. “Please, let me take you to the hospital. You’re not alright.”

The cold night gnawed at my skin. My thin nightgown clung to me, my bare feet stung against the rough road, and I couldn’t stop trembling. I forced myself to stand, even though my legs felt like they could collapse again.

“I’m fine,” I muttered, turning away.

“Wait—” he started, but I didn’t let him finish.

I ran. Tears streamed down my face, mixing with the sting of the night air. My heart pounded, not just from fear of the car but from everything that had just been ripped away from me.

I didn’t know where I was going. All I knew was that I couldn’t stop running.

I stood at Clara’s door, my knuckles trembling as I knocked. The cold bit into my skin, and every shiver that ran through me felt like a reminder that I didn’t belong anywhere anymore. My nightgown clung to me, damp from the night air, and my bare feet ached against the hard ground.

For a moment, I thought Clara wouldn’t answer. I almost turned to leave, but the door creaked open, and there she was. The shock in her eyes made my chest tighten, and before I could say a word, she pulled me inside.

Warmth hit me instantly, but my body was still trembling. Clara rushed away and came back with a thick blanket. She wrapped it around me without saying anything, tucking the edges like she was afraid I’d slip away if she didn’t hold me together. Then she disappeared into the kitchen, and soon the smell of coffee filled the room.

She set the cup in front of me, her hands lingering on the table for a second before she sat across from me. I gripped the mug with both hands, letting the heat soak into my frozen fingers. My lips trembled, but I couldn’t bring myself to drink.

Silence. Heavy. Suffocating.

I stared at the coffee, watching the steam rise and curl, my tears dripping into it one by one. I didn’t know if I was crying from the cold or from the wreckage inside me.

Finally, I whispered, my voice hoarse.

“I have nothing left, Clara.”

The words felt like ash in my mouth. My shoulders shook as sobs rose again, and before I knew it, Clara’s hand was on mine, warm and steady. She still hadn’t said a word, but she didn’t have to.

Her silence was louder than anything Ethan had ever said.

Clara’s arms tightened around me as if she feared I’d shatter in her hold. I buried my face into her shoulder, the sobs ripping out of me without control. My chest hurt, my throat burned, and still the tears wouldn’t stop.

When my cries finally softened into ragged breaths, Clara cupped my face and forced me to meet her eyes. Her own cheeks were wet, but her gaze burned with something stronger than grief—anger.

“Evelyn,” she whispered, her voice steady but sharp, “you can’t stay like this. You can’t let him destroy you completely.”

Her words dug deep, shaking me. My lips trembled. “But Clara… he took everything. My home… my company… even—” I cut myself off, shaking my head violently. “What do I have left?”

She brushed my hair back, her touch gentle. “You still have yourself. That’s more powerful than you think.”

I wanted to believe her, but all I felt was emptiness. My chest tightened as I thought of Ethan’s smirk, the papers, his voice telling me I owned nothing. Nothing but the shame of being fooled.

Clara squeezed my hands. “Listen to me, Evelyn. If he thinks you’re broken, he’s won. Don’t let him win.”

Her words struck me like a spark in the darkness. I sat there, trembling, my bare feet cold against the wooden floor. My tears hadn’t dried, but in the middle of all the pain, something flickered inside me. Small. Fragile. But it was there.

Clara leaned closer, her tone firm. “Rest tonight. Tomorrow, we’ll talk about what comes next. You’re not alone in this, Evelyn. Not anymore.”

I nodded weakly, my chest heaving. The weight of everything was still crushing me, but Clara’s voice anchored me. For the first time since Ethan threw me out, I felt like maybe—just maybe—there was a way forward.