Yvonne’s Rage

Later that afternoon, Clara was in her room, trying to make sense of the new "upgraded" wardrobe Devon had provided. There were designer dresses, expensive casual wear, shoes she wouldn't dare walk in, and handbags that probably cost more than her car. She held up a silk blouse, her brow furrowed. "Seriously? What am I supposed to do with all this?"

Sarah, who had come to keep her company since Devon wasn’t around, laughed. "Wear it, silly! You're living in a mansion, dating a billionaire – well, sort of. You gotta look the part!"

"I'm not dating him," Clara corrected, putting the blouse back. "I'm pregnant with his baby and temporarily living in his house."

"Details, details," Sarah waved a hand dismissively. "Look, Clara, this is your chance. Make him see you. Not just as the baby mama, but as a woman he can't live without. Think of all the power you could have."

Clara sighed. "I don't want power, Sarah. I just want to be myself."

"Being yourself can still involve a little strategic planning," Sarah countered, rummaging through the new clothes. "Oh, this one! This is perfect for dinner tonight." She pulled out a soft, flowing dress in a delicate shade of blue.

"Dinner? Is there a special dinner?" Clara asked, confused.

"Well, you're living here now," Sarah said, holding the dress up to Clara. "He's bound to have dinner with you. And you want to look good, right?"

Clara reluctantly took the dress. "I guess."

As evening approached, Clara found herself surprisingly nervous. She had showered, done her hair simply, and put on the blue dress Sarah had picked out. It was comfortable, subtly elegant, and she felt… well, she felt like herself, just a slightly more polished version.

She made her way downstairs, expecting to find Devon in the dining room. Instead, she heard voices from the living room. Low, murmuring tones. And then, a sharp, angry female voice that made her stop dead in her tracks.

"What the hell are you doing here?!"

Clara's blood ran cold. That voice. It was Yvonne.

Yvonne had heard from a maid that Devon wasn’t back but only Miss Clara was around and she knows there is no Clara in their life other than the Clara who was once pregnant with Devon’s baby so she thought.

Yvonne stood in the center of the lavish room, her face contorted in a furious snarl, pointing a perfectly manicured finger at… Clara.

Clara gasped, backing away instinctively. Her heart hammered against her ribs. She hadn't seen Yvonne since the last time she came to her shop to pay her off. Before she could say anything to Yvonne, she got a tight slap on her face. “How dare you, what exactly are you doing here. Are you trying to do what I think you are”.

She chuckled as she raised her hand to slap Clara again, then she noticed her outfit, she laughed as she said to her, “Hold on. Don’t tell me you dressed this was for my man”. Clara was about to speak but before she did, Yvonne attacked her and tore the neck strap of her gown tearing it and almost leaving her naked.

She fell to the floor and just before she knew it, someone came to her and placed a jacket around her covering her up. She turned and saw it was Devon, with a low tone she said to him, “You’re back” he nodded as he raised her up. Yvonne knew she had messed up so she tried to put the blame on Clara as she walked close to him, “Baby thank goodness you are back. She hit me first and I just defended myself”.

Devon turned slowly to Yvonne as he asked with anger in his voice, “What is going on here?” she gulped as she leaned towards him, her expression softened, a dazzling smile replacing the snarl. "Devon, darling! I came to see you, and I walk in to find… her here! What is she doing in your house? I thought she was gone!" Her voice was a syrupy sweet, but Clara could still hear the underlying venom.

Devon sighed trying to hold himself back as he said to her, "Yvonne, this is my home." His voice was low, laced with an unmistakable warning. "And Clara is a guest."

"A guest?" Yvonne scoffed, her eyes darting to Clara with disdain. "Devon, what are you talking about? She's the reason we had all that trouble! She's nothing but trouble!"

"That's enough, Yvonne," Devon's voice dropped, a dangerous edge to it. He walked towards Clara, his presence a silent shield. "Clara is staying here. She's carrying my child."

The words hung in the air, heavy and impactful. Yvonne's face, which had been a mask of feigned sweetness, crumpled. Her jaw dropped, and her eyes, wide with disbelief and horror, darted from Devon to Clara's slightly rounded belly.

"Your… your child?" Yvonne whispered, her voice barely audible. The red dress suddenly seemed too bright, too loud in the suddenly silent room. "No. No, that's impossible. She… she lost it. Didn’t she?"

“Wait what! What do you mean” Devon said to her with a stern look. At that point, she knew she was about to admit to her crime as she said, “I mean…I heard about her accident from a friend who was at the hospital that day too and she told me Clara lost the baby”.

“Well sorry to disappoint but she didn’t, she is fine and she is here for her safety. In fact, she will be here till she has the baby and that is final” Both ladies looked at him as he tuned to Clara and asked, “Are you okay?” she nodded that she was fine.

Those eyes of concern he had for her the day of the accident, was the same he had on his face and she sighed. Then he turned back to Yvonne as he said to her, “Clara is carrying my child and you know this now, so this should never repeat itself. You don’t come to my house and assault my guest, you get that”.

He sighed as he said, “The Cage’s always honor their promises, and I made a promise to marry you or else, I would have ended this here” Devon!! She shouted as she turned to Clara. She felt so embarrassed because of the way he spoke to her as she angrily turned away and left his house.

Clara who stood there nervous as she placed a hand on her tummy, he apologized to her as she said, “Its not your fault. I was trying to be cautious because of the baby, if she had met me under different circumstances, I would have given her a taste of her medicine” she said as she placed her hand on her cheek. He took her hands off as he placed his and she went blank. “I am sorry she raised her hands to you, I hope it doesn’t hurt as much” she went silent as he asked again and then she came back to reality as she said, “Yes it doesn’t hurt as much, I’ll just put some ice on it”.

He called out to a maid as he asked her to bring the ice, when she did, he held Clara’s hands as he took her to the couch, sat her down, packed her hair to the back and then he gently caressed her cheeks with the ice. “What is happening to me, Clara thought to herself, why do I feel the way I do” he caressed her cheeks as she couldn’t take it anymore, then she place her hands on his to take the block from him as she turned and thanked him, then she walked towards the stairs.

While she was going, he stopped her in her tracks as he said to her, “Your outfit, don’t tell me you wore it for me” he said giving her the look, gosh she wanted to melt where she stood as she gulped and said to him, “Me! Of course not, I mean, I was trying the outfits out that’s all”, “I see, he said as he nodded, “Is that why your hair and makeup is done too” she knew she couldn’t escape the questioning so she said goodnight as she ran upstairs. “Gentle please” she nodded as she ran up the stairs.

What was that he thought to himself, then he smirked as he went up the stairs to his room to freshen up.

Yvonne stormed into her house, slamming the door so hard the sound echoed down the hall. She kicked off her heels, one flying across the room and hitting the wall. Her chest rose and fell fast, her hands shaking as she yanked off her earrings and threw them on the floor.

“Clara! That stupid lowlife!” she screamed, grabbing the vase on the console and smashing it against the wall. The sound of breaking glass gave her a small moment of relief, but her anger still burned deep.

“She’s nothing! Nothing! And yet… he chose her. Over me?” Her voice cracked as she grabbed a photo of her and Devon from the side table and flung it across the room. The frame hit the edge of the couch and shattered.

“She’s just a florist! A nobody! And now she’s living in his house like a queen?” She started pacing back and forth, fists clenched. “I gave years of my life to this. I stood by him when he was cold, when he was silent, when no one else could stand him! And now she shows up with a baby bump and suddenly he’s a knight in shining armor?”

She knocked over a lamp, her eyes wild with fury. “She’s playing him! I know it. That baby… that baby is her golden ticket, and now she’s using it to crawl her way into everything that should’ve been mine!”

Yvonne stood in front of the mirror, breathing hard. Her mascara was smudged, her lipstick fading. She leaned closer and whispered, “You can’t let this happen. You’re Yvonne. You don’t lose. Especially not to her.”

Her face twisted into a bitter smile. “She won the first round. But this isn’t over. That baby… that house… Devon... They all belong to me.”

She turned from the mirror and stormed out of the room, her eyes burning with one thing revenge.