All Chapters of Divorced, Now Watch Me Rise!: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

CLAIREI took Julian's phone from his hand, my fingers trembling as I began to read Vanessa's post.bThe photo at the top showed her and Ethan sitting close together on what looked like a couch in their home, both of them looking exhausted and wounded.Vanessa's eyes were red-rimmed like she'd been crying, her makeup minimal and her hair pulled back in a messy bun. She looked vulnerable, broken, nothing like the perfectly polished woman I knew she always was.It was an act, everything about it was calculated, but God, it looked convincing. I started reading the caption beneath the photo.Vanessa Whitmore:I've stayed silent for weeks, trying to take the high road, but after what happened last night, I can't stay quiet anymore.My heart breaks for Claire. It truly does. But I'm also terrified.Since Ethan and I announced our engagement, Claire has been unable to let go. She's called, texted, and shown up at places she knew we'd be. At first, we thought she just needed time to heal. Divo

CLAIRE We left the gym an hour later, my body exhausted but my mind clearer than it had been all morning. The drive back to Julian's penthouse was quieter this time, but it wasn't the heavy, suffocating silence from before. This felt different, like we were both gathering our strength for what came next.Julian pulled into the underground parking garage and cut the engine, but he didn't move to get out right away. "You ready for this?" he asked, turning to look at me.I thought about Vanessa's post, about all those people calling me crazy and unstable, about Ethan backing up her lies with his own fake concern."Yes," I said firmly.Julian nodded and we headed up to the penthouse.The moment we walked through the door, Julian was all business. He grabbed his laptop from the kitchen counter and set it up on the dining table, his fingers already flying across the keyboard before I'd even sat down."What are you doing?" I asked, pulling out the chair beside him."Uploading the files to a

CLAIREThere was a pause on the other end, like he was gathering his thoughts or maybe just surprised I'd actually answered."Claire," my father said finally, his voice tight and controlled. "We need to talk.""About what?" I asked, even though I knew exactly why he was calling."About this mess you've created," he replied sharply. "This public spectacle with Julian and those phone records and the media circus that's happening right now."I walked back toward the window, putting distance between myself and Julian even though I could feel his eyes on me."I didn't create this mess," I said quietly. "Vanessa did when she posted fake screenshots and called me a stalker.""Vanessa made a mistake," my father said, and I could hear him choosing his words carefully. "She was given bad information and she acted on it. That doesn't excuse what you're doing now."My hand tightened around the phone."A mistake?" I repeated slowly. "She fabricated evidence, Dad. She photoshopped call logs and tex

CLAIREI woke up the next morning feeling different, not lighter exactly, because the weight of everything that had happened was still there, pressing down on my chest. But clearer somehow, like blocking my father's number had cut through some of the fog that had been clouding my vision for weeks.I got out of bed and found Julian already awake in the kitchen, coffee brewing and his laptop open on the counter."Morning," he said, glancing up at me. "How'd you sleep?""Better than I expected," I admitted, pouring myself a cup of coffee and sitting down on one of the bar stools. "I thought I'd lie awake thinking about the phone call with my father, but I actually slept.""That's good," Julian said, closing his laptop and giving me his full attention. "It means you're starting to let go."I nodded, taking a sip of the hot coffee and letting the warmth spread through me."I've been thinking," I said slowly, setting the cup down. "About what happens next.""What do you mean?" Julian asked.

CLAIRE "Yes," I said, taking the sketch from his hand and holding it carefully. "I want to continue."Julian nodded, pulling out his phone again."Then let's make a list," he said, sitting back down on the floor across from me. "What do you need to actually make this happen?"I looked at the sketches around me, my mind racing with all the steps I'd need to take, all the things I'd need to figure out."I need to choose which designs to start with," I said slowly, thinking out loud. "Maybe five or six pieces that work together, that tell a story.""What kind of story?" Julian asked, his tone genuinely curious.I picked up another sketch, this one of a tailored jacket with strong shoulders and clean lines."Strength," I said quietly. "Confidence. Clothes for women who are done apologizing for taking up space."Julian's lips curved into a small smile."I like that," he said. "What else?""Fabric," I continued, getting more excited now as the ideas started flowing. "I need to source quali