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Lahat ng Kabanata ng Divorced, Now Watch Me Rise!: Kabanata 11 - Kabanata 20

160 Kabanata

Liars

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

Gym

CLAIREI nodded, but my hands wouldn't stop shaking and my chest felt tight, like someone had wrapped a band around my ribs and was pulling it tighter with every breath I took.Julian must have noticed because his expression shifted slightly, the cold calculation softening into something that almost looked like concern."You need to get out of here," he said, setting his phone down on the counter."What?" I looked up at him, confused."You need air, space, something other than staring at that screen and watching people tear you apart," he explained, gesturing toward his phone. "If you sit here all morning reading those comments, you'll drive yourself crazy before we even get the chance to fight back.""I'm fine," I said automatically, even though we both knew it was a lie.Julian raised an eyebrow, his expression skeptical. "Your hands are shaking, you're breathing too fast, and you look like you're about to either scream or throw up," he said bluntly. "You're not fine, Claire."I wan

Evidence

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

The Call

CLAIRE I let the phone ring. My finger hovered over the screen, trembling slightly, while Ethan's name flashed over and over like a warning signal. Julian stood beside me, his hand still on my shoulder, waiting."What do you think he wants?" I asked quietly, not taking my eyes off the screen."Does it matter?" Julian replied, his voice even.The phone rang again, insistent and relentless. I thought about all the times I'd called Ethan after he threw me out, how every single call had gone straight to voicemail, how he'd blocked me without a second thought.Now he was calling me, now he wanted to talk. My jaw tightened as anger flared hot in my chest."I want to hear what he has to say," I said, my voice steadier than I felt.Julian's hand squeezed my shoulder once, then dropped away. "Then answer it," he said simply. "But don't let him manipulate you."I took a deep breath and pressed the answer button, lifting the phone to my ear. "Hello, Ethan," I said, my voice cold and controlled.

Father

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

Do It

CLAIRE I closed my eyes, feeling tears slip down my cheeks."I didn't marry Julian out of spite," I said quietly. "I married him because he was the only person who believed me. The only person who didn't immediately assume I was guilty.""And what happens when the revenge is over?" my father asked. "What happens when you've destroyed Ethan and Vanessa and there's nothing left to fight for? Do you think Julian will still want you then?"The question hit harder than I expected. "I don't know," I admitted. "But at least I'll have my dignity. At least I'll know I stood up for myself instead of letting people walk all over me."My father sighed heavily. "I'm asking you one more time," he said, his voice tired now. "Please take down those posts. Issue a public apology to Vanessa for the embarrassment. Make peace with Ethan and move on with your life quietly.""And if I don't?" I asked."Then don't come back to this family expecting forgiveness," my father said, his voice hard again. "Don't

Moving Forward

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.

Sketch

CLAIRE I spent the next hour going through the boxes, pulling out sketch pads and sorting through designs while Julian made calls to contacts in the fashion industry.It felt surreal, sitting on the floor of his penthouse surrounded by pieces of my old life, pieces I thought I'd lost forever, while he casually called people I'd only dreamed of meeting."I have someone who can produce samples," Julian said, hanging up his phone and walking over to where I was sitting. "She runs a small production house downtown, high quality work, reasonable prices. She can meet with you next week.""Next week?" I repeated, my heart racing. "That's so soon.""The longer you wait, the more time you have to talk yourself out of it," Julian said, sitting down on the floor across from me. "Better to move fast."I looked down at the sketches spread out around me, at designs I'd created when I still believed in myself, before Ethan had convinced me I wasn't good enough."What if I fail?" I asked quietly.Ju

Soon

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

Does It Matter?

Something warm spread through my chest at his words. "Thank you," I said softly.Julian stood up and walked over to the kitchen, pulling open a drawer and grabbing a notepad and pen."Let's get organized," he said, coming back and sitting down beside me this time instead of across from me. "You need to pick your five best designs tonight so you have something to show her tomorrow."I spread out all my sketches on the floor in front of us, dozens of designs from over the years, some more complete than others."How do I even choose?" I asked, overwhelmed by the options."Start with what excites you most," Julian suggested. "Which ones make you feel something when you look at them?"I scanned the sketches, my eyes catching on a few that stood out. There was the dress with the dramatic silhouette, bold and architectural. A blazer with exaggerated shoulders and a cinched waist, powerful and sharp, a jumpsuit with clean lines and an open back, elegant but daring.Wide-leg trousers with a hi

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