All Chapters of Divorced, Now Watch Me Rise!: Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

CLAIREThe house felt too quiet when we got back. Julian closed the door behind us, the soft click echoing more than it should. I walked further into the living room, my steps slower now, like my body didn’t quite know what to do with everything that had just happened.I dropped my bag on the couch and stood there for a second, staring at nothing. “Sit,” Julian said gently.I didn’t argue. I sank onto the couch, my hands resting in my lap, fingers loosely clasped together. He didn’t sit right away. He loosened his tie, watching me like he was trying to read something I wasn’t saying.“Talk to me,” he said.I let out a breath. “I already did.”“No,” he replied, walking closer. “You told me what happened. You didn’t tell me how you feel.”I looked up at him, then looked away again. “I don’t know how I feel,” I admitted. “That’s the problem.”He sat beside me this time, not too close, but close enough that I could feel him there. “I thought I would be angry,” I continued slowly. “Or… or

CLAIREThe next morning, I woke up to my phone ringing. I grabbed it off the nightstand, squinting at the screen through bleary eyes. It was Nina."Hello?" I answered, my voice rough with sleep."Claire, have you seen the news?" Nina asked, her voice tight.I sat up quickly, suddenly wide awake. "What news?" I asked."Turn on your TV," she said. "Any news channel."I climbed out of bed and walked to the living room, grabbing the remote. Julian was already there, standing in front of the TV with his arms crossed, his expression dark. The screen showed a news anchor sitting behind a desk, a photo of Ethan displayed in the corner."...Cross Industries stock has dropped fifteen percent since news of the lawsuit broke," the anchor was saying. "Investors are pulling out amid concerns about the company's ethical practices."I stopped beside Julian, my mouth falling open slightly. "What's happening?" I asked."Fallout," Julian replied, his voice tight.The screen cut to footage of Ethan leavi

CLAIREThe next few days passed in a strange blur, somewhere between slow and fast, like I was watching my life happen from a distance.The news cycle continued without me, reporters still called but I didn't answer, my lawyer handled everything while I tried to focus on what I could control. My business.Orders kept coming in steadily, not explosively but consistently, two hundred and thirty-seven became three hundred, then three fifty, then four hundred.Nina called every day with updates, shipments going out, customers leaving reviews, everything running smoothly.I threw myself into work, designing new pieces, planning the next collection, responding to customer messages personally. It was easier than thinking about my father or Ethan or any of them.Julian watched me carefully during those days, he didn't push me to talk but he was always there, making sure I ate, making sure I slept, making sure I didn't disappear too far into my own head.On the fourth day after the lawsuit wen

CLAIRE Two weeks passed in a blur of productivity, the settlement papers were signed, the lawsuit officially closed, and I threw myself into work with a focus I hadn't felt in months. The meeting with the SoHo boutique went better than expected, they wanted to carry my entire first collection and were already asking about the second. Orders continued climbing, five hundred, then six hundred, then seven hundred. Nina hired additional staff to keep up with production and I spent my days designing, planning, building. Life settled into a rhythm that felt almost normal, mornings with coffee and Julian discussing our respective work, afternoons at the production house or meeting with suppliers, evenings back at the penthouse where we'd cook dinner together and talk about everything except revenge. It felt comfortable, safe, like we'd been doing this for years instead of months.

CLAIRE  "He's not," I said. "Who are you?" "I'm Isabelle Laurent," she said. "I'm a business associate of Julian's, we had a meeting scheduled but he didn't show, I thought I'd check if everything was alright." I opened the door partway, keeping the chain lock on. "Julian's out of town," I explained. "He left this morning for Singapore." Isabelle's perfectly shaped eyebrows rose slightly. "Singapore?" she repeated. "He didn't mention that when we spoke last week." "It came up suddenly," I said. Isabelle's eyes traveled over me, assessing in a way that made me feel suddenly underdressed in my casual clothes. "You must be Claire," she said, her tone pleasant but somehow cool. "Julian's mentioned you." "Has he?" I asked, surprised. "Once or twice," Isabelle replied with a slight smile. "In the c