All Chapters of Divorced, Now Watch Me Rise!: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

CLAIREThe days passed slowly with Julian gone and I kept myself busy, meetings with Nina about the third production run, calls with the SoHo boutique finalizing details, designing new pieces for the next collection, but the penthouse felt wrong without him.Isabelle hadn't come back but I couldn't stop thinking about her, how she'd mentioned working closely with him for three years. Three years, that was longer than I'd known him.I was sketching at the dining table on Thursday afternoon when my phone rang. Julian's name appeared and I answered immediately."Hey," I said, trying to sound normal."Hey," Julian replied, his voice tired. "How's everything?""Good," I said. "Just working on some new designs, how are the meetings going?""Long," he admitted. "But productive, we're making progress.""That's good," I said.Silence fell between us, heavier than usual. "Claire, is something wrong?" Julian asked. "You've been distant this week.""I haven't been distant," I protested."You have

CLAIREI reached the building and rode the elevator up, my vision slightly blurred. Inside the penthouse, I closed the door and leaned against it, my hand pressed to my stomach the way it had been so many times before.I walked to the couch and sat down, not bothering to turn on the lights as the afternoon shadows stretched across the room.My phone buzzed but I ignored it, the grief came in waves like this sometimes, unexpected and overwhelming, triggered by something small like a baby on the subway or a mother's smile.Most days I was fine, most days I focused on work and moving forward and building my life, but some days, like today, the loss felt fresh and raw, like it had just happened yesterday instead of months ago.I pulled my knees up to my chest, wrapping my arms around them, and let myself feel it, the grief, the anger, the overwhelming sadness of what would never be.Time passed, minutes or hours, I wasn't sure, the room grew darker as the sun set, shadows deepening until

CLAIREI woke up to sunlight streaming through my window and the smell of coffee drifting from the kitchen.For a moment, I just lay there, remembering last night, Julian coming back from Singapore, Ethan's call, the almost-kiss in the hallway.Today we were going to talk. My stomach flipped nervously as I got out of bed and got dressed, pulling on comfortable clothes and running my fingers through my hair.When I walked into the kitchen, Julian was already there, two mugs of coffee sitting on the counter.He looked up when I entered, his gray eyes searching my face."Morning," he greeted."Morning," I replied, sitting down at the counter.Julian slid one of the mugs toward me and I wrapped my hands around it, grateful for something to hold onto.We sat in silence for a moment, both of us knowing we couldn't avoid this conversation any longer."So," Julian said finally. "We should talk.""Yeah," I agreed, my voice quieter than I intended.Julian set down his coffee and turned to face

CLAIRE The next day passed in a blur of nervous energy. I tried to focus on work, responding to customer emails and reviewing production schedules with Nina, but my mind kept drifting to tonight. Julian had left early for meetings and hadn't told me anything except to be ready at seven. By six PM, I was standing in front of my closet, staring at my limited options. The emerald dress felt too formal, the burgundy one I'd worn to the opera felt too significant, everything else felt too casual. Finally, I settled on a simple black dress, one of my newer designs, elegant but not overdone, with clean lines that made me feel confident. I did my makeup carefully, keeping it natural but polished, and left my hair down in loose waves. At six fifty-five, I walked out to the living room. Julian was waiting by the door, dressed in dark jeans and a charcoal sweater that made his gray eyes sta

CLAIRE The days after our first date passed in a haze of happiness I wasn't used to feeling. Julian and I fell into a new rhythm together, mornings with coffee and casual touches, evenings where we'd cook dinner and talk for hours, nights where we'd sit close on the couch until one of us reluctantly went to bed. We hadn't rushed into anything physical beyond that first kiss, both of us taking our time, savoring the anticipation. It felt right, moving slowly, building something solid instead of rushing headlong into intensity. On Tuesday morning, I was responding to customer emails when my phone rang. Nina's name appeared on the screen. "Hey," I answered. "What's up?" "Have you seen the news?" Nina asked, her voice tight. My stomach dropped instantly. "What news?" I asked. "About Ethan," Nina said. "His company filed f