Chapter 5

• Nathan’s POV
• My office felt colder than ever, its polished floors and glass walls doing nothing to soften the sharpness in my voice.
• Claire stood frozen, staring at the floor, her hands trembling at her sides. She looked pathetic, but I wasn’t in the mood for sympathy.
• “What the hell were you thinking, Claire?!” My voice boomed across the office as I slammed my hand against the desk.
• She flinched at the sound, her shoulders jerking slightly.
• “I didn’t do anything wrong! You should stop casting blame on me always,” she whispered, her voice barely steady. “It wasn’t me who—”
• “Don’t you dare make excuses!” I snapped, my gaze narrowing as my patience wore thin.
• “You walk into my office looking like a complete disaster, and you’re telling me you didn’t do anything wrong? Does this place look like a joke to you, Claire? Or should I start regretting my actions of bringing you here?”
• She opened her mouth to argue, but before she could say another word, Vanessa’s voice interrupted smoothly.
• “Nathan, please, calm down,” she said, her tone saccharine.
• I turned to her, watching as she sat elegantly on the couch, her legs crossed, sipping from a crystal glass. Unlike Claire, who looked like she belonged nowhere near a place like this, Vanessa was composed—collected.
• “I’m sure she didn’t mean to make such a spectacle,” Vanessa continued, tilting her head in mock concern. “Poor thing. I perfectly understand she isn’t used to such luxury. It’s possible she was overwhelmed by the company and had to pour the coffee on herself without realizing it.”
• Claire’s head snapped toward Vanessa, her expression darkening. “Oh please! Stop pretending like you care! It disgusts me!”
• Vanessa widened her eyes, her body language portraying innocence, “What are you talking about, Claire?” She turned to me.
• “I was only trying to help her,” Vanessa continued smoothly. “I even offered her my coffee because she looked like she needed a pick-me-up. It’s not my fault she couldn’t even hold it properly and spilled it all over herself.”
• “That’s a lie!” Claire snapped, her voice shaking with fury.
• I clenched my jaw. “Do you think this is some kind of game? Does all of this make you happy, huh?”
• “It’s not a game!” she shouted, tears welling in her eyes. “She’s lying, Nathan!”
• “Enough!” I barked, my patience finally snapping. “I don’t have time for your childish tantrums.”
• “But—”
• “Do you know how embarrassing this is for me?” I continued, my voice turning sharp.
• “You’re supposed to be a part of this family. How do you expect me to introduce you to anyone? Here you are, proving to everyone how utterly incompetent you are!”
• Claire’s chest rose and fell unevenly, her entire body trembling.
• “Why won’t you listen to me?” she whispered, her voice breaking.
• “I’ve heard enough,” I said coldly, crossing my arms. “If you can’t even handle a simple thing like this, then what use are you?”
• Her lips quivered, and for a second, I thought she was going to break completely.
• Then, she did.
• “I’m the one who married into the Shaw family, dragged into this life, and now you’re treating me like garbage! I’ve had enough!”
• My jaw tightened. “Careful, Claire.”
• “No!” she screamed, tears flowing freely now. “I’m done! I can’t take this anymore!”
• Vanessa sighed dramatically, clearly entertained by the scene unfolding before her. “Well, someone’s feeling dramatic today.”
• Claire spun around, fists clenched. “I’m leaving,” she declared, her voice raw. “I don’t care what happens anymore.”
• “Claire!” I called after her, but she didn’t stop.
• She yanked the office door open and stormed out, her presence disappearing down the hall.
• I exhaled sharply, rubbing my temples as the door slammed shut behind her.
• Vanessa let out a soft chuckle. “She really is sensitive, isn’t she?”
• I shot her a sharp look, not in the mood for her amusement. “Enough, Vanessa.”
• She raised her hands in mock surrender. “I’m just saying, Nathan. You knew what you were getting into when you brought her home.”
• I ignored her, forcing myself to push the frustration away. Claire would cool off and come back.
• Claire’s POV
• I burst out of Nathan’s office, my vision blurred by unshed tears. My heart pounded violently against my chest, the pain of his words hitting me harder than I wanted to admit.
• I didn’t know where I was going—I just knew I had to get out.
• Nathan didn’t care. He never cared. No matter what I said, he would always choose to believe Vanessa over me.
• My breathing came in ragged gasps as I rushed past the rows of workers. Their eyes flicked toward me, whispers trailing in my wake.
• “Isn’t that the lady who stained her dress with coffee?”
• “What’s going on?”
• “She looks like she’s been crying.”
• I clenched my fists, biting my lip to stop the sob threatening to escape.
• I pushed through the glass doors, stepping outside. The air hit me like a wave, but it did nothing to calm the storm raging inside me.
• Everything felt suffocating.
• I broke into a run, my shoes slapping against the pavement, my mind spiraling with thoughts I couldn’t control.
• Why did I let this happen?
• Why did I think things could be different?
• Nathan was never going to see me as anything more than an inconvenience.
• The world around me blurred as I ran blindly down the street. I didn’t notice the intersection ahead.
• Didn’t see the car speeding toward me.
• “Hey! Watch out!” someone shouted.
• The sound of screeching tires pierced the air.
• I barely had time to react before everything went black.
• Pain.
• That was the first thing I felt. A sharp, blinding pain radiating through my body, pinning me down like an unbearable weight.
• My breath came in shallow gasps. My fingers twitched weakly against the cold pavement.
• My white dress was no longer white.
• A figure emerged above me—a man in a black hoodie. His presence sent a shiver through me, but I couldn’t move, couldn’t run.
• He crouched beside me, his gloved fingers brushing against my arm lightly.
• “Hey,” he said, his voice low and mocking. “Having a good time?”
• I wanted to speak, but my lips wouldn’t move. My body was shutting down.
• The man hesitated for a moment before standing abruptly.
• “No…” I whispered weakly, my voice barely audible.
• He didn’t respond.
• He turned and walked away.
• I watched helplessly as his car sped off, leaving me behind, broken and bleeding on the pavement.
• The world around me dimmed, the sounds fading into a dull hum.
• My last thought before the darkness swallowed me whole was simple:
• Why does everything hurt so much?