Untouchable After Goodbye: She Had A Secret Empire

t warning, his tone as calm as if he were settling a busines

esk, pulled out a document, a

nd softened the sharp edges of his expression. "Her husband died recently, and she's carrying his child. S

sh slowly fell from th

," he went on, meeting Claire Lloyd's eyes with distant indifference

nce been the love

herless child-which was exactly why

own on Claire, her mind clouded as every

of tears shimmered in her eyes before she could hold them

top-DIVORCE AGREEMENT-

ick bangs hung low over the frames of her glasses, making her

ragile state. If I abandon her now, she won't survive it. B

ason she had to be

laire like a knife and tw

ge again and the boy standing there with sunlight resting on his shoulders. He had stepped

touch her," he h

other promise. "No matter what

him. From that moment on, she loved him

rs slowly curl

head, irritation slipping into his voice. "You and I both know our marriage

r a moment as he release

least knew how to handle t

nit

ly burst ou

rning colder. "She never wanted to harm you. Between t

oss Claire's chest until ev

man and walking that blurred line w

crystal ashtray until the ember died out, and his voice grew sharper. "Just

easily overlooked, she maintained the home without fault. She organized everything, managed his d

felt like drinking clear water that offered nothing beyond basi

ad grown t

," he finally said. "But don't test

." Claire raised her hea

scraping across the p

strokes. The writing was neat and firm,

ide his surpris

its usual cool detachment. "At least yo

r you to find work. Aside from what the agreement already states, I'll transfer anot

f your heart always belonged to he

e. This time, he didn't avoid the

. "I drove to the airport to stop her, but I never got there. I

led me useless and said I was ruining my future over a woman. If my mother hadn't stepped in, they would've cast me out of the family enti

the orphanage. You were simple, quiet, and loyal to me. I know about the jail time. The s

past three years, you performed your role perfectly. You did it so well that I nearly forgot the tr

't shed a s

g sense of absurdity sp

patience, her devotion, the way she quietly stayed by his side h

st she had paid to become the wif

r, the scalpel, her design work, the racetrack-those things had once filled her with exc

through rehabilitation, and stayed awake beside him on the long nights when pain refused t

e finally regained t

fference ha

into those three years seemed to fade into something trivial

only deepen the damage. Ending ever

de's phone be

at once. "What did you say? Dina is feeling

atched his coat, and rushed out the door. C

. The moment she needed him, he became someone else en

or slamming echoed throug

with the sudden emptiness spreading inside her,

ad returned home, and her daughte

ags swinging from her hands while her chin stayed lifted in pride. Lorraine followe

se when she suddenly noticed Claire standing quietly in the middle of the living room. Disdain immed

answering, she turned toward the staircase a

rushed forward and steppe

sion someone might use while looking through garbage. "The di