Building Her Throne Burying My Heart (Claire) novel Chapter 111

Claire didn’t bother following Alice’s warning to punish me. She just told her, “I’ll take care of it myself. No need to worry. I’m busy right now, so I’m hanging up.” Then she ended the call, leaving Alice furious on the other end.

Alice could only watch helplessly as her son got hurt, unable to do anything about it. Halley wasn’t speaking to her either, so she really had no way in.

I couldn’t get time off, so I had to find another way. I called Deanna and asked if she could check on my mom for me, maybe get an update and let me know what was going on.

“Could you go see her? I really can’t get away, but I promise I’ll be there next week,” I said.

“Sure. I’ll check in and let you know how she’s doing,” Deanna replied.

“Thank you. I owe you dinner,” I said.

“You’d better. And I’m ordering the most expensive thing. By the way, has Claire been making things hard for you lately?”

“No, not really. She’s just venting. I don’t think she’d actually do anything to me.”

Deanna didn’t seem convinced. She thought Claire was so blinded by hatred that she’d lost all sense, like she was under some kind of spell.

“Only you would still stand up for her after everything. Don’t forget how close you came to dying last time. Just be careful, alright?”

“I will, I promise. I have to go, but let’s keep in touch.”

The second I hung up, I heard Claire’s voice behind me.

“What are you doing? Everyone’s waiting for you.”

“I was just making a call. I’m coming now,” I said.

As I turned to leave, Claire stopped me.

Her words stung more than I wanted to admit. In her eyes, I was nothing but a disgrace, beyond redemption. Did I really not deserve to have friends?

“Yeah, you’re right. I don’t have any real friends. Just some random people I hang out with,” I said, my voice thick with sarcasm. “So maybe stop asking and let’s go before everyone gets tired of waiting.”

I walked off, leaving Claire behind.

But I could tell she wasn’t satisfied. She hadn’t gotten the answer she wanted, and she wasn’t going to let it go. She kept wondering who I was staying in contact with. Was it Deanna? Or someone else?

Ever since we reconnected, she could see my life was simple, almost empty. I didn’t have anyone.

Once we got in the car, Claire and Garrison sat together in the back, talking about the wedding photoshoot and how everything was coming together. Garrison looked almost giddy. To him, once the photos were done and the engagement was official, it would all be settled.

He made sure every bit of it happened right in front of me, too. It was the perfect way to rub it in, to make me watch their happiness. The only reason he wanted me there was so I’d have no choice but to see how in love they looked, as if that proved he’d won.