Building Her Throne Burying My Heart (Claire) novel Chapter 121

Since Darleen was about to be discharged from the hospital, I asked Claire if I could go home after work. She turned me down without even hesitating.

“I can pay for a caregiver for Darleen,” she said. “You’re not going home.”

I didn’t expect her to be so stubborn about this. I just couldn’t leave Darleen right now.

“She just got out of the hospital, and she still has one last round of treatment. I need to be with her. There’s a lot I can do if I’m there.”

Claire kept her back to me. She looked cold, almost like a stranger. “A caregiver can do everything you do. You’re really not any better than one.”

Disappointment settled in my chest. The Claire I remembered seemed so far away now.

Back in college, she was the one who confessed to me first. I told her everything, even the parts of my past I wasn’t proud of. I tried to warn her off, told her honestly that I wasn’t good for her, that my family situation would only drag her down.

But Claire didn’t care. She told me if we ever got married, we’d bring Darleen to live with us.

Once, during a school break, she came home with me. Darleen loved her from the start. She pulled me aside and made me promise to treat Claire well.

When Claire was about to leave, Darleen filled her bag with local snacks and said, “If Lambert ever does anything to hurt you, just tell me. I’ll make sure he learns his lesson.”

Claire just smiled at her, then looked at me. “Don’t worry, Darleen. He wouldn’t dare.”

“Lambert’s a good man,” she said, her eyes meeting mine. “He treats me well. He’d never hurt me or break my heart.”

Back then, her smile was so bright, it felt like summer.

I couldn’t finish. The truth was, as long as my mom was okay, nothing else mattered anymore.

These days, my appetite was shot. Every meal was a battle against stomach cramps and spasms, and the pain was getting worse. If it wasn’t for those painkillers, some days I couldn’t even drive. Deanna once convinced me to try some imported medicine, but it was too expensive, so I only tried it once and never again.

I knew this wasn’t something that could be fixed easily. I just needed to hold on a little longer.

But my answer only made Claire angrier. Maybe it reminded her of what happened to her dad, how nobody stepped in to help when it mattered. If just one person had reached out, maybe things would have ended differently.

“Why are you doing all this for her?” she demanded. “You’re not even related by blood. Is it really worth it?”

“She’s the only real family I have left,” I said quietly. “I have to protect her, no matter what.”