The Wife he threw Away (Claire and Lucian) novel Chapter 28

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT CLAIRE’S POV

Inside Margot’s office, neither of us spoke.

She stood by the window, her back to me, one hand resting against the glass as if she needed something solid to hold onto.

For the first time since I had met Margot Sinclair, she did not look composed.

She looked tired.

Deeply tired.

Eventually she let out a slow but exhausted breath.

“Sit,” she said quietly.

It didn’t sound like an instruction. It sounded more like a request.

I obeyed.

My eyes followed her as she walked to the cabinet behind her desk, opened it, and poured herself a shot of whiskey.

Margot Sinclair talking by midday?

That alone told me this conversation was going to be different.

Margot remained standing for a long moment, staring into space. Her drink remained untouched in her

hand.

“You handled that better than I expected,” she said finally.

“I didn’t handle anything,” I replied. “She came to provoke a reaction. She succeeded.”

Margot shook her head faintly.

“No, she came to measure you. To determine how much of a threat you are.”

Margot lifted her eyes, and found mine.

“And now she knows you’re not breaking.” She said quietly.

Something in her tone made my chest tighten.

Once again, silence stretched between us.

Then she said my name.

“Claire.”

Not Ms. Moreau, just Claire.

1/5

+25 Bonus

“I need to tell you why I hate Eva Sterling,” she blurted out as she kept her drink on the desk.

The bluntness startled me, but I said nothing. It was one of those moments where you didn’t have to say anything at all-you just had to wait.

Margot moved slowly toward her desk and sat opposite me.

For a moment, she just stared into space, saying nothing- as if she was deciding how much truth to

release.

“My sister, Elise Sinclair, was an actress.” Margot said. Her voice was steady but quieter than usual.

She stopped speaking, and silence enveloped the room again. I waited. Because I knew she has a lot to

say.

“She wasn’t famous yet. But she was fast rising. She was talented and careful. The kind of person who believed hard work protected you.”

A faint, humorless smile touched Margot’s lips.

“She met Eva early in her career. Eva took interest in her- mentored her, introduced her to people.”

The story already felt familiar. Like something straight out of a movie.

“At first, everything improved,” Margot continued. “Elise started getting a lot of attention in the industry. She got better roles, invitations to top events. Elise trusted Eva completely.”

Margot shook her head. “People started comparing them. It didnt take long for Eva to perceive Elise as a threat.” Margot paused. “I should’ve seen it coming. I’m a lawyer, I should be able to see through people’s behavior and predict their intentions–”

}

“Don’t blame yourself.” I said, cutting Margot shut. “You’re a lawyer, not a psychic.”

Margot nodded once, as if silently thanking me for my reassurance.

“A scandal happened.” Margot said, her fingers tightening around the glass.

She paused.

“A leaked video. Edited conversations. Rumors about Elise sleeping with producers for roles. Nothing illegal. Nothing provable. Just… enough to ruin Elise’s entire image.”

I felt cold.

“She denied it, of course.” Margot continued. “But Eva publicly distanced herself. Said gave interviews, saying she was ‘disappointed’ in Elise and publicly withdrawing support for her. Others followed.”

It all made sense to me now. A rising actress who trusted her mentor all too well-except the mentor was Eva, who never wanted anyone to rise above her.

So she destroyed Elise slowly, strategically. Renounced her publicly, knowing others would follow.

2/5

7536

+25 Bonus

Eva threw rocks, and hid her hands. Typical.

“No one wanted controversy,” Margot finished softly. “Within three months, every contract disappeared.”

“And Eva?” I asked.

Margot’s gaze hardened.

“Eva stepped into the exact roles my sister lost. Took up the contracts that were meant for Elise.” Margot said. “My sister was no longer a threat to her- no longer competition.”

The office felt smaller. Colder.

“The truth is, Elise never recovered,” Margot said. “Not professionally and definitely not personally. You have no idea what it feels like to have everything you’ve ever wanted within your grasp, just for it to… disappear.”

Margot heaved a sigh, then rubbed her temple. Even telling the story exhausted her.

“I spent years trying to prove that Eva was behind it all,” she continued. “Emails vanished. Witnesses changed statements. Every trail I followed ended just before it became usable in court.”

She leaned back in her chair slightly.

“Eva is careful. She always has been.”

I swallowed.

“And you think she’s doing the same thing to me.” It wasn’t a question. Because I knew it was true.

“I know she is.”

The certainty in Margot’s voice left no space for doubt.

Margot stood again, and walked over to her desk drawer. She returned seconds later, carrying a thick

folder.

She placed it in front of me.

“I’ve been collecting this for years,” she said, urging me with her eyes to open it.

Then I did.

There were photographs inside. Articles and notes. Names I recognized and others I didn’t – actresses, socialites and business partners alike.

Patterns.

Careers that collapsed shortly after crossing Eva.

Reputations destroyed without proof of wrongdoing.

3/5

+25 Bonus

Always a scandal, never real evidence.

Always triumph for Eva, never consequences.

“There’s nothing strong enough for court,” Margot said, frustration slipping into her tone. “Eva is sleek, she never leaves fingerprints.”

I turned another page.

Another ruined life.

Another coincidence that wasn’t a coincidence at all.

My stomach tightened.

“I was too late for my sister,” Margot said quietly behind me. “I won’t be too late again.”

I closed the file slowly.

“You don’t agree with me signing the divorce papers,” I realized.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify