Chapter 5

The party's atmosphere had curdled. When Richard Sterling heard what happened, he was so furious his hands shook. "You wretched girl. You can't come home without causing trouble."

Claire looked at him and felt nothing but cold emptiness. Diane patted Richard's back and shot Claire a reproachful look. "Claire, it's your father's birthday. Not bringing a gift is one thing, but please stop upsetting him."

That one remark sent Richard's temper through the roof. "Even Vivienne knew to bring a gift. All those years I raised you, and I raised an ungrateful brat."

Seven months. She hadn't seen him in seven months. In that place, she'd endured agony — bullied, humiliated, stripped of every shred of dignity.

Now she was finally back, and all her father cared about was a missing gift.

Claire swallowed the pain and looked at him. "So in your eyes, a gift matters more than your own daughter."

Richard's face contorted. His chest heaved violently, and he slapped her hard across the face. "How did I end up with a daughter like you? You're not half as considerate as Vivienne."

Claire's body slammed into the floor. Her cheek burned with searing pain, but her eyes stayed defiant, locked on her father. "If Mom could see you now, she'd despise you."

Richard flinched, momentarily speechless. It was Diane who stepped in with a gentle smile. "Oh Claire, you're overthinking it. If Grace were here, I'm sure she'd want your father to be happy."

The words smoothed the tension from Richard's face. He nodded. "Diane's right. Grace would understand."

Then he turned back to Claire. "Go to your room and stop embarrassing yourself in public. If Grace could see what you've become, she'd roll over in her grave."

They turned and left. Claire watched their retreating backs and felt the absurdity of it all pressing down on her like a physical weight.

She endured the rest of the evening under a sea of judgmental stares. Through all the whispers and pointed glances, she didn't say a word.

It wasn't until Ethan tracked her down that anything changed. He rarely sought her out anymore.

Claire's numb heart registered a flicker of surprise — until she heard what he had to say. "Claire, you made Vivienne cry. Come with me and apologize to her. Now."

Of course. It was about Vivienne. Even though she was used to everyone revolving around Vivienne, a sting of pain still cut through.

Ethan reached for her arm, but she pulled away. He blinked in surprise. "Claire, you're the one in the wrong here."

"Vivienne's been planning this party ever since she knew you were getting out. That should've been your responsibility. Do you have any idea how hard she worked? And then you go and —"

He stopped mid-sentence. He couldn't go on, because Claire was crying.

He couldn't remember the last time she'd cried. Not since her mother's death, maybe. The sight rooted him to the spot, and something sharp twisted in his chest.

Claire's eyes were red and burning. She trembled with fury, and every word came out like a blade. "Ethan, would you apologize to someone who insulted your mother?"

He didn't answer. Claire's voice was steel. "I won't apologize. Not even if it kills me. She doesn't deserve it."

The last trace of sympathy drained from Ethan's face. "When did you become this unreasonable? It was Priscilla who said those things, not Vivienne. Can't you think straight for once?"

Claire lifted her gaze slowly, searching his eyes, refusing to miss a single flicker of emotion. Her voice was barely above a whisper. "Ethan, did you set this up on purpose?"

He'd stopped her from buying a gift on purpose. He'd dropped her off in the main hall on purpose — knowing she'd walk straight into a crowd of Priscilla's allies.

Priscilla had always hated her, had always gone out of her way to pick fights. And Vivienne's guest list was stacked with people who couldn't stand Claire. They had to have known.

She didn't want to believe they'd do that to her. But when she caught the flash of panic in Ethan's eyes, disappointment and bitterness flooded through her.

Ethan recovered quickly. He looked at Claire's ashen face, and for reasons he couldn't name, guilt and unease coiled in his gut. His voice dropped. "What happened back then — you nearly got Vivienne killed — people needed to see that there were consequences. That's why I made sure they knew you'd been released. Don't worry. After this, our engagement still stands."

Claire's tears had run dry. Her chest felt like someone had driven a knife through it. She held on, barely, crumbling from the inside. "How many times do I have to say it before you believe me? I didn't do it."

"Vivienne framed me. She set the whole thing up. But not one of you — not a single one — ever took my side. Not one of you was willing to believe me."

A hollow laugh escaped her. If he was going to believe her, he would have by now. She felt something inside her die. "Ethan, I'm calling off the engagement. Go ahead and marry Vivienne."

Ethan froze, then erupted. "Can you stop being so impulsive? After everything we've been through — you think you can throw that away just like that?"

Claire drew a deep breath. "I'm not being impulsive. I'll make sure you get what you want, Ethan."

"I only ever saw Vivienne as a sister —"

His phone buzzed before he could finish. Claire's eyes dropped to the screen. The caller ID read: Baby Viv.

The next second he was walking away, long strides carrying him toward the far end of the hall — toward Vivienne, who stood smiling, waving him over.

Claire watched him go. Something inside her flatlined. She lowered her eyes, closed them, and walked out of the banquet without looking back.