Chapter 4

Claire stared at the photo, unable to look away.

Back when she'd lived with the Sterling family, Nathan had cooked for her all the time. Back then, she'd simply curled up on the sofa, waiting for him to feed her completely at ease.

Emily sent another message moments later, along with a location pin. Before she knew it, Claire found herself standing at the door of that address, as if drawn by an invisible force.

She wasn't sure what she'd come to expose, or prove. Either way, she knew she'd be the one left humiliated. Just as she turned to leave, the door swung open.

Nathan looked at her, a flicker of panic crossing his otherwise calm face. "What are you doing here?"

Claire looked at the apron still tied around his waist. Her heart, which had already been numb, suddenly twisted with pain.

Before she could speak, Emily hopped over on one foot and slipped her arm around Nathan's waist naturally. "Claire! You made it. Nathan, I haven't seen Claire in so long, so I thought I'd invite her to dinner."

Nathan frowned slightly, then shifted his weight and lifted Emily into his arms. "Your ankle's hurt. Don't move around so much."

Claire followed them inside. The first thing she saw was a large photo hanging on the wall.

In it, Nathan and Emily faced the camera, but their eyes were locked on each other. Their smiles were so bright, indicating they were the one and only for each other.

Claire quickly looked down, then let Emily usher her to a seat at the dining table.

Nathan served Emily a bowl of seafood soup. She sipped it slowly and said, "Claire, are you feeling okay? It was all my fault today. I slipped and accidentally made you fall."

Claire's heart was a jumble of emotions. She stirred her pasta and shook her head silently. Truthfully, she was terrified that if she opened her mouth, she'd lash out at Nathan, but she had no right to do that.

"I'm glad you're alright," Emily said, patting Nathan, who had been silent. "Nathan, why not let Claire have some soup? You two aren't strangers. No need to be so formal."

Claire looked at the bowl of seafood soup being handed to her, then finally met Nathan's eyes. She couldn't believe he'd really forgotten that she was allergic to seafood after cooking for her all those years.

Her gaze must have been too intense, because Nathan quickly made an excuse and left the table.

Claire had lost her appetite long ago. As soon as she set down her fork and knife, Emily sneered. "No appetite? I guess that makes sense. Your comatose stepmother's lying in the hospital, and you're dining with the two people who indirectly put her there."

She stood up, leaned down, and whispered in Claire's ear, "Claire, do you think your mom would drop dead on the spot if she knew you're Nathan's mistress now?"

"But then again, she deserves it," Emily added. "She groveled to me just to stay in my house and was even willing to ruin your happiness. Like mother, like daughter. You're both just as cheap."

Claire snapped. She raised her hand and slapped Emily hard across the face. The bright red handprint on Emily's cheek mirrored Claire's uncontrollable anger and her own tragic despair. Claire had to admit, Emily was right about everything.

Miranda had never come looking for Claire because she missed her daughter, or suddenly cared about how she was doing. She'd only come to curry favor with Emily.

Emily had wanted Nathan, so Miranda had tried to tear them apart.

What Miranda hadn't expected was that after the car accident, the people she'd worked so hard to please would abandon her without a second thought.

Claire was so caught up in the confrontation that she didn't see the force coming. She was shoved hard, her head slamming into the edge of the chair. Blood instantly trickled down.

She looked up at Nathan's dark, stormy face, and her heart felt like it was being pierced by a thousand needles. She'd been so wrong. She never should have re-entered Nathan's life.

"Claire, you're bleeding." Emily hurried around the table to help her, then turned to Nathan with a pout. "Nathan, no matter how upset Claire is with me, I can take it. I'm fine. Let's take her to the hospital first."

Nathan's jaw tightened, his fists clenched. After listening to Emily, he turned and walked out to the car without a word.

On the way, torrential rain poured down.

Emily, sitting in the passenger seat, suddenly gasped. "Nathan! Bella's still at my friend's place. I promised I'd pick her up today, but I forgot. If we're late, she'll throw another tantrum."

The car screeched to a halt. Emily looked at Claire with feigned remorse.

"I'm so sorry, Claire, but you'll have to go to the hospital alone. Bella's the ragdoll cat Nathan gave me. When she's mad, she scratches really hard, and only Nathan can calm her down," said Emily.

Claire got out of the car quietly. The downpour soaked her to the bone in seconds.

The black sedan disappeared into the rainstorm. Claire stood there for nearly an hour before finally hailing a taxi.

She remembered that Nathan was allergic to cat hair.

In the months after Miranda had left the Sterling family, Claire had been utterly devastated. Nathan had given her a Ragdoll cat just like this one. She'd raised it for a while before Henry told her about Nathan's allergy.

Later, she'd asked him foolishly, "Why would you do something so stupid?"

He had said, "Doing anything for someone you love isn't stupid."

So Emily was the one he loved now.