Chapter 3

Travis avoided my gaze and said coldly, "Yes."

Travis's thoughts rang out. 'No! I'm only doing this for you, you dummy.

'Dawn is really manipulative. She's definitely up to something this time. If you stick around, she'll chew you up and spit out the bones.

'Come on, babe, please, just go. Once I've taken care of all that, I swear I'll beg you to come back.'

I stood up and closed in on him.

"What if I don't leave? What if I say I'm just going to stay with the Winslow family and never let you go for the rest of my life?" I said.

Travis's eyes widened slightly, and he instinctively backed away.

Travis thought, his heart racing, 'Did my girl say she wants to be with me for life?

'Wait, is this sweet talk? Is she actually dropping a love bomb on me right now?

'Oh man, I'm losing it. Somebody help me. I'm about to break into a huge grin.'

He pressed his lips together, struggling to keep his composure, and his handsome face contorted from the effort.

"Clarissa, have you no shame?" Travis barked.

He was yelling at me, but inside, he was lighting up like a firework show. 'My girl loves me so much. She'd rather go through hell to stay by my side.

'To hell with the divorce. To hell with Dawn. I'm not letting my wife go.

'I'll destroy anyone who dares lay a finger on Clarissa.'

Right then, there was a knock at the study door.

A sickly sweet, obviously fake voice rang out from the hallway.

"Travis, are you busy right now? I made you some soup," Dawn called out.

Travis's face soured for a split second, but he quickly regained his cold composure.

He gave me a look that screamed "Keep your mouth shut," then said in a deep, cold voice, "Come in."

Dawn pushed the door open and came in with a tray in her hands.

She wore a long white lace dress, her hair flowing over her shoulders, makeup perfectly done. She was really playing up that sweet, innocent girl act.

Spotting me, she put on an exaggerated look of surprise, covering her mouth. "Wow, Clarissa, you're here too? I thought Travis was busy with work."

She walked over to Travis, set the soup down on the desk, and tried to cozy up to him.

"Travis, I made this nourishing soup just for you. It took me three hours to cook. You should drink it while it's still hot," she said, her voice dripping with sweetness.

Travis subtly avoided her touch, grabbed a document, and pretended to read it.

"Just leave it there," he said.

His tone was cold and distant.

Dawn's smile froze for a split second, but she quickly recovered. She glanced over at me, her eyes landing on the shredded divorce papers. I caught a glint of triumph in her gaze.

"Clarissa, are these... divorce papers? Why'd you rip them up?" she asked, acting all surprised.

She let out a dramatic sigh, pretending to be sympathetic. "You know, I actually tried to talk Travis out of it. I told him, sure, you might not come from some big-shot family, but you've stuck by him for three years.

"Even if you didn't get much recognition, you still put in the effort. But Travis said a marriage without love is just a grave, and he didn't want to waste your time anymore."

Watching her play the whole fake innocent routine, it was all I could do not to burst out laughing.

Before I could even open my mouth, Travis's thoughts came through loud and clear. 'This soup smells off. Is Dawn trying to poison me?

'Why is she all up in my space? She stinks of perfume. It's killing me. Clarissa's scent is a million times better.

'Why isn't Clarissa saying anything? Is she pissed off by this fake innocent chick? Come on, babe, clap back at Dawn. Humiliate her, go on.

'Just say the word, babe, and I'll dump this soup right on her head.'

With Travis rooting for me in his thoughts, I suddenly felt way more confident.

I walked over, picked up the bowl of soup, and gave it a sniff.

"It does smell pretty good," I said with a smile. "But Miss Keyes, you probably don't know that Travis absolutely hates oily tonic soups. Last time Mabel brought some over, he dumped it straight into the trash."

Dawn's expression changed instantly. "That's not true. Travis loves the things I make best."

She shot Travis a wounded look, her voice trembling with fake hurt. "Travis, are you turning your nose up at me?"

Without even glancing up, Travis said coldly, "It's too greasy. Take it away."

'Way to go, babe. Dawn is so annoying. Just get lost already,' Travis cheered in his mind. 'My girl is seriously badass when she has my back.'

Dawn's tears came pouring down in an instant, looking like she was about to break down as she wailed, "Travis, how could you be so cruel to me? I burned my hand making this soup for you."

She stuck out her finger, and yep, there was a little red spot on it.

If this had been any other day, Travis would've just said a few comforting words, putting on an act for Mabel, like always.

But today, probably because my "confession" had him totally thrown off, he was super annoyed and couldn't be bothered anymore.