Chapter 2
After some time, Edward pulled Jessica close, gently comforting her. "Jessica, take it easy. You had a high fever last night, and your throat isn't fully recovered. If you keep this up, your throat will start hurting again soon.
"Don't waste your energy on someone who doesn't matter. Ms. Wynn is just a nanny I was planning to hire."
Claire froze, staring at Edward in disbelief.
Jessica's anger faded. She covered her mouth dramatically and apologized to Claire. "Sorry, I totally got it wrong."
Edward couldn't bring himself to meet Claire's disappointed gaze, nor did he spare a glance at Lily, who was sobbing on the floor.
He took Jessica's hand and walked away without looking back.
Claire couldn't help but watch them leave, only to catch Jessica glancing back at her with a smug, mocking grin.
Claire's knuckles turned white from how hard she clenched her fists.
Suddenly, a thought flashed through Claire's mind. Jessica might have known about her and Edward from the very start.
It might have been Jessica herself who set her sights on Edward and stole him away. And over the past five years, Edward had fallen for her.
Claire's hands trembled as she held Lily. In that moment, she made up her mind.
She was going to divorce Edward and disappear from his life for good.
*****
Half an hour later, Claire took Lily to the County Clerk's Office to ask about getting a divorce.
After the clerk looked over her details and typed on his computer, he glanced back at her with more sympathy in his eyes.
"I'm sorry, ma'am, but it shows here that you're not married," he said. "Mr. Lane is married, but his wife's name is Jessica."
Claire was stunned, as if a bomb had gone off right next to her.
Her hands trembled as she took the "marriage certificate" she'd once cherished from the clerk, and she staggered out the door.
Outside, the wind lashed her face with sand, making her cough until her eyes watered.
She couldn't believe Edward had used a fake certificate to fool her for five years.
She should've seen it coming. The Ford family had so much power back then. There was no way they would've let Edward and Jessica be a fake couple.
She didn't understand why he couldn't let her go since he had obviously fallen for Jessica.
Claire had no idea how she managed to take Lily back to the villa.
She hurried upstairs to pack her things, not wanting to stay here for a second longer.
But as she was packing, Lily asked softly, "Mommy, can I go to kindergarten one more time tomorrow? I promised my friend I'd bring her candy, and I don't want to break my promise."
Claire looked at Lily's hopeful little face and couldn't bring herself to let her down. She decided to let Lily go there once more.
After tomorrow, she'd take Lily and leave for good.
That night, Edward didn't come home. He only sent her a few texts.
Edward: [Claire, I'm really sorry about what happened today.]
Edward: [Don't worry, I'll come clean to Jessica about you soon. Wait for me.]
Claire stared at those detached lines on her screen and smiled bitterly.
She and Edward had grown up together in an orphanage.
Whenever the other kids picked on her, he'd risk everything to protect her.
The memory that stuck with her most was from her senior year. Someone spread dirty rumors about her, and the very next day, Edward beat the guy into a pulp.
Claire had laughed and asked if he'd gone too far, but Edward hugged her and said seriously, "Claire, as long as I'm here, no one's allowed to talk trash about you."
But now, Jessica insulted and even hit her right in front of Edward, and all he did was send a couple of perfunctory texts.
Claire gripped her phone, a sharp pain shooting through her chest.
If he couldn't give her his undivided love, she wanted none of it.
*****
The next day, after dropping Lily off at kindergarten, Claire wasted no time and started packing her things.
She felt lucky that Edward had sent her a lot of money over the years, and she had never spent a cent, saving up a million dollars.
She decided to take that money, leave Bayview City with Lily, and start a small business in Seabrook to make a living.
Thinking about it, she felt a ripple of excitement in her heart.
But just then, her phone started ringing urgently. It was Lily's kindergarten teacher calling.
"Ms. Wynn, Lily was found taking something that didn't belong to her at school," the teacher said. "Please come as soon as possible."
Claire's hand trembled as she gripped her phone. She dropped everything and drove straight to the kindergarten.
As soon as she walked in, Claire spotted a familiar long-haired woman.
It was Jessica. She was standing in the classroom, and right beside her was a little boy who looked like Edward.