Chapter 13
13
If Claire thought that was more hurtful, she was wrong.
Just after Hunter left she saw her motherâinâlaw turning to her husband with a teary face and said, âPoor soul has to go through so much, Leon, she
will be fine, wonât she?â
And she hugged her husband.
Claire felt like a bucket of cold icy water was thrown on her. She had been here since last night and nobody came to see her except for her Inusband⦠Which was also for only ten seconds to count,
Her parents were oblivious of her condition. But considering that Cole brought her here in his arms, shouldnât he have told her inâlaws too? Beside her husband.
Torment seeped into her bones and suddenly her skull began to throb with pain,
Cole was standing beside her inâlaws, soothing them. Claire couldnât bring herself to believe how suddenly everyoneâs emotions turned against hi Up until some days ago, all these people were on her side, shedding tears for her and pitying her.
her.
She could have endured Hunterâs indifference because he was distracted. But her inâlaws!
You told me once that I am like your daughter, mom. And dad, you always sided with me whenever Hunter was ignorant Claire pondered as she found her breathing fracturing.
She couldnât conclude what was more hurtful. Her husbandâs obsession with his old lover. Or the fact that her inâlaws and the only person who supported her right from the start of this mess, Cole, was also devoting to Zara like a loyal devotee,
âClaire,â she gasped, hearing her nane from her motherâinâLawâs mouth.
âOh Claire, Violet left her husband and made a hasty beeline towards her
She was about to touch her check, but Penelope had had enough. She pulled Claire back and threw a reprimanding look at her friendâs motherâin-
âTo say I was shocked that only your husband has lost his mind will be wrong to say, Claire, It looks like everyone in the Macintyre family is like this. She paused as she glared at the couple with pepper and salty hair. âBrainless and selfish.â
âBe careful with your words, Penelope,â Cole chided as he came to speak in defense of the old couple.
Penelope scoffed, âWhy donât you ask the same from your best friend and his family? I guess itâs them who should be careful with how they act these days.
Cole glowered at her. She was saying this because she had no clue what happened a while ago. If she knew she wouldnât even dare to open her mouth
He ignored her as she was not important, What she thought or felt about them hardly mattered to Cole.
He turned to Claire and sighed, âIâm glad to see you out of her. I hope your head is not hurting
âNot hurting? Iâm sure she might just pop a vein or two in her head from all the pain you imbeciles are giving to her. Come on, Claire, theyâre not worth your time. Letâs grab our food and go back to your wand.â Penelope taunted while on Claireâs wrist.
However, she was unmoving. Her eyes were complainingly stuck on Violet and Leon,
Of all the people, she didnât assume her inâlaws will support Hunter with his infatuation with Zara.
Violet saw through her thoughts and tried to clear her misunderstanding, âWe were coming to see you, Claire, but we ran into Hunter carrying a bleeding Zara in his arms. So we couldnâtââ
âSo what, huh? You followed him to see whatâs the matter. Isnât that what you want to say, Mrs. Macintyre? Penelope cut her as she scoffed again. âDoes that mean your sonâs exâlover is more important to you over your daughterâinâlaw!
Violetâs eyes widened.
âItâs not like that, darling. I swear it is not
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âWe know exactly what it is like, maâam. Now if you excuse us, we would like to leave. Claire needs food before she can take her after meals medicines. Though I know it hardly matters to you, I care about my friendâs brahh. After all sheâs been starving herself for a man who thinks with his dick
âYou better control you
your fucking. Cole gulped his further words because Claire was dragged away by Penelope.
Anger washed over him. But one look at the old couple and eyes softened.
âWhoever said it truly said it truly that whenever a child commits a mistake, itâs the parents who suffer the most. He heaved, feeling bad for Mr. And Mrs. Macintyre.
The world doesnât know bus since Hunter left Claire outside their anniversary party venue to meet Zara, his parents and grandparents abandoned him. They wouldnât talk to him or respond to his calls.
In the days that passed by, they rebuked him on every step. In fact, old Mr. Macintyre, Hunterâs grandpa, went as far as threatening him with the familyâs property. But no one could change his friendâs mind.
âDonât worry, mom, I will talk to her. Cole said. He and Hunter were so close that they addressed each otherâs parents as mom and dad
âI swear I came here to meet her, Cole. Violet quietly sobbed.
âI told you to go to her ward right away, didnât I? But you wanted to get updates on that intolerable womanâs healthâ Leon seethed in frustration.
He never liked Zara in the past at all. So when they walked on Hunter carrying her in his arms, the first thought he got was to shove her out of his arms. That was not her place to seek protection in. It was Claireâs rightful place
However, his wife with a butterâsoft heart pleaded with him to check on Zara first. Violer clicked well with her when Hunter and Zara were dating. Hence it was the sake of the old times she insisted him. But Leon knew bener.
He always felt that Zara had more layers to her face than what met the eyes.
Therefore, he coldly said not to meet her. But Violet couldnât contain her feelings. SheWho would have known that they met their sonâs lover first? What they didnât expect was that Claire would catch them redâhanded,
âThe damage is done, Violet. Even if you cry at her feet she will not believe you.â He closed his eyes to keep in his frustration
âSheâs mentally disturbed and we gave her another reason to be sad about?
Leon was fond of Claire. Any time, he would choose her to be his daughterâinâlaw over Zara
âLetâs go back.â He said and started walking away while his wife chanted the same old thing.
âDonât worry, mom, Cole hugged her. âClaire knows that you love her. I will explain everything to her. Besides, as a woman she will understand the situation once I told her about it
âIf you say, Violet nodded at him. âBut please, tell her to talk to me once the misunderstanding is clear. I canât see her like this.â Had Penelope heard that, she would gauge her eyeballs out to roll them on the floor as rolling them normally wouldnât be enough. When she departed with her husband, Cole went in search of Claire. He found her sitting like a lifeless body with her friend on a table.
There was a bowl of porridge, buttered toast and a glass of orange juice on the table between them Penelope was attempting to make her eat but Claire was lost in her thoughts.
Iâm sorry you had to see us with Hunter, Claire. But I promise we donât support him with his affection towards Zara Cole thought to himself as Claireâs bloodless face made his heart twitch. The loose patientâs gown made her appear weaker than ever
He walked towards them and pulled a chair out to sink in. Seeing him around them, Penelope lost her calm. She slapped the table thus tearing Claire out of her trance as she hollered.
âYou son of a bitch! How dare you bring yourself here Lift your ass and wiggle it out of our sight.
âDo you know that for a woman your tongue is too darn disgraceful Cole said with condemn.
âSays who? The best friend of a witless manwhore
Cole knew better than to argue with her. He turned his face to Claire who was already looking at him with a waiting gaze.
âTrust me, we are not with Hunter. He can jump into a valley for all our care but you need to listen me out, Claireâ
Penelope hissed, âWhat are you! His pimp. Stop advertising for your manwhore friend, Mr. Wordsmith. We are not going to buy your words.â Claire
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was dazed with her friendâs frustration.
Deep down she smiled as Penelope was doing what she couldnât- taunt the Mcintyres and their accomplices on behalf of her for her pain.
âEither you get up from here or I will call the security. They would know better to throw you out for stressing the patient with a head injuryâ Her words made Cole scratch his head.
Since she dramatically slapped the table, the others have been looking their way with narrowed eyes. Not to mention the man on the counter taking orders was also keeping an eye on him. For then he was truly bothering the patient and her friend.
Cole couldnât delay it further if he wanted to stay beside Claire and ward off misunderstandings to some extent. After all, he brought her here in his arms. The blood on his shirt was the evidence
He saw Penelope opening her mouth again. This might be it if she opened her annoying n mouth. Thus before she said it, he broke the silence.
âZara has been gang raped, Claire.â
Penelopeâs mouth opened wider as the words settled in. On the contrary, Claireâs stomach twisted, her skin turned cold, and heart skipped a beat as she felt her own body convulsing from the pain a woman may feel over the mention of the word repe
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