Chapter 9
That night, curled up in my own warm bed in Westbridge, I realized something strange.
I hadn’t thought about Harper or the others in days.
Out of curiosity, I opened WhatsApp–I hadn’t touched in forever.
My inbox was flooded with messages from classmates:
[Where are you, Claire?
[Your dad, your brother, even Julian–they’re all looking for you. It’s like they’ve gone crazy.|
I stared at the screen, almost laughing at the absurdity.
Why were they looking for me now?
Did they want me to come back and apologize to Harper?
Even after I’d walked away. After I’d given her everything
And yet they still weren’t satisfied.
—
But the truth was… I didn’t care anymore.
I deleted the app and let sleep carry me into the quiet.
Time passed–unhurried and gentle.
Here in Westbridge, I’d chosen to stay and pursue grad school. With help from Charles, who connected me with one of his old professors, I went straight into a PhD program
And just
like that, Christmas arrived.
It also happened to be my birthday.
I only remembered when I walked into the living room that morning and saw the three–tier vanilla birthday cake sitting on the table.
For a moment, I stood there, stunned.
I’d almost forgotten my own birthday.
That year we adopted Harper, we found out–by pure coincidence–that her birthday was the day before mine.
Christmas Eve.
Dad and Logan had been thrilled when they heard.
They joked about how the house would be double the fun from now on two birthdays, back to back.
But after that first year… they only ever celebrated hers.
As if mine no longer mattered.
It had been a long, long time since I had a birthday.
And now, as Mom gently placed a party hat on my head, something inside me broke open.
Tears spilled down my cheeks before I could stop them.
It had just… been so long since anyone treated me like this.
So gently. So wholeheartedly.
Mom, Charles, and Owen all rushed over in a panic. Chapter 9
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“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” Mom asked, brushing my hair back
And 1… I told them everything.
All of IL
Everything that happened after Harper moved in.
Mom looked ready to explode.
“That damn Richard! I knew that man couldn’t be trusted.”
“And Logan? Unbelievable. He can’t even tell blood from a stranger? What an idiot
She was shaking with
with rage, and Charles quickly wrapped an arm around her shoulders, trying to calm her down.
“Easy, love, Breathe. If it makes you feel better, I’ll hire someone to rough them up.”
Owen slammed his glass on the table. “No need. I’ll do it myself.”
Their reactions were so sincere, so outrageously protective. I couldn’t help it–I laughed through my tears.
Burying my face in Mom’s arms, I whispered, “Don’t be mad. It’s all in the past now. I’m not sad anymore.”
“Being here with you guys… I’m happy.”
And for the first time in years, I really meant it.
That Christmas didn’t feel cold at all
And my birthday cake?
It was the best thing I’d tasted in a long, long time.
Too bad we didn’t even get
get to finish it–because just then, someone burst into the house.
Chapter 9
