apter 26
e moment those words left Claire’s mouth, the entire room fell into stunned silence. Her friends exchanged bewildered looks, their faces full of shock and sbelief.
laire, are you out of your mind? Why would you say yes to that?”
aire ignored them all. Her eyes remained locked on Ashton’s back, her voice trembling as she clung to her last shred of pride.
mean it, Ash… I’ll wait for you–until you and Giselle…”
e paused, her next words feeling like shards of glass caught in her throat.
jet married and then divorce. As long as you come back to me, I’m willing to wait.”
esperate, dramatic, yet so disgustingly late.
ithout so much as flinching, Ashton walked out of the hospital room.
aire could wait for all he cared. Even if he did divorce someday, he would never go back to her.
year later, Giselle did something no one expected at the company’s celebration party.
le got down on one knee in front of everyone and proposed to Ashton. She wore a flowing gown, elegant and radiant, her hand lifting a ring that shimmered like a omise under the lights.
love you, Ashton. Will you marry me?”
was she who proposed to him, yet she was the one who teared up first.
shton smiled gently and reached out to wipe away the single tear trailing down her cheek. Then, in front of all their cheering friends and colleagues, he leaned in ad kissed her softly.
Yes, Gigi. I will.”
hat night, Giselle beamed like a proud princess, her eyes glowing with joy as she introduced Ashton as her fiance to everyone.
he crowd erupted, cheering, clapping, teasing them both.
shton wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close, the corners of his mouth lifting in a warm, unguarded smile.
or the first time in a long time, everything felt exactly where it belonged.
ir away in Rosevale, Claire was in a private room, struggling through another round of business drinks with several bosses.
e had lost the company she had painstakingly built over the years because of the chaos caused by Curtis.
ow, she was forced to start over from scratch, drowning in endless rounds of alcohol just to seal a single contract.
most every day, she drank herself into a stupor before stumbling home. Only this time, there was no one waiting up late to greet her, no one lovingly preparing a ass of hangover remedy for her.
er face vacant and helpless, she asked, “Ms. Cook, what did you just say?”
mantha Cook, a longtime friend of Giselle’s, was well aware of everything that had happened between them. Today, she intended to rub salt in the wound for
hton.
ith a sly smile, she said, “I said that Giselle Jacobson from Novaport successfully proposed to her boyfriend today. She was so moved that she cried right there.
Come on, let’s have a toast to wish them a long and happy life together!”
aire heard nothing except the words about Giselle’s successful proposal. Numbly, she lifted her glass and downed the entire shot of hard liquor.
e next moment, she suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed straight to the floor.
hen she woke up again, she found herself lying in a hospital bed.
aire had cut off all contact with her friends who had once spoken ill of Ashton. The only person still by her side was Courtney Gray, her childhood best friend.
ou’re awake. Do you want some water?” Courtney asked.
aire slowly shook her head, her face blank and eyes empty. When Courtney looked at her, she felt a heaviness settle deep in her chest.
e had warned Claire from the very beginning not to reconnect with Curtis and told her to move on and live her life with dignity.
course, Claire hadn’t listened.
ep down, Courtney knew her best friend had brought this on herself. Still, knowing that didn’t make it any easier to see her like this.
was heartbreaking to see the girl she grew up with go from a successful woman to a walking skeleton within a year.
e sighed, her voice low and patient as she sat beside the bed and spoke gently. “You’ve gotta let go of Ashton, Claire. Those things he said back then were just to t rid of you. He never meant to come back…”
›itter smile tugged at the comer of Claire’s lips. Of course, she knew Ashton had said those things to hurt her and cut her out of his life.
Lwhat other choice did she have? That tiny sliver of delusion was the only thing keeping her going.
te at night, when sleep refused to come, she would replay the days she once spent by Ashton’s side.
Chapter 26
In her imagination, she hadn’t made any of those silly mistakes; in her delusion, perhaps they would be married and even have a beautiful baby by now… Alas, there was no such thing as “what if” in this world.
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