Chapter 58

Clara

Ever since that day, everything changed. The maids were disrespectful, everyone treated me like an outcast, and I couldn't even leave the house without being hounded by paparazzi. Alicia had uploaded a video online, exposing me and saying awful things that weren't true. She then added a voice recording of Damon asking for a divorce, instantly making me the villain.

This was exactly what I'd feared. "How little I mean to everyone," I murmured, the cold shower water washing over me. I tried not to cry—I'd been crying for days—but the tears flowed freely.

After a while, I got out of the shower, wrapped a towel around myself, and stepped out of the bathroom. My phone rang. I rushed to it, hoping it was Damon, but it wasn't. Disappointment washed over me. I'd been trying to reach Damon since that night, but he hadn't answered my calls or texts.

I sighed and answered the call. "Hello, Aunt Amelia," I murmured. She sighed.

"He still hasn't spoken to you?" she asked softly. A tear slid down my cheek. Aunt Amelia always understood me, and I was grateful for her unwavering support. She'd been angry when she learned my secret, but she quickly understood my fear of losing her.

"No," I whispered. She sighed again.

"That's it. I'm coming to get you, even if it's just for a while. You're isolated, and I don't like it. We'll go on vacation to lift your spirits. I'm sure my husband won't mind being alone for a week. I can't bear to see you like this," Aunt Amelia said, taking a deep breath.

"Okay, Aunt Amelia. Can we go tomorrow? I really need a break," I murmured.

"Of course, dear. I'll arrange it. Be strong, okay? Pack nice clothes; you're beautiful, and any man would be lucky to have you," she said. After our goodbyes, I ended the call.

Silence descended. I was alone. Then, a knock at the front door made me freeze. The knocking persisted, so I quickly opened it.

Delilah stood there, and my shock was evident. "Deli…" I began, but she wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here sooner. I moved out because I couldn't stand seeing their faces anymore. I'm sorry I didn't call," she whispered, tears streaming down her face.

I hugged her back. We stood there for what felt like hours, crying. After a while, I pulled her inside and closed the door. We burst out laughing when we saw our red, puffy faces.

"You look horrible," Delilah pointed out. "You need a makeover, and you need to get out of this depressing house. Why were you answering the door? Where are the maids? The butler?"

"They stopped respecting me after they found out Damon was planning to divorce me," I muttered. She stared at me in shock.

"What!" she screamed. "I'm going to teach them a lesson they'll never forget! How dare they?" Before she could leave, I grabbed her hand.

"Please, leave them alone. I'm okay. They have no reason to respect me if I'm not a Donovan anymore," I murmured. She scoffed.

"But you're still a Donovan until you sign the divorce papers. Besides, I don't think Damon is serious about this threat," she said.

Another knock came at the door. I glanced at Delilah before opening it, gasping when I saw Luca. I frowned, seeing no sign of Damon.

"He's not here," Luca said with a pitying smile, bowing his head. "Good morning, Mrs. Donovan. Damon asked me to give you this, but I wanted to give it to you myself." He produced a file.

My heart pounded. It was the divorce papers.

"What?! Is Damon crazy?! He really wants to divorce her?!" Delilah screamed. I closed my eyes, tears falling onto the file.

"He's just acting out of anger. You know how your brother is. And I don't think he really wants you to sign it…"

"I'll sign it," I interrupted. They both fell silent.

"Clara…" Luca began, but I shook my head. Any words would break me.

"Pen, please," I managed, holding back tears. He sighed and handed me the pen. I signed the papers, then handed them back to Luca.

"I'll be gone tomorrow. I'll be out of this house," I muttered. They stared at me in shock.

"Clara, you…" Delilah began, but I shook my head, stopping her.

"It's okay. I'd like to be alone. I hope you don't mind," I murmured. She wiped away her tears.

"Okay, but wherever you're going, I'm going with you. And you can't say no. I'll pack and be here tomorrow," she said, leaving before I could argue. I sighed, turning to Luca, who still wore a frown.

"He doesn't mean this; he's just angry. I'll talk some sense into him…"

"Luca, there's no need. I always knew I was just a contract to him, and I broke that contract by lying. It's my fault, and I don't blame him. I caught feelings; it's not his fault. Can I be alone, please?" I pleaded before breaking down. He sighed and left.

I closed the door, ran to my room, and broke down. I cried so hard I could barely breathe. How could Damon do this? "I guess I meant nothing to him. Everything was a lie," I murmured, hitting my chest in pain. Why was my life so miserable? Why was I always abandoned?

I fell asleep on the floor, crying, and woke up late at night to silence and darkness. I sighed, stood up, and began packing. I messaged Aunt Amelia to come early.

I was about to zip my suitcase when I heard the front door burst open. I furrowed my eyebrows and went downstairs, freezing when I saw a masked man standing there, armed with several weapons.

"Mrs. Donovan, it's nice to finally meet you. I'm sorry our meeting will be short," he muttered. My heart raced. I was about to summon my wolf when he shot my arm with something that instantly weakened me.

"Don't make this harder than it has to be. I'll just kill you and leave," he muttered. Fear choked me. "Don't even scream; no one is here. You are all alone." He took slow steps towards me.

I frantically grabbed a nearby rod and stabbed him in the stomach. "Ughh! Damnit!" he screamed. As he struggled, I ran upstairs. I needed to call Damon.

My vision blurred, but I reached for my phone and dialed his number repeatedly, but he didn't answer. Accepting my fate, I recorded a voice message: "I regret meeting you," I whispered, tears falling. The man burst into the room, grabbing my hair.

"You bitch!" he screamed. I yelled in pain. He grabbed my phone and smashed it. "Doesn't matter if you send a thousand recordings; you'll be dead before anyone gets here anyway."