I Chose To Disappear From Their Lives Chapter 08

I Chose To Disappear From Their Lives Chapter 08

I listened in silence, my face expressionless.

My cool detachment was the complete opposite of the excitement blazing in his eyes.

He realized it too, and his expression fell even further.

After a quiet moment, I gave a small hum.

“I heard you.”

I turned to leave, but he caught me by the wrist.

His grip wasn’t tight.

It was much gentler than when he had forced me to apologize to Lily.

But all I felt was bitter irony.

“Don’t go. Please?” He looked down at me, his narrow eyes filled with pleading.

“Claire, I don’t want to break up.”

He lowered his eyes, suddenly meek.

“I’ve fired Lily. I swear I won’t have anything to do with her ever again. You have to believe me.”

I looked at him quietly for two seconds.

Then, while panic spread across his face, I pulled my hand free.

“I don’t believe you. You once told me you’d protect me for life too. Was your life only ten years long?”

His gaze filled with pain and regret.

I took a deep breath.

I was only tired of him.

“Stop looking for me. Stop disturbing my life. There is no future for us.”

I turned and walked away.

He didn’t follow. He only stared at my back, dazed and pale.

I knew he wouldn’t give up.

So I wasn’t surprised when I saw all three of them at my door early the next morning.

Marcus was holding my favorite barbecue ribs.

They were still hot.

“Claire, I’m sorry.”

What Noah held made me stare for a moment.

It was a make–up coupon.

The crooked handwriting on it was mine from childhood.

He unfolded it.

“One Make–Up Coupon. Big Brother Noah may use this coupon to make Claire forgive him once.”

When he finished reading, he looked at me anxiously.

“Claire, does it still count?”

I slowly took it and stared at the words. Then, as hope slowly rose in his eyes, I tore it to pieces.

Noah stopped breathing. His eyes trembled. “Claire…”

My voice was cold.

“Why should anything we said as children still count?”

“Didn’t

mine?”

you also promise to protect me like your little sister? You broke that promise too. Why should I keep

His face went white.

And Ethan…

He looked completely helpless. All he could do was lower his head and beg.

“Claire, I don’t want to break up. Please, I’m begging you. Will you give me a chance to make it up to you?”

I was silent for a moment.

When I thought of the storm and the mudslide that night, I suddenly laughed.

“Make it up to me?”

My voice shook.

“If I hadn’t brought the family driver with me that night, I would already be dead!”

“What exactly are you going to make up for?”

I squeezed my eyes shut.

“One of you was my fiancé. The other two were the older brothers I trusted most in the world!”

“But when you abandoned me and drove away, did any of you think I might die?”

Something occurred to me.

I let out another bitter laugh, though there was no warmth in my eyes.

“Besides, this wasn’t the first time.”

“You left me in the mountains. You forgot me in a foreign country. One thing after another, one betrayal after

another. What exactly am I supposed to forgive?”

The three men lowered their heads in shame.

Their lips had lost all their color.

“Claire Bennett!”

“I finally found you!”

I frowned and looked over.

Lily was charging toward me from a distance like a madwoman, hurling insults the entire way.

“Why didn’t you just die? If you were dead, everything would belong to me!”

“Go die! I…”

“Shut up!”

Ethan slapped Lily across the face, cutting off her stream of abuse.

The woman on the ground covered her swollen cheek, her eyes filled with fury and resentment.

The look she gave me grew even more hateful.

“Why? Why were you born with everyone worshiping you? Why does everyone have to revolve around you?”

“How am I worse than you? I refuse to accept this!”

I gave a cold laugh.

To me, her screaming accusations were no different from a joke.

“Go take your meds.”

“You refuse to accept it? What exactly do you have to complain about? Take it up with your parents. They

were broke. What did you expect?”

Lily’s eyes widened.

She let out a scream.

“You bitch! I’ll kill you!”

Then, while I watched in shock, she pulled out a knife and lunged straight at me.

“Claire!”

All three men reacted at once. One shielded me, one kicked Lily to the ground, and the third immediately

picked up the dagger.

“Are you okay?”

Ethan looked at me anxiously.

I shoved him away. “Once we get back, the Bennett family will press charges against you. Lily, just wait.”

I turned and walked away.

They tried to follow me.

I stopped.

“Don’t come after me again. You’ve hurt me enough.”

The three men froze where they stood.

By then, I was already in the car and gone, without looking back once.