She Vowed to Kill Him for Me, Then Helped Him Propose to Another Woman Chapter 10

She Vowed to Kill Him for Me, Then Helped Him Propose to Another Woman Chapter 10

My father rushed in and caught me before I collapsed.

He clenched his fists shaking as he roared at Grant.

“You animal. Who told you to come here?”

“Haven’t you destroyed my daughter enough?”

Worry flashed through Grant’s eyes, and he moved toward me in a panic.

“Dad, I didn’t…”

“I just missed Claire so much. That’s why…”

“Let me take Claire home. I’ll make her happy.”

“Get out!”

My father punched Grant hard across the bridge of his nose.

Then gently cradling my arm, he lifted my wrist and gently touched the scars that crossed it.

“Claire had to die inside over and over before she finally survived.”

“I’m begging you. Let her go.”

Grant reached out with a trembling hand, as if he wanted to touch my wrist.

But just before his fingers could reach me, he stopped.

Then he slapped himself twice, hard, his voice so hoarse it barely sounded human.

“I’m sorry, Claire…”

I stayed curled in my father’s arms.

I did not look at him.

I did not say a word.

My father let out a long sigh, the lines between his brows seeming deeper than before.

“Leave.”

“And don’t ever come back.”

After a long silence, Grant gave a quiet, broken, “Okay.”

He stood and walked toward the door, looking as if all the life had been drained out of him, leaving only a heavy, hollow shell behind.

After closing the studio, my father carried me on his back as we walked along the beach.

I was afraid I was too heavy and tried to get down.

But he only lifted me higher.

“Don’t underestimate your old man.”

“When you were little, you used to ride on my back all day.”

I laughed, feeling the warmth of him beneath my arms.

Little by little, my restless heart settled again.

After that day, Grant never came back.

Besides running the pottery studio every day, I also fell in love with scuba diving.

Every time I sank beneath the water and fish circled around me, I could not help but marvel at it.

The vastness of the ocean soothed the broken places inside me.

The past slowly stopped feeling important.

One day, I went diving as usual.

When my air ran low and I came back to shore, I saw the best friend I used to have.

Sloane was standing by the water, looking as if she had been waiting there for a long time.

The moment she saw me, she rushed over and held out a towel.

I did not take it.

I shook the water from my hair and walked toward my bag.

I pulled out my clothes, changed, and turned to leave.

She stepped in front of me, tears streaming down her face.

The girl who had almost never cried before was sobbing now.

“Claire, I had to beg Grant for your address.”

“Please. Just say something to me, okay?”

I frowned.

“Did you need something?”

Her eyes lit up when she heard my voice, and she wiped at her tears messily.

“No. I just wanted to see if you were doing okay.”

“I’m fine. You can go.”

After saying that, I ignored her and walked home.

She did not leave.

Instead, she followed me step by step all the way back.

My mother was waiting at the door.

The moment she saw Sloane, she turned around and grabbed a broom from the yard, shielding me like a mother hen guarding her only chick, brandishing the broom at Sloane.

“You heartless girl. Where are you trying to trick my daughter into going this time?”

Sloane’s eyes went red immediately.

The woman who had once treated her more gently than anyone was now trying to chase her away.