Chapter 8
Chapter 8 Decision
"Where have you been? I have been calling you "
Matthew, who stood in the lobby waiting for Claire arrival.
"I'm sorry. I had something earlier."
"You had what?"
"Something "Claire muttered quietly.
They went up to Claire office and she took a seat..
"Where did you go?" Matthew stared at her curiously,
Knowing Matthew, he will not let it go until he gets his answer.
Sighing heavily, Claire motioned him to take a seat. She faced him and intertwined both ber fingers on her desk.
"Matthew, there is something I need to tell you."
"Okay," he slowly said
"For the past 3 years, I have been married. Had, cause 1 just got legally divorce."
"Wait hold up you? Married? Divorce? How? And Why?"
"Okay, that is a lot of questions mark you got there, buddy"
"Tell me from the beginning "Claire hesitated to tell him, since she is not sure where to tell.
A lot had happened in those 3 years.
"Remember the car crash that killed 4 people?"
Matthew nodded his head and listened intently.
"Both of my parents die as well as my driver. I thought I would die too but turns out I was safe. I woke up the next morning at the hospital with no recollection of memory." "So, you had amnesia?"
padded. "I couldn't even remember my own name. I was terrified, Matt. The pressure from the hospital staff to remember was overwhelming. I just couldn't handle it." "And then what happened?" Matthew asked, leaning forward attentively.
"I ran away," Claire admitted. "I wandered the streets for what felt like forever, trying to piece together my identity. It took me nearly two weeks before it all came flooding back."
Matthew reached across the table, squeezing Claire's hand in sympathy. "I can't imagine how scary that must have been for you. But I'm glad you're okay now."
"Yeah, everything's back to normal now."
Suddenly, Matthew's curiosity got the better of him. "But wait, if you had no memory and no money, how did you survive?"
Claire chuckled, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Ah, that's a story for another time."
Matthew rolled his eyes playfully. "You can't leave me hanging like that, Claire."
"Sorry, buddy, I can't spoil the story for you." Claire winked at him and chuckled.
"But for now, why don't you give Pedro a call? I think it's time we had a little chat with him."
"I'm on it."
Alex sat beside Lisa's hospital bed, anxiously awaiting her discharge. He wanted to help her pack, but his mind kept drifting back to Claire. Earlier at the court, she had surprised him with her boldness and determination. When the judge asked why they wanted to divorce, Claire had answered without hesitation, her confidence unwavering. It was like she was a completely different person. Alex absentmindedly helped Lisa into the wheelchair. Lost in his thoughts, he accidentally pushed the wheelchair into the wall. He couldn't shake the image of Claire from his mind.
Lisa winced in pain, clutching her leg where it had impacted.
"Sorry, Lisa, I didn't mean to," Alex apologized frantically, his heart racing with guilt.
"It's okay, just be more careful," Lisa reassured him, though her tone was strained.
As they waited for the nurse to finish the discharge paperwork, Lisa noticed the troubled expression on Alex's face. "What's y Alex? You seem distracted."
Alex sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It's Claire. Something's different about her."
wrong.
At the mention of Claire's name, Lisa's expression darkened slightly, but she quickly masked it with a neutral facade. "Different how?"
"She was so confident in court, so....assertive. And she's been dressing differently too," Alex explained, his confusion evident in his
voice.
Lisa frowned, her jealousy bubbling just beneath the surface. "Well, it doesn't matter. What's important is that you are legally divorced now, and you and I can finally get married." Alex nodded, feeling a mixture of relief and uncertainty. He leaned over and kissed Lisa's cheek. "You're right, Lisa. Let's focus on us."
With Lisa discharged from the hospital, Alex wheeled her out to the parking lot. As they headed home, he couldn't shake the feeling of unease that lingered in the back of his mind. Meanwhile, back at the office Claire sat on the edge
e of the desk and stared down at Pedro. Her eyes shot arrows at him that could bury
him 6 feet under.
Pedro swallowed the lump in his throat and shifted his sitting position.
"Do you know what I just read to you, Mr. Petain?"
"Um...my work performance?
"And what is the conclusion?"
"That I need to improve my worlding performance?"
Claire pushed herself from the desk and slowly walked to the center. "That is right, Mr. Petain. Sadly, it seems that your working performance still has not improve after 3 years of working."
"I-I-
"Tell me, why are you here in the first place? What's your purpose?"
Tongue tied; Pedro Petain doesn't have the answer to that. He never really work in the office. He got tempted by Robert invitation. He told him that this girl would never come back, and Robert would be taking over the company. If only he didn't trusted Robert, he wouldn't be in this position.
"Is it knowledge you are looking for?"
He shook his head.
"Or network?"
Claire raised her brows waiting for his answer
"Maybe experience?"
He nodded his head.
"Yes, I am looking for experience.
His awkward laugh echoing through the room and not once was Claire amused by it,
"A 50-year-old man searching for work experience? Doesn't that sounds odd, Matthew?"
Matthew nodded. "Indeed, quite peculiar."
Claire's chuckle filled the room.
Returning to her desk, Claire retrieved a document and placed it deliberately on the coffee table in front of Pedro.
"What's this, Ms. P Peterson? Pedro looked at the document on the table confused.
Claire gestured for him to read it.
chapter if Decision
000This material belongs to NôvelDrama.Org.
Pedro's eyes scanned the contents, his face contorting with anger as he absorbed the implications. "What's the meaning of this?" he demanded.
Claire met his gaze evenly from across the table. "It's a document for you to sell the rest of your shares to me," she stated matter-of-factly.
Pedro's disbelief was evident as he stared at her.
"You're out of you
out of your mind. Does Robert know about this?" he retorted.
Claire rose from her seat and retrieved another document from her desk, tossing it onto the coffee table
Pedro's eyes widened in shock as he picked up the document, his hands trembling slightly. The color drained from his face as he read the damning evidence laid out before him. "Where did you find this?" he whispered, his voice barely above a hoarse whisper.
Pedro was confident that his illegal transaction behind Robert's back would go unnoticed.
Thinking about the consequences of what he had done, Pedro's mind raced. There are bound to be serious consequences if Robert were to discover.
"Does Robert know you have been playing behind his back? I bet he doesn't."
Silence hung heavy in the air as Pedro weighed his options, his mind racing with the decision he had to make.
Her lips curling into a devilish smile. "So, what will be your choice, Mr. Petain?"