Regretting Divorce

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Claire stood behind him and grabbed the back of his white shirt. She yanked at it until he was half turning towards her. 

“Are you purposely doing that, Tyler? Her eyes blazed over his. 

Although Tyler was not even one percent affected, both their brothers froze with their jaw slackening. They refused to blink their eyes or close their mouth even though there were weird flies flying around them. 

“How could Hunter not fall for your sister, bro? Her Boldness is to die for.” Shawn softly mumbled to Scott who was in a state of stupor. 

As a brother he should hate how intensely hot they looked together. But there he was, frozen amidst doing push–ups with dumbbells of ten kilograms each on his back, enjoying how his sister had grabbed his best friend’s brother by the collar and pulled him towards her. 

Their chests brushed but considering Claire’s mounting anger and Tyler’s equally challenging hard grimacing… They both barely noticed it. 

“And your brother? I think you told me once that he broke the arm of a man who tried to grab his collar.” 

“He broke both his arms actually, not one 

Ooh!” Scott’s eyes lit up with excitement as if he was watching two equally expert soccer players standing against each other after an argument. “Let’s see what he does to my sister.” 

Shawn nodded, “Do you think he’ll kiss her?” 

Tch! That’s too soon.” Scott clicked his tongue 

Back to Claire and Tyler and their intense eye-battle, then none of them back down. They both glowered at each other until the boys couldn’t take the weight of the dumbbells on their back and squashed down with a loud whimper. 

It distracted them and thus broke their eyelock. 

“It’s because of you my rival’s wife gets to speak to me like that. Otherwise I wouldn’t have taken her shit.” Tyler said that again, taking Claire’s exasperation on a whole new level. 

She pushed him back and yelled, “I’m not his wife, do you get that? I’m not related to him any more. I’m just Claire. Claire Argent!” 

“Stop being dramatic, Mrs. Macintyre. Everyone knows you love your husband a lot.” 

Scott and Shawn gulped their saliva as if it was them getting that fiery glare. Whereas the man who got it was all too cool 

about iL 

“And I’m sorry for our brothers‘ stupidity. They thought you dont love your husband- 

“How many times do I have to tell you, Tyler Murphy! I’m not a Macintyre. I’m just Claire. I’m a divorcee.” She pushed him again while the voice that left her throat was clipped and heavy with pain. 

Tyler regarded her red face. He looked into her moist eyes and Harshly stated, “You need to divorce your heart first, Claire” 

Claire’s breathing hitched. This was the first time he was taking her name, and God it sounded perfect. Thought Shawn and Scott while Claire glanced at him with tears making their way down her cheeks. 

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“These tears and your heaving chest indicates that he still resides there… In your heart. And as long as he stays there, you can’t call yourself a divorcee. Because you are still married to his memories.” 

He took a step towards her. When he came close did then Claire infer that he wasn’t really mocking her all this while by calling her Mrs. MacIntyre or Hunter’s wife. He was simply attempting to make her realize how deeply Hunter has infiltrated her being 

Claire went back to her room. She closed the door and jumped into bed to shed tears. 

She didn’t need her ex–husband’s enemy to say that. It sounded so pathetic. It made her feel weak and worthless. 

Claire didn’t come out of her room for lunch or evening snacks. She remained in the bed like a panda, lazing around with a red ring around her swollen eyes and a red nose. 

She wasn’t crying anymore but she wasn’t in the mood to go out either. 

However, just as the clock struck nine, specifying that it was time for dinner, a soft knock sounded outside her door. 

“I told you I’m not hungry. You can go back. Thank you. She didn’t take a name as it could be anyone from Scott to Penelope, Shawn to his grandma. 

The knock sounded again, and again Claire asked them to leave her alone. 

“Open the door now else I will break in, Mrs. Macintyre!” 

Quivering chills spread along her arms and shoulders. Claire got out of bed and parted the door harshly as she ground her teeth. 

“You will not understand easily, will you?” 

Tyler was clad in a plain thin olive green tee. Probably because he was staying the night. 

“Why does your husband’s last name work you up, Claire?” 

“It just does. So what? What do you care?” 

“I couldn’t care less, neither should you.” Tyler answered while his eyes regarded her face. 

“You really cried gallons of tears, didn’t you? Your face is immensely red.” 

“Get out, Tyler.” Claire used that pissed off tone with him. 

She was about to close the door on his face when he stretched a hand out, blocking her attempt. He moved in while Claire took her steps backwards. 

Suddenly her skin was alight with goosebumps. She had never been with a man who was not Hunter in a bedroom alone. 

“I am here to talk, Claire. And I am happy that we are not regarding each other as anyone related to Hunter. I’m Shawn’s elder brother who took up the job to talk to his worried best friend’s elder sister on their insistence again.” 

“Again?” Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

Yes, again.” He chuckled. 

“Weren’t you punishing them not long ago for making you do this? Her eyes squinted. 

“I was but I cannot neglect the fact that they truly care about you Look, I don’t know whether you noticed it or not but you are not suffering this pain alone. You have many with you who are suffering too.” 

三 

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between them. 

“Scott is only eighteen. He should be in bed with a girl enjoying his youth. But no, he’s here with you, hoping to help you come out of your misery.” 

“Then my brother Shawn. Although he has nothing to do with you except for the fact that you are his best friend’s sister, he’s here helping Scott so he can help you. Then again, he should be in bed with a girl enjoying his night. Tyler stuffed his hands in his pocket as he took a pause. 

He wanted to give her time to grasp everything. 

“They are young, Claire. These nights will not return for them. They are still on your side trying to help you recover from the loss that shouldn’t bother you much.” 

“What do you know about my loss? Have you ever fallen in love with someone? Have you ever felt the pain of losing your child that you were excited to welcome into this world? You don’t, so you have no right to give me this speech.” Claire said harshly. 

She looked away, “Please, leave me alone. I didn’t come here to discuss my pain with anyone.” 

Tyler moved away from the wall. Claire’s guts tightened seeing him take slow steps towards her. He came to the window to the opposite end and sagged by the sill. 

“Ezma, I met her during a charity event organized by an NGO for orphans when I was Twenty three. She was one of the orphans who moved out of there. She was assisting the caregivers with the event. Though she fell for me first. I fell for her harder. We came from different standards and background. But her love was strong. So was her attempts to woo me. Within a month I became hers. And then within a year I proposed to her. We dated for three years.” 

“We were going to get married. I was so excited to be hers forever. So much so that even during business trips outside of RavenMoore, I would think about her.” He pointed at his ring finger. 

“I inked her name here. She was that important in my life. I would have combined the land and sky together if that’s what it took to be with her. He said and became silent. 

However, curiosity had flourished within her. 

She leaned forward desperately and asked, “Then what, Tyler? One thing I know is that you are not married. You are not dating anyone either. What happened to Ezma then?” 

Her paranoid mind began to make images of what could possibly happen to her. 

“1–is she dead?” She gasped as that was the only possible reason why he wasn’t married or dating anyone. 

An amused smile unleashed on Tyler’s lips. He shook his head. 

“I wish she died but no that’s not what happened to her.” 

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“Then what?” 

Tyler looked into her eyes. His lips lifted in a lopsided smirk as He said, “She was a cheater. A whore who loved to jump beds.” 

“She betrayed you?” Claire’s heart was in her throat. 

“That’s the correct way to put it Tyler chuckled. 

He didn’t look like he ever told this to anyone. He was drenched in sweat, showing the tough time he was having now while he was sharing his past with her. 

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Without thinking much, Claire poured him a glass of water and brought to him. Tyler drank it and thanked her before he 

resumed. 

“I returned to our apartment and found her with another man in our bed after my meeting overseas got postponed. It hadn’t even been two hours since I left. She wasn’t afraid or regretful. When I questioned her she carelessly shrugged her shoulders. and said that she was doing what I was most likely doing with her…. Enjoying her life with more than one partner. 

“She had this wrong idea that in our rich society it’s okay to have extra affairs while being married. That’s why she didn’t hesitate to have her share of fun when she visited clubs or when I left the country for business.” 

Claire looked pitifully at him. She wanted to console him when Tyler added. “That’s not all, you know. Before I left for the business trip, she told me that she was pregnant. That was the reason why I returned back to her. I just wanted to spend all my time with her and my baby. But that child in her womb wasn’t mine either. She confessed to intending to trick me so l would father the child whose real father she wasn’t sure about,” 

Claire’s stomach was in knots. She felt awkward when Tyler’s gaze came back on her face. 

“So Claire, you’re not the only one who is acquainted with the pain of loving someone and losing your baby.” Tyler said with a pained smile and walked out before Claire said anything- 

That was the last things 

heard from him. After that night she never saw him. 

Three days to that night and then the preparations for Grandma Avery and Grandpa Nathaniel started. The mansion was being decorated and the scent of different kinds of flowers perfioned the air. 

“He never struck me like someone who was once heartbroken. He looks impeccably fine and focused. What made him turn like that? Because one thing I’m sure of… That it wouldn’t have been easy. I saw it in his eyes. Claire spoke to herself while standing on a balcony, looking at workers doing their job. 

Claire wanted to know how Tyler held himself together. But since then he never came back. She tried to ask Scott and Shawn who only raised their hands in surrender, 

Their backs were still sore. After all, Tyler made them finish a round of hundred push–ups with three dumbbells each ten kilograms on their back! 

She was standing with a dull face. Claire thought it was better to go back to her room and read something. She turned around to leave. 

Before she retreated, in her peripheral vision she caught sight of a familiar BMW. She swung back to gaze at it and her heart seemingly fluttered back to life. 

The car came to a halt right in the centre, below her on the gravel path, as Tyler showed himself out of it. 

Claire’s body awkwardly felt warm upon seeing him. Not to mention he appeared dashing in his all black three piece suit. 

He was here to meet his grandmother, who greeted him with a kiss. Again he picked her up and whirled her around romantically like he was her lover. 

While moving inside, his eyes came up to meet Claire’s for a nano–second before he stepped inside the mansion. 

Tbc_