Chapter 4: A Past That Won't Stay Hidden
1062 Words
The days in Hart Haven passed in a strange but comforting rhythm. Sebastian found himself most times doing things he had never imagined. From mending the fences, to delivering medicine to farm animals, and even helping Clara reorganize the clinic’s supply room.
They are quite different from the life he lived out there.
He was not sure what surprised him the most: how quickly he adapted to the work and the ethics, or how much he enjoyed it. There was a simplicity here, a sense of purpose he had not felt in the past years. Clara’s world was nothing like the cutthroat, high stakes life he has left behind, but it was... real and peaceful.
By the time Friday rolled around, Sebastian had almost forgotten about the outside world. Just almost.
It started with a phone call.
Sebastian was sweeping the front porch of the clinic when he heard Clara’s voice through the open window.
“Yes, this is Dr. Hart, how may I be of help?” she said, her tone polite but clipped. There was a pause, followed by, “Uhm… I’m sorry, but I do not know anyone by that name.”
Sebastian almost froze.
He leaned the broom against the wall and stepped closer to the window, straining to eavesdrop on the conversation.
“No, I have not seen anyone matching that description,” Clara continued. “If I eventually do, I will let you know, okay?. Have a good day.”
The line clicked, and Sebastian’s heart sank.
He ducked away from the window as Clara stepped out of the clinic, her expression unreadable. She stopped when she saw him, her brow furrowing.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“Yeah,” he said almost quickly. “Just trying to finish up here.” he added in a hurry.
Clara nodded, but her gaze lingered on him for a moment longer than necessary. “Alright. Let me know if you need anything.”
As soon as she disappeared back inside, Sebastian sank onto the porch steps, his mind racing. Someone was looking for him.
That night, he could not sleep.
He laid on the very small bed in the guest room, staring at the ceiling as many questions swirled in his mind. Who had called? Was it someone from his company? A rival? The media? Who could that be?
He had left the city to escape the weight of his life, but it seemed that weight had followed him.
The next morning, Sebastian decided he could not keep running. He had to talk to Clara.
But it was not easy for him, as he kept debating in his mind, whether to really tell her or not.
What if she gets mad at me, is the ultimate question that kept battling his curiosity.
At long last, he decided to go talk to her.
“She deserves to know the truth,” he said to himself.
She was in the barn, feeding Max and the other animals, when he approached her.
“Hey,” he said, shoving his hands in his pockets.
Clara glanced up. “Morning. You are up so early.”
“I could not sleep,” he admitted.
“Something on your mind?”
He hesitated, then nodded. “I need to tell you something.”
Clara set down the feed bucket and turned to face him, crossing her arms. “Okay. I am all ears. Go on”
Sebastian took a deep breath. “I was not exactly honest with you when I said I was just passing through.”
Her expression did not change, surprisingly to him, but he could see the shift in her posture and the subtle stiffening of her shoulders.
“I’m actually not some random traveler,” he continued. “I am Sebastian King. CEO of King Industries.”
Clara blinked. “The tech company?”
He nodded. “Yes. That’s me.”
She frowned, clearly trying to piece things together. “So, what are you doing here? Why were you driving through Hart Haven in the middle of a storm?”
“I needed to get away,” he said simply. “My life... it’s not what it looks like from the outside. I have been under a lot of pressure, work, the media, my family. It all got to a point where it became too much. So I just...I just left.”
Clara studied him for a long moment. “So, what now? Are you planning to go back?”
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I just thought you deserved to know the truth about who I really am.”
She nodded slowly. “Well, thanks for telling me. But it doesn’t really change anything, does it?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, you are still you,” she said, her tone matter of fact. “Whether you are Sebastian King, CEO, or Sebastian, whosoever, the guy who can’t hammer a nail straight, doesn’t really matter to me.”
He stared at her, taken aback. “You are not... mad?”
“Why would I be mad?” she said with a shrug. “I figured you had some kind of story. Everyone does. Yours just happens to involve a billion dollar company.”
A small smile tugged at his lips. “You are something else, you know that?”
Clara smirked. “Yeah, I get that a lot. People say that often.”
For the first time in days, Sebastian felt a weight lift off his chest. Maybe, just maybe, he had found someone who could see him for who he really was, not the billionaire, not the CEO, but the man underneath.
He felt he had found a place of solace. Where he could stay without having to worry about the things that break him down almost.
Surprising to him, the aftermath of the revelation to Clara wasn't how it felt it would be.
It took him lots of courage to open up to her, due to the fear of her reaction.
The way she reacted wowed him.
He hadn't have someone make him feel at ease like that for years
But as they stood there, the distant rumble
of an approaching car reminded him that the world he had left behind was not done with him yet.
- Writer
