I positioned myself firmly between Clara and James, blocking her from his sight. "And you think you have the audacity to dictate what I should think?" I retorted sharply, my voice laced with anger.
Dumbfounded by my reaction and how I twisted his words, James shook his head in disbelief. "That's not what I meant, I swear," he protested, his nervousness evident as he licked his lips anxiously. "I was simply trying to plead with her not to let our past relationship bias her judgment, nothing more."
"Did you or did you not sign the divorce papers?" I demanded.
James swallowed heavily, beads of sweat forming on his forehead despite the chill in the air. "Yes, I did sign the divorce papers, and we parted ways amicably," he admitted, his voice trembling slightly.
Taking a menacing step close
