2§. Broken, But Not Defeated
1347 Words
Claire spotted her grandfather, Lucas, waiting by the porch of the mansion. His gray eyes lit up at the sight of her, and before the car came to a stop, Claire rushed out of the vehicle, and wrapped her arms around his.
“Claire, my girl," he whispered, hugging her tight. “You’re home.”
“Grandfather,” she cried out. "I'm sorry for what I did, you told me he wasn't the right man for me and I disobeyed you.” she murmured resting her head on his shoulder.
“It's alright, Claire." he smiled at her. “Come, Let’s sit,” he pointed to the plush arm chairs by the porch.
“It seems you have a lot going on," her grandfather said, holding her hands. "You can tell me anything.”
Claire squirmed in her seat, her mind debating whether to tell him the truth.
She sighed. “It's Leo, grandfather.” she began, lifting her gaze to meet his. “He betrayed me. Used me. All the promises, the future we talked about, it…it was all a lie.”
Her grandfather’s face darkened, his jaw tightening in anger. “Tell me everything,” he said firmly.
Claire poured her heart out, telling him not the love she felt and how she discovered he was having an affair with her best friend, and how she realized she's carrying his child. The memory of his betrayal was still evident and it made her sick.
“You’re saying he knew about the baby?” her grandfather asked, his tone low and cold.
Claire shook her head, tears threatening to spill. “No. He doesn’t know. He doesn’t need to know.”
Lucas clenched his jaw, he knew Leo was up to no good and seeing his beautiful granddaughter crying fueled the anger within him.
He squeezed her hand, his grip firm but reassuring. “ You've gone through a lot, Claire, but remember I'm always here for you. You're stronger than this. Clarendon Hotels needs you. I need you.”
His words hit Claire deeply. Claredon hotels. A magnificent hotel built by her grandfather. But due to his old age, he couldn't carry on with it, instead he gave it to her but she chose to abadon it and follow Leo.
His words were a lifeline. “I’ll try, grandfather.” She whispered.
“No,” he said, his voice firm and cold . “You’ll succeed. You'll bring Clarendon hotels right back to the top. You’re a Steele and remember we don't back down.”
After much catching up, Claire went back to her old room, the scent of lavender filled the air and she ran her hand along her old bookshelf, before picking up a framed photograph of her family.
She smiled as she stared at her parents picture, both smiling as they held each other. Her heart broke as she thought of the crash that had killed them, leaving her and her sister alone in this world.
Her sister, Lena. She survived the accident but was lost. Lucas searched everywhere for her but the results ended up being futile and with time they both accepted that probably she was gone.
Sighing, she closed her eyes, her thoughts drifting back to that fateful day. The rain. The screeching tires and then silence. Lena's hands skipping from hers as the car tumbled down the bridge.
“I’ll never forget you both,” she whispered, clutching the frame tightly. “I promise I'll make you proud.”
*******************
Two Months Later
The meeting with Raven industries had gone quite better than Claire expected. A smile tugged on her lips as she stared at the country side blurring past the car window. Her grandfather would be thrilled about the deal. For the first time in weeks, she felt happy, happy that she can actually bring Clarendon hotels back to light.
The driver made a turn, the road leading back to the estate. Claire leaned back in her seat, her hand, rubbing her belly which had grown bigger as she whispered softly. “We're going to be okay. Mama is going to be okay. I can't wait to see you soon."
A sudden flash of light ahead snapped her out of her thoughts.
“Watch out!" Claire shouted at the top of her voice.
The truck ahead swerved right, switching into their lane.
Claire screamed as she stared at the truck heading in their direction.
“Hold on, ma'am!" the driver shouted, steering the wheel harshly to the left.
Everything crashed, glass shattering, metals scrunching and the brutal force of impact slamming Claire against her seat. A sharp pain exploded through her body as the car tumbled into a ditch.
Claire's eyes closed softly, her hands holding her belly. “Please, save my baby." She whispered, before darkness engulfed her.
******************
Claire blinked softly, allowing her eyes to adjust to the brightness of the room. She gazed at the ceiling above her trying to figure out where she was. Realization hit her as the smell of antiseptic stung her nose.
“Claire?" Lucas voice rang out as he rushed to her side. “Oh my God Claire, I thought I'd lost you."
She turned to face him, wincing as pain shot through her stomach.
“Grandfather," she whispered.
"You're here now. You're safe,” he said, placing a kiss on her forehead. He sat on the edge of the bed, his eyes everywhere but on Claire.
Realization hit her, her hands instantly flew to her belly. “The baby. The baby's fine right?”
Silence.
"What happened to my baby?"
Her grandfather sighed, taking her hands in his. "We….We couldn't save him, Claire. I had to choose between you and him and I…. I couldn't save him. I'm sorry.”
It was a boy.
“No," Claire shaked her head. “It's not possible. Tell me it's not true! It's a prank right?”
He clenched his jaw, rubbing circles on her hand. “I’m so sorry, Claire.”
Claire leaned back, pulling back her hand from his hold. She felt her breath constricting, she could not think. Her baby boy was gone. She havent even had the chance to hold him and tell him how much she loves him.
“If you don't mind, I'll like to be alone,” she murmured, closing her eyes.
“Claire…..”
“I f*****g said I want to be alone!” she screamed out loudly.
Lucas face fell but nodded, stepping out of the room.
Claire laid back, staring at the ceiling. She tried to process her grandfather's words. She couldn't accept the fact that her baby was gone, she couldn't save her marriage and now she couldn't save her son. Her heart ached as she closed her eyes, allowing the pain to flow through her.
*******************
One Week Later
Claire stared at her reflection. Her green eyes and tanned skin seemed pale from all the crying she'd done this past week.
Her hands traced the scar on her shoulder, a reminder of the accident that took her precious baby's life away. A reminder of everything's she's lost.
Her thoughts drifted to Leo,his lies, his betrayal, his indifference.
“This is your fault. Your fault my baby is gone.” she whispered, her voice laced with anger. “You broke me, and now I’ll return the favor.”
Turning away from the mirror, Claire let her grief harden into something sharper. Anger. Determination.
She threw herself into her work with relentless focus. Days blurred into nights as she worked tirelessly, transforming Clarendon Hotels into an unstoppable powerhouse. The whispers in the business world grew louder.
“Have you heard about Claire Steele? She’s ruthless. A genius.” The articles read.
Claire cared less about their opinions. Every deal she closed, every competitor she came across and defeated, brought her closer to achieving her goal.
Leo wouldn’t get away with what he put her through.
He’d pay. And when she was done, he’d know exactly what it felt like to be broken.
- Writer
