Chapter 8 Continued
839 Words
She reached her car without looking back.
Only after closing the driver's door did she allow herself to breathe.
Her hands were shaking so badly that she could barely fit the key into the ignition.
She leaned her forehead against the steering wheel and closed her eyes.
"He's innocent..."
The words escaped her lips in a whisper.
Not completely innocent.
He had still married another woman.
He had still spoken vows to Claire.
But he had done so believing she was Clara.
That truth changed everything.
A fresh wave of emotion swept over her.
She had spent the last few hours convincing herself that the love she and Lucien had shared had been nothing more than a beautiful lie.
Now she knew the lie belonged to someone else.
Someone had deceived them both.
She started the engine but didn't drive away immediately.
Instead, she replayed every word she had overheard.
"The way she speaks..."
"The way she smiles..."
"It feels like she's keeping an entire world from me."
A faint smile appeared through her tears.
Lucien hadn't recognized the difference because Claire looked different.
He recognized it because Claire wasn't Clara.
No matter how identical their faces were, Claire could never become the woman he loved.
That realization gave Clara something she hadn't felt since waking that morning.
Hope.
Not hope that everything would return to normal.
That was impossible now.
The wedding had happened.
The vows had been exchanged.
The world believed Lucien Devereaux had married Clara Beaumont.
Nothing could erase that.
But hope that the truth still mattered.
Hope that love built on truth could survive deception.
Her thoughts were interrupted by movement near the mansion.
Several reporters had gathered outside the estate gates.
Television cameras pointed toward the entrance.
Journalists were speaking excitedly into microphones.
"The newlyweds may appear at any moment."
"The wedding of the year continues to capture international attention."
"Mr. and Mrs. Devereaux are expected to leave for their honeymoon within the next few hours."
Clara lowered herself in her seat.
If any of those reporters saw her, everything would descend into chaos.
No one would believe there were two Clara Beaumonts.
Not without proof.
She waited until the reporters turned their attention toward another arriving vehicle before quietly driving away.
She had no destination in mind.
The streets of Geneva passed in a blur.
People walked along the sidewalks carrying shopping bags, laughing with friends, living ordinary lives.
No one knew the woman driving past them had lost everything in a single night.
Eventually, she found herself beside Lake Geneva.
Without thinking, she pulled into an empty parking area.
The lake stretched before her, calm beneath the pale winter sky.
This was where Lucien had proposed.
This was where they had dreamed about their future.
Clara stepped out of the car and walked slowly toward the water.
The cold wind tugged at her coat as she stood at the edge of the lake.
She remembered Lucien's words that evening.
"Whatever happens, promise me one thing."
"What?"
"Never stop telling me the truth."
A tear slipped down her cheek.
"I tried," she whispered.
"I never lied to you."
The silence around her was broken by the vibration of her phone.
An unknown number.
She hesitated before answering.
"Hello?"
For several seconds, no one spoke.
Then came a familiar voice.
Soft.
Calm.
Controlled.
"Clara."
Her entire body froze.
"Mother."
Margaux Beaumont's voice remained steady.
"I know where you are."
Clara's eyes widened.
"How?"
"I know you well enough."
Clara laughed bitterly.
"No."
"You don't."
A brief silence followed.
"Come home," Margaux said.
"There are things we need to discuss."
Clara's grip tightened around the phone.
"We have nothing to discuss."
"You've already seen Lucien, haven't you?"
Clara didn't answer.
Margaux continued anyway.
"I expected you would."
"You knew I'd go to him."
"Of course."
"Then why didn't you stop me?"
"Because some things had to be seen with your own eyes."
Clara frowned.
"What are you talking about?"
"You saw what I knew you would."
"And what was that?"
"That he doesn't know."
Clara's heartbeat quickened.
"You knew he was deceived too."
"Yes."
The admission stunned her.
"If you knew that..."
Her voice shook.
"...how could you do this to him?"
Margaux didn't answer immediately.
When she finally spoke, her voice carried an unsettling certainty.
"Because sometimes the truth has to wait."
Clara closed her eyes.
"No."
"It doesn't."
"It does when revealing it too early destroys everything."
"I've already lost everything."
Another pause.
Then Margaux said quietly,
"No, Clara."
"You've only lost what you thought was yours."
The line went dead.
Clara slowly lowered the phone.
She stared across the frozen lake, her mother's final words echoing inside her mind.
They weren't an apology.
They weren't an explanation.
They were a warning.
Whatever was happening...
It was far from over.
And for the first time since waking on what should have been her wedding day, Clara realized that discovering the truth might be even more dangerous than losing it.
End of Chapter 8
- Writer
