I Left My Ex-Husband, He Begs at My Wedding

Chapter 6

"Grandma, what are you doing here?" Claire stepped forward and helped Margaret to her feet.

Margaret smiled at her. "I came to check on you two, of course. Why are you the only one here? Where's my grandson?"

Claire forced a smile, doing her best to hide what was wrong. "He has a meeting."

Thankfully, she'd been so out of it that she'd somehow ended up back at the home she shared with Ethan. Otherwise, she had no idea how long Grandma would've been waiting.

Margaret saw right through her.

"Are you upset?"

"No." Claire was more disappointed in Ethan than angry with him.

But seeing her pale expression, Margaret became even more convinced that she was upset.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure that boy comes home today."

Claire's mind was already a mess, and for a moment, she didn't even understand what Margaret meant.

"I called my grandson today and told him the old house caught fire. That's why I came here to stay with you two."

Claire stared at her in shock. "Grandma, how could you lie about something like that?"

"Don't worry." Margaret patted her hand reassuringly. "I know what I'm doing."

Claire had never imagined that Grandma could be this rebellious.

She was still marveling at it when she suddenly felt a gaze fall on her.

She instinctively looked up.

Ethan had hurried over.

His expression was cold, but there was still a trace of concern lingering in his eyes, as if he'd only just stopped worrying.

He'd actually been worried about her?

That was impossible.

Margaret immediately launched into her performance.

"I almost burned to death! I swear I even saw your grandfather waving at me from the other side!"

Claire clearly felt Ethan's scrutinizing gaze linger on her for a long moment before shifting to Margaret.

She pressed her lips together and quietly sat down, not wanting to waste another thought on what his look meant.

"Grandson, do you know what your grandfather said when he waved at me?"

Margaret pressed a hand to her forehead, peeking at Ethan through her fingers with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"He said if you don't get to see your great-grandchild, don't bother going down to meet him."

Ethan's gaze subtly drifted toward Claire.

"That's right!" Margaret nodded enthusiastically. "That's exactly what he said. So, when are you two going to give me a great-grandchild?"

Caught between continuing the lie and avoiding the question, Claire decided to toss the problem straight to Ethan.

"Grandma, that's up to him."

But before Ethan could answer, Claire slipped her arm through Margaret's and deliberately ignored him.

"But Grandma, I don't want you going to see Grandpa yet. I'm not ready to have kids."

"Mrs. Sterling, dinner is ready."

A maid approached them.

Hearing Claire's answer, Margaret didn't press the issue. She simply patted the back of Claire's hand.

Claire suspected Margaret hadn't argued because she'd already seen the news about Ethan and Eliana.

After dinner, Margaret pulled Claire down beside her.

"Your room is all ready. Your parents aren't coming home tonight, so you two are staying here with me."

"Well..."

Claire instinctively looked at Ethan.

"Why are you looking at him?" Margaret declared. "I said you're staying. That's final."

In the end, Claire and Ethan were forced to stay the night.

But as soon as they went upstairs, Ethan headed straight for the study.

He'd sleep there tonight.

At least he had enough sense to know that a man on the verge of divorce shouldn't be sharing a bed with his wife.

That took a lot of pressure off Claire.

Before bed, she calmly went into the bathroom to wash up.

When she came out, however, the bedroom lights had somehow been turned off.

She was feeling her way through the darkness when a hand suddenly closed around her wrist.

An arm tightened around her waist, pulling her straight into his embrace.

"Ethan!"

"Why are you yelling? Isn't this what you wanted?"

Ethan held her tightly.

She was wearing nothing but a bath towel, and the sudden closeness left her face burning.

"You went as far as dragging Grandma into this just to get me back here? You even got her to lie to me?"

"I ran into Grandma at the door!"

"Claire, how did I never realize you could be this calculating? First you tried using your brother as a sob story to manipulate me. When that didn't work, you teamed up with Grandma to fool me?"

Claire froze.

He actually thought all of this had been part of some elaborate scheme.

He hadn't even bothered to ask.

He'd simply come straight to accusing her.

How could she ever use her own brother as a joke? Ethan knew exactly how much Henry meant to her.

When Claire remained silent, Ethan took it as confirmation.

"Or did you come here to complain to Grandma? Was this whole thing just an excuse to find yourself a divorce lawyer? If you've changed your mind about the divorce, I'll give you another chance."

Claire finally snapped.

She sank her teeth into his forearm without hesitation.

Ethan jerked away with a sharp hiss.

"Who wants your chance?"

She glared at him as if he were her enemy.

Her whole body was trembling.

"I don't need your pity. Didn't you already decide to find a lawyer for your precious Ms. Hayes? Worry about your business outside this house."

"My business outside this house? I was only helping her out. What exactly are you making a scene about?"

Right.

He was "only helping her out."

A trivial matter was enough to make him drop everything for Eliana.

Meanwhile, her brother's life was on the line, and Ethan had dismissed it as a lie without a second thought.

"I'm not making a scene."

Claire slowly regained her composure and looked at him with cold clarity.

"I just realized something. I don't need you."

Ethan's expression darkened.

"If I told you Henry's situation was important too, and that I needed you to 'help me out,' would you do it without hesitation?"

He answered impatiently, "What are you even talking about? Eliana's situation matters. Don't compare the two. But if you stop making trouble, I'll find you a lawyer."

Claire's heart went completely cold.

"I don't need you. I'll find my own lawyer. From now on, I won't need you for anything."

She grabbed her pajamas from the bed and pulled them on before gathering her things.

She was about to leave when Ethan suddenly caught her arm.

"Where are you going? It's late."

"Anywhere is better than staying under the same roof as you."

"Claire, don't—"

She suddenly raised her hand.

The sharp c***k of her palm against his face echoed through the room.

"I told you. From now on, I don't want anything to do with you."