Chapter 9
Clara's face turned pale.
Though she didn't know exactly who was behind this, she didn't want to tip them off.
So she decided to return home without alerting Julian.
As she approached the door, though, she heard voices inside—breathy, intimate whispers.
"Lucky for us I managed to convince Clara to hire you as the maid," Julian said, his voice low. "Otherwise, who knows how long it would've been before we got to meet like this again..."
"When can we finally be together, Julian?" the maid asked, her voice dripping with anticipation.
"Soon, baby, soon. Once we've drained all of Clara's money, I'll get her an insurance policy. Once she has an 'accident,' we'll be free to be together."
The maid giggled. "You know, we owe Clara a big thank-you. Without her, we'd never be able to pay off those gambling debts we racked up overseas..."
Clara stood frozen outside the door, trembling as the truth hit her like a slap in the face.
The man she loved more than anything—Julian—wasn't just having an affair with the maid. They were plotting to steal everything she owned, even her life.
Clara fought to keep her emotions in check, but before she could back away, Julian sensed someone outside.
"Who's there?" he called out, his voice sharp.
Julian and the maid rushed to the door, their clothes still disheveled. Clara couldn't retreat in time. She stood there, caught.
Julian's face twisted in shock. "Clara? Why didn't you tell me you were coming home? Did you hear... everything?"
Clara let out a cold, bitter laugh. "You've been lying to me this whole time. I gave you everything, Julian, and now I find out this is who you really are. You're disgusting."
Julian's eyes darkened, irritation flickering across his face.
"And what about you?" he snapped. "Edward gave you everything, poured his heart out to you, but you still snuck around with me behind his back, didn't you? If anyone's disgusting, Clara, it's you."
Clara flinched, his words hitting their mark, her eyes burning with fury.
"Shut up!" she shouted, her voice trembling with rage.
Julian sneered, stepping closer. "No, Clara. You're the one who needs to shut up. Since you've figured out the truth, we'll just have to speed things up. You brought this on yourself."
10
In a swift motion, Julian struck her on the back of the neck, knocking her to the ground.
My soul tried to catch her as she fell, but my hands went right through her body. She hit the floor hard, unconscious.
It was the sound of my phone's ringtone that jolted Clara awake.
The tune was a rare song, one I'd set as my personal ringtone. No one else would ever use it.
Clara's eyes snapped open, locking onto the black phone in Julian's hand. Her voice shook with disbelief. "Why do you have Edward's phone?!"
Julian smirked, casually playing with the phone. "I picked it up, of course. The day of the crash, on the bridge. Edward's phone fell right next to me, so I just... took it."
Clara's voice wavered. "So... you've been pretending to be Edward this whole time, messaging me?"
"Bingo." Julian's lips curled into a cruel smile. "I kept up the charade so I could squeeze more money out of you."
He shrugged, almost bored. "But you figured it out sooner than I thought. Too bad I only managed to get half a million out of you."
Clara gritted her teeth, her body trembling with rage. If she weren't tied up, she looked ready to strangle Julian herself.
Julian just smiled smugly. "You hate me now, don't you? Too bad it's far too late for that."
At that moment, the maid approached, holding a sharp, polished knife.
"Julian, everything's ready. Let's finish this before things get complicated."
Julian nodded. "Yeah, let's get it over with."
He pulled out an insurance document and forced Clara to press her thumb against it, sealing the deal.
Once she was signed up, he flashed a chilling smile. "You were good to me once, Clara, so I'll make sure this is quick. I promise it won't hurt... too much."
Julian raised the knife, ready to strike. "Wait!" Clara cried out. "Where's Edward? You have to know what happened to him!"
Julian paused and then burst into laughter. He laughed so hard he bent over, tears forming in his eyes.
Clara, confused and horrified, demanded, "What's so funny?!"
Julian straightened up, wiping his eyes. "I'm laughing because you're so clueless, Clara. Don't you know? Edward is dead!"
The words hit her like a lightning bolt. Clara stood frozen, her body going rigid as the truth settled in.