Wake up, Clara, it's time to wake up

The voice was like a mantra in my head, beckoning on me.

I groaned as my eyes fluttered open, I held my head at the incessant pounding nearly brought me to my knees as I try to take stock if my surroundings.

Where in the world was I now?

I turned my head and came face to face with a frown on my man face, Adrian.

“Finally, how long will you continue to doze off like an untrained lady without any manners, I've been waking you up for ages to no avail.

Me? Asleep, I thought I was…..

I blinked, dazed, my body sore from the uncomfortable position I was in, memories rushed through my consciousness, the argument, the shouts, the suffocating weight of betrayal…. The accident.

I had died….. again.

I groaned, this was getting way too old

There has to be something I was missing, something that I failed to take care of and was pulling me back, back to the particular moment and time, back to him.

“Clara, can you hear me? I need you to get out of this car,”Adrian said, his voice sharp cutting through the eerie silence of the deserted road.

“Why?” I said even though I already knew the answer to it.

Adrian and I were heading back to his family's estate on the outskirts of Manhattan nestled in a secluded part of Westchester county. It wasn't my first time returning back to this life and to this particular moment.

But this time I've had enough, I rather be gone forever than have to deal with Adrian and the pain he put me through over and over again, no matter how many times, I try to hold on to him, no matter how many times I tried to change my story.

This time would be different, I could already feel it.

Just like previous times, Adrian received that blasted call from Sophia, and he one that changed everything between us, his face hardened and without a second thought he pulled over and shoved me out of the car in the middle of nowhere.

“Find your way back to the mansion, Clara, I've got something urgent I need to see to,” He said coldly, not even bothering to spare me a glance.

I looked around, the road was empty except for the towering trees that casted menacing shadows that seemed to whisper in the breeze. I could barely recognize anything.

It wasn't the first time Adrian had abandoned me like this, to him, Sophia was everything, even more important than I am to him.

“You must be joking right? Adrian you can't seriously leave me out here in the dark with nowhere else to go,” I said, but he had already gotten back into the car and was typing furiously on his phone. He threw one lastook at me and said with his voice clipped.

“If anyone asked of me when you get back, tell them I got called away for an important business, do I make myself clear,”

I swept a hand through my tangled hair and let out an agitated breath, “Why don't you just explain it to them yourself huh? Or better still tell them that you're running of to be with your lover Sophia just like you always do,”.

Adrian’s face darkened, his piercing ue eyes flashing dangerously.

“What's it with you, Clara? You know how serious Sophia's situation is, she's barely surviving the fallout from the inheritance scandal, coupled with her illness, this has nothing to do with her”

I met his gaze, my voice calm but firm, “Because Adrian, I'm tired of all this, of you leaving me behind, treatinge mine I don't exist at all, you know what, let's stop this charade, we need to end this.”

He froze, his grip on the wheel tightened. “Clara.. are you trying to say that you're leaving me?.”

I nodded,feeling the weight of years of neglect finally lift of my chest, it felt freeing.

“Yes, Sophia needs you more than I do, after all, you've already been acting like you and I are not in any relationship, once I'm gone you won't have to hide your relationship with her anymore, you can both be together openly.”

Adrian stared at me in disbelief, for a moment I thought I saw a flicker of regret in his eyes, but he quickly shook it off, his jaw clenched and without another word, he slammed the door revved up the engine and disappeared into the night leaving me standing alone on the quiet road.

Adrian and Sophia had been inseparable once, they grew up together, heirs to two of the most powerful families in New York City, after college they were expected to merge together their families by marriage, everyone thought they were destined for together.

But then Sophia disappeared, swept up in a scandal involving her family's business empire. Accusations of fraud, mismanagement, bankruptcy and betrayal filled the headlines, her name became synonymous with disgrace.

That was when Adrian and I met, he was a shadow of the man everyone feared in the boardroom, a broken figure who found solace in my presence, I had no idea about Sophia then, he only ever called her “An Old friend”.

I should have known better.

The first time I heard her name was the night after our engagement party. A phone call came in and Adrian's face went pale.

“I need to go,” He said, his voice distant.

“An Old friend…. She's in trouble.”

I offered to come with him, to help, but he refused.

“No, don't worry about it, I can take care of it.”

He left me standing alone in the penthouse staring at the city lights. That night I felt the first crack in our relationship. When he returned, he looked haunted, his usual air if confidence was replaced with something I hadn't quite seen before, fear, guilt.

It wasn't until later that I learned the truth.

Sophia was back.

I always knew Adrian didn’t love me, at least not the way a man should love his wife. I’d tried convincing myself for years that maybe I wasn’t enough—too quiet, too different, deep down, I knew the truth: it was never about me.

Then I found out why.

Sophia.

The woman from Adrian’s past wasn’t just an old flame. She was his first love. The one who disappeared years ago, leaving him hollow. Now she had returned, no longer the golden girl of his memories but someone broken by life’s cruel twists. He didn’t care. To him, she was still the perfect, untouchable Sophia who had once owned his heart.

She left the country after a scandal, hoping to rebuild her life and restore her reputation. But she came back with nothing resolved, her baggage heavier than before. Adrian didn’t care. He dropped everything for her, like I didn’t even exist.

For years, I stayed by his side—loyal, foolishly hoping things would change. Adrian was always somewhere else—his mind, his heart, with her, whenever Sophiacalled, he gave her what ever she needed, leaving me behind to fend for myself, his excuse was, I can take caee of myself, she can't.

How would a grown woman not know how to take care of herself!.

I watched him pour his time and resources into her redemption, offering her connections, shielding her from the press, and attending endless meetings with lawyers to salvage her career. He didn’t see that while he was trying to save her, he was destroying me.

I was done waiting for him to realize I existed.

Tonight, I would confront him. No more pretending. No more excuses.

I stood in the penthouse living room, staring out at the glittering city lights below. They looked so vibrant, so full of life, in stark contrast to the emptiness I felt inside. The weight of all the things left unsaid hung heavy in the air.

Adrian finally walked in, his tie loosened, his face unreadable. That distant look—the one I had grown to hate—was etched into his features.

“Clara, what’s this about?” he asked, stopping near the grand staircase, his voice clipped and businesslike.

I turned to face him, my heart pounding, but my voice steady. “Why?”

He frowned, clearly not understanding. “Why what?”

“Why do you keep pretending I matter to you?” I stepped closer, my tone sharp. “You’re never here, Adrian. Physically, maybe, but your mind is always somewhere else. With her. Sophia.”

His jaw tightened, the mention of her name hitting its mark. “This again? You don’t understand—”

“I understand perfectly,” I interrupted, my pulse quickening. “You’re obsessed with her. You’ve always been, but what about me? I’ve been here, Adrian, standing by your side, waiting for you to see me for years and all I get in return is your silence and your distance.”

He shifted uncomfortably, tugging at his tie, avoiding my gaze. “It’s not that simple, Clara.”

“No, it’s simple,” I shot back, stepping closer, my voice trembling with frustration. “You love her, not me, you’ve been stringing me along because you can’t let go of the past. I can’t do this anymore, Adrian, I won’t.”

His eyes finally met mine, and for a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of regret. But it vanished as quickly as it came, replaced by his usual mask of indifference. “I never forced you to stay. You chose to. You knew what this was.”

His words were like a slap, making me flinch. I had known deep down that he felt like this towards me, but that didn’t make it any easier to hear.

“Maybe I did,” I admitted, my voice quieter now but no less firm. “Still that doesn’t make it right for you to treat me like a placeholder for someone else.”

He stood there, motionless, his expression unreadable.

“You have to decide, Adrian,” I said, my voice breaking slightly. “Is it me or her?”

The silence that followed was deafening.

He stared at me, stunned.

For a moment, I thought Adrian might finally choose me. I saw the flicker of indecision in his eyes, the way his jaw tightened as if he were weighing an impossible choice. Then, his gaze shifted—away from me, toward a future I’d never be part of.

“I can’t,” he whispered, his voice barely audible.

That was it.

The final blow.

I swallowed the lump in my throat, forcing myself to stand tall. “I thought so.”

Turning away, I walked toward the towering iron gates at the edge of the Crossestate. My heart felt heavy, but for the first time in years, it wasn’t broken. The constant ache I’d lived with was gone, replaced by a strange sense of clarity. I wasn’t trapped anymore—no longer waiting for a love that would never come. I finally felt free.

Behind me, I heard Adrian’s footsteps, deliberate and measured. “Clara, wait.”

I stopped but didn’t turn around. My voice was steady, even as my chest tightened. “There’s nothing left to say, Adrian.”

He sighed, his frustration evident. “I never wanted to hurt you.”

A bitter laugh escaped me before I could stop it. “You didn’t just hurt me, Adrian, you destroyed me, I’m done waiting for you to fix it.”

“Clara….” He started to say but I hushed

I could feel his struggle, the weight of his guilt pressing down on him. it didn’t matter to me anymore.

“This is over,” I said firmly, meeting his gaze for what I vowed would be the last time.

“Clara—” His voice cracked, but I didn’t let him finish.

“Goodbye, Adrian.”

*********

The familiarity of my parents’ home wrapped around me like a protective cocoon when I arrived at my family's house. My mother’s voice greeted me from the kitchen as soon as I stepped inside.

“Clara! You’re just in time, I was about to head to the market, ee’re having your father’s favorite tonight—roast lamb,” she announced, her tone cheerful.

The warmth of her words eased the tension in my chest, this waa what family should be, peaceful, joyous, not the nerve wracking tension I had with Adrian. “Let me come with you,” I offered, setting my bag down.

Her eyes lit up with surprise. “Really? You haven’t been to the market with me in years!”

I smiled faintly, realizing how much of myself I’d lost trying to fit into Adrian’s world. There had been countless dinners I’d missed, birthdays I’d ignored—all because I was too busy clinging to a life that never truly belonged to me.

Things would be definitely be different now.

In the afternoon, my phone buzzed incessantly. Adrian’s name flashed across the screen repeatedly. I ignored every call, my resolve hardening with each missed ring.

By evening, the doorbell rang.

I wasn’t expecting him.

Adrian stood at the entrance, looking immaculate as ever in his tailored suit. He carried a bottle of wine in one hand and a bouquet of white Lillian s in the other.

My father, standing nearby, raised an eyebrow at the unexpected visitor. “Mr. Maddox! Clara didn’t mention you’d be joining us.”

“I wanted to surprise her,” Adrian replied smoothly, his charm as effortless as ever.

Without hesitation, my mother ushered him inside. “Come in! You’re just in time for dinner. Clara, set another plate!”

I hesitated, torn between anger and resignation. Finally, I grabbed my coat. “I’m heading out,” I said abruptly.

“What? But the roast is almost ready!” my mother protested.

“I’ll eat later,” I muttered, slipping past Adrian without so much as a glance.

“Clara,” Adrian called, his voice low and commanding. He followed me outside, catching up before I reached the driveway.

“Enough of this,” he said, his tone hard. “We need to talk.”

I turned to face him, my anger bubbling to the surface. “Talk? About what, Adrian? How I wasted five years of my life waiting for you to care about me? How I gave up everything just to be with you and for what? nothing thats what”

His jaw tightened, and I could see the frustration in his eyes. “You’re being unreasonable,” he said. “You knew what this was. I never lied to you.”

“No,” I said sharply, stepping closer. “You never lied, but you let me believe there was hope, you let me stay, knowing you’d never choose me, that’s worse.”

He didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he shoved his hands into his pockets, his gaze dropping to the ground. “You don’t understand, Clara. My relationship with Sophia is... complicated.”

“Complicated?” I repeated, my voice dripping with disdain. “She’s your first love, Adrian. The woman you’ve spent years chasing, even while she made it clear you’d never be enough for her. Don’t insult me by calling it ‘complicated.’”

His silence was all the confirmation I needed.

“Five years,” I said softly, my voice cracking. “Five years, and you never saw me, you used me to fill the void she left behind. And I let you, but not anymore and to think we might have had a child… thabk God we didn't, it would have made things much harder.

I thought he might apologize—truly apologize—but instead, he said, “You’ve changed.”

I laughed bitterly. “No, Adrian. I’ve finally woken up.”