Claire’s pov

“I have filed for divorce and will leave the country. Soon, no one will even remember I existed.”

The bouquet slipped from my bestfriend Ava’s arms. White roses scattered across the studio floor like secrets tumbling from a broken heart.

“Claire, after that horrible car crash, you let the doctors cut half your heart to save Xander and now.. you’re the one walking away?”

“He already signed the divorce papers. There is nothing left to discuss.” I tried to smile, but my eyes betrayed me..glassy and tired.

“Divorced? Xander actually agreed?” Her voice trembled. “You gave him everything, Claire. You miscarried his baby in secret. You let yourself become his mistress five years ago until he gave you that cheap secret wedding in a dilapidated church…..And he just let you go?”

“I just slipped the papers in my allowance approval documents when he signed so he didn’t even brother to check just asked-‘where do I put my name’.”

I remembered the first night the ‘brother’ who adopted me into the Hart family- Xander walked into my room wordless, almost feverish.

The world had shifted that night as he took my virginity before telling me the next morning- ‘We cannot make our relationship public. If you wish to stay by my side, don't ever get pregnant.’

Loving him with all my heart, I accepted and yet yesterday when I fell down the stairs lying in the pool of my blood miscarrying, calling him hundreds of times, he never picked up.

Instead, that same night breaking news flashed across all channels as I buried my baby in soil.

[Breaking: Billionaire Xander Hart rescues childhood sweetheart Victoria Stone from thugs, carries her in his arms like Prince Charming. Hart and Stone’s announce a grand wedding.]

Victoria Stone, the childhood sweetheart Xander fought his family for and truly loved unlike me.

“Claire….did you even tell him that you are going to sever all ties with Hart fam-”

“Told what?” The stark manly voice interrupted the conversation like lightning as Xander stepped into the dim rehearsal hall as he looked at Ava holding me.

Xander’s eyes narrowed. “Is she bothering you?”

Ava almost laughed filled with bitterness. “Yeah. Sure. That’s what’s happening.”

I cut in before he could press further. “She was just leaving.” Ava hesitated, her eyes glassy with something unspoken. But then I gave her the tiniest nod and she was gone.

“You haven't come home since last night.” His fingers curled around my wrist as soon as the room was empty. “

“I stayed at the studio.”

“I was waiting.” I looked at him and for a second, I felt something fracture inside me. Just a thin, splintering crack. I blinked it away before it bled.

“You always wait until it’s too late..sometimes I wonder if it is to make me suffer.”

His fingers curled around my wrist was tight, possessive and painful.

Good I wanted to let it bruise.Let it hurt somewhere other than my heart as I wafted the flowery perfume on him.

I walked past him, light on my feet as always- ballerina steps, trained to be silent even when it hurt.

“Instead of your mansion, please just drop me to my apartment. I need to go clean up…I have rehearsal tomorrow-”

“Claire, don’t tell me you are throwing a tantrum because you are jealous of Victoria?” My lips quivered as I could barely look at the man who ruined me piece by piece until nothing was left.

“Since you are the adopted daughter of the Hart family, I cannot accept you infront of the world for now. This fake wedding with Victoria is just for show.”

How fun it must be for him to seek me, beg for his love and seek his protection while anticipating my downfall. It was too bad that I had already decided to leave.

“Alright.” I nodded obediently, making Xander smile in satisfaction.

“Let’s get going.” With that, he drove us to the restaurant near the conservatory- the one he always picked when he acted like he was sorry for making me sad.

“Claire, when I came home last time, I kept you awake all night and didn’t even notice how pale you were until you collapsed. What did the doctor say?”

I froze.

The memory sliced through me like cold steel. The doctor's voice, calm: “Congratulations. You are pregnant with twins.”

My fingers trembled slightly as I clutched my dress tightly as I recalled how I already lost one of my fetuses. “Nothing serious.”I shook my head lightly, forcing a thin smile.

The exquisite dishes arrived with Xander’s eyes on me.

“Claire.” he said softly, sliding the bowl closer. “Don’t make me feed you.” he picked up the bowl and brought the spoon to my lips.

Earlier I would have melted in happiness that he was worried, only now I saw a stark suspicion passing his features as I did not cling to him like always.

To avoid tipping him off, I swallowed the food that felt like stone.

It was then a message beeped on his phone.

[Victoria: Did you get the rose diamond ring resized?]

My heart froze, blood draining from my face as my hand curled tightly in my lap to stop it from shaking.

Our wedding ring, the ring Xander once slid across my finger before ‘I’ lost it accidentally, wasn’t lost at all but he took it away and got it resized for her?

Xander didn’t wait a moment, immediately dialing a number.

“It is done, are you satisfied now?” His voice lowered, intimate… almost apologetic. “I am just… out handling something. Yeah, I will be there soon.” he said.

My fork scraped against the plate, an awful sound in the silence between his words.

“Fine, okay. I will come now. Just- don’t cry. I am on my way.”

Don’t cry.

That line felt like a knife twisting in my heart. How many nights have I silently cried on the cold side of his bed, while he lay beside me, his back turned after he was done using my body?

I had bared my soul naked to him, letting him slice my innocence part by part as he asked me to strip naked in open, pleasure him with my mouth if I couldn’t submit to him during periods.

Even when I was sick and burning I had learnt to clench my teeth to take all of his pent up frustrations as he roughly pounded inside me.

Xander turned back towards me with a tinge of guilt in his eyes. “I have to go. Something urgent.”

I nodded once, expression calm and unreadable, feeling a strange kind of finality. That night I walked home in the rain, letting it soak through my bones as I sent an application.

“I would like to join the UN members for social welfare in Nigeria.”

The next morning, I sat in a law office, waiting to be told what I already felt…something was wrong

“Miss Claire the marriage certificate you have appears to be forged. You were never married to Xander Hart.” I stared at the man infront of me, numbness slowly seeping into my bones.

“We had a small wedding, I-I decorated the chapel myself.” I said, voice oddly detached like I was speaking about someone else’s life.

“Miss Claire you were never the wife, the children born from this union can only be illegitimate.”

The room spun around me as my entire body trembled when he continued.

“Do you still not wish to abort and completely erase your identity along with the baby’s?”

A small tear trailed down my eyes as I nodded.

“Yes, prepare everything in two days.”

For the first time, I didn’t know what part of my life had ever been real.

As soon as I walked outside, a sickly sweet voice called out to me.

“Claire, wait.” Victoria stepped out of her mercedes with a wide smile.

“What a coincidence! Were you here for… legal stuff?” She kept going, breezily linking her arm with mine before I could retreat.

“Yes.” I said almost too tired to pretend.

“Anyway, there is a special party at the Hart penthouse today.” Her tone turned sugary, eyes gleaming with mock warmth. “Xander decorated everything himself.”

“And since we are practically family now, I thought we should bond, Xander’s father insisted” she added sweetly. “You wouldn’t want to disappoint him, would you?”

I raised my eyes and on the large billboard behind was written today’s date: July 27th, my birthday.

“Also, can you do me a favor? Bring a birthday cake from the exclusive Juno bakery, The birthday girl loves it.”

Juno Bakery was the place where Xander first kissed me, celebrated my first birthday with him. So for the next five years it became our tradition to cut a cake from there.

A tiny spark fluttered before I could crush it completely.

One last time.

“Okay” I murmured, before turning away and not being able to see the wide smile on Victoria’s face.

An hour passed slowly as I entered the penthouse, draped in silk ribbons and helium balloons.

I was almost smiling until my eyes fell upon the large celebration banner before my blood ran cold.

[Happy Birthday, Princess Bella!]

With wide broken eyes I saw the gold-glitter banner at the door with the photo of a chihuahua in tiara.

A dog’s birthday.

I didn’t move…didn’t even breathe as a body collided with me from outside. Unlike my plain clothes drizzled in slight rain, the woman was dressed in gorgeous sequins.

“Claire!” Victoria spotted me and lit up like a chandelier, a spark of viciousness flashing in her eyes “You look so…. pretty tonight…almost made me recall my grandma’s dress.”

She looped her arm through mine and dragged me inside the room. “You are here with my dog’s cake!”

The laughter stopped and even the music seemed to mute behind the silence. Xander turned, glass pausing halfway to his lips. His eyes met mine, a flicker of irritation passing through them.

“Why are you here?”

“Xander, I invited Claire. I just wanted her to see how much you adore your future wife.” Victoria eyes flashed with victory as she dragged me toward to sit amongst the crowd who looked at me in disdain.

“Lets begin the game.”

Soon, the game bottle spun and stopped, its neck pointing directly at Victoria.

The host grinned. “Let’s spice it up. Ten minutes in the closet. Victoria and…” he glanced down. “Me”

Gasps sounded as Xander turned, his jaw sharp.

“Like hell she is going in.”

The host laughed. “It’s just a game.”

“Fine! Then I will go with her!” Xander said, coldly. He dragged Victoria beside him, brushing past me without a glance.

The crowd whooped and hollered as a girl said loudly.

“It is only Victoria who suits beside Xander, she saved his life… no wonder he loves her deeply.”

“Or what? Do you think he would fall for a lowly girl from the gutter who only knows how to spread her legs and seduce men?” Another chimed in with a mocking laugh.

“What to fall, with someone like, who knows how many diseases they are carrying.”

The words jabbed my heart as they didn’t even bother to hide the contempt. Regarding their words, I was almost ready to leave so why should they matter anymore.

I stood up without a word making the chatter stop abruptly before turning to walk away.

That night there were no knocks at my apartment door, Xander simply took the spare key and entered with the intention to see me as I had left abruptly.

It was until he saw the small cake still sitting on the table, misshapen. Melted with pink icing dripped down the side.

At that moment a horrified expression covered his features as he rushed inside the kitchen to see me do the dishes without even bothering to acknowledge his presence.

“Claire…” His voice came low. “July 27. Fuck! Today was your birthday! I-”

I didn’t turn around “It’s okay.”

“It’s not-” He stopped. “I should have remembered.”

“Claire listen…the party organizer had bad intentions and Victoria….she saved my life once and I am indebted to her-.”

“I understand.” Utter silence covered the surroundings as Xander opened his mouth to explain further but no words came out.

When I turned to leave Xander held my arm, a strange ache twisting his heart.

“Claire, why are you acting like this?” He said, hugging me tightly but I didn’t move…almost like a ghost in his arms, unmoving, unfeeling.

When he pulled back, seeing that I looked at him with my eyes were empty, he reached out to press a kiss to my lips to which I turned my head away.

“I am tired, I just want to sleep. When you return to the Hart estate, just lock the door properly.”

And just like that when I went inside the bedroom, not waiting for his reply, Xander looked at my back stunned, unable to understand the uncomfortable feeling blooming in his heart.

The next day I was folding the last of my clothes into a suitcase when my mother called.

"Claire, my dear." her voice was sickly sweet "Tonight is Xander's cocktail party with Victoria. I want you there, after he is married tomorrow… mom will start searching for marriage candidates for you as well."

I almost smiled, a miserable tear slipping free.

The last time she sent me on a blind date just to get ‘acquainted’ with the chairman of Holler group, the man old enough to be my grandfather, I was drugged and sent to his hotel room.

If it wasn’t for Xander rushing to save me at the last moment, I would have been raped and long become the fourth wife of the man who was my assaulter.

"I am not coming."

"It's not a request." My mother’s voice turned cold. "You must think that now you have become something after seducing Xander but remember a worm like you will never become the madam of the Hart family.

Xander’s dad is getting suspicious about the relationship between you two so if you have even a bit of shame left, come and perform at Xander’s engagement so that those stupid rumors around you two quickly die down-”

“I don’t care.” How could I? When everything was already over?

“Claire!” My mother quickly turned her approach to a soft one “Mom was harsh on your previously, how about you come and perform today and I transfer you your father’s money fund he specifically deposited for your twentieth birthday.”

With that she hung up, making me stand frozen in my place, no tears left to shed before slowly checking the time..

24 hours until my flight.

My father’s love was the only true emotion I received all my life, I didn’t care about the money in the fund but…his warmth before he died was true. Dad, I will do it for you.

After that, I dressed like a ghost.

Black lace. Red lipstick, the shade Xander once said, made me look like sin. I hadn't worn it for years but tonight I dressed as the black swan for my performance- the pure white swan had lost all her hope and love turning her white feathers dark, her heart was dead.

The banquet hall was decorated with white roses and crystal chandeliers as people laughed, celebrating the grand event.

A second later I entered the large venue, disappearing into the crowd when Xander’s business partner asked casually.

“Xander, we heard that you are terminating Claire’s ballet contract and giving her position to the new girl?....are you completely abandoning her?”

"So what? The fairy-like ballerina everyone talked about is no longer here. She has gone out of shape and has started gasping after two flights of stairs, she even trembles during rehearsals…she might be an adopted daughter but Mr.Hart won’t show any favoritism.”

“She tries.” Xander’s voice wasn’t particularly low. “But no matter how much I invest in her… she just keeps failing..At first I thought it was because of fatigue but maybe she is just too lazy and has lost her shine…”

The words that have once pierced through my heart like an arrow, now merely left a dull ache as I walked onto the stage with water fluid rhythm and slowly the song began like a war symphony.

The movements made me body crumble with pain and yet I danced like a puppet on strings.

I had once danced across global stages until Xander was caught in a car accident two years ago and his heart was failing.

When the doctors told me I was a match and cutting half of my heart could buy him a future I signed the documents without any hesitation.

And now in my place, Victoria stood at the center in a gown that cost more than my entire childhood, her hand resting on Xander's arm as she gave me a smile flashing with victory.

Every second passed in agonizing pain as the crowd chanted “KISS! KISS! KISS!”

And then I saw Xander kissing Victoria.

In front of everyone, his hand cupped her face like she was a treasure unlike me.

Moments passed as I stood like a broken rag doll when Victoria walked on stage

“Claire! Thanks for your lovely dance. I want to give you a embrace for your performance.”

Stepping closer, almost like a friend in the viewer’s vision her voice dropped venomous.

“Oh dear, I never thought I would thank a slut one day but Claire, if you hadn’t readily become my stepping stone, I wouldn’t have risen to the position of Mrs Hart.

Two years ago, the doctor who told you that donating half your heart to Xander was futile and the surgery failed….guess who paid him to lie…..ofcourse it was me.

The surgery was successful, half the heart beating inside Xander is yours.”