Chapter 6
Claire dug through mountains of garbage.
The stench, the filth, the disgusting waste–none of it mattered anymore.
After searching all night, she finally found all sixty pearls.
By the time she got home, her fingernails were torn off and her hands were covered in blood.
“Oh my God, Mrs. Claire! What happened to you?”
Ethan pulled Tiffany back toward him: “Don’t get too close–she’s been digging through trash all night. Don’t let her get you dirty.”
Claire moved like a soulless zombie, ignoring everyone as she headed straight upstairs.
When she reached the master bedroom, she found that the entire room had been redecorated.
Everything was pink and lace–exactly how Tiffany liked it.
There was a nightgown thrown carelessly across their bed, along with a sexy French maid costume.
Master and servant.
Looked like they’d had quite the fun evening.
Claire opened the safe and took out two more charms.
One for forcing her to drink the seafood soup.
The other for personally destroying every memory they’d shared in this house.
The flames danced, burning not just the charms but all her feelings for Ethan over the years.
Only one charm remained in the safe.
She took it out and slipped it into her pocket.
She also gathered her important documents, carefully hiding them in the lining of her jacket.
She wouldn’t be coming back to this house.
In one week, she’d be completely free.
Just as she was about to leave, Ethan caught up with her: “Claire, why isn’t your phone working?”
Claire glanced at it–dead battery, automatically shut off.
“Your grandmother is dying,” he said. “She wants to see you one last time. Get in the car–I’ll drive you there now.”
After her parents died, Claire had cut ties with most of her family.
Only her grandmother kept calling regularly, asking how she was doing and repeatedly telling her: “If that boy ever treats you
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Two Chances. One Bullet: How His “Next Life Promise Failed
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Chapter 6
badly, you come tell Grandma right away. I’ll handle it!”
Back then, Claire was still drunk on love, snuggling against her grandmother’s knee: “Don’t worry, Grandma. He’s so good to
me.”
Her grandmother would just gently stroke her hair and sigh: “I hope he always treats you well, sweetheart. But hearts can change in an instant. I just pray I’ll still be around to protect you when that happens…”
When Claire rushed to the hospital, the ICU was packed with medical staff.
Every doctor and nurse looked grave, moving with urgent purpose.
Multiple machines displayed numbers Claire couldn’t understand, but they were all blaring alarms.
“Grandma-” Claire collapsed outside the ICU door: “Grandma, I’m here! Claire’s here to see you!”
Somehow sensing her beloved granddaughter’s presence, all the alarms suddenly went quiet.
A doctor opened the door and spoke softly: “She’s in multiple organ failure. This is her final rally–go spend these last moments with her.”
Claire’s heart shattered as she stumbled to her knees beside her grandmother’s bed.
“Claire, my dear… you came.”
Claire grasped her grandmother’s frail hand, tears streaming down her face: “Grandma, I’m here. Don’t leave me, please don’t
go.”
“Sweet child, when people get old, they have to go eventually. I’m just worried that after I’m gone, there won’t be anyone left to protect you when people hurt you.”
Claire sobbed uncontrollably: “Grandma, I’m so sorry I didn’t listen to you, or to Mom and Dad…”
“So Is he really treating you badly like we thought before?!” Her grandmother’s whole body trembled with anger: “How dare anyone hurt my granddaughter! I’ll fight him with my dying breath if I have to! cough cough cough…”
“Grandma, please rest. Don’t get upset.”
Her grandmother was truly at death’s door now, too weak to even open her eyes.
She just weakly gestured for Claire to come closer.
With her ancient voice, she gave her granddaughter one final piece of advice: “Claire, don’t be afraid. Grandma left you a way out. Dr. Mitchell at this hospital–he’s the grandson of an old friend of mine. You can go to him for help…”
“Grandma, Grandma!”
Beeeeeep-
With those final words, her grandmother’s heart stopped beating forever.
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