Chapter 12 I Believe Her
Finished
After hanging up the phone, Clara found it hard to believe. No matter how reckless Liam might be, he had never ended up at a police station before. Without wasting a second, she rushed straight there.
At the police station, an officer led Clara to the bail area. As soon as she stepped inside, her gaze landed on Natalie, who was also waiting to process bail.
Natalie, noticing Clara’s arrival, was momentarily surprised before a smug smile crept onto her lips.
“Clara, what brings you here?” Natalie’s voice carried a hint of amusement. “Francis specifically told me not to inform you about this, worried that you’d cause a scene if you found out. That’s why he asked me to handle his bail instead.”
Clara barely spared her a glance. She was curious why Francis was in a police station. But then she thought it had nothing to do with her anymore. Whether he was in trouble or not was no longer her concern. So, she remained silent.
Seeing her lack of reaction, Natalie assumed Clara was heartbroken and took even greater pleasure in the moment. “Clara, honestly, why are you making such a fuss about this divorce? Fine, you want to leave, but did you really have to seek revenge on Francis? And sleeping with some random man on top of it?”
She let out a delicate chuckle, covering her mouth as if she had just made a casual remark. “But I must say, you’re quite something. Even Mr. Liam from the prestigious Westwood family of Riverdale is willing to stand up for you, giving Francis all sorts of trouble. If he hadn’t admitted it himself, we wouldn’t have even known you two had ‘that kind of relationship.”
Liam? My brother? Why would Liam go after Francis? Could he have found out about my situation?
Guilt surged through Clara. She had planned to return home and face her family only after proving herself, but now, it seemed Liam had already uncovered everything and even taken action against Francis. Liam was still the same as before, still protecting her.
Memories of the past flooded back. No matter what, Liam had always stood by her side, shielding her from anyone who tried to harm her. Yet, in her blind devotion to a man, she had pushed away the very brother who cherished her the most.
Natalie, seeing Clara’s silence, smirked triumphantly. “But so what if you’ve won over Mr. Liam? You still couldn’t keep your husband or your child. The man you love only cares about me. The son you bore with so much pain sees me as his mother. Honestly, if I were you, I’d just end it all. At least then, you wouldn’t have to suffer through all this humiliation.”
Amused by her own words, Natalie laughed so hard she nearly doubled over.
Clara simply stared at her, a trace of pain flashing through her eyes. It was so fleeting that most would miss it.
Chapter 121 Believe Her
Finished
excellent job raising your son. Just the other day, I caught a cold, and Francis and Wesley took care of me the whole time, never leaving my side. Wesley even burned his hand while making porridge for me. I was so touched that I ate an extra bowl. He was happy about it for an entire day!”
She leaned in closer, her voice dripping with satisfaction. “And you know what, Clara? Wesley has asked me so many times if I could be his mommy and that his real isn’t as good as me. And he even said, ‘I love you the most!‘ to me.”
Clara’s already–numb heart twisted in agony.
Had Wesley made porridge for Natalie? He was so little that he could barely reach the stove, yet he was willing to risk getting hurt for her?
She thought back to the times when she had merely asked him to bring her a glass of water and how he refused to do so. She remembered that cold winter day, the day of her miscarriage, when he had stood by and uttered cruel words without a trace of concern. Was he truly her son? Or had he always been Natalie’s?
Clara let out a bitter laugh.
It didn’t matter anymore.
He was Francis’s child, after all. He carried his father’s blood. It was only natural that he acted the same way as Francis. If even his own father did not care about him, why should she waste another moment grieving over him?
Natalie’s voice cut through her thoughts once again. “Clara, Francis knows about your little affair. That’s why he ended up here. Your lover just had to pick a fight with him. That’s how he found out the truth about you two. How does it feel, watching two men fight over you? You must be delighted.”
She sneered. “But let me tell you something. Francis will never love you. He said it himself. He only has feelings for me.”
Natalie’s voice dropped to a whisper, her words slow and deliberate. “He got into this fight not because he still cares about you, but because you humiliated him. You cheated on him, and he couldn’t stand it. That’s why he fought with Liam. Not for you, but for his own pride. If you have any self–respect left, you should hurry up and finalize the divorce. Stay away from Francis. Disappear from his life forever”
Clara laughed coldly.
I cheated on him? How utterly ridiculous.
So, he truly believed she and her own brother had that kind of relationship? It was laughable.
Clara had not spoken a single word all this time, allowing Natalie to carry on her monologue. The more Natalie spoke, the more excited she became, her voice growing shriller by the second.
Chapter 121 Believe Her
A police officer arrived, leading Liam out..
Finished
The moment Liam saw Clara, emotions flickered across his face. There was pain, anger, and regret, but above all, guilt.
Clara met his gaze in silence. Without a word, she signed the bail papers, took his arm, and walked away.
Not long after, Francis was released as well.
“Francis!” The moment she saw him, Natalie rushed forward, her face full of concern. “Are you okay? Does it hurt?”
“Clara really went too far, letting Liam beat you up like this,” she huffed in frustration. “Francis, I know you can’t bear to see her suffer, but Liam admitted it himself. The two of them…”
She hesitated, biting her lip.
Francis frowned. “What is it, Natalie? You know I hate it when people stop
halfway.”
Natalie clenched her fists, as if she was making a difficult decision. “Francis, I didn’t want to tell you this, but I can’t bear to watch you deceive yourself any longer. Do you know who bailed Liam out just now?”
She took a deep breath. “It was Clara. She came here just ten minutes before you got out. She personally signed the papers to bail him out. And yet, you’re still worrying about her knowing this…”
She trailed off, her voice laced with pity.
Francis stood still and his expression was unreadable. Deep inside, he knew the truth.
Clara would never betray him. She must have had her reasons.
It had to be Zoe. Yes, Zoe must have begged her to bail Liam out.
Francis reassured himself with this thought.
Natalie grew uneasy as she sensed Francis‘ silence. Just as she was about to speak again, Francis. cut her off. “Natalie, thank you for today. I owe you one. Go home and rest. We’ll talk another
time.”
