Hello, Ex! I Finally Found My Worth!-Chapter 156: Back Down

Chris stepped out of the bathroom, rubbing a towel through his damp hair. The morning felt heavy, like an omen of something bad.

He had barely gotten any sleep after dropping Claire off the night before, his mind restless with worry. She hadn't answered any of his calls since then and he didn't know how she was doing.

He had also tried calling Alex but like Claire, Alex hadn't taken his call and it was grating on his nerves.

He needed to hear from her and know how she was doing. Whether she was ready to tell him all that happened or tell him to wait.

He didn't mind waiting. All he needed was to be sure she'd tell him one day. He didn't even like that she was pushing him away and trying to face this on her own.

With a sigh, he picked up his phone, intending to call her again. Maybe she just needed space. He call her and if she doesn't pick up, he'd drive there to see how she was.

He was just about to dial when something on his screen caught his eye.

The headlines. Among which was the trending news about Claire.

Claire Sterling: A Murderer?

Chris's breath caught in his throat as he read it. His grip on the phone tightened as he clicked on the article, his eyes scanning the words in disbelief.

His heart pounded furiously in his chest. His jaw clenched, his hands shaking in anger. Who the hell did this?

He asked himself and just before he could think further, it clicked in his head.

It couldn't be his mom or Alex or Claire. It was his aunt. She had been the one accusing Claire and calling her names.

Chris's body went rigid as fury surged through him. Of course, it had to be her. She's the only one who could've done this after all she said the previous evening.

He thought, his fingers balling into a fist by his side.

Without wasting another second, he threw his phone onto the bed, yanked a shirt over his head, put on a presentable pants, picked up his phone and car keys and stormed out of his house.

Chris drove like a man possessed, his fingers gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white. His jaw was locked, his chest heaving with the force of his anger.

Why? Why would she do this? What was her purpose? What did she stand to gain by doing this?

His aunt had no right—no reason—to bring up something buried for years. Did she have any idea what this would do to Claire? To him? To their relationship? She could think she was trying to save him but this was more than just about Claire. He was also deeply involved because he wasn't going to back down from being with Claire. Not even for a moment.

When he arrived at his mother's house, he barely waited for the car to stop before jumping out and marching toward the front door. He didn't bother knocking since the butler had opened before he could.

He just pushed him aside and walked inside, his blood boiling.

He didn't even have to find his aunt or call her out.

She was seated comfortably in the living room, a smug smile tugging at the corners of her lips as she sipped tea. When she saw him, she set the cup down and tilted her head.

"You're finally here," she said, as if she had been expecting him. "I knew you would come."

Chris's fists curled at his sides. "What the hell is the meaning of this?" His voice was low, and dangerously calm.

His aunt merely raised an eyebrow. "You'll have to be more specific, dear. What do you mean?"

Chris took a step forward, his eyes burning with fury. "The news about Claire. The lies. Have you forgotten that she's my girlfriend?" His voice rose with every word, unable to contain the rage building inside him. "Why would you do this? Why would you release something so damaging about her? What do you even stand to gain?" he asked but his aunt merely leaned back in her seat, a knowing smirk playing on her lips.

Away from there, Alex stepped out of his room, rubbing his tired eyes. The night had been long, filled with Claire's muffled cries behind the locked door. He had barely gotten any rest, his mind too clouded with worry for his sister.

As he stepped into the hallway, he noticed Emma standing stiffly, her phone in her hand, her face pale.

He frowned, his stomach tightening as he wondered what could be wrong with her. Though he didn't hear her when she was on call or speaking to anyone, from her posture, he could tell she had heard some sort of bad news.

Or maybe not but she must've received a call or a text a d it was something bad.

"Who were you on the phone with? Someone called you, right?" he asked, his voice low but firm.

Emma hesitated, looking at him with wide, panicked eyes. She opened her mouth, closed it, then finally said, "It's Ivy. She called to tell me Claire is on the news."

Hearing that, Alex froze. His heart stuttered before picking up at a rapid pace. What?

His mind began racing, scenarios flashing through his head. What exactly did they say? How bad is it? Who leaked it? His fingers curled into a tight fist.

He had been thinking of what to do or say to get Claire out of the room and now, this had to happen? What if Claire saw it abd did something bad? Or what if she decides not to ever show her face in public again?

Who was the heartless fellow that must've done something like this? And what news outlet would dare sell unverified story about the Sterling family?

Without wasting another second, he marched toward Claire's door. His anxiety clawed at his chest as he knocked really hard this time.

"Claire," he called, his voice tight with urgency. "I don't know if you've seen the news, but your name is everywhere." He pressed his forehead against the door, trying to steady his emotions. "They're calling you a murderer."

He knew what he was saying could trigger her to do something bad, but it was the only way to get her to come out of her shell and tell the whole world they were wrong about her.

Alex exhaled sharply, frustration mixing with desperation when Claire didn't answer him. "Whatever happened twenty-nine years ago, after you left with Mathew... It's time to talk about it. Not just to me, but to the world." His voice wavered slightly, but he continued, "People need to know the truth, Claire. That you're innocent. You can't let them spread false news against you or call you names like this," he said anxiously but there was still no response.

Just then, footsteps echoed in the hallway. Margaret had arrived, because she had also seen the news.

She has hurried down to Alex's house with Jake but after being told Alex had left since the previous night and Claire didn't come home, she had headed here immediately.

Margaret's lips parted in disbelief, then slowly pressed into a thin line. Without hesitation, she walked up to the door, standing next to Alex.

"You're finally here. You need to do something to get here out," Alex said glancing at Jake and Margaret.

Though he would've preferred not to be in the same room as them, this was about Claire. Though Claire and Margaret weren't as close as they were before after the whole ordeal with Jake, Alex knew Claire still loved Margaret and so Margaret also had a high chance of getting Claire out.

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"How long as she been in here?" Margaret said firmly, placing a hand on the door.

"Since yesterday. She hasn't eaten anything, too," he said and Margaret sighed.

"Sis, I came rushing down here the moment I saw the news. People are really saying trash about you and it's eating on me. Like Alex said, it's time people heard your side of the story. Even though you didn't tell us what happened in those three days you disappeared with Mathew, we know you didn't kill anyone in cold blood. The world don't know that....."

From inside, Claire's voice finally came—weak and hollow, cutting Margaret off.

"There's no way you could know I didn't kill him," Claire said making Alex and everyone heave a relieved sigh.

Though she was relieved Claire hadn't done anything stupid, Margaret's chest ached at the emptiness in Claire's tone. "I do know," she insisted, pressing her palm harder against the door as if trying to reach her. "Because I trust you."

Margaret took a shaky breath. "Or... because you're my sister and I know you couldn't have done that... or even if you had done it, it had to be because you were left with no choice."

Another beat of silence. Then Claire let out a dry, almost bitter laugh. "That's not enough, Margaret."

Margaret's heart clenched. "It is enough. Because I know you, Claire. I was there, remember? I saw how broken you were after that night. I saw the pain, the fear. You were lost in the darkness, and I stood beside you through it all." She swallowed, her voice trembling. "Or have you forgotten?"

Alex, Emma, and Jake exchanged anxious glances. Would it be enough? Would Claire finally open the door?

The air was thick with tension, the weight of the past pressing down on all of them. They hoped and prayed that Margaret would be able to get Claire out of that dark place.