hapter 5
On the other end of the line, Allen was silent.
The pause stretched on, thick with hesitation, before his voice finally broke through–awkward, almost defensive.
“Sorry, Claire. Something came up at home, and I had to head back early. Wait for me–I’ll come get you right now.”
In the background, Claire could hear faint rustling sounds, followed by Evelyn’s
cheerful voice. “Allen, dinner’s almost ready! Where are you going?”
Claire pressed her fingers to her temple, the bitter smile that tugged at her lips doing nothing to ease the tightness in her chest. “Forget it. Don’t bother–I’ll manage on my
eu Tor only a beat before his
voice softened. “Alright. Take your time. I made something special tonight. It’ll be waiting when you get home!”
The call ended, and Claire let out a slow, weary breath. Yet, the ache in her heart only deepened. Her fingers brushed the small Médecins Sans Frontières application in her pocket, a reminder of her escape plan. How could she convince Allen to let her go?
Leaning heavily against the hospital wall, Claire hobbled toward the exit, each step sending sharp waves of pain through her swollen ankle. After what seemed like an eternity, she finally managed to hail a cab.
Sliding into the passenger seat, she immediately noticed the cold sweat soaking
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through her clothes.
The driver glanced at her, concern knitting his brow. “Miss, you don’t look so good. Why don’t you call your boyfriend to come pick you up?”
Claire leaned back against the seat, her body stiff from the pain, and let out a wry laugh. “I don’t have a boyfriend, just a fiancé.”
The driver raised an eyebrow, then shrugged. “Well, call your fiancé, then. Look at you- you’re pale as a ghost. I’m sure he wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to you.”
“Fiancé?” Claire scoffed softly, staring out the window. “Too bad he’s too busy spending time with someone else. No time for me.”
The driver went quiet for a moment, his tone turning almost sympathetic. “What kind of
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fiancé is that? Sounds pretty unreliable.”
Claire let out a small, bitter laugh. “Unreliable?” she mused, her eyes fixed on the passing streetlights. “More like indifferent.”
Everything about their wedding had fallen solely on Claire’s shoulders–from choosing invitations to deciding on the décor for their future home. When she had asked Allen
Tor his thoughts, his response had been
dismissive. “The man works, the woman handles the home. Why do you need me for every little detail? Don’t you have any opinions of your own?”
Yet, once Claire had handled every detail, Allen found fault with every single choice. In the end, it was Evelyn who took charge and finalized the décor to Allen’s liking.
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As Claire reflected on it, a wave of exhaustion and disdain washed over her.
When the cab finally pulled up outside her apartment complex, the short walk from the gate to her unit should have taken no more than a few minutes. But it felt like an eternity. Each step was slow, painful, and exhausting -what should’ve been a few hundred meters stretched into a half–hour ordeal.
Standing at the door, she instinctively reached for her keys, only to realize they weren’t there. Frustration flared, and she knocked.
It took longer than expected, but eventually, Allen opened the door.
His gaze flickered over her, his words already sharp. “Don’t you have your keys? Why do you always knock?”
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Claire didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she walked past him into the apartment, her steps deliberate and heavy. She slowly fished her keyring out of her bag.
“You took my key off the ring a few days ago to give to Evelyn, remember?” she replied, her tone cold.
The mention of Evelyn gave Allen pause. His irritation ebbed, replaced by a fleeting hint of guilt. But even then, his voice carried
oice a subtle reproach. “I’ve been busy. I forgot. Why didn’t you just get a new one? You always have time for these things.”
Claire’s lips curled into a faint, humorless smile, but she didn’t bother responding. She had long stopped expecting fairness from him.
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To Allen, everything involving Evelyn was urgent, while her own needs were either ignored or dismissed.
As Claire moved toward the dining room, she saw Evelyn already there.
“Claire, you’re finally back!” Evelyn chirped, her voice light and playful. She bounced over, linking her arm with Claire’s and sticking out her tongue with a mischievous grin.
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