He told me later that I shouldn’t have changed. The Claire he knew from the fashion world had always been radiant and bold.
But when he found me again, I seemed like seaweed adrift in the ocean. Rootless, unachored. It broke his heart that he hadn’t protected me sooner.
So after finding me, he showered me with twice the love.
I learned later that Harper didn’t quite commit a crime, so she was only detained for a few days.
But James somehow got our address. He showed up at our home while Hudson was away on business.
After the yacht incident, we’d increased security at the house.
James couldn’t get past them, so he only could stood outside screaming until his voice went hoarse.
When I’d had enough, I waved my hand, signaling the guards to let him in.
James stormed in, eyes burning into mine. “You did that on purpose.”
I raised an eyebrow. So he remembered how he once locked me out.
Made me stand outside for three hours in below–freezing weather.
All because I’d exchanged a few words with Harper.
He never asked for my side, never listened to explanations. He automatically took Harper’s side.
Looking back, I was a joke then–just like James was now.
He looked at me, a flash of sadness crossing his face.
“Where have you been all these years?”
“Why did you change your phone number? Do you know how long I’ve been searching for you?”
“Tyler cried for you every night. I had to be both father and mother.”
“Didn’t we agree? After Harper had the baby, we would remarry.”
His face was full of indignation, like he was some virtuous housewife who’d been deceived.
I marveled at his acting skills. He should have studied theater instead of architecture.
I clearly remembered that, in my previous life, I desperately fought against the divorce for our family’s sake. But what I got?
He berated me for three days straight. Called me cold–hearted for letting Harper’s reputation be ruined.
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Trash Husband, Billionaire Upgrade: Dumping the Fake for Real Love
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Chapter 8
Later, he even threatened to contact my former colleagues, to expose our “family shame.”
I was driven to mental breakdown, even contemplated suicide several times.
But him? He only responded to me coldly: “Always so dramatic. Go ahead and die then.”
Eventually, he disappeared with Tyler without a word, while I became the laughingstock behind closed door
Pulling myself from these memories, I laughed. “Who agreed with you? Did I ever say yes?
“Stop making me sick. Is this why you came to find me?”
I sneered, drawling, “And here I thought you’d seen I had money now and came for child support.”
James stood motionless, staring at me in disbelief, as if he couldn’t believe those words had come from my mouth.
“Claire, is that really what you think of me?”
I couldn’t believe he still had the nerve to ask such a question. I didn’t even want to look at him.
Seeing my silence, James mistook it for guilt.
He pressed on eagerly: “I divorced Harper. Claire, you-”
I cut him off. “She left you, didn’t she? With your sexual dysfunction, what woman would want to stay?”
I actually thought Harper was the smart one–learning about his condition and abandoning him without hesitation
Unlike me, who went to great lengths to protect his ego.
Only to end up scarred while he turned everything around on me.
James’s face flushed red. His chest heaved rapidly.
Suddenly he lunged forward, grabbing my wrist. Before I could speak, a small figure raced down from the second floor.
My daughter glared at him furiously.
“Let go of my mommy! Let her go!”
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