Chapter 7 - The Stand
“Don’t touch her!” Ethan roared.
He didn't think. He didn't calculate.
For the first time in three weeks, Ethan Hale planted his feet on the hardwood floor and stood up.
He was six foot two, and pure fury made him look even larger. The two security guards instinctively took a step back.
Vanessa gasped, her smugness shattering for a brief second before she regained her composure. “Look at that. A miracle.”
“You’re going to prison, Vanessa,” Ethan growled, stepping toward her. “Fraud. Embezzlement. Conspiracy.”
“Prove it,” she sneered. “You’ve spent a month pretending to be paralyzed. The affidavit Daniel signed says you suffer from severe delusions and paranoia resulting from brain trauma. Who do you think the judge will believe? The board already approved the merger. Your accounts are frozen. This house belongs to the trust, which I control.”
Vanessa pointed a manicured finger at Clara. “Get her out of here. If she resists, call the police and tell them the nurse was stealing.”
One of the guards reached for Clara’s arm.
“Let me go!” Clara shouted, pulling away.
“I said don’t touch her!” Ethan lunged forward, shoving the guard backward into the wall.
It was chaotic. Margaret came running down the hall, holding Toby. The little boy was crying, clutching his silver compass to his chest.
Seeing Toby’s tears broke whatever fight Clara had left. She couldn't risk her son.
“Stop!” Clara screamed. She looked at Ethan, her eyes dead and cold. “Don't do anything else for me. You’ve done enough.”
“Clara, wait—”
She walked over to the nightstand. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the crayon drawing Toby had made of Ethan as a superhero. She dropped it into the trash can.
She looked Ethan dead in the eye, the tears finally stopping, leaving only a hollow emptiness.
“You made my love a joke.”
May you like
The six words hit him harder than the truck on the highway ever could have.
Clara took Toby from Margaret, turned her back on the billionaire who had lied to her, and walked out the door.
