On the Sixth Thanksgiving, I Stopped Waiting for Him Chapter 03
I grabbed Julian’s hand and forced him to face the irreversible damage he had turned a blind eye to.
He pulled back as if he’d been burned.
“Claire, I know I hurt you, but I’ll make it up to you!”
“I’ll marry you. I’ll spend the rest of my life with you!”
“Can’t we just let the past go?”
There was pity in his voice, and pleading. More than anything, there was fear.
Laughter drifted out of the kitchen again.
“Vivian has become more and more like family. She’s so much better than that ungrateful girl ever was!”
“Mrs. Bennett, we’re family!”
I stared at myself in the mirror. Six years of suffering had aged me a decade.
Julian had kissed that face countless times.
Now he couldn’t bear to look at it for more than three seconds.
“Julian, Vivian paid those men to abduct me!”
“That payment bought all of my suffering. How many shirts could that buy you? How many pots of chicken soup could it buy Mom?”
His entire body went rigid.
A memory suddenly ripped through him.
Six years ago, Julian had kicked Vivian in the chest in front of everyone.
When she curled up on the ground and coughed, he grabbed her by the hair and yanked her back to her feet.
Then he struck her over and over until three guys had to pull him off her.
Back then, Julian had roared like a wounded animal, “Give Claire back to me!”
And at that very moment, I had been tied up in a vehicle nearby.
With duct tape over my mouth, I watched it all in despair.
Six years ago, Julian would have lost his mind for me.
Now he could only stand there and offer me an empty promise.
I pushed open the door, and the cold air from the hallway cut straight through me.
“Claire, have some chicken soup!”
Vivian approached me with a bowl in her hands.
“I don’t want it.”
“Come on, Claire. You don’t have to be so polite.”
She took another step forward, and the bowl suddenly tipped.
Scalding soup splashed across my face.
I threw up my hands to shield myself.
Vivian screamed and threw herself backward toward the stairwell.
“Claire, why did you push me?”
I stood frozen in place as liquid stung the fresh stitches on my scarred face.
“Claire!”
“Why did you push Vivian?”
My mother shoved past me and rushed downstairs, crouching beside Vivian.
“Where are you hurt? Does it hurt? Tell me.”
“Have you lost your mind, Claire? Vivian has been by my side every day for six years, and you attacked her the moment you came back?”
“Mom, she threw the soup at me!”
“Your face was already covered in scars! Why do you keep lying? You should’ve stayed gone!”
My mother kept screaming at me.
Vivian trembled slightly in my mother’s arms.
“Mrs. Bennett, please don’t yell at Claire. She just came back, and she’s upset.”
Julian’s voice cut through the hallway.
“Vivian, you spilled hot soup on Claire. Do you think I’m blind?”
Vivian froze, tears gathering in her eyes.
“Julian, I didn’t…”
“That’s enough! I’ve had enough of your tricks!”
Julian picked me up and carried me downstairs.
Behind us, my mother shouted, “Julian, what is wrong with you? Can’t you see Vivian is hurt?”
“Mrs. Bennett, I’ll explain everything later.”
Once we were in the car, Julian found a tube of burn cream and awkwardly applied it to my face.
My phone buzzed, and a new message appeared from Detective Cole.
Detective Cole: [I have the evidence ready. Come to the station at 9:00 a.m. tomorrow to sign your formal statement.]
