Chapter 82 A Gift

Claire's face went pale, but she forced a smile and looked at the woman.

"Mrs. Fisher, thank you so much. If something had happened to him, I don't know how I could live with myself. It would have destroyed me!" The woman spoke like she was about to cry, but her eyes were locked onto Claire's face.

Claire walked out of the mall in a daze. The weather was lousy today, with a cold wind blowing, but Claire didn't seem to notice.

The cake in her hand was swaying, seeming a mockery of her cluelessness.

At the Fisher Family Mansion

Before going in, Claire tried to pull herself together, making sure her face didn't show any emotion. But the smile she had forced quickly faded, leaving her expression blank.

The housekeeper saw her come in, took the things from her, and asked if she was feeling okay. Claire shook her head, saying, "I'm just tired. I'll be in my room. Don't disturb me."

Claire spent the whole afternoon in her bedroom.

Several photo albums were spread out on the bed. Claire picked up a photo of Alan as a kid, staring at it for a long time.

She had gone through all the photos many times—pictures of them together in college, their graduation photos, moments from when they worked together, their time living together, scenes from the starry nights and the sweltering summer of their startup days, and the celebrations of their first big earnings.

Silent tears fell onto the carpet, making no sound, just like Claire's decades of silent dedication.

Claire was only in her forties, but she looked a bit older. Many women her age in her circle looked younger than her. It was the price she paid for her wasted youth on Alan.

Today was not only a celebration of Alan's recovery and their reconciliation but also Claire's birthday.

Who would have thought Alan would give her such a "gift"?

She didn't know how long she had been in the room until there was no light coming through the curtains, and the room was pitch dark.

Claire heard a knock on the door, followed by the door opening.

Alan's gentle voice came through, "Claire? Are you awake?"

Claire didn't respond, casually wiping the corner of her eye, returning to normal.

"Dinner is ready. I made your favorite baked fish. It's fresh today, so you should eat more," Alan walked to her side.

"Let's have dinner," Claire's voice was devoid of any emotion.

In the dining room, seeing that Alan had prepared a table full of delicious dishes, and the cake she bought was already opened and placed on the table, Claire sneered inwardly.

Alan helped her sit down at the table, smiling as he placed the cake in front of her and lit the candles, asking the housekeeper to turn off the dining room lights. "Claire, we've known each other since we were teenagers. This is the thirtieth birthday I've spent with you. I hope we can spend every birthday together in the future."

Just then, Alan's phone rang. He glanced at it, his expression changing, and he gave Claire a look before hurriedly stepping out of the room.

Alan's voice was loud, as if arguing about something, seemingly related to the company.

In less than two minutes, Alan returned, looking dejected.

He said to Claire, "Claire, I gotta head to the office. The recent suicide incident has freaked out the investors, and now they're all threatening to pull out. It's a mess."

"Is it that bad?" Claire asked, worried. "It's all my fault. If I hadn't pushed you so hard, none of this would have happened."

Alan shook his head. "It's not your fault, Claire. It's all because of my stupid actions."

"So what now?" Claire asked.

"Don't worry," Alan patted her shoulder. "I need to handle this quickly. You eat first and wait for me to come back, okay?"

Claire frowned slightly. "Do you have to go now? Today is my birthday."

Alan looked troubled and sighed, "Claire, trust me. I'll be back soon, just an hour or two. We'll cut the cake together when I get back, okay? Eat something first, don't go hungry."

Claire nodded. "Drive safely."

Claire watched him hurriedly drive off in the luxurious car, its exhaust spewing fumes far behind. Was he really in such a rush to see his illegitimate child?

The candles on the cake were almost burned out, and the housekeeper remind, "Mrs. Fisher, should I turn on the lights?"

Claire watched the candles flicker and eventually go out before she finally responded, "Okay."

The housekeeper turned on the lights.

Seeing Claire's bad mood, no one dared to speak.

'The delicious food shouldn't go to waste,' Claire thought, picking up a fork and taking a bite of the cake. It was still as delicious as ever. What a pity that if it couldn't be finished today, it would have to be thrown away.

Time passed slowly, and it was already midnight, but Alan hadn't returned.

Claire didn't expected him to come back on time, but when the moment came, it still hurt a bit.

Then she locked herself in the bedroom for several days.

When the housekeeper brought food, they only saw Claire sitting quietly on the bed, staring out the window, not responding to any conversation.

The housekeeper could only call Alan, but Alan's phone was unreachable.

After a long time, Claire felt a bit dizzy when the phone screen beside her lit up.

It was a few photos sent by that woman showing the boy's leg was in a cast, and he was in a hospital bed, unconscious, with an oxygen mask on his face.

There was a line of text below: [You are truly vicious. If you have a problem with me, come at me. No wonder you haven't been able to have children all these years, it's karma!]

Claire had long installed a hidden tracker in Alan's car, and it clearly showed he wasn't at the company.

At the mall that day, the woman had said something else to her, "Mrs. Fisher, Alan's child has grown so big. What leverage do you think you still have to compete with me?"

The implication was full of provocation. Besides money, Claire couldn't compare to her. After all, to a man, a beautiful face and a young body were incredibly attractive.

The phone screen lit up again, and Claire saw a photo of Alan carefully washing the little boy.

Before Alan left, he had promised to spend every future birthday with her, but the next moment, she was left alone. Their relationship couldn't be restored to its original state.