Ritah looked around like a nervous thief. "It’s not me." She denied frantically. "I didn’t steal your things. Cousin, I didn’t steal Andrew or our parents. I---"
Claire raised her hand. She looked down at her arm and said slowly, "I have exactly five minutes left in this house. After five minutes, I am calling the police on my way out. I have a photo album in my phone with pictures of all my jewelry. I also have a camera in my bedroom that I set up in case of such situations. Once this involves law enforcement, I will not settle."
Ritah’s face turned pale. "Mom..." She whispered in a panic, with tears falling from her eyes.
Everyone in the room could tell who had taken the jewelry. Victor, Donna and their children were all shocked. Ritah had always been a good girl. Since when did she start stealing from others?
Heimi stepped in front of Ritah and declared, "I took it. I will go upstairs right now and bring it all."
Despite her attempt to cover for her daughter, Heimi still dragged Ritah with her upstairs.
"Claire..." James started.
Claire raised her hand, silencing him. "I would advise you not to talk to me right now. Anything you say can and will be used against you going forward. Wait for my resignation, it will be sent to you tomorrow, via email. I expect my severance pay, of course. Not one coin short or you will be hearing from my lawyers."
James gritted his teeth. Things had not proceeded as he expected. He had always thought when the truth was revealed, Claire would beg to remain in their family. She would accept a demotion at work, and continue working for the company. Who would have known that she would be so cold and calculating?
He took a deep breath to control the anger coursing within his chest. It doesn’t matter anyway, she won’t be around to compete with me for CEO in future. We don’t need her anymore.
While James was celebrating the defeat of his long time secret enemy, Alden was watching his brother like a nervous hawk. The two bodyguards flanked both sides of the chair, ready to fight back in case anyone attacked.
But no one had any plans to attack. Donna was crying softly in Victor’s arms. Three of the Bens had taken it upon themselves to grab one of Claire’s suitcases, waiting in uncomfortable silence for the moment when they would leave the house where they were not welcome.
It took ten minutes for Heimi to return alone, with a medium sized silver briefcase. She walked to Claire and shoved it at her. "Here, this is all your jewelry. Now, leave my house."
Claire opened the case and looked over the jewels inside: A purple diamond and gold necklace, valued at 600,000. A firebird red ruby ring valued at 750,000. A white diamond tiara valued at 900,000. A pair of emerald earrings valued at 500,000, A sapphire storm bracelet worth 650,000 and an obsidian serpent brooch worth 600,000.
Six pieces of jewelry totaling 4 million dollars, and the only things Claire had ever wasted money on. Nothing that had been given to her by Heimi, Alden or her former brothers was included.
"I hope nothing here is a fake." Claire said slowly, closing the case. The jewelry and two million on her account were enough for her to live on for a while.
Heimi sneered. "Get out." She said coldly. "And don’t bother going to the apartment in Riverside. We already transferred it to Ritah’s name."
"Wait," James sprang up suddenly. He walked over to Claire, but before he could get within two feet of her, Ansel and Archer planted themselves between them. The scowls on their faces made it clear how they felt about James now.
James stopped and forced himself to smile. "Claire, what are you planning to do, going forward? You don’t have anywhere to live, and you don’t have much money. Uncle and aunt cannot afford to give you the life you are accustomed to. It will be hard for you to get a job in any food company within this city and the neighboring ones. I really think---"
Claire turned around, picked up her bag from the chair and walked out of the house she had always called home. She didn’t wait for James to finish sharing his personal opinions on how she should live her life from now on.
"What a hypocrite!" She muttered.
Perhaps, if the parting had been sentimental, she would have left with regrets, but it was cruel. So, she was angry. Her heart was burning with hatred. Twenty seven years! They had raised her for twenty seven years and that could not compare to two years of Ritah moving in!
Only when her bags were inside her car did Claire stop to face her real family. All of them had followed her to her car. In the past, she used to associate with them like relatives only seen at weddings and funerals--polite, cordial, exchanging a few words when duty called. But, never lingering beyond the occasion, because Alden and Heimi did not want her hanging around the poor relatives for too long.
Now, the poor relatives were her real family. No--she was the poor relative!
They all stood around, awkwardly staring at each other. They did not know what to say, or how to begin.
Claire sighed and looked at the time. It was 2:20 p.m, enough time for everyone to make a plan on how to proceed.
"Sorry." Donna spoke up first, voice trembling nervously. "We didn’t know."
"If we had known--" Victor started.
Claire shook her head, cutting him off. "Apologies and tears are useless, we can only move forward. Where are you planning to move and when? The longer you remain in that house, the longer you will be humiliated."
Donna wiped her eyes with her palm. "We can rent an apartment in our old neighborhood. It is not like this place, or Riverside--" She shot a nervous glance at Claire. "If you don’t mind the downgrade, we would like you to move in with us."
"Or us." Archer offered, with a smile. "I live with my wife in Cottonridge. She won’t mind."
Ansel raised his hand. "You can stay at my place too, my girlfriend is actually your fan."
Claire shook her head, turning their offers down. It was sweet of them to step up, but she would never live under another’s roof again, and risk being thrown out. Moreover, she did have one option.
A broad smile formed on her face and a feeling of calm settled over her tired body. "I am leaving the city behind," she declared. "I am moving to Briarshore."
Ansel’s mouth fell wide open. "Briarshore! The countryside!"
Claire nodded. "Five years ago, when d---Alden, bought our grandparents a house in the city, and sold the old one, I bought it secretly. The whole property and grandpa’s fishing boat. Every summer, I go there for a week to relax. Right now, I need to get as far away from the city as possible, and that place is perfect." She would go there and start over.
Her hand fell to her belly, brushing over it lightly. A country side is not a bad place to raise a child, she thought.