Chapter 5 The Rush Of Sneaking Around

"Break off the engagement?" Brad stared at Clara in shock, convinced he hadn't heard her right. "What did you just say?"

He couldn't process it at first.

In the past, he'd watched Clara lower herself over and over, always following Robert, swallowing every humiliation but refusing to let go. It had always pained him to see her that way.

And now she was the one choosing to end things?

Clara didn't hesitate; she made her decision perfectly clear.

Suddenly, a huge smile broke out on Brad's face. "Clara, you've finally come to your senses! I always told you Robert wasn't worth it. You deserve someone so much better! This is wonderful. I..."

Before he could finish celebrating, Ramona quickly cut in, wearing a stiff smile that didn't reach her eyes. Her voice, however, left no doubt about her real feelings. "Brad, don't pay attention to Clara's outburst. The Cooper family and us are just about to finalize the western district project. If you break off the engagement now, people might say we're unreliable. If the deal falls through, our losses will be huge!"

She shot Emily a meaningful look as she spoke.

Picking up her cue, Emily jumped in, her eyes rimmed with red, feigning concern for Clara. "That's right. Clara, please don't make a scene! Robert is such a perfect match for you. If you call things off, do you really think you'll find someone better? And after everything you've done for him, wouldn't ending things now just make you look impulsive and capricious?"

Their words sounded like advice, but Clara could tell they were really warnings.

Everyone already knew about Clara's long pursuit of Robert.

If she broke things off now, it would only be the Jones family's reputation that took the hit.

Clara's eyes were cold as she watched Ramona and Emily working together, unable to hide her contempt.

She had seen this exact act in her previous life. Whenever she even thought about stepping away from Robert, Ramona and Emily would corner her, talking endlessly about family obligations, public opinion, and how she'd never get a better match, scaring her with worst-case scenarios until she caved.

But now, Clara found it all ridiculous.

Clara let out a cold laugh. "By ending this engagement, I'm just giving you and Robert what you've always wanted, aren't I? Or is it that you two just crave the rush of sneaking around behind my back?"

Emily stiffened on the spot, her face flaring with panic before shifting into one of hurt innocence. "Clara, how could you accuse me of something so awful? Robert is your fiancé, and I haven't even said a word to him..."

Ramona, drawing on years of experience, didn't flinch. "They always say being a stepmother is difficult, and I'm beginning to see why. Clara, you still refuse to see Emily and me as your family. If that's how it is..."

There was a heavy accusation hidden in her words.

If gossip started, people would say Clara was ungrateful, unwilling to accept her stepmother and stepsister, painting her as spiteful and small-minded.

Brad's expression hardened in response. "If you two can't talk respectfully, then just keep quiet."

Clara almost wanted to laugh.

Brad had always been the kind of father who showed his love by providing, never really getting involved in the arguments at home.

But if his kids were under attack, he wouldn't hesitate to defend them.

That thought brought a genuine warmth to Clara's heart. She looked at Brad and spoke sincerely. "Dad, I'm not breaking off the engagement just to make trouble. I've thought it through. I know this puts our family in a difficult position, and I don't want you to worry about handling the fallout. I'll take responsibility for ending things myself."

Brad felt a mixture of pride at her growth and pain for her struggles. "If you're sure about this, I won't get in your way. But if you run into trouble, come to me and I'll stand behind you."

Clara smiled at him. "Thank you, Dad! You really are the best!" With that, she leaned against Brad's shoulder, feeling a rare sense of comfort.

Ramona and Emily exchanged glances, each one puzzled by how quickly things had shifted, but neither said a word.

A short while later, all five stepped inside the house, and no one dared to mention Emily's possible affair with Robert again.

Exposing Emily and Ramona completely was not part of Clara's plan for today.

She despised them with every fiber of her being, but exposing it all now would be too soon.

What she truly wanted was for Emily and Ramona to pay dearly for what she and her family had suffered in her previous life.

So she intended to peel back their masks slowly, revealing their deceit to everyone.

At dawn the next day, Clara rose earlier than usual.

She pulled out a concealed vial of potion and laid out the tools she needed to wipe off her makeup.

Bit by bit, she washed away the horribly applied cosmetics, unveiling a flawless, breathtaking face beneath.

With her appearance restored, she realized time was slipping away.

After coming downstairs, she greeted Brad as he ate breakfast, then drove off to school.

From inside Jones Manor, Brad watched her leave, stunned by how beautiful she had become.

...

Thirty minutes later at Pehville University, Clara paused at the classroom door.

Her steady gaze swept over the familiar threshold, and a cool smile curved her lips.

This time around, she wasn't the helpless girl everyone could walk all over.

Anyone who had humiliated or bullied her before would now face the consequences.

Holding her spine straight and keeping her composure, Clara walked in with quiet confidence.