Hello, Ex! I Finally Found My Worth! - Chapter 47

Chapter 47: I Should’ve Trusted You

Long after she had returned home, Claire sat on the edge of her bed, her head cradled in her hands.

The events of the day replayed in her mind like a broken record, each revelation more shocking than the last. She had tried to justify Jake’s actions, to believe his frantic denials, but the evidence Alex presented was irrefutable.

Jake had not even had anything to say. He couldn’t even refute them, how could he when he was caught going into Vanessa’s house at that hour?

Did this mean Emma was indeed innocent of the accusations Jake leveled against her? She was brought out of her reverie when her phone rang and she glanced at it to see who was calling.

She declined the call and placed her phone on do not disturb when she saw that it was Margaret calling. Why was she calling?

Did she know anything about what Jake did or did she only just found out like her too? How could Jake had gone that far to pull Alex down?

She sighed, standing and pacing her room. How had she allowed herself to be so blind? The look in Alex’s eyes when he spoke to Jake was something she couldn’t shake—anger, yes, but also pain. And Emma… she had judged the poor woman far too harshly.

Claire moved to back to her bed, her fingers trembling slightly as she picked up her phone. She scrolled through her contacts, stopping at the HR manager’s number.

She needed to do something, if not to Jake, at least to that slut called Vanessa. For deceiving her and pretending like she was a victim.

“Hello, Mr. Chambers?” she said when the line connected.

“Yes, Mrs. Quinn?”

“There’s an employee at the company I need removed immediately. Vanessa King.”

There was a pause before the HR manager responded cautiously. “May I ask the reason, ma’am?”

“She’s involved in unethical conduct that has compromised the integrity of this family and the business,” Claire said firmly. “Consider this a directive from me, and ensure it’s done discreetly. You don’t need to offer an explanation for firing her. I’m sure she’s very well aware of the reason.”

“Yes, ma’am. I’ll take care of it.”

Ending the call, Claire felt a slight wave of relief, though the weight in her chest remained. There was one more thing she needed to do, and it couldn’t wait. She grabbed her car keys and headed out.

The drive to Alex’s house was quiet, save for the low hum of the engine. As she parked in front of his home, she took a deep breath, steeling herself for what she was about to do.

Alex answered the door, his expression neutral but his posture guarded. He stepped aside silently, allowing her in.

“Claire,” he began as they moved to the living room, “what brings you here…. again?”

She hesitated, looking at him directly. “I came to apologize, Alex. For everything.”

He blinked, clearly surprised. “Apologize?”

“I was wrong,” she admitted, her voice soft but steady. “I let my loyalty to Jake cloud my judgment and I totally ignored what you wanted. I thought I was making life easier for you but in truth, I was being used to ruin your life. I assumed it was one of your tactics to not want a lady after… I’m sorry. I should’ve trusted you.” She exhaled deeply. “I’m sorry.”

Alex saw the look on her face and he could tell that even though it was difficult for her to admit that she was wrong, she genuinely meant what she said.

Alex studied her for a moment before nodding. “I appreciate that, Claire. It’s not easy to admit when we’ve made mistakes.”

She sat down, glancing around the room. “There’s something I need to understand, though. Why did you marry Emma? What really transpired between her and Jake?”

Alex leaned back, his expression darkening slightly as he recalled the past. “Jake divorced her,” he began, his voice low. “He threw her out of his life because of Vanessa. But it wasn’t just the divorce—he humiliated her. Spread lies about her being unfaithful to justify his actions. Emma didn’t cheat, Claire. She was faithful to him until the very end.”

Claire’s breath hitched, and Alex continued. “The shock of the divorce caused Emma to lose their child. She miscarried, Claire. And Jake didn’t even care. Instead he lied and moved on with Vanessa like none of it mattered.”

Claire’s hand flew to her mouth, her heart breaking for the young woman she had so unfairly judged. “Why didn’t you tell me any of this before?”

Alex sighed. “I didn’t want to drag the family through more drama and at the same time, I couldn’t just leave her to pick up the pieces alone. So I married her to give her stability, to protect her from further humiliation and also to avoid marrying Vanessa or any other woman for that matter. I haven’t told anyone about the marriage because it would cause more drama for Emma and I didn’t want that.”

Claire was silent for a long moment, absorbing his words. When she finally spoke, her voice was laced with regret. “You did the right thing, Alex. I misjudged her so terribly. I owe her an apology.”

Alex’s gaze softened. “She doesn’t hold grudges, Claire. She’ll understand.”

Standing, Claire nodded firmly. “I’ll apologize to her, properly this time. Where’s her room?” Claire asked and Alex led her.

They both stopped when they saw Emma coming down the stairs. Emma’s eyes widened slightly when she saw Claire and for a moment, fear gripped her.

What was she doing there again? Had she come to throw her out? She sigh in relief when she looked at Claire closely and saw that she wasn’t angry but was rather cautious.

She watched as Alex stood a few feet away while Claire caught up with her at the foot of the stairs, her steps cautious.

“Emma,” Claire began, her voice warm yet tinged with guilt. “I’ve been unfair to you. I let my assumptions and loyalty to Jake cloud my judgment, and I accused you of things you never did. For that, I am truly sorry.”

Emma blinked, clearly surprised by the sincerity in Claire’s voice. “Mrs. Quinn, I—”

“Claire,” she corrected gently. “Call me Claire. Alex has told me everything and I’m very sorry. Sorry for what my nephew did to you and sorry for all my direct and indirect insults. I should’ve heard from both sides.”

Emma smiled faintly. “Claire. Thank you for saying that.”

Claire reached out, placing a hand on Emma’s. “I’d like to take you out to lunch soon, just the two of us. As a way to make amends. Will you let me?”

Emma hesitated for only a moment, glancing to Alex before nodding. “I’d like that.”