Chapter 4
The next two weeks were the longest of my life.
Daniel called every day.
Sometimes he just wanted to hear my voice.
Sometimes he told me about conversations he’d had with his mother.
Each one sounded worse than the last.
“She says I’m being manipulated.”
“She threatened to cut me off.”
“She told me if I stay married to you, she’ll never speak to me again.”
Each time, I told him the same thing.
“Stand your ground.”
And each time, I wondered if he would.
Then came the call I’d been waiting for.
“Claire. I did it.”
His voice was shaking.
“Did what?”
“I told my mother. I told her that if she can’t accept you, then she doesn’t get to have me in her life.”
My heart stopped.
“What did she say?”
A long pause.
“She said I was dead to her.”
The words hung between us.
“Daniel, I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be. It was the right thing to do.”
He took a breath.
“I want to see you. Can I come over?”
“Of course.”
When he arrived at the penthouse, he looked thinner.
Tired.
But there was something in his eyes I hadn’t seen before.
Determination.
He walked straight to me and kissed me.
It was the kind of kiss that said everything he couldn’t put into words.
I’m sorry.
I love you.
I choose you.
When we pulled apart, my father was standing in the doorway.
He looked at Daniel with something that might have been respect.
“Mr. Carter.”
“Mr. Harrison.”
They stared at each other for a long moment.
Then my father nodded.
“Claire has told me what you did. Standing up to Margaret couldn’t have been easy.”
“It wasn’t.”
Daniel looked at me.
“But it was worth it.”
My father studied him for another moment.
“Come into my study. We need to talk.”
I started to follow.
My father held up a hand.
“Alone, Claire.”
I looked at Daniel.
He gave me a reassuring smile.
“I’ll be fine.”
They went into the study and closed the door.
I paced the living room for forty-five minutes.
Every sound from the other side of the door made my heart race.
What were they talking about?
Was my father threatening him?
Was Daniel changing his mind?
Finally, the door opened.
They walked out together.
My father’s expression was unreadable.
Daniel looked… relieved?
“Claire,” my father said.
“Daniel and I have reached an understanding.”
“About what?”
“About his future. And yours.”
He put his hand on my shoulder.
“I’ve decided to give him a chance. Not as my son-in-law, but as a professional. He’s going to lead the new tech acquisition project.”
My eyes went wide.
“Dad, that’s your biggest project this year.”
“I know. And if he succeeds, he’ll prove he’s more than just the man who married my daughter.”
I looked at Daniel.
He was smiling.
“Are you sure about this?”
“Your father gave me a fair shot. No special treatment. Just an opportunity.”
He took my hand.
“I’m not going to waste it.”
My father watched us with a small smile.
“Dinner’s at seven. Both of you stay.”
That night, for the first time in weeks, I felt like things might actually be okay.
I was wrong.
The next morning, I got a call from an unknown number.
“Claire Harrison?”
“Who is this?”
“This is Detective Reynolds with the NYPD. I’m calling about Margaret Carter.”
My blood ran cold.
“What about her?”
“She was admitted to the hospital last night. Severe heart attack. She’s in critical condition.”
The phone slipped from my hand.
Daniel was in the kitchen making coffee.
He rushed over when he saw my face.
“Claire? What’s wrong?”
I picked up the phone.
“Which hospital?”
The detective gave me the name.
I hung up and turned to Daniel.
“It’s your mother. She had a heart attack. She’s in the hospital.”
All the color drained from his face.
“No.”
He grabbed his keys.
“We have to go. Now.”
The drive to the hospital was silent.
Daniel’s hands were shaking on the steering wheel.
I wanted to say something, to comfort him, but I had no words.
Margaret Carter.
The woman who had made my life a living hell.
The woman who had thrown water in my face and called me a gold digger.
The woman who had told Daniel I was dead to her.
And now she might die.
When we arrived at the hospital, the nurse directed us to the ICU waiting room.
Daniel’s father, Richard, was there.
He looked older than I’d ever seen him.
“Dad.”
Daniel pulled him into a hug.
Richard looked at me over Daniel’s shoulder.
His expression was complicated.
“Claire.”
“Richard. How is she?”
“The doctors say it’s serious. They’re doing everything they can.”
He sat down heavily.
“We had a fight. Last night. About you and Daniel. She was so angry. She said she couldn’t breathe, and then she collapsed.”
Guilt washed over me.
This was my fault.
If I hadn’t come back into Daniel’s life, if I hadn’t made him choose…
Margaret wouldn’t be here.
Daniel sat next to his father.
I stood by the window, feeling like an intruder.
An hour later, the doctor came out.
“Family of Margaret Carter?”
They stood up.
I stayed back.
“We stabilized her. She’s out of immediate danger. But she’s going to need time to recover. And she needs to avoid any kind of stress.”
The doctor looked at me.
“Visitors are limited to immediate family only. For now.”
The message was clear.
I wasn’t welcome.
Daniel looked at me.
“Claire—”
“It’s okay. Go be with your mother. I’ll wait here.”
He hesitated.
Then he kissed my cheek and followed the doctor with his father.
I sat alone in the waiting room.
And I knew.
May you like
Margaret’s heart attack was just the beginning.
Nothing would ever be simple again.
