The room fell into a brittle silence the moment her words landed.

Claire bent down, pulled a thin folder from her handbag, and stepped forward with composure.

She held it out to Nelson, her voice calm and precise. "I've already signed the divorce papers. Just waiting for your signature."

That slim stack of documents seemed to weigh more than stone.

Nelson's gaze locked onto it, a tangled mix of frustration, disbelief, and pressure rising in his chest.

"Claire." His voice was tight, each syllable laced with tension. "When did you sign this?"

He couldn't process it.

She had only just returned yesterday. This-this was technically their first real conversation since her arrival.

And yet, she already had the papers ready?

Was that why she came back?

To end it?

Claire's tone was flat, distant. "Does it matter when? The result's the same."

"It does matter!" Elena snapped, her voice sharp with irritation. "Divorce isn't something you just toss on a table. But Nelson, if she's really this determined, maybe don't make things harder than they need to be. It might be better this way-for everyone."

She didn't say Serena's name. She didn't need to.

The implication hung in the air like smoke.

And right on cue, Serena peeked up from Elena's embrace. Her lashes were still damp, but the tiny curve of her lips betrayed a quiet satisfaction.

She sniffled delicately, then said, "Sis, please don't take it the wrong way. Nelson and I. we actually talked about this before. He said he'd give you the divorce papers after tonight."

Nelson stiffened.

It was true.

He'd had the documents drawn up weeks ago-before Claire returned. Maybe even longer.

He'd been tired of the cold war between them, the silence, the distance.

But now, watching Claire calmly push the folder toward him... it hit differently.

Harder.

His throat worked as he swallowed. ".Yeah."

As expected.

Claire let out a quiet laugh-dry, bitter, short.

So that was it.

Everyone had been waiting for this marriage to dissolve.

Everyone but her.

She was the only one foolish enough to believe there was still something worth saving.

Claire inhaled deeply, then gently nudged the folder closer. Her voice was no longer soft, no longer warm.

"Then if you would, Mr. Cooper?"

Cold. Polite. Distant.

Nelson stared at the papers, a strange tightness coiling in his chest.

He should've felt relieved.

This was what he wanted.

But instead, his mind flashed back-three years ago.

Claire in a white dress, standing at the altar. Her eyes filled with hope, with trust. With him.

He reached for the folder, and his fingers brushed against hers-just for a second.

She pulled away instantly.

That small, instinctive motion stung more than it should have.

His hand tightened around the folder, the edges digging into his skin like splinters.

He forced himself to look at her. Her eyes were calm, her expression unreadable.

"I'll sign it," he said at last. "I'll have the lawyer take care of the rest."

Claire nodded, her lips curling into a faint, almost gentle smile. "Thanks," she said lightly. "Hope it won't take too long."

Nelson didn't answer.

His brows furrowed.

That strange pressure in his chest-the one he thought would go away-was still there.

Worse, it was growing.

Claire turned her head, her voice cool and steady. "Now let's talk about you, Serena."

Serena flinched, instinctively shrinking closer to Elena like a child hiding behind her mother.

"W-What could there possibly be between us?" she stammered, voice trembling, tears glinting in her eyes. "You're the one who wanted the divorce. Nelson agreed. That's it."

"That's between me and Nelson," Claire replied sharply. "What I'm asking about-is how you paid that man to lure me upstairs, locked the door, and tried to trap me in a scandal."

Her tone didn't rise, but the chill in it made the room go still.

"I've never done anything to hurt you," she continued, "so why would you do something so vile?"

"I didn't!" Serena screamed, her face draining of color. "Sometimes I just. lose control, okay? You know how I get when I have an episode-I don't even remember what I did!"

That excuse again.

Always the same shield.

Always the same performance.

Elena pulled her daughter into her arms, her voice tight with pain. "That's enough, Claire. Serena lived outside the family for years. She's traumatized. You're fine now, aren't you? Can't you cut her some slack?"

Claire let out a hollow laugh. "You want me to forgive someone who tried to set me up to be assaulted?"

Her gaze locked onto Elena-filled with disbelief.

All she saw was worry. Not for her. For Serena.

Something twisted inside her chest.

"I don't understand," Claire said quietly. "It's been twenty years. Even if we're not blood-did I really mean so little to you? So little that you'd turn a blind eye while your 'real' daughter planned something like this?"

Elena opened her mouth, then closed it again, her expression flickering between guilt and defiance.

She looked away. "There's no point digging up the past. What matters now is Serena. She can't take any more stress."

"This is all your fault!" Serena shrieked suddenly.

She shoved Elena aside and stepped forward, her chest heaving with rage.

"So what if I did it?!" she shouted, pointing a trembling finger at Claire. "I hate you! Why do you get to wear the pretty dresses, sleep in the master bedroom, be spoiled by Mom and Dad, and even marry Nelson?!"

Claire didn't move.

"I didn't cause your pain," she said flatly. "It was the hospital's mistake. They switched us."

"I don't care!" Serena screamed, completely unhinged. "Everything you had should've been mine! Even Nelson! You knew I loved him-we were meant to be! Why did you marry him?! Why couldn't you just die?!"

The words landed like knives.

The crowd gasped audibly.

Claire closed her eyes, inhaling deeply to steady herself.

"So you knew exactly what you were doing," she said softly. "You knew what this would do to my life-to my marriage-and you still went through with it. Serena, do you even understand what you've done?"

Serena's eyes were wild, her voice cold. "But look at you. You're still standing, aren't you?"

Claire blinked, stunned by how twisted that sounded.

Serena didn't flinch. "You owe me an apology."

Silence.

Even Elena was too stunned to speak.

Claire stared at her sister, disbelief etched into her face. "Serena. nothing justifies what you did. Nothing gives you the right to hurt someone like that."

"All I want is your apology," Serena repeated, voice thin and trembling. "That's it."

"No way!" Elena blurted, finally snapping out of her haze. "Claire, please. treat this as a favor to your mother, alright? I'll apologize on her behalf. We were wrong. Just let it go-for old times' sake."

Claire slowly shook her head.

"There haven't been 'old times' between us in a long time."

Her voice was quiet, but firm.

"If she wants forgiveness." Claire's eyes didn't waver. "She'll need to say it herself."

Elena clearly hadn't expected Claire to push back so hard.

Her expression froze for a moment-then broke into louder sobs.

"Are you trying to drive your sister to her death?!" she cried, voice shrill with accusation. "If it weren't for the Thompson family, you wouldn't even be alive right now! Serena's had another episode, and you-still won't back down? How can you be so heartless?!"

Claire stared at her, face expressionless, eyes cold.

There was a time-long ago-when she'd still clung to a sliver of hope.

After all, she had called this woman "Mom" for twenty years.

Maybe, just maybe, the Thompsons had come to care for her too. Even a little.

But now, it was painfully clear-she had only ever been deceiving herself.

Her throat tightened. She swallowed hard, but still, the question slipped out.

"What if something had really happened to me today?" she asked quietly. "What if I'd been assaulted?"

Elena blinked, caught off guard. Then her face hardened.

"But you weren't, were you?" she snapped. "Nothing happened! So why can't you just let it go? You're the older sister-can't you be a little more understanding? Serena's sick! She didn't mean it! Why do you have to hold on to everything? You're so petty!"

Claire's heart turned colder with every word.

"All I wanted," she said, voice low, "was an apology."

"Fine!" Elena spat, her eyes narrowing.

"You want an apology? Then here it is." Her voice dripped with contempt. "I, Elena-your foster mother-apologize. I'm sorry I failed to raise you right. I'm sorry you were wronged. But Claire, if it hadn't been for you, would Serena have ended up like this?!"

Tears streamed down her face as she pulled Serena into her arms, as if the world had wronged her precious daughter.

"You took her place in this family all these years. You ruined her! And you still feel no guilt? No gratitude? I must have been blind back then. Get out! Don't show your face here again. As far as I'm concerned, I never raised you. The Thompsons have no place for you."

The room fell into stunned silence.

Guests stood around, watching with barely concealed amusement or pity.

Thrown out of the Thompson family-what future could someone like Claire possibly have?

But she had stood her ground in front of everyone. She would not-could not-crawl back now.

All eyes locked on her, waiting.

Claire opened her mouth-

But before she could speak, Nelson stepped forward and placed himself in front of her.

"Elena," he said, voice low but firm, "we understand Serena's not well. But Claire's been through enough today. It's fine to love one child more-but at least be fair. And let's not forget, the Coopers and Thompsons are bound by marriage. Claire is my wife. Cutting her off like this-it won't look good for either family."

Behind him, Claire spoke evenly.

"Mr. Cooper. we've already signed the divorce papers. Legally speaking, I'm no longer your wife."

Her words landed like a bomb.

The guests-already shocked Nelson had stepped in-stood frozen again.

That's right.

They were already divorced.

Even Serena, curled on the floor, stopped crying.

Nelson turned to look at Claire, eyes dark, but said nothing.

Claire didn't wait. She picked up her bag.

"The marriage is over," she said. "I have nothing more to do with the Coopers. And as for Mrs. Thompson-"

She paused, then looked directly at Elena.

"Message received. Loud and clear."

She took a breath.

Then, she stepped forward-just one step-and lowered her head in a rare, deliberate bow.

It wasn't dramatic. It wasn't theatrical. It was quiet, composed, and final.

"Thank you, Elena," she said, her voice steady. "For raising me all these years."

Even if the love had been one-sided-even if the affection had long since rotted-she had been raised under this roof.

Gratitude and betrayal-she remembered both.

The scornful looks around the room began to shift, just slightly.

But Claire didn't care.

She stood up, calm and composed, ready to leave.

Then-

"Wait!"

Elena's voice rang out behind her.