CHAPTER 157: CLAIRE’S ULTIMATE NIGHTMARE

Evander’s POV

"Eliam?" I muttered, glancing at the E-watch I had given him for emergencies. He had never used it before, so my heart skipped a beat as I saw his name flash on the screen. Without hesitation, I answered the call.

But instead of Eliam’s voice, muffled conversations came through the line. It didn’t take long to realize what was happening. Claire was in trouble— someone was bullying her. Then I heard a name that made my blood boil.

Mia.

My entire body tensed as a wave of fury surged through me. That name alone was enough to ignite the worst memories, and knowing she was causing trouble for Claire again made it unbearable. I shot up from my seat, grabbing my jacket.

"Where are you going?" Damian asked, his eyebrows raised at my sudden movement.

"Do you remember that girl, Mia?" I snapped, my voice sharper than I intended.

"Yeah, I do," Damian replied, exchanging a glance with Caspian.

"She is the one who—" I started, but Damian cut me off, his eyes narrowing as recognition dawned on him.

"Wait a second! Isn’t Mia the girl who bullied your first love? The one who almost...?" His voice trailed off, but the weight of his words was clear.

"Yes," I growled, my hands clenched into fists. "That’s the one. And now she is at it again, bullying Claire."

"Claire?" Damian’s voice rose in surprise before turning serious. "You are kidding me. She is messing with Claire now?"

I didn’t bother responding as I grabbed my car keys and headed for the door.

"Hold on!" Damian called after me, grabbing his jacket. "I am coming with you."

"Count me in," Caspian added. He stood up and stretched like he was ready for a fight.

"Let me teach her a lesson! Why is she always after you love," Damian muttered, his tone dark with determination.

"Fine," I said curtly, not in the mood to argue as I ignored the later parts. The more people who had Claire’s back, the better.

We piled into my car as I started the engine and drove away. The thought of Mia’s smug face, of her hurting Claire, fueled my anger. This time, she wouldn’t get away with it. Not when I was around.

"Wait!! Dude!!" Damian suddenly said, his voice full of disbelief. "Why is Mia bullying Claire? Does she even know her?"

Caspian rolled his eyes and smacked the back of Damian’s head lightly. "Are you dumb or what? Can’t you read the situation?"

Damian frowned, rubbing the spot Caspian hit. "What do you mean?" he asked, still confused.

Caspian let out a frustrated sigh. "Think about it yourself, you idiot!!"

Damian’s eyes widened as realization dawned. "Wait... Fuck! Are you telling me that Claire— our Claire—is Evan’s first love?!"

I shot him a glare, silently telling him to shut up before he made things worse. But Damian being Damian, didn’t get the hint.

"No way," he muttered, looking back and forth between us like he couldn’t believe it. "Why didn’t anyone tell me this? This is huge!"

"Because it’s none of your business," Caspian snapped. "And maybe you’d know if you paid more attention instead of running your mouth all the time."

Damian opened his mouth to argue, but I cut him off with a sharp tone. "Enough, both of you. Stop gossiping about my first love or I will throw you both out of the car!!"

They both fell silent, however I could still hear them whispering every now and then.

Claire’s POV

I waited near the office, trying to calm the storm of emotions raging inside me. The store was quiet, the faint hum of the mall outside barely reaching my ears. It wasn’t like I couldn’t shop somewhere else—there were plenty of other stores here. But this wasn’t just about buying something.

No. I needed to stand my ground. I needed to let them know that I wouldn’t back down. No matter how they insulted or humiliated me, I wasn’t the weak girl I used to be.

But when the owner finally arrived, I froze. My heart dropped into my stomach, and my knees felt weak. Standing before me, looking as smug and confident as ever, was Brian.

Brian. My ultimate nightmare, the person I prayed I would never have to see again.

The memories hit me like a tidal wave yet once again, crashing over me and dragging me into the past. Back in school, Brian had made my life miserable along with Mia amd Diana, he was one of them.

At first, it was small things—cruel jokes, stealing my books, tripping me in the hallways. But it escalated so quickly, spiraling into even worse things.

I remembered the way he used to corner me after school, pressing me against the cold, hard lockers while no one was around. His hands would roam where they didn’t belong, his touch leaving me feeling dirty and powerless.

He always touched my thighs and caresses my back as he pleased.

"Come on, Claire," he would whisper in a voice that made my skin crawl. "Don’t act like you don’t like it."

I didn’t like it. I hated it. But my voice felt stuck in my throat, and my body refused to move.

Then there were the texts—the disgusting, explicit messages he would send late at night. Threats disguised as flirtation. Promises to "make me his" if I didn’t listen to him.

And one day, he had gone too far. I was walking home, and he’d followed me. He grabbed my arm, dragging me into an alley. The fear in that moment was something I’d never forget—the way my heart raced, the way my breath caught as I realized no one was coming to help me.

He tried to pin me against the wall, his hands forcing my wrists above my head. "Why don’t you just give in?" he hissed, his breath hot and disgusting against my face.

I fought back with everything I had, but he was stronger. I thought I was done until my prayers were answered and someone finally showed up.

I still didn’t know who that person was as I was too scared to look at them. That person had pulled Brian off me and beaten him to the ground.

From that day on, I promised myself I would never let Brian—or anyone—make me feel powerless again.

But standing here now, with Brian’s cold eyes staring back at me, I felt all of it rushing back. The fear, the helplessness, the anger. I clenched my fists, forcing myself to stay calm. I wasn’t the same girl anymore. I wouldn’t let him win.

"Well, well," Brian said, his smirk making my stomach churn. "Long time no see, Claire."

I raised my chin, ignoring the lump in my throat. "I am not here to chat, Brian. I am here to file complaints against your employees!"

His smirk faltered for a second, but then it was back. "Oh? You have grown some guts. That’s cute!"

I didn’t cower this time as I met his gaze head-on and said, "Watch yourself, Brian. This isn’t school anymore. You don’t scare me."

"Aww! Really?" Brian mocked, his voice dripping with fake sweetness, as if everything I said was nothing more than a joke to him. His smirk widened, and I felt a chill run down my spine.

"You have got such a cute kid," he said, his tone turning sharp and mocking. His eyes shifted to Eliam, who was peeking nervously from behind me. "He kinda looks like you! So... who’s the father? Certainly it’s not me!"

Before I could respond, Brian extended his hand toward Eliam. Panic surged through me as Eliam immediately hid behind my legs, clutching my dress tightly.

"Don’t touch him!" I snapped, my voice was firm and full of coldness.

But before I could say more, Sissy stepped forward like a whirlwind, grabbing Eliam’s hand and yanking him further behind us. Her protective stance and fiery glare made me almost break into a smile.

"What a fucker!" Sissy spat, her voice full of disgust. "Now I know why the employees here are such brutes! Look at their boss!"

Brian scoffed, crossing his arms and leaning back lazily, as if her anger was nothing more than an amusing spectacle. "Oh, so now you have an advocate, Claire?" he sneered. "How precious."

Sissy pushed me gently aside, stepping up to him with fury radiating off her. "You think you are funny, don’t you? But you are pathetic!"

Brian shrugged as he was completely unfazed by Sissy’s words. "Pathetic? No, sweetheart. Powerful. You see," he said, sauntering over to his desk and sitting down like a king on his throne, "I am not just some random guy here. I run this mall. I am the CEO." He paused for dramatic effect, clearly enjoying the moment.

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. He was always like this—using his position, his power, to make people feel small.

"And here is the best part," Brian continued with a smug grin. "Our ultimate boss—the Chairman—he hates women like you." His words were like poison, each one more venomous than the last. "So you better scram, Claire, before I reveal your dirty little secrets to the world. Imagine what your precious son will think when he sees the real you."

"Brian!! You are as disgusting as you were before!" I said as I walked toward him. "I don’t give a damn about your boss! But you must apologize to us for being rude and not treating us well or...