Rebirth Into My Second Chance

"Charlie, you're wasted. I'm calling Kate."

I didn't wait for Charlie's reply before I hung up and decisively dialed Kate's number.

"Claire Floyd, how dare you call me after everything?" Kate's voice dripped with sarcasm over the phone.

"Charlie's passed out in some bar, go bail him out."

Despite everything, Kate still sounded worried about Charlie: "Which bar?"

"I didn't ask. You call him."

But the very next moment, I heard Kate break down into tears: "He's not picking up my calls anymore. I can't find him. He blames me for his mother's death, says it's my fault we can't be together, declared he never wants to see me again." I frowned, leaning against the wall. It was a fact that Kate had a hand in Charlie's mom's death.

"But I was framed too! I admit I thought about it, but someone beat me to it! I only went along with it. The worst I've done was having you kidnapped, nothing against humanity."

Her tearful explanation seemed so empty now, especially since Mrs. Hart had passed away. Who acted before Kate? Was it Richard or Hannah?

The thought of Hannah, always lurking in the shadows, made me shiver.

I lost any sympathy I had for her, hanging up and turning to enter my own room. It was half the size of Max's, but it had everything I needed. Lying in bed, my mind raced for solutions.

Pregnancy made me sleepy, and I drifted off, feeling a warm presence beside me. I frowned slightly, probably Max, who often ended up sharing my bed. His faint scent of sandalwood was comforting, easing my headaches.

I reached out and hugged him, murmuring, "Max, I'm sorry, don't be mad."

I could feel him tense up for a moment.

Then he kissed my hair, and I fell asleep in his arms without any further ado, only to wake up to the sounds of construction. Pulling back the curtains, I saw workers installing stainless steel bars on my windows, turning my room into a cage.

"Max!" I was livid, storming out only to find a new steel gate locked across my door. "Max, you bastard!"

I had forgotten he had Asperger's Syndrome. Did I trigger him last night?

"Helen, get Max for me!"

But Helen shook her head, "Mr. Hilton left early this morning, and then all these workers showed up to install the bars. Ms. Claire, did you two have a big fight yesterday?"

I bit my lip, staring at my new prison. Max and Charlie really were cut from the same cloth, both learning to cage me.

"Where's my phone?"

I checked my pockets and my room's table, but my phone was nowhere.

Helen looked down, confirming my suspicion it was Max's doing.

"Helen, tell Max if he doesn't show up right now, I'll kill myself!"

The old saying went: women cry, make a fuss, then threaten suicide. I had hit all three.

"Mr. Hilton predicted you'd say that tamessage saying if you care for the baby to risk it, then

He left

SO

d." "

He knew me well enough to know I'd never go through with it. He had called my bluff.