Chapter 10 Letter of Discontinuance
696 Palavras
Claire paused the moment the footsteps stopped.
Elena rose from the floor, her expression icy. She gave a curt wave, and a staff member promptly stepped forward with a folder in hand.
"If you're truly done with the Thompson family," she said coldly, "then make it official. Sign the disownment agreement."
Words could be taken back—but a signed legal document was binding.
Claire's name had already been removed from the family trust and she was no longer listed under their address, but who's to say she wouldn't come crawling back someday, hoping to reclaim a piece of the Thompson legacy?
Elena wasn't about to take that risk. Not for a girl with no blood ties and no more use to the family.
Without flinching, Claire took the pen and signed her name in clean, deliberate strokes.
There were two copies. She took one, folded it carefully, and looked up.
Then she gave Elena a small but steady bow.
"Thank you for everything, Mrs. Thompson. And for showing me exactly what kind of person I never want to become."
With that, she turned to leave, not sparing a glance for anyone in the room—including her so-called ex-husband in name only.
"Claire!"
Just as she was about to step out the door, Nelson grabbed her wrist by instinct.
Like she'd been stung, Claire yanked her hand away without thinking. Her eyes were filled with disgust. "Nelson, do you need something?"
Nelson had never seen this look in her eyes before. Hell, no one had ever dared look at him like that.
Disgust. Contempt. And unmistakably… resentment.
He stood frozen, momentarily forgetting why he had even stopped her.
Before the awkward silence could stretch, Serena, who'd been hiding behind Elena, hurried out.
"Claire, don't be impulsive. Mom just said those things because she was mad. Apologize to her, stay. What happened tonight—I didn't mean for it to go that far, you know my condition… And without the Thompsons, how will you survive? You've got no one else. Please don't hold it against me. I'll take my meds and behave better from now on. Mom and Dad only have the two of us—shouldn't we stick together and look after them?"
The speech was a mess, but loaded with meaning.
First, she shoved the whole "hiring thugs to assault Claire" thing onto her "illness," playing innocent while acting all forgiving by begging Claire to stay.
Second, she subtly shaded Claire for being a freeloader. If it weren't for the Thompsons, she wouldn't have made it this far. And now she wanted to leave just like that, showing zero gratitude to the people who raised her.
Suddenly, from the crowd, a light laugh broke the tension.
"What a perfect drama. No wonder Miss Thompson didn't need a single acting class before landing a lead in a big-name director's film—clearly, she's a born actress."
The voice came from someone standing in the farthest corner. No one had noticed her before that moment.
She clapped slowly, her chuckle dripping with sarcasm. "Wow, prepped that disownment agreement in advance, head bowed, papers signed—and now this poor pitiful act to get her to stay? Doesn't that seem a little too scripted?"
Some recognized her as Alyssa Grant, the actress who got dragged through the mud online last year. The female lead role that was once hers went to Serena after all the scandals, and she hadn't landed a part since. Still getting hate for it, too.
Serena looked even more pitiful, her eyes glistening. "Alyssa, still mad about last year's movie? That's cute. But this is family stuff. So why are you even talking?"
Alyssa gave a laugh. "Family matter? Please. You made a whole damn show of it upstairs. You think no one saw what you did to your adopted sister? Now you're playing the victim? Give me a break"
"You—!"
Serena's face flushed deep red in anger, but before she could say another word, Claire, who'd been silent all along, smiled faintly.
"Wow, look at that—my sweet, generous sister wants me to stay. How could I possibly refuse?"
- Escritor
