Chapter 83: You make me sound like a criminal

"Madam..." Lily looked utterly embarrassed, but she continued bowing until she was practically at a ninety-degree angle.

Clara wiped the corner of her eye, still smiling.

"I’m sorry. I just..." She shook her head, trying to compose herself. "I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone apologize while simultaneously insisting they did absolutely nothing wrong."

Silvia crossed her arms.

"Because I didn’t."

Gen let out a long sigh.

"And this is exactly why we can’t take you anywhere."

Silvia rolled her eyes. "You make me sound like a criminal."

Lily muttered under her breath, "You certainly have the confidence of one."

"What did you say?"

"Nothing!"

Clara burst into laughter again. She honestly had no idea what she was supposed to make of their ridiculous bantering.

But beneath the amusement, something else tugged at her heart.

She couldn’t forget what she had seen on the livestream.

Dorothy had tried her best to frame her and drag her name through the mud, yet these three girls had refused to back down. They had stood their ground and hadn’t allowed anyone to speak against her.

They had defended her without even knowing whether Clara would ever hear about it.

And that meant more to her than they could possibly understand.

In her previous life, Clara had never had anyone stand beside her when things became difficult.

Not when her mother was dying.

Not when people bullied her.

Not when she was mocked and called a bastard child.

Back then, she had always felt as though she was fighting the entire world alone.

But this life was different.

She had decided to change her script, and somewhere along the way, she had discovered something she had never expected.

There were people who genuinely cared about her.

And these three idiots were among them.

Clara’s eyes suddenly burned.

She had made terrible choices in her previous life, and she had paid the price for them. But perhaps this new life wasn’t only about correcting her mistakes.

Maybe it was also about discovering what she had been missing all along.

Friendship. Family. People who would stand beside her even when she wasn’t there to see it.

Sniff.

Sniff.

Lily’s brows furrowed.

"What are you doing?"

Silvia looked around suspiciously. "Is something burning?"

Gen frowned too. "I don’t smell anything."

The sniffing sound grew louder.

All three slowly turned toward Clara.

She was standing there, wiping tears from her cheeks.

"..."

The girls stared.

"Why is she crying?" Lily whispered.

"Did we give her too hard a time?" Gen asked nervously.

Silvia tilted her head.

"Maybe she’s crying because she’s laughing too hard?"

Clara suddenly looked up.

"Thank you!"

Before any of them could react, Clara threw her arms open and sprinted toward them.

"Thank you so much!"

She crashed into the three girls, wrapping all of them in a huge hug.

"..."

The three girls stood completely frozen.

Silvia’s arms remained awkwardly suspended in the air.

Gen blinked several times.

Lily looked as though she had just been attacked by an overly affectionate bear.

"She’s... hugging us," Gen whispered.

"I noticed," Silvia replied stiffly.

"Do we hug her back?"

"I don’t know."

Lily slowly lifted her arms.

"I think we’re supposed to."

The three eventually hugged Clara back.

Despite the chaos, they couldn’t help but smile.

They had slowly come to understand that Clara had a rather twisted way of dealing with things.

She could be unpredictable, dramatic, and completely impossible to understand at times.

But one thing was undeniable.

Her heart was kind.

And perhaps that was why, despite all her craziness, she had somehow managed to find people who genuinely cared about her.

While Clara continued hugging the girls, Dominic silently watched them from the window of his study.

The sight was completely unexpected, but somehow, it brought a faint smile to his lips.

He had never imagined seeing Clara surrounded by people who genuinely cared about her. More importantly, he could see how happy she was.

After watching them for another moment, Dominic gently released the curtain and stepped away from the window, returning to his work.

He was about to sit when his phone rang, and it was none other than Mark.

***

Meanwhile, back on the lawn, Clara finally released the girls.

She took a deep breath, looking completely satisfied.

"Ah..." She stretched her arms with a proud smile. "I feel so rejuvenated."

The three girls stared at her.

Gen raised an eyebrow. "You hugged us for less than a minute."

"Exactly," Clara replied confidently. "And look how much better I feel already."

Silvia crossed her arms. "So we’re basically your emotional support team now?"

Clara nodded without hesitation.

"Exactly."

Lily sighed.

"We really shouldn’t have hugged her back."

Clara gasped dramatically. "Too late. You’re stuck with me now."

The three exchanged helpless glances.

Somehow, they had a feeling this was going to become a very long-term arrangement.

***

By the time Clara returned to their room, Dominic was already there.

"Dom..." Her eyes immediately sparkled with delight, and without a second thought, she sprinted toward him and climbed onto the bed, throwing her arms around him.

Dominic caught her easily, wrapping his arms around her in return.

"I am so happy," Clara said, snuggling closer.

She was not only happy because she found genuine friends but also for the hope that somehow Dominic’s family was slowly accepting her.

"Hmmm," she squeezed him.

Dominic smiled and gently caressed her back.

(Should I tell her what Mark told me?)

The smile on Clara’s face suddenly froze.

She had completely forgotten for a moment that her husband had a habit of thinking out loud more often than he actually spoke to people.

She slowly pulled back and stared at him.

Wait... what did Mark tell him?

Her curiosity immediately got the better of her.

Does Mark want to share something with me?

Dominic remained quiet for a moment, apparently lost in thought.

(Will she believe me if I tell her that Julianna and Alex are involved with each other?)

"..."