Hello, Ex! I Finally Found My Worth!-Chapter 157: Confusing Part

Chris's hands trembled with frustration as he paced back and forth, his heart pounding violently against his ribcage.

His mind was a whirlwind of anger, disbelief, and worry. He had woken up thinking today would be just another morning, and that maybe he could get Claire to speak to him but instead, he was here, in his mother's house, confronting his aunt over something that could destroy Claire's life forever.

How could she do this? How could she drag Claire's name through the mud without even hearing her side of the story?

Nicole sat in her chair looking at him, arms folded, looking as composed as ever. There was no remorse in her eyes, no hint of regret.

Instead, she looked satisfied—as if she had done something good, something right.

Chris's jaw tightened. He wanted to stay calm, but the fury burning inside him wouldn't let him.

"Why would you consider a murderer as your girlfriend, Christopher?" Nicole finally spoke, her voice filled with disapproval. "I sold the story about Claire because she is a murderer. She killed a man, and yet, she's been walking free for almost three decades. You don't expect me to stay quiet now, do you?" she asked, still sitting comfortably.

Chris's breath hitched, his chest tightening at how casually Nicole was talking about it. Murderer?

Hearing that word directed at Claire made something snap inside him. He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his palms.

"You're acting like you know what happened, like you were there," Chris said, his voice low but dangerous. "But you weren't. You don't know what happened that night. You were only told by someone who wasn't even there to witness it."

Nicole scoffed. "I know enough. And I know that she never denied it. When I confronted her, she had nothing to say. You were there, Chris. You saw how she had gone silent when I confronted her. If she was truly innocent, she would've spoken up," Nicole said with a smirk.

Chris inhaled sharply. Claire had said nothing? That wasn't like her. Claire was strong, headstrong even. She wasn't the type to stay silent unless... unless she was hiding something.

The thought made his stomach twist, but he shook it off immediately. No. He refused to believe that Claire was capable of cold-blooded murder. He believed her and he knew she couldn't have done it without a reason.

Maybe it wasn't even her. He didn't care. All he wanted was to know the story behind it and even though he knew, it still wouldn't change how he felt about her.

"Even if Claire didn't deny it," he said, forcing himself to stay logical, "that doesn't mean you had the right to post the news. You should have waited to hear her side of the story before selling it to the media."

Nicole lifted her chin, her lips curling into a smirk and stood up to face him. "Now the whole world knows the truth, Christopher. The truth you refuse to see. Why? Because you're so blindly inlove! Open your eyes, Chris. Open your eyes and see the truth right in front of you. She's a murderer!"

Chris felt his pulse hammering in his ears. His vision blurred with rage.

"Stop calling her a murderer," he warned, his voice dangerously low.

Nicole gave a humorless laugh, her brows raising up in a questioning manner. "And if I don't? What will you do? Will you hit me? Will you slap me?" Her eyes gleamed with mockery. "Have you forgotten that I am your aunt? Show some respect, boy!"

Chris's fingers twitched at his sides, his whole body coiled with tension. He wanted to scream, to shake some sense into her, but violence had never been his way.

He took deep breaths, trying to suppress the storm brewing inside him. Nicole was driving him nuts abd it was taking everything in him to stay calm.

Before he could say another word, a sharp voice echoed through the room.

"Enough of this nonsense, you both!"

Chris and Nicole turned at the same time to see Elizabeth standing by the staircase. Her face was impassive, but Chris knew that expression well. His mother was furious.

Elizabeth slowly descended the stairs, her gaze flicking between the two of them. "What the hell is going on here?" she demanded.

She had been in her room, trying to think of what had happened in her house the day before with Claire when Chris's voice had interuptted her followed by Nicole's abd she didn't need anyone to tell her what was happening.

Hence, she had come out to see what was happening.

Chris exhaled, running a frustrated hand through his hair. "Nicole went ahead to sell those lies about Claire," he said through gritted teeth. "She told the world that Claire is a murderer when she doesn't even know what happened."

Nicole didn't even flinch but instead rolled her eyes. "They are not lies!" she said coldly. "It's the truth. Everything in the news is the truth."

Elizabeth's expression darkened. "When did you post it?" She asked looking at Nicole.

"This morning," Chris answered before Nicole could. "Mom, we need to take it down. I don't want people thinking Claire is a murderer when she's not."

Nicole opened her mouth to argue, but the sharp look Elizabeth shot her made her hesitate.

Chris took a deep breath and turned to his mother. "She should have waited for Claire's side of the story before selling the news. Because I know she didn't murder anyone. And even if she did, there must have been a reason. Someone else could've done that for all we know."

Nicole let out a sharp, incredulous laugh. "A reason? What reason could possibly justify killing someone?"

Chris turned fully to face her, his jaw clenched tight. His next words were calm, but they carried a weight that sent a thick silence through the room.

"You said Mathew was your boyfriend, right?" His gaze was sharp, unwavering. "Then tell me, if he was your boyfriend, why did he take Claire to prom instead of you? That part is still very confusing. Why would your boyfriend, take someone else to prom?"

Nicole stiffened at the question. Even her had kept asking herself that question ever since but had yet gotten an answer. Yet, here was Chris asking her. How was she supposed to respond?

Chris watched closely, noting the way her eyes flickered—just for a second.

For the first time since this argument began, Nicole didn't have a response and it made Chris wonder what it was and what the answer had to do with the reason he was murdered.

Elizabeth's gaze snapped to Nicole, her brows knitting together. She stared at her younger sister, waiting for an explanation.

The silence stretched on.

Chris's heart pounded. He had been right to question it. Nicole wasn't as innocent in this as she wanted people to believe.

And if he was right about that, then what else had she been lying about?

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