7
I designed clothes non–stop and called it
“Rebirth.”
<
11:17
“Women never lack the courage to start over.
Listen to yourself. Love yourself.”
I did a TV interview.
Rose’s marketing was amazing. My clothes
went viral.
I was talking to a customer when I saw him.
Jake stood there, watching.
After the customer was gone, Rose saw him.
“He’s gross. I’ll get rid of him.”
I smiled. “It’s okay, Rose. He can’t hurt me.”
“Jake, it’s really you. You look…pretty.”
He was nervous. “Claire, we’re divorced.”
89
He pulled out the papers. “I was wrong, but can
we get back together?”
<
He had tears in his eyes.
I smoothed my hair. “Jake, you’re a murderer. You killed our babies. Why would I let you?”
He hesitated. “I’ll change. I’ll never do that again. I kicked Abby out. I promise, we’ll have
babies.”
Rose pulled me away. “You don’t have the right to be here. You hurt her. If you don’t leave, I’m calling the cops.”
Jake got on his knees, “Claire, forgive me, what do you want?”
“I’ll start a company for you.”
I yelled, “Can you stop? Go marry your sister-
in–law! You should have thought of this when I
was sick. No babies! That’s what she really wants!”
<
Slap!
Jake had a mark on his face.
“I’m better without you. No more hurting and
sabotage. Rose has always been there for me!”
He didn’t say anything.
The security took him away.
Rose told me, “I’ll be there for you.”
Jake came every day with flowers.
“Claire, let me prove my love for you and be
better.”
I ignored him.
“Rebirth is about new beginnings, after bad
times you can be reborn from the ashes. The
sun will be there soon, but the pain will always
<
11:17
My life was good.
One day, a storm hit, and Jake was at the
entrance again.
He kneeled before me again.
“Please, Claire, please say something…”
“Can you go? I haven’t been happy until now. In
five years, you never really cared. You know
that.”
He was broken.
“You weren’t good enough for her, this marriage was a mistake.” I was told, “She won’t
be happy.”
I was shocked that this was the reason he was
kneeling.
After Rose reminded me that I would never be
89
<
legally held to this lie, Jake finally left my life.
I was free.
“After Jake gave up, he lost a lot of control and
eventually had a mental breakdown.”
“Abby, knowing that she was never gonna get
what she really wanted, gave up and married a
wealthy man overseas.”
“Jake was prosecuted for his crimes, and he
was sent to jail.”
I didn’t care.
“I still worry about him, but Rose reminded me
that “Once Love dies, I’m set free.”
The End
