Chapter 5
Ethan stopped at the edge of the living room, his eyes darting from Claire to Sarah, who quickly stood up, grabbing her purse. "I should go," Sarah murmured, offering a tight, polite smile to Ethan as she brushed past him. Ethan barely acknowledged her, giving a curt nod before she slipped out the front door. The latch clicked shut again, leaving the two of them alone in the quiet house. Ethan looked exhausted; the angry flush had faded from his cheeks, replaced by a gray pallor. He dropped his keys onto the console table with a sharp clatter and unbuttoned the top two buttons of his red plaid shirt. "You had the neighbor over to talk about us?" he asked, his voice devoid of the morning's fury, replaced now by a cold, heavy resignation. "She brought food, Ethan. She heard us fighting," Claire said defensively, standing her ground near the sofa. "I didn't invite her in to gossip." Ethan rubbed the back of his neck, his shoulders slumping. He looked over at the stairs, as if checking to ensure Leo was still asleep, before looking back at Claire. "I went to see Vance this afternoon." Claire’s breath hitched. "You went to my father’s lawyer?" "I had to," Ethan said, his tone defensive again, though subdued. "I needed to know if it was a joke, or a mistake, or something worse." "And?" Claire asked, her heart pounding against her ribs. "He showed me the file. The original will, signed and notarized six months before your dad passed." Ethan let out a bitter breath. "He left everything to you. He specifically added an addendum stating that I was not to receive a single brick of this property." The words hit Claire like a physical blow. Hearing it confirmed by the lawyer made it entirely undeniable. Her father had actively, deliberately excluded the man she loved and the father of her child. "Ethan, I didn't know," she whispered, taking a step toward him. "I swear to God, I never talked to him about the deed." Ethan held up a hand, stopping her in her tracks. "It doesn't matter if you knew, Claire. The result is the same. I'm living in your house at your father's grace. How am I supposed to look you in the eye every day knowing that?" "This is our home," she pleaded, tears finally spilling over her lashes. "We built this life together. A piece of paper doesn't change what we have." Ethan looked at her with a look of profound sadness that hurt worse than his anger. "Paper is all that matters in the end, Claire. It defines who owns what, and right now, I don't own a damn thing."
