Shattered Rose He Held On Tight novel Chapter 38

Chapter 38 The Accident

Because her family was upset, Claudia didn’t dare to bring the kitten home.

Finished

She could only slip away to find the only one who would help her–Zoey. Her aunt told her to hide the kitten in the park so no one would find it. She promised she would bring medicine for their scrapes.

Little Claudia waited and waited, but Zoey never came.

Then the rain started. She shivered in the cold. Her skin was covered with scratches from the grass. The kitten’s cries grew weaker. Finally, she decided to take it home and beg her mom for help.

At the park’s edge, near the intersection, she saw Zoey. Her face blurred by the rain, as if she had been waiting all along.

Terrified, Claudia burst into tears and ran toward her. But just before she reached Zoey, the kitten wriggled free from her arms and tripped her.

Everything happened too fast. She fell to the ground. When she looked up, she saw Zoey get hit by a car after shouting something to her. The orange kitten was crushed beneath the tires.

Blood–so much blood–mixed with the rain and ran everywhere.

Her limbs froze. She couldn’t even feel sadness when Wilson’s furious slap knocked her to the ground.

“Why did you run away from home? Do you know how long Zoey searched for you? You killed her!”

His anger roared in her ears, mixed with Lydia and Lottie’s sobs as they clung to Zoey.

“Mom! Mom!” Lydia cried.

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Then came the wail of sirens–ambulance, police. Rain hammering the street. Birds shrieking. The kitten’s dying cry. And Zoey’s fading whisper carried by the wind, “I’m sorry.”

Claudia blacked out.

When she woke again, her world had changed.

Now, Lydia asked if she remembered Zoey; Claudia’s mind went first to that last glance she gave her.

It almost felt like Zoey had smiled at her one final time, just like she did in the painting.

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20:06 Wed, Oct 8

Chopte: 38 The Acerdent

**Finished

Lydia’s sharp fingernail scraped against Claudia’s rigid cheek. No mark was left. “Why are you still alive? This family only needs one daughter. When you were gone, everything was fine.”

Her voice was low–half confession, half vow.

“Claudia, everyone could live a good life in this world, except you.”

The two had taken too long getting the gifts. Downstairs, the others kept glancing toward the

stairs.

Lottie looked worried. “Claudia has a nasty temper. They’re not fighting, are they?”

Wilson stayed calm. “Not today. She won’t cause trouble. Relax.”

Zane, impatient, snapped, “I’ll go check.” He started heading to the stairs.

Clarence stopped him. “If anything’s happening, you’ll just make it worse. I’ll go.”

He knew if Zane and Claudia clashed, they might bring the whole house down.

None of his siblings was easy to handle.

By the time he reached the second floor, he heard Lydia’s panicked voice from one of the rooms. “Please! Don’t!”

Then came the sound of something hitting the floor.

Clarence’s heart dropped. He rushed into the room.

The others, hearing the noise, hurried behind him.

When Clarence pushed the door open, he saw Claudia standing across from Lydia. At Claudia’s feet lay a knife.

It was the Swiss Army knife he had given her years ago–small, elegant, with diamonds inlaid in the handle.

Back then, Claudia had been obsessed with combat and self–defense. After she’d once been caught in a kidnapping mix–up, Clarence was mad at her, but he thought it wasn’t bad for a girl to know how to protect herself.

At least if someone got hurt, their family could cover for her.

Better someone else got hurt than Claudia herself.