Chapter 15

Michelle's voice was soft, her tone dripping with an unmistakable desire to please. She set the lunchbox on the table, and the moment she opened it, the rich scent of chicken broth filled the air. "The doctor said you're too weak. You need to nourish yourself." Clarence's brow twitched. With a swift motion, he knocked over the bowl of soup Michelle had handed him. Golden broth spilled across the floor, a few drops landing on her arm. Her eyes filled with tears, and her voice shook with hurt. "Clay…" Clarence shut his eyes briefly, his steps unsteady as he rose from the hospital bed. "Leave me alone," he muttered. "If it hadn't been for you, Laura wouldn't have left me!" In the heat of the moment, words spilled out of his lips, revealing truths he'd kept buried deep in his heart. Even if he'd played a part in it, he'd placed all the blame on someone else just to ease the guilt eating away at him. Michelle's hands shook without her realizing it. She finally understood the real r