My Dad's Bestfriend

Chapter 71 No More Secrets

Clara

I exhaled a plume of smoke into the night air, leaning against the balcony railing as my gaze drifted upward to the dark canvas of the sky. The phone remained clutched in my other hand as I flicked the ash from my cigarette into the waiting ashtray.

Stress was never a good thing for me- a relentless adversary that always seemed to have the upper hand. I neither had the option to retreat nor the freedom to move forward.

I attempted to call Samuel, but my man had abandoned his phone in the room. His original mission was a simple one: fetch two beer bottles from the kitchen. Yet, judging by the time that had elapsed, it was evident- he was a full-blown adventure.

The beer though, was a feeble attempt of mine to divert his thoughts. He was much more interested in thwarting Evie's plans for the evening, whether by calling her directly or, failing that, reaching out to her friends. And if all else failed, he would resort to tracking her down himself.

He was seething, a rare occurrence for Samuel. He was typically unflappable, but today, Chloe had succeeded in pushing him to the brink. I wished I could tell him the truth and reveal that woman's intentions, which cut far deeper than her words implied. But I knew I couldn't. That bitch hurled insults at Evie, all the while convinced that no one would grasp the true meaning behind her twisted words.

If only we were alone, without the prying eyes of onlookers, I would have torn Chloe to shreds.

No one, literally no one had the right to speak to our Evie in such a manner, especially not a self-obsessed, low-life, manipulative woman like Chloe. Samuel had even contemplated asking Jacob to send her packing. His anger was fueled by more than just her return, it also had to do with Jacob getting back with her, and I didn't inquire further because I understood that he knew far more history than I did. The whole college love story shit that Jacob and Chloe had shared had left deep scars, both individuals suffered at some point, to be honest, just one, the very one who was now causing havoc in Evie's life— putting her through shit.

I had to restrain Samuel, because if I hadn't that would have only escalated the situation. I didn't trust Chloe one bit, not with her intentions. If she decided to spill something that would make life harder for Evie, it would only worsen the situation, and the last thing I wished was to see Evie suffer

more.

But I couldn't fully trust Jacob's intentions either. Why had he pursued something he knew he could never fulfill? Why make empty promises to her? I knew Samuel, and I knew his ability to read people, to see into their hearts. Jacob had been his best friend, so how had he transformed into the kind of man who would take advantage of Evelyn?

None of it added up, and no matter how hard I tried to make sense of it, I couldn't shake the guilt of keeping this hidden from Samuel all this time. It wasn't right, I knew that, but I couldn't risk everything unraveling.

The grandeur of marriage ceremonies and meticulous plans meant nothing to me now. I didn't care if any of it went up in flames. All I cared about were Evelyn and Samuel, and right now, to protect one, I had to deceive the other.

This was such a fucking mess.

As I delved deeper into my contemplation, the door of the room swung open abruptly. I glanced up and saw Samuel entering, but there were no beer bottles in his hands. Instead, a peculiar expression played on his face, distinct from the usual calm I associated with him.

Something was off.....

"Hey, you're back. Have we run out of beer?" I inquired, making my way back into the bedroom, and pushing aside the flowing white curtains.

He didn't respond immediately; instead, his gaze shifted skeptically to the half-finished cigarette in my hand, a trail of ash descending slowly to the floor.

Oh, damn! How could I have forgotten to dispose of it?

"You rarely smoke, Clara," he remarked, stepping closer, "It's only when you're stressed. What's bothering you, Clara?" His tone held an undertone of suspicion, even accusation, but lacked genuine concern.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

Jesus! This was not good.

I hastily discarded the cigarette, attempting to brush it off with a forced laugh. "It's just nerves. Don't tell me you didn't have a similar situation a couple of days ago," I deflected, avoiding his prating gaze. I walked past him, pretending to straighten the bedsheet and rearrange the pillows proving that I was the stupidest person on the earth.

Why, though? Because they were already perfectly arranged.

Argh! I hated myself.

"Yeah, I did, but I'm confident our situations aren't quite the same," he chuckled, his hands slipping into his pockets. "So, are you going to tell me the truth, or should I start? I can do that if you're willing to erase the last bit of trust I have in you."

My body stiffened at his words, and my eyes locked onto his face.

I could sense it in the look on his face.

He knows....

He fucking knows. God! What am I gonna do?

el

"Now unless you want that, you should fucking talk," he asserted, his voice carrying a tinge of anger, the pitch rising a few octaves. "If you want to be the secret keeper, be damn well prepared to lose connections and relationships because I didn't sign up for this nonsense when I met you remember meeting a trustworthy, sensible woman, and today, I can't seem to find her anywhere in this room."

His words cut deep, and the bitterness in his tone left me feeling even worse. Samuel had never spoken to me this way, even during our fiercest arguments. Usually, he'd just toss pillows at me and around the room in frustration and leave. But today, his voice was cold, with his words, he shot daggers, and he didn't even flinch.

"Samuel, it's not what you think," I began hesitantly. "I was going to tell you, but things took an unexpected turn, and—"

"My best friend dumped my daughter after using her all this time? That's the revelation that stopped you from telling me about the shit that's been happening behind my back?!"

Fuck! He knew more than he should. Evelyn didn't want him to know. This was a complete disaster.

"How...how did you find out?" My words trembled.

"Well, I'll give you credit for one

thing," he said with a sigh. "If you hadn't convinced me to grab those damn beer bottles just to avoid calling my daughter and finding out about the mess, about how she's drowning her pain in alcohol, I wouldn't have gone downstairs and seen the two of them. And wouldn't have known what was really going on between them," he chuckled bitterly, running his fingers through his hair before dragging his hand down his face. "I know Evelyn, she acts on her instincts, does stupid things, but this..." his jaw clenched, "I don't even know what to say to her."

"Samuel, it's not her fault. She's in love, I...I know her, and she never intended to do anything that would hurt you. It just happened," I mustered, "Please, don't blame her for this."

"And what did she get by doing all of

this? She got her heart fucking broken, Clara, and Jacob...man, I

never thought he'd turn out to be such a douchebag. That's my fucking daughter. How could he? Samuel his fists clenching at his sides, "Not only did he do that, he touched my daughter but he also had the bloody audacity to involve my Evelyn in his mess for that damn whore Chloe. That woman who cheated on him with every guy on the campus, it's just..." he struggled to find the words.

was already losing it, et

He paused for a moment, then his anger flared again. "Wait...Chloe, she said those things to my daughter because she knows about the affair, right?" The dangerous intensity in his voice almost unnerved me.

I was trapped. Lying would be futile, and telling the truth would undoubtedly set off a firestorm. But silence was not an option either— it'd just fucking ruin it all.

"Samuel, you need to calm down," I urged, taking a step toward him and reaching for his arms. He, however, stepped away, shaking my hands off. "No, tell me the fucking truth, Clara. Apart from Danica and her, Chloe knows too, doesn't she?!" He demanded.

I had no choice but to answer, "Yes, she knows."

"Wow!" Samuel's expression twisted into one of disbelief, he looked deranged, "So everyone knew except me? Huh? You all made me look like a

complete idiot."

"Samuel...please, calm down."

"Calm down?! How the hell am I supposed to calm down? You all kept this hidden from me when you should have told me. Forget about Danica; she's always believed whatever she thinks is right. But you, Clara, you're my fiancée, you know me better than anyone. How could you fucking do

this?"

"I wanted to tell you, but I couldn't, especially after learning about the rest of it. I knew it would hurt you deeply, so I decided to keep it to myself until after the wedding. I'm sorry. I just didn't want to see you hurt, and trust me, Evelyn didn't tell you because she knew how much it would hurt you." "As if it's hurting me any less now," he muttered, shaking his head. He exhaled sharply, his breathing heavy, his chest rising and falling rapidly, revealing the turmoil he was going through. I approached him, hugging him from the side, resting my chin on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, babe," I whispered, fighting back tears. "I didn't want to hurt you. I was confused, unsure of what to do. You know I love Evie as much as you do. I didn't want to make things worse for either of you," I gazed at him, my eyes welling up with tears, and his expression softened, "Can we talk, please? I'll tell you everything."

"Fine, but you have to tell me everything you know. No more secrets," he insisted, still angry yet his voice now had a softer tone.

"No more secrets, I promise."