Chapter 146: Devastated Beyond Words

"I hate you! I don't want to talk to you!" Blaire Zeller glared fiercely at Lauren Wells. "I know you hate me too, so do us both a favor and stay far away from me!"

"I… I was only trying to help you," Lauren stammered, her voice trembling as she instinctively shrank back into Roy Lin's embrace, seeking comfort.

Blaire scoffed, her eyes burning with anger. "Help me? Don't act like I can't see through you. You just want Claire Grace and my brother to get back together, don't you? Well, guess what? That's never going to happen! My brother belongs to me, and no one is going to take him away from me!"

Overcome with emotion, Blaire gripped the fruit knife in her hand, the blade pressing dangerously into her skin.

"Blaire, what are you doing?" Lucas Zeller's voice trembled as his eyes locked onto the crimson streak on Blaire's neck. His heart seized with fear, terrified that one wrong move could turn this moment into a tragedy.

"Lucas, didn't you say that no matter what I did, you'd never forgive me?" Blaire cried, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Didn't you tell me to stop saying I love you, or you'd make me disappear? But how can I do that? How am I supposed to live without you? I can't stop loving you! So I've made my decision. I'll disappear—forever. That way, you won't have to hate me anymore. You can finally be with Claire without worrying about me ruining everything. I just want you to be happy."

"Blaire, please don't do this," Claire Grace pleaded, stepping closer, her voice soft and calming. "Let's talk about this, okay? Just put the knife down." She took another cautious step forward.

"Stay back! Don't come any closer!" Blaire shrieked, pressing the blade deeper into her skin, yet showing no sign of pain. Her voice shook with rage. "Claire, what makes you so special? You're not smarter than me, you're not prettier than me, and you're definitely not better than me! But somehow, you managed to take Lucas away from me. Do you even understand how much I hate you for that? Every time I called you my sister-in-law, I wished you would just disappear!"

Claire froze, visibly shaken by Blaire's unhinged confession. Her eyes darted toward Lucas, searching for help, but his gaze remained fixed on his sister, filled with anguish and regret.

Was he regretting his choices? Did he feel guilty for hurting Blaire because of her?

"Blaire, you know I love you," Lucas said gently. "Please, listen to me. Put the knife down, and we can talk this through, okay?"

"No! Once I put this down, you'll just go running back to Claire and forget about me! How can I live without you, Lucas? I love you so much it hurts! But you don't love me back. You only love her!" Blaire sobbed, her voice breaking.

"Blaire, I do love you, but as my sister—"

"I don't want to be your sister!" Blaire interrupted, her voice raw with anguish. "I want you to love me the way you love her! I can't take this anymore! All these years, you treated me like a sister, but that's not what I wanted. Don't you understand?" Her cries filled the room, as blood from her neck began to stain the pristine sheets beneath her.

"Blaire, stop hurting yourself! Please, tell me what you want me to do, and I'll do it!" Lucas begged, desperate to calm her.

Blaire looked at him with a hollow smile. "You promise?"

"Yes, I promise. Just put the knife down."

"Then I want you to divorce Claire!" Blaire demanded, her voice cutting through the air like a blade.

The room fell silent. Everyone froze, their faces pale with shock. Claire inhaled sharply, fighting back tears as she struggled to breathe.

Lucas turned to Claire, his expression filled with guilt and torment. He wanted to comfort her, but he knew he couldn't. Not now.

Lauren and Roy exchanged uneasy glances before stepping closer to Claire, silently offering their support.

"See? You won't do it, will you? Because I'm not important to you. I'm just your adopted sister, nothing more!" Blaire spat, her voice trembling with despair.

Lucas clenched his fists, his jaw tight, unable to speak.

"Fine! I'll do it," Claire suddenly said, her voice steady despite the pain in her eyes. "I'll divorce him. I love him enough to let him go if that's what it takes to keep you safe."

Everyone stared at her in disbelief, including Lucas. But when he looked into her eyes, he saw the depth of her love and sacrifice.

"Because I love you, Lucas, I'll let you go," Claire whispered, her voice breaking.

Lucas's heart shattered as he looked at her, overwhelmed by regret and sorrow.

"Claire..." Lauren tried to comfort her but broke into tears instead.

"Blaire, I'll sign the divorce papers now if that will make you feel better," Claire said, pulling out the already-prepared documents and showing them to Blaire. "Lucas had these drawn up. He wanted this all along. Now, we can sign them, and you'll see he belongs to you."

Lucas froze, his gaze flickering to Roy, who quickly looked away.

"Sign it already!" Blaire barked.

Fighting back tears, Claire signed the papers and handed them to Lucas. "I love you, Lucas," she whispered before fleeing the room.

"Claire!" Lauren called after her, running to follow.

Lucas turned to chase Claire, but a loud clatter stopped him. The knife had fallen to the floor.