Octavia just snapped. The last bit of her patience vanished in an instant.
"What are you even talking about?" She shot up from her seat, her voice sharp with anger.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about," Claire said, her tone ice-cold. "You've made it clear with the way you've treated me all these years. You must have known all along that I wasn't really your daughter, right?" She could feel the old wounds aching. “That's why you were always so hard on me, but still wanted to show me off to everyone."
"I didn't know! How could I have known you weren't mine? If I'd known, I never would've let my real daughter suffer in the countryside!" Octavia's words came out in a broken, desperate cry.
Claire stared at her, unmoved. "So your pain is just because your own child had it rough. If she'd never suffered, would you even feel bad about any of this?"
Octavia's hands started to tremble. She had no idea what was going on in Claire's head anymore. "Claire, you've always been such a good kid. I really cared about you. I don't want this to ruin everything between us. If I'd known the truth, I wouldn't have fainted from the shock. You're the girl I raised with so much care. I put my heart into you, and now you're saying these things—it just breaks my heart.”
Claire was done arguing. "Can you even say that with a straight face? Look yourself in the mirror and tell me you're being honest." She grabbed her bag. "If there's nothing else, I'm leaving."
She stood up and started for the door, but Octavia called out after her. “Claire, are you really not going to help Cindy?"
Claire turned back, her expression unreadable. "And how am I supposed to help her? Tell her to stop comparing her grades to mine? If even you can't talk sense into her, what makes you think I can? I barely know her." Her voice was as flat as her refusal.
"You can help. You're the only one who can," Octavia insisted, her eyes fixed on Claire.
Claire laughed, but there was no warmth in it. "How? What do you want me to do?" Octavia softened her voice, as if that would somehow change Claire's mind. "If you just don't go to the winter camp, Cindy won't be so upset."
Hearing that, Claire almost wanted to laugh at how shameless it was. "Do you even hear yourself right now? Is that something a person would actually say?" She suddenly held up her phone. “Should I play this back for you?"
Octavia's face drained of color. She clearly hadn't expected Claire to be recording their conversation. This was not how things usually went.
"What is wrong with you? Why would you record this? What do you get out of it?" Octavia's voice rose, turning defensive. "I just wanted you to help Cindy if you don't want to the finé. I'm just trying to work things out with you." Her tone shifted trying to sound reasonable. Contént
Claire couldn't help but smile. “Relax, I'm just messing with you. I didn't actually record anything."
Octavia breathed out, visibly
relieved. "Claire, you used to be such
a good girl. I mean it, I'm really asking you. Can you please just drop out of the winter camp I'm worned Cindy really won't be able to bandle it. If something happened to her, you'd feel guilty for the rest of your life, wouldn't you?"
Claire looked at her and honestly couldn't believe what she was
hearing. "You're wrong. I wouldn't feel guilty at all. I don't have a guilty conscience to begin with. You
actually have the nerve to ask me to drop out, and then expect me to feel“ bad about it?" She shook her head. "Maybe start by checking your own conscience before you talk to me about guilt."
Octavia finally realized Claire wasn't going to quit the winter camp. And honestly, who would? After working so hard to get in, nobody would just walk away.