Your Love Is But a Dream (Clara and Wren) novel Chapter 2

That was when someone knocked on the door.

Clara's hand jolted, but she quickly composed herself and went to open the door. When she did, she came face to face with Wren's darkened gaze. Her hands instinctively balled into fists. "You're back, Wren…"

Wren didn't meet her eyes. Instead, his gaze swept past the smoke inside her room, and his brows furrowed. "What are you burning in there?"

Clara was about to speak, but Ivy stepped forward to intimately link arms with Wren. Ivy's lips curled into a smug grin at Clara.

In that instance, Clara suddenly understood a saying she had once heard—some people could take everything from another person just by existing.

Clara forced the words she wanted to say down her throat. Then, her dull tone rang out as she lied, "I was burning some useless sketches."

Surprisingly, Wren believed her and didn't bother looking into it more. He held Ivy and turned around, wanting to return to his room.

"Wait," Clara instinctively called out. "There's something I want to tell you, Wren."

She wanted to give him a proper goodbye.

Alas, Wren immediately frowned.

Before he could say anything, Ivy beat him to lecturing Clara. "Wren only sees you as his little sister, Clara! Don't tell me you're still stubbornly hanging onto your hopes and planning to latch onto him."

"No, that's not it—"

"Enough! Don't ever bother me from now on unless it's important," Wren interrupted Clara, not giving her a chance to explain.

Clara couldn't ignore the burning sensation in her nostrils and the stinging of her eyes. Wren would never say such things to her in the past. He knew she never felt secure, so he always comforted her and put her first.

Wren once said everything about Clara was important to him. Yet, he was now giving his total attention to Ivy.

He could never bear seeing her cry even a tear and would always be helpless in that situation before. Now, he couldn't care less when he saw her cry.

Clara couldn't hold it back anymore. She spun on her heel miserably and shut her bedroom door like she was running away.

…

That night, Clara didn't sleep well. She dreamt all night long of her and Wren's past.

Since Clara's parents died, Katrina had taken over the family company. Katrina would always work until late at night.

Because of that, Wren learned to care for Clara. He never had to do anything for himself, but for Clara's sake, he learned to do the laundry and cook.

When Clara had cramps because of her period, he learned to prepare soothing teas for her. Clara was also afraid of thunderstorms. So, he stayed by her bedside all night and soothed her until she slept.

Once, Clara's classmates mocked her for being an orphan. That was the first time Wren got into a physical fight. He told everyone Clara was his family's one and only princess.

Clara dreamt of his gentle expression and fell deeper in love with him. In the next second, his expression turned into utter contempt and shock as he said, "You disgust me, Clara."

That jolted Clara out of her dreams. She still had tears on her face, and they even stained her pillow.

Her eyes were incredibly swollen. She barely concealed how haggard she looked after washing up and putting on some makeup. She got changed before heading downstairs, wanting to run errands at her university.

That was when she happened upon Ivy, who seemed busy in the kitchen.

"Oh, Clara, you're up." Ivy held a bowl of warm oatmeal porridge. With a smile, she waved Clara over. "I cooked up your favorite oatmeal porridge. Try some!"

Clara refused to interact with Ivy, who pretended nothing had happened. "No, it's fine. I—"

"Are you still blaming me for taking your gift at Wren's birthday party? I didn't mean to. Can you please not be angry at me, your sister-in-law?" Ivy's eyes reddened, and she bit her lip nervously like she was the victim.

Clara struggled to accept the words "sister-in-law". She suppressed her emotions and tried to walk around Ivy to leave.

Little did she expect Ivy to step forward at that moment.

The two collided. The boiling oatmeal splashed onto Ivy while the bowl shattered on the ground.

"What are you doing, Clara?" Wren's livid roar filled the air as he charged forward to rip Clara away from Ivy. Concern filled his face as he picked up Ivy's hand, which the oatmeal porridge had scalded.