My Past Life Was My Greatest Fortune

Saving Claire

Maverick’s steps slowed the moment he entered the firm. His eyes stopped on a familiar figure behind one of the desks.

Claire...For a moment, he simply stared because he knew her. They had been classmates in high school. Back then, Maverick’s family had been ordinary.

He worked hard and kept his head down, but that had never been enough to fit in with the wealthy heirs around him. They had expensive cars, designer clothes, and families with connections.

Maverick had none of those things. He had even been bullied by some of them.

Claire had been different. She never looked down on him because of his family’s financial situation. Whenever those wealthy students went too far, she was one of the few people who would stand up for him.

They had mocked his cheap, worn-out uniform, called him a beggar, and once deliberately knocked his books onto the floor before laughing as he scrambled to pick them up.

Another time, they had taken his lunch and tossed it into the trash, telling him someone like him had no business eating at their table. Claire simply sat beside him when everyone else had left. Those small acts had stayed with him for years.

It was impossible for a young man not to develop feelings for someone who had treated him with kindness when everyone else treated him as though he were beneath them.

But Maverick had never confessed. The difference between their families had always seemed too large.

After high school, he struggled through college while carrying student loans. Claire went abroad to continue her studies. After that, they completely lost contact.

In his previous life, the next time he heard her name was through a piece of terrible news. Claire had killed herself. Maverick had been shocked.

He couldn’t understand how the cheerful girl he remembered could have reached that point. He spent weeks digging for answers and eventually learned what had happened.

After they lost contact, Claire’s mother had died in an accident. Not long afterward, her father was tricked into signing a series of fraudulent business agreements and ended up owing an enormous amount of money.

His businesses collapsed. Creditors came after him. Desperate to save what remained of his family, Claire’s father made a terrible decision, he arranged for her to marry the heir of a wealthy family.

The man appeared respectable from the outside, but behind closed doors he was a sadist. On their wedding night he locked Claire inside the bedroom and forced her to kneel while he mocked her helplessness.

Over the following weeks he repeatedly beat her, humiliated her in front of his friends, and threatened to ruin her father’s life whenever she resisted.

He even took away her phone and locked her inside the house, leaving her completely cut off from the outside world.

Claire endured it for months. Eventually she couldn’t take it anymore. On the night she finally saw no way out, she took her own life.

That was one memory Maverick could never forget. Now Claire was standing right in front of him..alive. And things had not reached that point yet.

'According to my calculations, her family has already fallen, but she’s still free. She’s only working here for now.'

Maverick looked at her again. 'With everything I remember about the future, becoming one of this firm’s biggest clients shouldn’t be difficult.'

He took a slow breath. No matter what happened, he was determined to help her. She had once helped him when he had nothing.

Now that he had the ability to help her, he wouldn’t stand by and watch her life end the same way again.

At that moment, Claire was attending to a married couple. She stood behind the desk with several documents spread before her.

“Mr. Collins, I’ve highlighted the sections you need to sign. Once you’re finished, I’ll help you submit them.”

The man nodded casually. “Thank you.” He stepped toward the elevator, but before he entered he turned back. “Miss Claire, about the returns you mentioned earlier…”

Claire immediately turned toward him. “Yes?” She stepped closer to the desk and pointed at a figure on the document.

“If you choose this option, the expected return will be higher, but the risk will also increase. If you’re looking for something safer, I’d recommend this one instead.”

The man leaned over the desk to look at the document. Claire remained focused on the figures.

“Do you understand?”

“Yes.” The man smiled. “You’re quite patient. My wife usually gets tired whenever I ask too many questions.”

Claire gave him a professional smile. “That’s what I’m here for.”

The man’s gaze lingered on her for a moment. His wife noticed. Her expression immediately darkened.

The husband eventually turned toward the elevator. Claire gave him a polite nod as he entered the elevator. “Have a nice day, Mr. Collins.”

The woman suddenly stopped. She turned around and marched straight toward Claire. Before Claire could understand what was happening.

Pahhh!

A slap landed on Claire’s cheek as she stumbled sideways, with one hand immediately covering her cheek.

“What…?”

“You shameless woman!” The woman’s voice rang through the entire lobby. Several employees turned to look.

Claire stared at her in disbelief. “Mrs. Collins, what are you doing?”

“Don’t pretend you don’t know!” The woman pointed angrily toward her husband. “You kept leaning toward him and smiling at him. Do you think I didn’t see what you were doing?”

Claire’s face flushed with humiliation. “I was explaining his investment options. That’s all.”

“Explaining?” The woman laughed bitterly. “My husband asked you three questions, and every time he spoke, you looked at him like that.”

Claire’s brows furrowed. “Like what? I was simply doing my job.”

“You’re still pretending?” The woman’s voice grew louder. “I know exactly what you’re trying to do. You saw that my husband has money, so you started acting interested.”

Claire’s fingers curled tightly. “That isn’t true.”

“Then why were you smiling at him?”

“Because he’s a client!” Claire’s voice finally rose. “Am I supposed to insult every client who walks through this door?”

The surrounding employees fell silent. The woman’s expression became even more vicious.

“Drop the act. You were obviously trying to seduce him just to get his attention.” She pointed directly at Claire. “I despise shameless sluts like you the most.”