Chapter 48: A Perilous Obsession

The next two weeks, the Wesker household was brimming with tension. For the most part, Claire and her husband ignored one another; choosing to spend time separately with their daughter. Scarlett didn't seem to notice much at first. She seemed quite pleased to have each parents full, undivided attention.

As promised, Claire had begun to sleep in one of the many spare bedrooms. It was right next to Scarlett's room. She found herself still sleeping with her daughter a lot of the time. It felt very strange to sleep alone. She hadn't in years and she had grown used to having someone beside her, someone to fend off the nightmares and keep the demons away. But Claire refused to breathe a word and carried on as if she were completely satisfied with her decision.

Also as promised, Wesker hadn't tried once to disturb her. She had locked the bedroom door the first night, almost hoping she'd hear him rattle the knob. But much to her dismay, Wesker seemed as content with her choice as she feigned being. She was still pained by that. So much so that she was nearly brought to tears every night while she attempted to fall asleep. She never heard him even approach her door; never saw the shadow of anyone standing curiously outside of it.

As time trudged on though, Claire tried to become more comfortable with her own rash choice. She thought of Leon a lot at night. She always envisioned him sneaking into her room via the window and caressing her all night long like they were sweethearts in high school. The thoughts of him eased her bruised heart and pride. But only to a certain degree. Thinking of being in the arms of a man and actually feeling those strong arms were two completely different things. And she often woke up yearning even more intensely for her husband's warm embrace.

Wesker had begun working at Tricell and Claire felt he had done it only to spite her. He hadn't returned to the subject with her. In fact, he hadn't said a word to her since the night he had displayed his raw, unhinged anger. He had called someone in to replace the balcony doors and it all seemed to be a thing in the past; over and done with. The only thing that gave away he was in fact now employed by the plant was the phone calls Claire sometimes eavesdropped on and overheard. She wondered how long it would take for him to tell her vocally, but he never did.

Wesker was also forming a new habit of staying out very, very late. It was never consistent. It could be a Monday night, Thursday night, or even on the weekends. Claire had been tempted to press and poke. But she decided that would only give him reason to mock her. So, she suppressed her suspicion and curiosity, or tried to anyway, and focused on other things.

Claire had reached out to all TerraSave members and decided it would be a good idea to have a meeting. With WilPharma up and running again, Claire suggested they all should stay on top of that. She also wanted to keep a sharp eye on Tricell for reasons of her own. Some members of the group were not very fond of Claire these days. They seemed to agree with Curtis' idiotic notion that Claire marrying a former Umbrella employee was completely immoral. A lot of them snapped viciously at her and hung up the phone when she attempted to reach out. Amma had been a big help at convincing others and so the meeting would take place in just a few days.

Claire had also started back full time at the store. She worked there five days a week, only staying home on the weekends to spend time with Scarlett. She was very shocked when Wesker wasn't home one night to put Scarlett to bed. She wouldn't go down for anyone else. Claire knew how much Wesker truly loved his daughter, so she was disgusted when she saw how he was allowing their petty fight to interfere with that. She longed to throw it all in his face and make him feel ashamed. Not much got to the impassive, arrogant jerk. But Claire knew for certain he would feel terrible when he realized how indirectly cruel he was being to their three-year-old.

One particular night, Wesker came home around midnight to a shrieking, sobbing, hysterical Scarlett. He could hear her as soon as he entered the hallway and immediately sprinted with great velocity to her side. He lifted her up into his arms; noticing only then that the nightlight wasn't glowing obnoxiously in the darkened room. He felt scorching anger seep into his veins and it made him physically warm.

When he finally got the child calm enough, he laid her down on her the bed and sat with her until she fell asleep. It didn't take too long; she had exhausted herself wailing so hard. When he was sure his little girl was asleep, he switched on the nightlight and exited the room; leaving the door open ajar.

Wesker then made his way to the next room over. He rapped harshly at Claire's door before yanking it open impatiently. He snickered inwardly at the fact that she had told him she would lock the door, but clearly hadn't bothered. Perhaps his brazen and cold response to her virtuous declaration had sunk in after all.

Claire seemed to stir and then jump up once he was about half way to her bed.

"Wh-what are you doing in here?" she asked nervously.

"You listen to me Claire, I'm only going to say this once." he warned, his voice was darkly threatening. "Scarlett ever goes to sleep without that nightlight switched on again, I swear you'll be sorry."

Claire had been abruptly awakened when she heard her door thrash open and saw a silhouetted figure coming toward her in the darkness. She squinted and noticed the shadowy figure was Wesker. She could smell whiskey exuding from him in waves. It overwhelmed the air around her; forcing her eyes to lightly water. She sprung from her bed the moment he seemed to threaten her. She didn't appreciate his tone, much less his statement.

"Don't you threaten me like that!" she hooted but he was already spinning around to leave. She ran around his moving form until she was directly in front of him; halting him in his tracks. "I did turn her damn nightlight on while she fell asleep. She cried for over an hour because she wanted you to say goodnight!"

She noticed his jaw tighten. His eyes were hidden, not by his sunglasses for once, but by the abundant darkness that filled the space around them like a haunting presence. She could only see his chin and jawline in the blueish patches of light that streamed through the window.

"And where the hell were you?" Claire roared accusingly. She thought it'd be the perfect time to bring up how late he sometimes came home. She could act as if she only wanted to know for Scarlett's sake. In reality, she practically drove herself insane every night wondering where he could possibly be, or who he was with. He only continued to stand before her like a statue bathed in darkness; unmoving and eerily silent. Claire snorted in disgust.

"Well, I hope wherever it was, it was worth missing bedtime with your daughter." she allowed bitterly. Wesker took a challenging step toward her but Claire held her ground. The light from the window now fell softly over his eyes. He seemed to be echoing her revulsion. It was so hard to believe, that just a couple months ago, they had been truly happy together; that she would fall asleep in his welcoming arms; that they would laugh and play with their daughter together.

"The nightlight stays on…always." he emphasized. His voice was menacingly calm.

"I left it on until she fell asleep. She acts as hysterically as she does because you humor her. We need to start coaxing her away from nightlights and stop giving into her. We need to just let her scream- "

"Let her scream?!" he repeated thunderously. Claire's heartbeat picked up its pace. She now knew good and well that he was unpredictable and capable of practically anything. It really alarmed her. He took another step toward her; nearly standing on top of her now. She tried not to falter; choosing instead to swallow hard and lock eyes with him.

"Either you're crazy or the most inhuman woman I've ever met."

Claire stared at him, appalled and stunned.

"What happened to agreeing with me when it's necessary? I know you love to spoil her and I have my qualms about that. But you told me you'd support me when- "

"When it's warranted." he reminded her. She frowned.

"It is warranted in this situation!" she argued.

"How?" he said defiantly. Claire sighed and then pegged him with a scowl.

"Wesker, children are often afraid of the dark. But they will get over it if you just allow them to scream for a night or two and get used to it. It's fine to go in a soothe them once or maybe twice. But then they have to learn on their own that there isn't anything to be truly afraid of in the dark. I don't want her to grow up nervous and cowardly because you- "

"Cowardly?" he interrupted. "There isn't a cowardly bone in her body! My daughter will grow up, not nervous and cowardly, but with a sense of security and safety. I will always ensure she feels protected."

"It's fine to reassure her and make her feel safe, I'm not saying that." Claire fired back. "I'm only saying, you give into her way too much and humor her about the dark and these childish nightmares she has. You tell her you're going to "fight the monsters away" for her, and that only reinforces her outrageous beliefs and fears."

"Are they outrageous?" he questioned acidly. "What would you do if a clawed, horned beast came and sat on your chest?" he added, referencing Scarlett's reoccurring nightmare.

"If I recall correctly, you've seen monsters in the real world, Claire. We now know because of that horrific incident all those years ago, anything is possible. And that is why I want to make sure Scarlett always feels protected against whatever it may be."

She wanted to slap him for bringing up that dreadful part of the past. She still thought of those rotting, walking corpses from time to time and it turned her stomach viciously. Their putrid smell would always haunt her as well as their glazed-over eyeballs and grim moans. She shivered in the darkness and instinctively wrapped her arms protectively around herself. She hated him for bringing those creatures back to her mind. It had been partially his fault they had even existed at all.

"She's still just a child." Claire cut in, trying to rid herself of the unwanted, grotesque images. "Her nightmares are that of an innocent child. They mean nothing and she needs to learn to deal with them properly."

"Kindly remember, Mrs. Wesker, that I've seen you squall like a scalded cat simply because you dreamt of running through a fog."

Claire was taken aback at that. She hated thinking of the damn dream. Moreover, it embarrassed her to think that Wesker had comforted her much in the same way he comforted their three-year-old. She did not appreciate the comparison. Wesker knew there was much more to her own nightmare than to their daughter's juvenile one. She was so embarrassed that he would throw such a vulnerable moment in her face, she nearly felt like crying.

"And the last one occurred-oh what was it- a month or so ago? You're a thirty-one-year-old woman, why don't you get the hell over it?"

He then moved swiftly around her and vanished out the door. Claire felt her pride completely diminish as she retreated slowly back to bed. She knew that Wesker was just throwing jabs at her to try and get under her skin. If that was truly his goal, he was succeeding, much to Claire's sheer annoyance. She had been hoping that once she ceased all intimacy with him, she would become immune to his harsh insults. But she felt they were affecting her even more than before. She also knew he had blown the nightlight situation completely out of proportion in order to have an excuse to berate her. She would be better prepared next time he tried. She wouldn't allow him to shame her or make her feel small anymore.

From then on, Wesker seldom was out passed 9pm. He was always home to tuck Scarlett in or sit with her if she felt particularly fearful. Claire began to feel more and more agitated by this. She couldn't quite distinguish if she was just upset that he was refusing to stand by her when it came to parenting their daughter, or she was envious that Scarlett sought Wesker's comfort over hers. There were nights when Claire would still cuddle up in bed with her daughter. Which of course, Scarlett welcomed jubilantly. But more times than not, it was Wesker who put the child to bed.

Claire took notice to how Wesker always stank of whiskey and cigars these days. She caught a whiff of the overwhelming scents even when the two of them weren't in the same room. The ghost of the potent aromas always lingered in whatever room he had been occupying. Claire felt her heart sink sadly when she first inhaled the scents. They brought back to her mind memories of their special moments late at night. Memories that she was trying with great effort to forget, but it seemed as if they'd forever stain her.

Finally, the day of the TerraSave meeting had arrived. It happened to fall on a day that Wesker was working and Claire felt a little disappointed in that. She would have been overtaken with satisfaction to see her husband's surely disagreeing response to it. She wasn't sure if he had caught wind of her getting the group back together. She hoped intently that he would find out.

Claire then realized stressfully that she would not be able to attend the TerraSave meeting because she had to stay with Scarlett. She thought of calling Angela. But then she remembered she and Tara were going shopping and having a spa day together. Leon was working and there was no way Claire would trust Curtis with her daughter. Besides, she had reluctantly agreed to allow Curtis to stay on as a temporary employee, mainly for Angela's sake. He was actually working her shift today so she could attend the meeting. Amma would definitely be willing, but she too was planning to be present at the meeting. Claire inwardly groaned and tried to think of any other possibility. Barry and Kathy were in Canada, they only visited every now and then. Claire's mind hovered on Rebecca for a moment before she banished the idea. She hadn't talked to Rebecca in over a month. She definitely did not want to call her up just for a favor.

Claire sighed and strode into the living room where Scarlett was engrossed with her toys. She smiled wide when she saw her daughter playing with a pair of matchbox cars; racing them around the carpeted floor and crashing them into one another. Scarlett was so like Claire; always preferring to play with toy cars and action figures over dolls.

"Hey sweetie," Claire greeted with a warm beam. Scarlett looked up; her bright blue eyes shimmering innocently.

"Hi Mommy."

Claire was going to have to talk to Wesker, a reality that brought her some dread, about enrolling Scarlett into a daycare. The little girl was a few months shy of her

fourth birthday. Once she turned five, it would be time to for her to go to kindergarten. Claire felt a tug of sorrow at that realization. Her little girl would be going off to school in a little over a year. Time really did fly…

"Do you want to go somewhere with Mommy?" Claire asked. Scarlett looked thrilled at the prospect of going somewhere with her mother. But then her eyes fell back to her matchbox cars and a look of hesitancy overtook her.

"You can bring your cars." Claire promised. Scarlett seemed more than satisfied with that; her eyes sparkling once again with that childlike gleam. As they headed out the door, Claire's heart raced nervously but exuberantly. There'd be no turning back once she gave her speech today. Everything would then slowly fall into motion and she'd be one step closer to winning the rancorous feud against her husband.

Once they arrived at the hotel's meeting room, Claire directed Scarlett to a spot on the floor where she could sit and play freely without being in the way.

"This is boring Mommy, I thought we were going to get ice cream."

"We will." Claire replied a little irritably. "I said if you behave while Mommy has her meeting, we will stop and get ice cream on the way home."

The gleam returned to Scarlett's ocean-blue eyes and she smiled before taking her place on the floor and playing with her cars. Claire kissed the top of her head and lent her a proud, appreciative smile.

Amma was one of the first to arrive. She brought two boxes of donuts, which caught Scarlett's attention immediately, and a jug of coffee. Claire helped her set up and then gave Scarlett a donut in exchange for more promised good behavior. Once the little girl tottered back to her toys, a chocolate donut clutched in her tiny hand, Amma appeared and spoke.

"Interesting that you'd bring Scarlett here." The cold, accusing tone was not lost on Claire. She shot Amma a vexed glance.

"I had no one to watch her. Wesker is working full time now and it seems everyone else is also working or busy." she shot back coolly.

"You know I would have skipped the meeting if- "

"Oh Amma, I wouldn't have wanted you to do that." Claire interrupted, her tone now softening. "This is our first real TerraSave meeting in years. I need as many participants as I can get."

"Yes, I suppose it is important."

With that, Amma turned and floated away in the direction of Scarlett, her long black and gray braid swaying behind her. Claire couldn't quite surmise what exactly it was, but there was something a little surly in Amma's tone. It bothered her but she figured she should try to forget about it for now. She had to keep her focus on the meeting.

Once everyone arrived, Claire counted and there were about fifteen people total. That was a little underwhelming to her, as they originally had over thirty members. Over half of her original team was missing and Claire felt indignant at this. She didn't understand how or why so many had turned against her. Sure, she had married someone who was formerly with Umbrella, who was partially responsible for the horrific tragedy they had all endured, but she had had to! These people would understand more if they had been through even the slimmest amount of crap she had been through. Did people honestly think she didn't care about all that TerraSave stood for now?

Claire soon decided she didn't need them. If people were going to be that way about her personal choices and let it affect the progress TerraSave had made and could continue to make, she'd do without the idiots.

"Hi everyone, welcome to the first TerraSave meeting in over three years." Claire announced up at the podium; signifying the official start of the meeting. All eyes were now upon her.

"I know it's been quite a long time. A lot has happened and changed in all of our lives. But most importantly, WilPharma which we have had some issues with in the past, has been reopened. I know I'm a little late as they've been up and running now for a few months. But I believe we need to keep a watchful eye on them. However," she paused and her eyes found Amma's soft brown ones.

"I do believe we have another enterprise on our hands that could be a problem. I have heard many bad things about Tricell before and I believe we also need to be watching them. Perhaps even more closely than WilPharma." Claire's view then fell upon her daughter who was still playing quietly in the corner; lost in her own little world with her tiny toy cars. She hadn't a care in the world about what was going on around her. Claire felt relieved at that. She wasn't sure how much the little girl comprehended and understood. But she was certain the word Tricell would sound familiar to her and be synonymous with her father. Claire didn't want Scarlett to realize the spiteful war she was officially declaring on Wesker. Scarlett didn't need to be aware of the ever-increasing tension between her parents. But she was very sharp for a toddler, and Claire had to be careful what she said around her.

"Tricell?" a woman's voice redirected Claire's attention back to the meeting. Her name was Melanie and she had been a very loyal follower since the early days of TerraSave. "I've never once heard anything suspicious about them. We did keep an eye on them back when WilPharam was caught, I think since we are a lot smaller now," The obvious accusing tone made Claire squint offendedly. "we need to focus on WilPharma. They're the real dangerous ones."

Claire noticed others nodding; seemingly agreeing with Melanie.

"Melanie, I understand where you're coming from." Claire stated calmly. "But I do happen to have proof that Tricell is something we should be more concerned with."

She felt instant regret as soon as the statement left her mouth. Of course, she had nothing on Tricell. But she had to make something up! It was crucial to her personal war that she take down Tricell at all cost! When she had been married to Frederic, she hadn't meant to pull WilPharma's rug out from under him. She had actually felt immense guilt and regret when the facilities had gotten closed down. But with Wesker, she'd be satisfied for the remainder of her days to see Tricell shut down while he was under their employment. It's not that he needed the money and shutting it down would burden him financially. But Claire knew it would render him furious. Not only because Tricell would no longer be, but because she would win; she would have taken something away from him that he actually cared about. Also, Excella would surely be affected by the loss and that was enough to make Claire's mind up. Taking down Tricell would be her main focus; her new obsession. Anyone that didn't wish to help her could walk out the door now.

"What proof?" Melanie finally questioned. Claire smiled.

"I will disclose all the evidence in good time."

"Is your husband divulging this information?" Melanie asked coldly. Claire's eyes widened. She hadn't expected that. She forgot that she and Wesker were borderline celebrities, at least around the local areas, and everyone knew everything about them always. She loathed that.

"My husband is working for Tricell in order to feed me the information I need." Claire lied with narrowed eyes.

"You know people often think you only married that man for money and you didn't even give a second thought to the fact that he was with Umbrella. He's scum and it was beyond disgraceful that you would marry him. With Frederic Downing, it made far more sense and you gained all of our trust. But it seems that now you don't care about bioterrorism, but only money and notoriety."

Claire was appalled at the egregious and sudden outburst. She glowered at Melanie with eyes that blazed with wrath.

"I don't appreciate that very much Melanie." Claire responded sourly. "Who I marry and the reasons behind it are no one's business but my own. I consider it a helpful privilege that I married someone who is willing to help me in my cause."

Claire couldn't believe she was actually defending her and Wesker's marriage. With the current state they were in, they were lucky to not have fat lips and black eyes. They were in a very toxic state. So much so that the idea of giving him any kind of credit was making Claire sick with shame. But she had to maintain the idea that Wesker was on their side. At least until the suspicion about their marriage died down and was no longer a hot topic. Claire had married two wealthy men within the pharmaceutical word. Many thought she was playing games; only craving the fame and wealth that stemmed from both marriages. She had to prove them wrong! Even if she had actually married Wesker for his money and the security. But no one needed to know that, it was none of their concern.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think I can be in this group any longer." Melanie replied, her tone clipped. "I want to fight for the greater good and run with people and leaders who actually give a shit. Not with someone who seems to be in it for their own selfish gain."

"And the door is right there!" Claire thundered back; gesturing with her hand toward the exit. Melanie glared at her for a moment longer before storming out without another word.

When the meeting was adjourned, and everyone was filing out of their seats, Amma made her way toward Claire. It seemed as if everyone that had remained still had some kind of faith in Claire. A lot of people came up and apologized on behalf of Melanie. Others said not to listen to her, that it truly was none of her business and she was just causing unnecessary drama. Claire was truly grateful for the ones who were remaining loyal. She knew Amma would always be one that stuck by her. She smiled upon seeing her.

"Crazy meeting, eh?" Claire chuckled with a wink.

"Claire, may I speak bluntly to you for a moment?" Claire's eyebrows furrowed, her amusement fading. But she nodded and waited.

"I know why you're focusing on Tricell. It is not lost on me that there have been some storms brewing within your household. Yes, it is none of my business. However, I would just like to remind you that you're no longer dealing with Frederic, my dear."

"Excuse me?" Claire snapped. Amma went on as if she hadn't even heard the outburst.

"You and Albert Wesker are equally filled with venom. When you two get together in anger, it could erupt volcanically. You're the kerosene to his flame, the black widow to his serpent, the tornado to his hurricane. In the other words, a lethal combination. When both floodgates open within the two of you, I know it could be fierce and dangerous. He's not a simple-minded fly that's gotten caught up in your sticky web. He does in fact have his own set of fangs."

Claire tried to comprehend everything and was getting more and more angry as she did. Nothing got passed Amma, that was for sure. She saw everything like a hawk. But it was really none of her business what was going on between Claire and her husband. Just as it wasn't anyone's and Claire was beginning to get very angry at all the prying into her marriage.

"That being said, he would surely keep the poison forever concealed and carry on joyfully with you if you would just let him. He may still carry a darkness within him, but I do believe there's a light that's begging to shine through and replace all that ugly blackness. But it has to be welcomed and nurtured. That man truly cares about you, Claire. But you're shunning his attempts to show you just how deeply his affections for you run. Why? I don't know, everything seemed to be so enchanting between you two for a while. I honestly don't care to know how the battle began, as I've said it's really none of my concern. But you have a little girl to think about now and- "

"Okay, that's enough!" sputtered Claire. "You're right, Amma, it is none of your business what state me and my husband are currently in. While I appreciate your concern for Scarlett, I assure you she is quite happy and is completely oblivious of the quarrels between me and her father."

Amma stared at Claire with great intensity. Claire felt her anger grow and she was tempted to just take Scarlett and leave with haste. But she knew she needed Amma if she wanted to make TerraSave thrive again. Everyone still respected the woman and she could help earn the trust of others within the group.

"Look, I'm sorry Amma. I understand you're just trying to watch out for Scarlett. It makes sense, you love her and she loves you." Claire attempted a warm smile.

"Claire, I care deeply for you, your daughter, and even your husband. But I am afraid I cannot support TerraSave at this time. I don't believe it is being utilized properly and I have to agree with Melanie that it seems WilPharma is far more of a threat then where your husband is currently employed. I'm sorry, good luck my dear."

With that, the elderly woman turned and walked swiftly out the door, leaving behind a very dazed and furious Claire.

The entire ride home, Claire was fuming and her mind raced rapidly. She was trying to fully process everything Amma had said. The woman often carried on with her strange analogies and old-timey speeches. Claire rarely ever knew what she truly meant. But this time, it was all so clear.

Amma was insinuating that Claire and Wesker were toxic when they were at odds. That much Claire could agree with. But she couldn't understand the part where Amma had said Wesker had goodness within him and it was up to Claire to keep it that way. How unfair! Claire thought angrily. And did Amma actually believe Wesker cared about Claire? Maybe she wouldn't think so if she knew about the smashed balcony doors. Or the fact that Wesker was so cavalier about losing Claire's touches at night. He didn't love her and Claire knew that for certain. The reality that he cared as much about her as some random whore on the streets, bothered her beyond comprehension. Yes, they had attempted to live normally as husband wife, had a daughter, and lived adventurously and luxuriously for a few years. None of that equated love. Wesker would always be arrogant, cold, and incapable of possessing love for another, aside from his daughter.

As long as Claire kept all that in mind, it made it easier to remain distant and bitter with him. It made the temptations of crawling into bed with him after a nightmare less frequent. And it helped to maintain her faithfulness to her beloved Leon.

Wesker wasn't Fred, that was certain. He would bite back with venom. He would throw kerosene upon the already-roaring flames. He wouldn't back down and Claire had known that before she married him. But she was determined to win this war. She didn't really know why it had become so profound. She wasn't sure if it all stemmed from her jealousy of Excella, her hatred of the pharmaceutical world in general, or if it was just revenge she sought after Wesker's cool indifference toward her.

Whatever it truly was, Claire couldn't deny the feelings of contempt, jealousy, and rage that overflowingly filled whenever she thought of Wesker working at Tricell; alongside that prissy snot of a woman. And for reasons that would be unknown to Claire for quite some time, she felt a simmering fury rush through her at the thought of Wesker in any other woman's arms. She was far too proud to admit she did in fact desire him. So, she'd suffer in silence at her own foolish decision. But Wesker should have to suffer along with her. Why should he get to have fun while she was miserable? Even if it was her doing. Would he actually really be unfaithful to her? Had he already? Was that why he stayed out so late? Was it Excella or some other random whore? The thoughts were wildly maddening to her; sometimes keeping her up for hours on end. And she'd get her revenge for it all.

Everyone was right, Claire did want to take down Tricell for her own personal and selfish reasons. It was no longer about fighting bioterrorism to her. At least not at the moment. And as obsessed as she was slowly becoming with taking down the enterprise, she couldn't deny the apprehension that crept into her at the thought of Wesker finding out. But the danger of it all brought a warped sort of thrill to Claire that seemed to mix with the fear; almost outweighing it. It was a sickening excitement combined with a teetering sense of trepidation. She may not have understood it all, but Claire was ready to face her newfound obsession head on, and deal with all the consequences it'd surely spawn.