A Marriage of Convenience: A Bruno Madrigal Encanto Fanfic

Chapter 20

Claudia woke up wrapped in Bruno's arms. She laid there for a bit, just content to be close to him. She swore last night felt like a dream, and she couldn't believe someone like him loved someone like her. She looked at him while he slept. He looked beautiful and she felt so happy to have him in her life. Nothing made her happier than being around him.

Eventually she slowly removed herself from his arms. Then she quietly walked downstairs. As she headed to the kitchen she saw Alma waiting for her. She immediately felt like something was wrong.

"Good morning suegra." Alma's face was emotionless.

"You need to leave."

With those words Claudia's stomach dropped. She had expected Alma to be upset, but she hadn't expected this. She had thought the family loved her. She definitely loved the family. 

"Why should I leave? I...I-" Alma held up a hand.

"You're a danger to the family, to Casita, to the magic. I felt something wrong with the candle last night. What if you destroy everything we've worked so hard for. You're too dangerous to stay."

She was, wasn't she? She had known she was dangerous from the moment the Rojas brought her into their house. They never failed to remind her of that fact. Maybe she was bad for the family. She couldn't hurt this family, she just couldn't. She knew this would hurt Bruno though. She had promised never to leave him the night before.

"What about Bruno? He'll be heartbroken," her eyes were watery but she refused to cry.

"If you really care about him then you'll leave."

Claudia looked up at Alma only to see a definite expression on her face. She hadn't expected it to go this way. After last night she had hoped everything would be okay,  but now she knew better. She nodded to Alma. 

"If it will keep them safe, I'll leave."

She quickly fled to the room upstairs. A tear ran down her face as she grabbed the bag she had packed the night before. Claudia knew how this would look. Bruno had begged her the night before not to leave, and now she was doing exactly that. He was going to be heartbroken. She slowly walked into the bedroom. She couldn't leave without seeing his face again. Claudia wished she could say goodbye to him and the girls, but she knew they would stop her. Alma was right. This was better for the family.

As she looked at him, it took all her strength not to sob. She slowly leaned down and pressed a kiss to his forehead. Claudia knew this was the last time she'd have a chance to do so, the only chance she'd ever have. She was going to miss him dearly, but this was for his own good. She quickly jotted down a note. She couldn't leave him like this. She had to make him hate her so he could move on. As she grabbed her bag she took one last look at the room that had become home to her.

"Goodbye," she whispered before heading out the door.

*****

She walked through the woods. The sun was starting to come up, but she couldn't find it in herself to enjoy it. Claudia didn't know where she was headed, but the route seemed familiar. As she walked she wondered if she had done the right thing. When Bruno saw what she wrote he would be devastated. She had felt like it was the right thing, but now she wasn't so sure. She couldn't turn back now, the matriarch had made that quite clear.

Claudia continued walking, until she recognized where she was. It was the field of flowers next to the mountain. The last place she had been truly happy. The realization made her fall to her knees and she started to sob. It wasn't fair. She couldn't help what she was, even if she was antimagic.

When Claudia finally calmed down she realized she had no clue where she was going to go. She had no food so she couldn't go through the mountains. If she stayed at a place in the village Bruno would surely find her. As her mind raced she realized there was one place she could go. No one would look for her there. Claudia could stay there for a few years at least. So she began to slowly walk to her own personal hell.