Loved You Once But He's My Forever (Chloe)

Lucian blinked his big, beautiful eyes and mumbled, "Buh-woo."

"It's not 'Buh-woo.' It's 'brother-in-law.' Come on, repeat after me-bro ... ther ... in ... law ...

"Brubby-law."

"No, not 'Brubby-law,' it's-ouch!"

Zoey stomped on Harlan's foot, scooped Lucian up in her arms, and carried him away. Before leaving, she playfully shook his little head. "Quick, shake out all the nonsense from your brain."

"Janice Ne-ugh, I mean, Zoey! What do you mean by 'nonsense'?"

Harlan chased after them, only to have Bill toss a freshly changed diaper straight at his chest.

"What do you think you're doing, yelling at my daughter like that?"

Harlan instantly shrank back and carefully said, "My dear father-in-law, you misunderstood me."

"Father-in-law? In your dreams. Get the hell away from me."

Philippa took Zoey's hand and led her away. "Sweetheart, never settle for a man who's emotionally unstable. And definitely not for a man like—"

Her gaze landed on Bill. He looked at her expectantly, only for her to remark coldly, "A man like your father, he's a total sc*mbag."

Zoey nodded. "Got it."

It seemed Bill still hadn't won over Philippa, but they had a lifetime ahead of them. The hardships Philippa had endured in the last 20 years he could spend the rest of his life making up for them.

Harlan hadn't grasped the gravity of the situation yet. He stood off to the side, gloating. "My dear father-in-law, looks like your status isn't much higher than mine."

Bill shot him a glare and snorted. "At least I had it all once. Our child is all grown up. Unlike you—you're an idiot with nothing, yet you're still laughing like a fool."

Harlan was speechless.

Ignoring him, Bill walked up to me and said, "It's getting late, so we won't bother you any longer. If you're tired, just tell Dad."

His words softened my heart. He pulled me gently into his arms and stroked my hair. "We're family. Don't endure everything by yourself. You still have us to hold it up for you."

I swallowed back my tears and nodded. "Mm, I know. You should focus on winning Mom over."

Bill chuckled. "That doesn't matter. As long as I can stay by their side, that's enough for me."

He really had become more at peace with things.

Kate stood quietly in the corner, watching the exchange between me and Bill. Her eyes held a trace of envy.

After they all left, she slowly walked over. "We're here for you, too, so don't be sad."noveldrama

She wanted to hug me but hesitated, clearly afraid I wouldn't like it. In the end, she simply stayed by my side, keeping a careful distance.

After everything I'd been through, at least I still had two sets of parents. Compared to Carter, I should be grateful.

"Mom, can you hold me for a while?"

She froze for a moment, and tears streamed down her face as she said, "Yes."

She held me tightly in her arms, whispering my name, "Coco."

I hugged her back, tears streaming down my face as I screamed, "Mom... "

"My child, you have suffered so much."

I sobbed uncontrollably, shouting her name, finally releasing all the pain I'd been holding in for years.

Over and over, I had been misunderstood. Perhaps on that snowstorm night, what

I wanted most wasn't to survive-but to be understood by my family.

How I had yearned for them to glance at me even once.

I envied how Philippa had immediately recognized Zoey.

There had been so many barriers between Kate and me, but now, I felt like

nothing else mattered except life and death.

She was still alive, and that was enough.

For my wedding, she'd specially dyed her hair black and undergone some treatments. She didn't look as worn as she had a few months ago, though the wrinkles on her face

were still noticeable.

I remembered that my mom was a woman who had been meticulous about her

looks.

She had paid the price she deserved.

"Don't cry. Your dad and I will always be here for you."

I nodded.

After crying for so long and releasing all my pent-up emotions, I felt a lot better.

"Good girl, I'm right here. Call me anytime if you need anything."

I nodded again and saw her out the door.

Carter had already bathed the two kids and laid them down in bed, sitting by their side to keep them company.

Aside from his bloodshot eyes, it was almost impossible to tell that he had been upset.

"Carl, you should take a rest. I'll stay and play with them."

He lifted me into his arms, his chin resting gently on my neck as he held me close, whispering softly in my ear, "No, this is all I need."

"I'm sorry."

Every action has consequences. If it weren't for me, Carter's mother wouldn't have ended up like this.

"It's not your fault. Don't overthink it. It was her choice, and no one could change it. The worst is behind us. From now on, we'll live our lives well. That's the best way to honorher decease."

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"Mm."

Luckily, we were still together.

The kids stared at us curiously with wide eyes before they hugged each other and

started giggling.

After playing for a while, they eventually fell asleep.

I snuggled into Carter's arms, and we fell asleep together.

The deceased were gone, but the living should cherish the present.

The Bolton family had been through so much recently, and everyone was worried we'd be in a bad mood. Even though our wedding had been canceled, they didn't leave. Instead, they stayed at the Bolton Residence for a while.

With their presence, the once silent Bolton Residence had come to life again.

Early in the morning, Harlan, wearing an apron and carrying a plate of steak, walked toward me. "Chloe, try my cooking. Tell me what you think."

I gave him an incredulous look. "Are you seriously making steak this early? Harlan, are you on something?"

"Chloe, I heard the way to a woman's heart is through her stomach. So, I went and learned how to cook. I'm no longer the guy who throws eggs at the ceiling."

I could tell he was trying hard. Since Zoey hadn't woken up yet, I took the chance and asked, "Do you really love Zoey?"

"Have I not made it clear enough? If I didn't love her, I'd be a fool to risk my life for her."

I could see his sincerity, but one question still lingered in my mind.

"Now that you know Zoey's true identity, do you like Janice's face, or do you prefer Zoey's soul in Janice's body? Can you tell the difference?"