Loved You Once But He's My Forever (Chloe) novel Chapter 433

The pain I had buried deep for so long surged uncontrollably, and the tears I hadn't shed as a spirit came pouring out now.

Only Carter truly understood the weight of my sorrow, the depth of my loss, and my lingering bitterness.

No matter how kind Bill and Philippa were to me, they could never replace the parents who raised me.

Instead, their warmth only deepened the hurt, reminding me of the parents who had abandoned me repeatedly.

I sank to the floor from Carter's arms, covering my face as sobs shook my body.

"Why? Why do they treat me like this when I've endured so much pain? What did I ever do to deserve this?"

"You've done nothing wrong, silly girl," Carter said softly, crouching beside me and pulling my head to his chest. "It's their blindness and foolishness—that's where the blame lies."

His voice was filled with regret. "Chloe, I'm sorry I couldn't protect you in our previous life. I failed you, and you suffered because of it. But I swear, in this life, I won't let anyone harm you."

"I know you're good to me," I whispered, but his words brought me no comfort.

Even though I claimed not to care about the Sanders anymore, fear still gripped me.

I dreaded the moment of truth—the day they might look at me with hatred and disdain, just as they always had. That fear was why I kept my true identity hidden.

But when the truth was finally revealed, it shattered the last fragile hope I'd clung to. They didn't love me. They never had.

I tried to convince myself. "I have you. That's enough. They don't matter anymore."

"Silly girl," Carter murmured, lifting me from the floor and settling me onto the bed.

He gently wiped the tears from my cheeks. "I spoke to Aunt Amber. She's not involved in the Sanders' troubles."

I blinked in surprise. "She isn't?"

"No. She holds no grudge against the Sanders. The Carlyns, on the other hand, have every reason to hate them. When Wisteria's father was only two, they tried to intervene in a violent incident but were too late. Wisteria's grandfather was beaten to death, and her grandmother fled into the crowd with her father, only for his leg to be broken. Her grandmother died shortly after, and her father never fully recovered. Wisteria's hatred grew from witnessing his pain. She only got involved in the plan after learning the truth."

"So, Wisteria's father orchestrated the revenge on the Sanders?" I asked hesitantly.

"Yes, along with other elders of the Carlyns. The younger generation, including Wisteria, simply carried out the plan."

The Sanders had inflicted so much suffering on the Carlyns, which explained Wisteria's cruelty toward Grandma.

I had called her heartless before, but now I realized she was a product of her family's darkness.

Every time she saw her father's limp, it must have reminded her of the Sanders' cruelty.

"Did the Carlyns and Boltons team up? Is Aunt Amber ... Lady Rose?"

"She's never shared the details of the organization's workings." Carter replied. "But she did tell me stories about my mother's younger years."

It seemed that Amber, much like Silas, wasn't the one orchestrating everything. Someone else higher up was manipulating the entire situation, using her as a mere piece in their elaborate scheme.

"How did your mother die? And if your father and his first wife were so deeply in love, then how do you even exist?" I blurted out, disregarding whether the question was rude or not. There were too many unanswered questions, and I needed clarity.

"My father never cared for my mother." Carter began. "According to Aunt Amber, my mother fell hopelessly in love with a man 30 years older than her."

I couldn't hide my shock.