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Chapter 25
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All But a Dream Chapter 1
Claudia Hepburn had seduced his fiancé, Arthur Maxwell, ninety-nine times. However, he was still into her sister, Fione Hepburn.Not only was he nowhere to be seen on the day of the wedding, but he even went ahead and registered his wedding with Fione instead. Claudia was turned into a laughingstock after that. While she was drowning in despair, Arthur's brother, Brett Maxwell, showed up and took her into his arms. He confessed that he had been secretly in love with her for ages and beckoned her to turn to him.Enchanted by his devotion, she decided to marry him instead.Even after five years of marriage, Brett still doted on her endlessly. That was until a shipwreck took him away.On the day of the funeral, she was so heartbroken that she felt the urge to smash her head against his coffin to end it all right there.It was only when she found she was pregnant that she gave up on the idea of ending it all. She decided she would live on and grieve her late husband for the rest of
All But a Dream Chapter 2
After Brett's “passing”, Claudia was the one who took to the news the hardest.Even though Phillip also grieved Brett’s death, the first thing he did was offer advice to Claudia.Seeing as Claudia was still young, he encouraged her to make a new life for herself now that Brett had passed.He tirelessly advised her to leave the family and find a good man to marry. He wanted nothing more than for her to get over the devastating loss.Claudia understood that Phillip was only looking out for her but she had turned down the suggestion without any hesitation at the time. She could not possibly move on from Brett and would not leave his family where his only remnants could be found. She was fully prepared to become a widow for the rest of her life.That was until she found out that Brett had been lying to her since the beginning.The past five years were nothing but a mirage, there was no love to speak of!She no longer saw any reason to stick around.Phillip was not aware of all th
All But a Dream Chapter 3
The phone rang very suddenly and when Brett looked down to inspect the display, his expression softened instantly. When he answered the call, Fione's voice came through the speakers.“Honey, is the soup ready? I’m hungry.”Brett spoke to her gently, “I’ll bring it to you as soon as it’s done. Wait just a little longer, okay?”They were standing close enough for Claudia to overhear Fione's sweet and tender voice.“Oh you, you’re the reason I ended up here! We’ve been married for so long, so what got into you last night? You were doing it like a possessed man as if it was our first time.”Claudia stiffened at Fione’s words and felt a mix of pain and sadness in her heart.Come to think of it, it must be his first time with Fione…She stood still without a word but her thoughts were already drifting to some time in the past.Even though Brett had doted on her during the five years they had been together, he had always been very stoic when they were in bed. It seemed like he was doi
All But a Dream Chapter 4
Claudia looked up and witnessed what had happened. Brett had gotten into an accident.His car crashed into the guardrail at the very first turn in the first lap!The medical staff hurried to the rescue. It took them a while to extract Brett who was covered in blood. He was rushed to the hospital after that.The race had to be suspended following the devastating accident. A group of people who were concerned about his safety followed the ambulance to the hospital, including Fione who was crying hysterically and no longer had the strength to brag.Claudia was the only one who remained eerily stoic the entire time.She could still hear the conversation she overheard echoing in her ears. She was aware Brett was the one who staged the accident. This was exactly what he wanted.He would put himself in danger just to stay with Fione.For a brief moment, she could not decide whether to be exasperated by his utter devotion toward Fione or to feel sorry for herself.A few days later,
All But a Dream Chapter 5
After everything was sorted out, Claudia went home alone.Shortly after she got home, she got a notification on her phone.It was her father who sent her a text.[You traitorous daughter, you haven’t been home for years! Have you forgotten about me now that you’re married? My birthday is tomorrow and you will attend!]The tone of the text was very critical. Claudia lowered her eyes and replied curtly.[OK.]It had certainly been a long time since she last went home. After all, it seemed like the only one that was ever welcome home was Fione.She was used to being seen as an afterthought.Ever since they were children, Fione was the treasured child. No matter how hard Claudia tried to please her parents, she would never compare to her sister who knew how to stir their hearts.When she grew up, she was told she was to wed Arthur Maxwell. Hoping that she would finally have a place to call home, she dedicated herself to Arthur only for him to brush her aside. He only had eyes for
All But a Dream Chapter 6
As soon as Dad made the announcement, the entire venue fell silent. After that, the audience began to murmur.“Did Mr. Hepburn just say that he would give all of his inheritance to his second daughter? Did I get it right?”“That’s a very bold announcement, is he not going to leave anything for his eldest daughter?”“I have always heard rumors that the second daughter was their favorite child, so it was true after all! I wonder why.”...Claudia chuckled bitterly while she listened to the crowd speculating.Why?She would like to know why as well.Why was it that they would favor one child over the other so much when both of them were equally their daughters?She felt very depressed by this point and got up to walk out of the banquet hall. There were not many people gathered on the deck at this point and the chilly sea breeze managed to calm her even if just a little.She leaned against the railing and zoned out staring at the endless expanse of sea. At one point, she heard th
All But a Dream Chapter 7
“I understand. Thank you, doctor.”Claudia lowered her eyes and acknowledged the doctor softly. After that, the doctor advised her on several matters before leaving the ward.When he reached the door, he brushed shoulders with Brett who was standing by the doorway.Brett proceeded to step into the ward and sat down beside the bed. Then he looked at Claudia without saying a word.Claudia felt her heart skip a beat upon seeing him. She wondered if he had overheard her conversation with the doctor.She looked at him silently for what seemed like forever until he started, “Fione is my wife. I had to save her first.”When she heard this, she breathed a sigh of relief. He had not heard the conversation after all.She was otherwise unbothered by his claim about having to save Fione first. “It was right of you to do that, my dear brother-in-law.”Brett felt a sudden wave of panic at her words. “Didn’t you refuse to address me as brother-in-law in the past?”“I have come to accept the
All But a Dream Chapter 8
Claudia listened to Fione's incessant insults and began to shut her eyes.When Fione failed to draw the agonizing reaction she was looking for, she could no longer keep up the ridicule and smug tone in her voice. She became upset and raised her hand to hit Claudia. Moments before that, she caught a glimpse of Brett who was approaching them.A sharp, wrathful look flashed in her eyes. She suddenly tilted her body and made herself fall!Everything happened so quickly. Before Claudia even had time to react, Fione was already shrieking and tumbling down the stairs.She was horrified and immediately looked down the stairs to inspect. Unsurprisingly, Brett was completely beside himself and was charging toward their direction.“Fione!”Fione’s complexion was very pale. She pressed herself into Brett’s arm and her forehead was drenched in sweat because of the excruciating pain. She began by trying to defend Claudia but at the same time sounded like she was accusing her.“Honey, it
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All But a Dream Chapter 25
“Claudia! Claudia, wait!”Their cries were mixed with exhausted panting. Claudia turned around and was greeted by the sight of her parents.Before they even had the chance to speak, she declared, “I will not forgive her and I’m not going to withdraw the lawsuit either.”Mrs. Hepburn became flustered and tried to explain why they wanted to speak to her, “Claudia, that’s not what we wanted to talk to you about. Back when we disowned you, we were very upset and let it get to us in the heat of the moment. “We spoiled Fione too much, that’s why we were caught blindsided when she did something like that, we are sorry…”This time, Claudia was the dumbfounded one.It was the first time that her parents ever apologized to her.She lowered her head and stayed silent. Her prolonged silence only agitated them further because they did not know whether she wanted to forgive them or not.They were afraid to lose their only daughter.After a while, Claudia looked at her phone and realized
All But a Dream Chapter 24
Modium Hotel.This was the first time Fione had taken a nice, relaxing bath in five years. After the bath, she put on a bathrobe to cover the scars riddled across her body before carefully settling into the couch.This used to be an average day for her, but now it was an immense luxury.She no longer had the energy to be hateful or jealous, the only thing that ran through her mind was confusion.When she was first brought into the basement, she tried to formulate an escape plan and even tried to seduce the bodyguard to let her escape. She figured that if she had to weigh between her life and her chastity, her chastity was expendable.After that, she also tried to plead with Brett to release her. There were countless times when she would snap awake from a fantastical dream where she was lying in her cozy bed, coddled by her parents and husband.Eventually, she began to fantasize about her freedom. Since she had been missing for a long time, she thought people must be looking f
All But a Dream Chapter 23
Did Claudia hate Fione?She certainly did.Just like how Fione hated her since they were mere children, it was the same the other way around.Their parents' indifference toward Claudia since she was a child was enough to make her loathe her sister. When Fione took her fiancé away, she could not help but wonder if Fione simply liked taking anything that belonged to her.When Brett appeared, he was the only thing that resembled a harbor in her life.In the end, she found out it was a lie all along, Brett loved Fione as well. Fione had taken away her fiancé, then her husband. To make matters worse, Fione had repeatedly tried to get her killed. Claudia’s hatred for Fione was warranted.Still, it did not mean that she wanted to see Fione chained and tortured in a basement, to exist merely for Brett to vent his rage.Besides, Fione did not owe the Maxwells anything. If anything, she owed everything to Claudia.The source of Claudia’s sympathy was not pointed at Fione but more
All But a Dream Chapter 22
The villa looked normal on the outside. The housemaids were occupied with their respective tasks and when they saw Brett, they stopped briefly to greet him.The impression of the place changed when he pushed a secret door which creaked as it opened. It showed a dark stairway that led into an underground basement. The way ahead seemed to extend endlessly into another dimension.The moment Claudia saw it, countless insidious thoughts came to her mind.Fortunately, Brett proceeded to flick on a light that significantly tamed the horrific impression the passage produced.He led the way down while Claudia decided between leaving and following him. In the end, she stuck it out and walked after him.As she made her way down, she surveyed the area.The ambiance of the basement was a sharp contrast to the regally decorated villa above. It was meant as a storage for miscellaneous items, all of which were piled in the corner and had accumulated a thick layer of dust over time.Ther
All But a Dream Chapter 21
Midway through the conversation, Brett and Claudia opened the door and stepped into the ward.Phillip was dressed in a hospital gown and had his back facing the door. When he heard the door opening, he turned around with great effort to inspect his visitors and that was when he was taken aback by the sudden appearance of Claudia trailing behind Brett."Grandpa.”She went up to him and greeted him with a gentle smile.Phillip immediately became emotional and chased Brett out of the ward. He tenderly held Claudia's hand as he gazed at her affectionately. “You've lost weight! These last few years must have been hard for you.”Claudia shook her head and gently patted his hand to assure him that she was fine.She did not suffer much in the last few years. When she left the Maxwells, she was given assets worth billions. She spent a significant portion on purchasing the private island. After that, the resort on the island brought her a modest amount of income.Even if she remai
All But a Dream Chapter 20
Claudia did not speak and proceeded to push the suitcase inside the room.After shutting Brett out of the room, she finally had time to herself to properly survey the room.She looked at the wedding pictures on the bedside, the jewelry on the cabinet, and an array of pictures they had taken together all framed on the wall. Then, there was a pink hyacinth placed on the windowsill that looked well cared for. It was swaying gently in the wind.She found herself in a state of trance. It was as if she had been transported in time to five years ago.That was before everything came crashing down when the room was still filled with traces of their romance.With the passing of time, what has happened cannot be changed anymore. No matter how hard they tried to fix things, they could never go back to the way they once were.After the long journey, a wave of fatigue came over her. She briefly washed up before settling into the bed.The scent of ebony nested deep inside the mattress swarme
All But a Dream Chapter 19
Claudia looked at the ring and then noticed the yearning look in Brett's eyes.This time, he seemed to be completely sincere in asking for her forgiveness. He was begging for them to go back to the way they were in the past and live the perfect, idealized life that he had spoken of.A heavy silence descended upon them.Raindrops pattering against the windows was the only sound that could be heard across the villa.Then, Claudia turned and found the umbrella she had offered to Brett yesterday and passed it to him again. “Of course I haven't forgotten. But just like how I haven't forgotten about all the happiness we’ve had over the years, I also haven’t forgotten the fact that it was all a lie,” she said calmly.“It seems to me that you are the only one here who has forgotten.“The rain is slowing down. Take this umbrella and go, I’ll pretend I never saw you here.”Now that he was ordered to leave, Brett realized that his expectations were dashed. He stood up morosely and al
All But a Dream Chapter 18
The housemaids had prepared a meal for Brett.After the meal, Claudia fixed him a look and finally asked the question that had hovered between them for a while but which Brett had been avoiding, “What exactly is it that you wanted to tell me?”Brett avoided her eyes and hesitated several times, before lowering his head.It took a long time but he finally spoke.“Claudia, I'm sorry. I know I made a mistake,” he began, his voice choked with emotion.“I used to think that Fione was the one I loved and that my love for her would last forever. I thought you were just an obligation and that I would not love you. I thought everything I did for you was only out of habit.“It wasn't until you left that I realized I was wrong, I was so wrong! I love you, Claudia! I can't live without you…”The sincere tone in which he had said it along with his voice caught with tears would have evoked pity from just about anyone. When he finally looked up, his eyes were frayed with red which made him s
All But a Dream Chapter 17
After much hesitation, Claudia decided not to summon someone to chase Brett away.There was something curious about his behavior. Brett was so obsessed with Fione to the point of deciding on a timeline to let her go only after his friend forced him to do so. What made him show up now at her island and keep going on and on about wanting to talk to her?For her part, Claudia had never taken the videos of him claiming he was searching for her that seriously.As far as she was concerned, Brett was only doing it to maintain his reputation.After all, both siblings of the Maxwells were known for being hopeless romantics before the cruise ship accident happened. This was doubly so for Brett.She was not surprised that the world was deceived by him. Even she had fallen for his antics and failed to note that his affection for her was nothing but a ploy to get Fione.With that said, there was no way Brett had not realized that she knew he had faked his death.For what it was worth, he
