Share

Chapter 7

Penulis: Blank Space
“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 truth.” She paused briefly before continuing without sparing a glance at him, “I accepted the fact that no one will love me.”

She spoke in a very calm voice, so much so that Brett felt a dry retch in his throat. He remarked in a drab voice, “Don’t forget about Brett. He loved you.”

Claudia smiled.

She smiled until her eyes began to fray with red before saying, “He's dead.”

She wanted to tell him that the moment Brett had decided to fake his death, he was dead to her.

When Brett observed the still look in her eyes, he could no longer muster a word.

He felt a wave of guilt washing over him. Then he got up and decided he could no longer stay by her bedside.

“I’m going to Fione.”

Claudia followed the doctor's advice and stayed in the hospital for a few more days to recover.

On the day she was discharged, Phillip gathered Claudia, Brett and Fione and instructed Claudia to sit beside him.

“Claudia, they’re going to visit Brett at the cemetery today so you can see him one last time.”

He sighed with a mixture of sadness and regret pooling inside his eyes. After briefly speaking to Brett and Fione, he let them leave.

Just as they were about to depart, Fione suddenly remembered she had forgotten something and had to head back into the house.

Around the same time, Claudia was just about to open the door to the car when she felt Brett grab her wrist.

“What did Grandpa mean when he said you would be seeing Brett for the last time? Are you hiding something from us?”

Claudia looked at his iron grip on her wrist and proceeded to shrug him off, “Nothing. He only said that because he hoped I would stop grieving over someone who is gone.”

With that, she got into the car and slammed the door shut.

Brett stared at his hand and had an ill feeling that things were spiraling out of his control, but he could not figure out what it was. When he tried to speak, Fione came running back to the car.

“Honey, let's go!”

He swallowed whatever he was about to say.

As soon as they arrived at the cemetery, Brett’s phone suddenly rang. He snuck a glance at the screen and proceeded to motion for Claudia and Fione to go ahead while he answered the call.

Claudia placed a large bouquet in front of the gravestone. The picture etched onto the gravestone looked just like Brett.

In the past, she would sob uncontrollably whenever she saw the picture and become filled with so much pain she thought she would die right then and there. But now, she hardly felt anything.

Suddenly, Fione produced a letter and began to wave it wildly in front of Claudia while wearing a smug grin.

“Claudia, you sure are lucky to survive falling into the ocean considering nobody in our family tried to save you.

“I have been very upset recently until I found something very interesting. Do you want to know what it is?

“As it turns out, I was wrong last time. Remember when I said that Brett would still love you even if nobody else did? Well, I happened to find a love letter he addressed to me, it turns out this entire time I was the one he had a crush on.

“I just found out that he was the one who had been preparing breakfast for me all the time when I was young. It’s not a coincidence that he was always the first person who came to me whenever I was in a bad mood!

“I know why he wanted to marry you now, it’s because he was worried you would get in between me and Arthur. Hahaha! You are such a walking and living joke…”
Lanjutkan membaca buku ini secara gratis
Pindai kode untuk mengunduh Aplikasi

Bab terkait

  • 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

  • All But a Dream   Chapter 9

    The next day, Claudia went to Cocteau Church.The church was located on the top of a hill so she had to climb the three thousand flights of stairs to get to the church. She made a climb with a heart filled with piety the entire time.Four years ago during their first wedding anniversary, they were on their way to celebrate when they got into an accident.In one crucial moment, Brett threw himself on her to shield her from harm.She remembered thinking that if Brett was willing to risk his life for her, she should offer the same devotion to him.Later when Brett fell into a coma in the hospital, she became frantic. That was when she was told that Cocteau Church was one of the most sacred churches in the country and with that, she made the pilgrimage to get a cross for him.Later when he finally came to, they returned to the church together where he vowed to her, “Claudia, I want to be with you forever.”She believed him at the time but now she realized that it was a complete lie.

  • All But a Dream   Chapter 10

    Brett was taken aback and stole a glance behind the courier. The door was now shut and it did not seem like anyone else going to show up.He looked at the gift box but did not take it. His first thought was to ask, "Where is Claudia? Why isn’t she coming in person?”The courier wore a stiff smile and shook his head while extending the present forward the entire time, “Miss Hepburn is my employer, I have no right to question where she is.”Fione approached from the side and proceeded to take the present from him. She briefly inspected it and upon noting that there was nothing odd about it, she lightly reprimanded Brett, “Why are you acting so strange today and looking so distracted? Claudia got you a present, you should take it!”After ensuring that the present had been received, the courier proceeded to leave.Brett was going to ask more questions but Fione's voice snapped him out of his trance. He suddenly remembered to assume his identity as Arthur.When he turned around, Fione

  • All But a Dream   Chapter 11

    “I only wanted to confront Claudia and ask her what she meant by this.”It seemed to take forever for Brett to finally explain himself. Regardless, the confusion with which he regarded Fione did not dissipate.Ever since Fione was a child, everyone around her had always known her to be a kind and demure girl who was also full of personality. That was the reason everyone was very fond of her.There is a saying that a person reveals their true self when they are angry.With this thought in mind, Brett started to wonder if this side of Fione he was looking at was the real Fione.He did not attempt to conceal the suspicion in his eyes. Fione was taken aback and quickly composed herself despite still feeling very flustered. Her eyes suddenly turned red as she started to explain, “I'm sorry, Honey. I didn't mean to snap at you, I was just scared when I saw what was inside the box, and then you ignored me…”Just like that, Brett felt a swell of sympathy inside him again. He immediatel

  • All But a Dream   Chapter 12

    "Know your place, Arthur. Even if Claudia did not leave, it doesn’t change the fact that she is still your sister-in-law and your wife's sister. “I don't care what you’ve been thinking about her but you better keep it to yourself and stop having these strange ideas.”Phillip spoke sternly and with that, he turned around and headed back to his room.Brett had become sickly and pale. He felt as if someone had poured a bucket of freezing water on him.Phillip’s statement cut into him like a dagger and struck deep into his heart. It did not matter whether he was "Arthur" or "Brett”, the statement he made still stood.If he were Arthur, he would be wise to keep his distance from Claudia and honor her as his sister-in-law rather than forcing her to stay by his side.And if he was Brett, he had consciously made the choice to give up Claudia the moment he chose to fake his death and took on Arthur’s identity. If he were to confess to what he had done, he would also be confessing to hi

  • All But a Dream   Chapter 13

    Come to think of it, this must be the reason why Claudia suddenly decided to move on and leave without being sentimental about it. She must have known.“How... how did I raise two unruly, ungrateful bastards?”Phillip was very animated and tried to swing his crutch at Brett. Just as he raised the crutch vertically in the air, he suddenly felt a constricting feeling in his chest.Without warning, he passed out from rage and collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud!Brett frantically helped Phillip up and called the ambulance. Meanwhile, Fione silently rolled her eyes but still made an effort to run up to help Phillip to keep up appearances. While they were waiting for the ambulance, she silently glanced at Brett’s expression.“So, are you Brett or are you not?”She presented the question hesitantly, knowing that she had already come to a conclusion. With that, she cast a shy look at Brett and whispered to him, “Brett, it doesn’t matter who you are as long as I know that you

  • All But a Dream   Chapter 14

    When Brett went back to the family home, Fione threw herself into his arms like a frightened child. This time he did not coax her tenderly the way he once did, but shoved her away without an ounce of affection.“The video isn’t edited, it’s the real footage. I never realized you were such a terrific actor, Fione.”Though Fione detested whoever it was who shared the video online, she made a point of feigning her usual innocence.With tears in her eyes, she grabbed the hem of Brett’s shirt and pleaded with him. “Brett, are you not going to believe me either? It wasn’t me who did it…”Brett felt another pang of regret when he looked at the way Fione was acting.The person he had adored for so long had turned out to be such a vicious snake.He could not believe he hurt Claudia who had truly loved him just to end up with someone so evil.If it wasn’t for Fione, he would be living together happily with Claudia. He would have stayed by her side through her pregnancy and worked on becom

  • All But a Dream   Chapter 15

    Brett did not know if he should have been thrilled or dejected. Afraid of getting too close, he kept behind her at a modest distance.When Claudia stepped into a private area, the bodyguard stopped him.“Sir, this section is closed off to the public, you may not enter.”Claudia did not look back.The reason she had been staying on her private island was so she could get away from the people in her past. Considering her past relationship with Brett, he was the last person she would make an exception for.Brett watched as her figure slowly disappeared into the distance and felt a grim, sour feeling settle inside him.Every day he spent without Claudia was beyond grueling.Whenever he tossed and turned in bed, he could not stop thinking if this was the same kind of agony Claudia had to endure during the three months when he was “deceased”.Come to think of it, it must have been worse for her.At the very least, he had the comfort of knowing Claudia was alive in some hidden corner

Bab terbaru

  • 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

Jelajahi dan baca novel bagus secara gratis
Akses gratis ke berbagai novel bagus di aplikasi GoodNovel. Unduh buku yang kamu suka dan baca di mana saja & kapan saja.
Baca buku gratis di Aplikasi
Pindai kode untuk membaca di Aplikasi
DMCA.com Protection Status