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

Was it really over?

I felt completely drained, as though every ounce of energy had been sapped from me. Although I was still alive, my body felt as if it had been utterly exhausted.noveldrama

"Has Luke been cremated? I need to say goodbye," I asked softly.

Zoey shook her head. "I'm not sure. After you collapsed, I had to focus on taking care of the babies. I'm sorry, Chloe. I shouldn't have left you alone."

None of us had expected that Harlan hadn't been with Carter at the time, arriving earlier than anticipated.

I gently placed a hand on Zoey's shoulder. "No one is to blame. It's fate, Zoey. We can't fight fate."

Looking around, I noticed Harlan wasn't present. Lowering my voice, I asked, "Zoey, if that was my death curse, what does that mean for your future?"

"What else can we do? We just have to go with the flow," Zoey answered, offering a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I'm okay. Being able to live again, to see my parents and you, is already more than I deserve. Even one more day feels like a gift. Don't worry about me. Life and death are beyond our control, and fortune is something that belongs to the heavens."

I let out a soft sigh, knowing that despite her words, Zoey wasn't as carefree as she appeared. Like me, she too was powerless against the force of fate.

We had tried to resist, but in the end, we had no choice but to accept it.

After drinking some water and eating a little, I began to feel a bit stronger. I asked Kate to assist me as I prepared to say my final goodbyes to Luke.

He had died because of me, and no matter what the past had held-whether love or hatred it had all faded into nothing.

At the crematorium, Carter stood holding a small urn. His eyes were red from crying, and as soon as he saw me, I rushed to him, wrapping my arms around him. "Carter..."

He handed the urn to Damian and then pulled me into a tight embrace. "Are you alright? Feeling better? Is the fever gone?"

I looked at his exhausted face and shook my head.

Even though I always tried to shield him from the pain, Carter was always the one

who suffered the most. He was the one who felt the deepest sorrow.

He had just lost two family members. How could he endure this?

Yet, even in his grief, he was concerned about me and the children.

"I'm fine," I whispered, holding him tightly.

His forehead rested against my head. "You're still a bit warm, but it's not too bad."

"You've been so busy. You should eat something and rest," I urged.

"It's fine," he replied softly. "I'm not hungry. I'll stay with you. I know you want to say goodbye to Luke."

Once again, no one understood me like Carter did.

He took my hand and led me into the dim, cold morgue.

It was my first time in a place like this. The chill in the air seemed to come at me from all directions, making my skin prickle with cold.

Luke's body was covered with a white sheet. It had been prepared for cremation, but he was still dressed in the bloodstained suit he had worn before.

Carter gently lifted the sheet, revealing Luke's pale and lifeless face.

"He specifically chose this suit for today," Carter said quietly. "I thought he wanted

to leave wearing it, so I didn't let anyone change his clothes."

I nodded silently.

I stared at his body, reflecting on the 20 years we had known each other, from the age of 8 to 28. We had shared so much—good and bad.

I had seen him at his best and at his worst, including the time when he hated me with everything he had.

Flashes of our time together came to my mind, but the final memory that lingered was that last moment, when Luke had taken the knife meant for me.

In that instant, he had redeemed himself. The man who had abandoned me a

year ago had, at last, atoned for his mistake with his life.

As I looked at his face, tears filled my eyes. "Luke, go now. Don't worry about me anymore. I'll live my life well. Once you get to the afterlife, just let go of all the past pain. In your next life, find a woman you truly love and live peacefully.

"We were never meant to be."

In my previous life, I had worn a wedding dress, expecting to meet him, but he never showed up.

This time around, he wore a groom's suit, only to meet death instead.

We were never on the same page, always just missing each other between life and death.

Carter wrapped his arms around me. "If you need to cry, let it all out now. After this, I don't want to see you shed another tear for him."

I clutched his shirt, letting out a soft, muffled sound as I fought to hold back my tears.

This was the last time, Luke. These tears are for you.

I whispered hoarsely, "Carter, he had just one request—he wanted to be buried with my bracelet."

"Okay," he said, his voice steady.

We watched as Luke's body was carefully taken away. Only family members were allowed to remain behind. By the time his ashes were ready, it was already afternoon.

I made my way to Joy's grave, noticing that it had been well cared for. There were fresh flowers and offerings placed there.

Nearby, a new grave had been dug. The staff informed me that

someone had been visiting

frequently, always bringing snacks for Joy They had purchased the grave next to Joy's and had the

gravestone engraved just three days ago.

When the photograph was placed on the gravestone today, the visitor was startled

—it was the same man who had been coming around.

I hadn't informed Adam of Luke's passing.

After Jeffrey's death, Adam had left the Boltons and gone to meditate at a temple.

To Adam, Luke had been like a son-a person he had cared for and raised. I worried that if he learned of Luke's death, it would break him.

Carter and I shared an umbrella as we walked through the rain to say our final goodbye.

By now, I knew that Luke wouldn't have cared about the ceremony or the funeral.

I placed a handful of white chrysanthemums on his grave, staring at the photo of

the young, handsome man engraved there. Today, he was truly gone from my life. "Luke, goodbye."

After placing the flowers down, I left before the sun set.

On our way home, neither Carter nor I spoke. He carried his mother's ashes, and despite the heavy rain, he wanted to scatter them in the sea on a day when the sun shone brightly.

He placed Eleanor's ashes in the room where Jeffrey had once lived. Perhaps

that was where she would have preferred to rest.

I gently touched the urn and whispered, "I forgive you."

When we returned, Zoey and Harlan were struggling to change diapers.

They fumbled clumsily, with one of them holding the baby's arms and the other trying to manage the legs Meanwhite, Everett, as energetic as ever, bounced around, making things even messier. When Harlan bent down, Everett squirmed and

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managed to cover his hands in yellow baby poop.

Harlan nearly lost his composure. "My hands! My hands..."

Bill couldn't take it any longer. "You're so clumsy. How do you expect to be a dad like this? Let me do it."

It was clear from the way Bill looked at Harlan that fathers-in-law always get a bit more annoyed with their sons-in-law the longer they stare.

Before, Harlan had been unaware of Zoey's background, and he thought Bill might have harbored some kind of hostility toward him.

Now, he understood exactly where that hostility had come from.

In the past, Harlan might have muttered "old geezer" behind Bill's back.

But now, he knew better. He quickly stepped aside to wash his hands.

Philippa's two children ran up to me, calling out, "Chloe!"

I had been feeling down, but seeing their joyful faces made something soften

inside of me.

"Hey, darlings."

I walked over to Bill. "Dad, I'll take over."

"No need. Rest a bit. I've got this covered."

Bill quickly changed the diaper and then gently patted Everett's back after feeding

him, settling him on his shoulder as if he'd been doing it for years.

Philippa gave me a sympathetic look. "Poor thing. Tonight, I'll take care of the

kids. You and Carter should get some rest."

I smiled at her and shook my head. "Mom, I'm fine. The kids are well-behaved.

They won't give you any trouble tonight. Plus, you still have two more kids to look

after."

"They'll sleep with him tonight. They won't bother me," she assured me.

No wonder Philippa looked so much younger and more radiant now. She seemed

almost rejuvenated.

She looked more beautiful and youthful than before pregnancy. With two capable dads around, it was clear her life had improved significantly.

It was true what they say-single life could be blissful.

After washing his hands, Harlan, noticing that everyone's attention was on Everett and Everly, quietly

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pulled Lucian aside and slipped et

lollipop into his hand. With a

mischievous grin, he whispered, "Hey, buddy. I'm your brother-in-law."