Loved You Once But He's My Forever (Chloe) novel Chapter 14

I stood by the bedside, staring at the corpse in front of me. There was no sign of decay, no livor mortis.

The face was just too pale, like a sick person.

If the chest wasn't so still, I would've thought he was just taking a nap.

I'd been holding on to a sliver of hope, thinking that maybe I was just badly injured or stuck in a coma—anything that meant I still had a breath left in me.

If Luke found me in time, maybe he could still save me.

But the moment I laid eyes on my own corpse, all hope disappeared.

I was really, truly dead.

I sat beside my own corpse, gazing down at my palms. What was I supposed to do now? Was I really going to be stuck like this forever?

No taste, no smell, and not even a single tear when I tried to cry. So this was what it was like after death?

No one could hear me. I could see everyone, but no one could see me. I covered my face, crying without tears.

Then, I heard footsteps—quick, hurried steps, and more than one person.

The person who walked in had those familiar eyes, but his face was hidden behind another mask, so I still couldn't see his real face.

Following him was a tall, dark-skinned guy dressed in robes.

"That's her," the man said, pointing at my body.

The guy in robes quickly pulled off the white sheet draped over me, exposing my body underneath. I could clearly see the wound on my abdomen.

My pale skin was slick with a layer of some transparent grease, likely some kind of substance that kept the corpse from showing signs of decay.

Seeing the man in robes …

A bad feeling crept up inside me.

The dark-skinned man inspected me from head to toe, occasionally pressing on my body, almost as if he was testing the elasticity of my skin.

His gaze felt more like he was inspecting merchandise than a person.

He pointed at the wound on my abdomen and said with a regional accent, "It's a shame there's a scar here. Otherwise, we could remove it whole."

Remove it whole?

Was that what I think it meant? He wanted to skin me?

How was that even possible? This was a society governed by the law.

But their serious expressions made it obvious they weren't kidding.

As the guy got his tools ready and moved closer to me, I screamed with everything I had, "No! Get away!"

Then everything went black. When I came to, I was back in a place I knew.

It was the Bolton Residence.

I slumped on the ground, feeling completely drained, and my mind kept flashing back to that guy in robes.

"Get down!" The old, but still commanding voice snapped me back to reality.

It was Luke's Grandpa, Jeffrey Bolton. I hadn't seen him in a long time.

After his wife died a few years ago, his health and mind had deteriorated significantly. He'd be clear-headed one moment and confused the next.

To keep him from wandering around and getting lost, he'd been staying in a nursing home for the past few years.

The last time I saw him, his mind was like that of a child.

But now he looked serious and composed, so it seemed like he had regained his senses.

I rushed up to him in desperation, shouting, "Grandpa, please help me! I'm begging you, don't let them skin me!"

But the large room was filled only with his strong, booming voice.

"On the day of the grand wedding between the Boltons and the Sanders, you left Chloe at the ceremony. Whether her sister lives or dies is not my concern. How can I trust you with the Boltons after such a reckless act?"

Years ago, Adam insisted on being with Sheila despite Jeffrey's disapproval. This led to Jeffrey's deep disappointment in him. Since then, all of his hopes were pinned on Luke.