Loved You Once But He's My Forever (Chloe) novel Chapter 21

When I reached the estate, my thoughts were no longer tangled in worries about Luke or Anna. My mind turned instead to my grandmother.

If I had known that last week before the wedding would be the final time I saw her, I would have spent every moment with her. I would have made sure to cherish those last days.

Now, nearly a month had passed. I wondered if her health had improved at all.

Luke arrived at the estate and asked for permission to see Penelope. After getting the nod, he stepped inside, a warm smile on his face.

"Penelope, I've come to visit."

Fearing that his delay might be noted, he quickly added, "I got held up with some matters. I sent Chloe ahead to check on you. How are you feeling?"

Penelope didn't respond. Instead, a glass flew through the air, aimed directly at Luke.

Her strength was not what it used to be. The glass missed him and shattered on the floor at his feet.

Luke understood she was still upset about him abandoning the wedding. Feeling guilty, he wasn't angered. He moved closer to her with steady resolve.

I saw Grandma lying in bed, looking more frail than ever.

She tried to sit up, but a maid hurried to help.

"Be careful, Penelope," Luke said, moving faster to assist her. He added with mild reproach, "Chloe should know better. With your condition, where did she run off to?"

Before he could get close, Penelope's hand shot out, delivering a sharp slap to his face.

"Don't touch me! Get out!"

Luke's smile briefly faltered. He held back his irritation, speaking softly. "Penelope, I know I've made mistakes. If you want to hit me or punish me, I'll accept it."

At that moment, my mother's voice echoed from the hallway, even though she hadn't yet entered the room. "Penelope, why are you doing this? Luke came to see you out of kindness. Why are you hitting him?"

Penelope pushed Luke's hand away and let the maid help her back against the pillows. She pointed a shaky finger at him, her voice filled with regret and anger.

"I don't want a heartless grandson-in-law like him. I regret helping them. I should never have listened to Chloe and had the old man lend their family money. What did we get for that? A snake. You ungrateful boy; you left my granddaughter alone at the altar. How can you be so cruel?"

As Penelope spoke, tears began to stream down her face. My own heart, once numb from the grief of losing loved ones to betrayal, felt a spark of life once more.

I knelt beside her bed, my voice soft and pleading. "Grandma, please don't cry. I'm here … "

I reached out, trying to wipe the tears from her cheeks. Yet, my fingers passed through her face, unable to make contact.

She couldn't hear my voice or see my desperate attempts.

My mother's voice suddenly pierced the silence. "Penelope, this isn't Luke's fault. He did what he did for Anna. You know Anna's health isn't great. What started as a small problem turned into a big scandal, all because Chloe made it public."