My Love Until the Last Goodbye (Mary and Maximus) novel Chapter 244

Chapter 0244 

Laura was the second child of Maximus and Alexia. She hastraight blonde hair, eyes that shifted between shades of gray and green, and an oval face with delicate, rosy checks that accented her pale, porcelain skin. She didn’t share any noticeable features with Maximus or the Palmer family, Laura was aware that her father wasn’t as close to her as she wished he could be. Despite her fine features, he didn’t resemble her siblings either, which only deepened her sense of isolation 

From the very beginning, Laura had faced rejection from her mother. Alexia had even wished to terminate the pregnancy, but by the time she realized she was expecting, was already too late. Alexia knew exactly why she had rejected this child–she was almost certain Laura wast Maximus’s daughter. The girl, she believed, was the product of a drumken night out with friends. 

Alexia clearly remembered that evening. She had stormed out of the house after an argument with Maximus–one of many. The reason for their fight was hazy; there had been so many. She left in a rage, meeting her friends at a bar. After several glasses of wine, a blonde man with honey colored eyes approached her. He was charming, and the rest was history. 

Weeks after that encounter, Alexia started to suspect she might be pregnant. The realization sent a chill down her spine. She knew the child couldn’t be Maximus’s. But by the time she confirmed her pregnancy, the first trimester -the only window to terminate–had already passed. She had no choice but to carry the child, knowing her own life would be at risk if she tried otherwise. 

Alexia sighed and prayed that Maximus would believe her story. When the time came, she told him she was pregnant, shaving a month off the timeline to make it plausible. She even bribed the doctor to align the dates during her checkups. In the months that followed, her relationship with Maximus improved. They had been on the brink of divorce for nearly two years, but the news of the baby seemed to mend things for a while. 

When Laura was born, however, Maximus was stunned. Lucius, their eldest, had been the spitting image of him. as a child. Laura, on the other hand, was a blonde cherub, a stark contrast to the dark features of the Palmer lineage. Alexia insisted the child took after her side of the family, though deep down, she knew the truth–or at least what she believed to be the truth. 

Because Laura didn’t feel close to her father, her self–esteem suffered. She was always timid, avoiding conflict and keeping to herself. Laura was quiet and discreet, but her 18th birthday was approaching, and with it, an odd realization—she was now the same age as the young women her father often entertained. One of those girls, Audrey, even attended the same prestijohnus high school. Although they weren’t in the same class, they shared the same halls. 

Despite her insecurities, Laura excelled in extracurricular activities such as performing arts, ballet, and dance She had a natural grace and beauty suited for the stage, but she didn’t see herself that way. She felt lonely. Her mother was always busy with her friends at the country club, and her father didn’t care about what she did as long as she stayed out of his way. They lived in the same house, but she rarely saw them Each existed in their own world, far removed from hers. 

Laura’s memories of her grandmother Catherine were faint, almost nonexistent. Catherine had passed away when Laura was just three years old. If there had been any meaningful moments with her, they had long since faded into obscurity. 

Curiously, Laura faced bullying from Audrey Brown. At first, Audrey hadn’t known Maximus Palmer personally. She only knew he was Laura’s father, a wealthy and powerful man. She had never met him at school. Laura, being quiet and introverted, appeared weak in Audrey’s eyes. To her, Laura’s reserved demeanor was nothing but a -façade. “How could someone with everything in life act like such a meek little nobody?” she often thought. Audrey’s bullying stemmed from envy, rooted in Laura’s high social standing and privilege from birth. 

Lucius, on the other hand, had a soft spot for Laura. Despite his cold and detached demeanor with everyone else, 

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