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

Carter shook his head. "No, she only hurt you because she wanted to protect me -she tried to stop us from meeting in advance, to trade lives. But you were still reborn, and we still fell in love. When I realized what she was up to, I told her that our Stone of Duality exchange had failed. She won't hurt you anymore."

He reached out and gently ruffled my hair. "Besides, our fate has already changed in this lifetime. The existence of our children will make a difference."

I suddenly understood. That silver-haired version of me had died alone at sea, which proved that she had nothing left to hold onto. We had no children.

Everett and Everly's arrival had shattered the fate I once believed was set in stone.

Perhaps fate was never something dictated by others-it was something we had to change ourselves.

"Chloe, I know I didn't handle this well, but I truly had no other choice. She's my mother, after all. I despise what she did to you, but I can't bring myself to treat her as an enemy either. If you blame me or resent me, you can punish me however you want. I won't have any complaints."

I looked into his guilty eyes and let out a soft sigh. What could I do? I felt helpless too.

This had never really been his fault. He had spent his whole life craving love, and everything Eleanor did was out of love for him.

From his perspective, he was caught between his mother and the woman he loved. It would have been wrong for him to choose either side.

In the end, he decided to keep us all in the dark.

Even though I was the one who had suffered the most, I couldn't blame him for it.

He was willing to give me his very life. I couldn't hold this against him and argue about it endlessly.

I didn't even know if I had truly escaped death yet.

Beside me, Everly babbled in her baby voice. I didn't know what she was trying to tell me, but she sounded adorable.

I glanced at my babies and all my frustration and resentment melted away.

I raised my hand and lightly punched Carter's chest. "You j*rk! If you ever keep something like this from me again, I'll—"

Carter wrapped his arms around my waist and whispered against my ear. "You'll what?"

"I'll be mad for three whole hours!"

He chuckled. "I wouldn't dare let that happen."

After playing with the kids for a while, I headed to the kitchen.

Watching the busy figure in the kitchen, I should have noticed earlier. Even though they looked alike when they weren't smiling, Amber didn't have dimples.

If I had paid closer attention, I would have realized that Amber had a far more volatile temper, while Eleanor was cold and silent, softening only in front of Carter.

Back then, I barely knew Amber. I had simply written her off as a moody, unpredictable woman.

I had heard that Eleanor used to be lively and cheerful too, but the years had worn her down.

Sensing my presence, she suddenly turned her head. A sharp glint flashed in her eyes, and I realized that it must be a habit she picked up from years in the organization.

When she saw it was me, she slowly eased her expression. "You came at the right time. These are Carter's favorite dishes. When I'm gone, you'll have to cook them for him."

Looks like mothers-in-law are the same everywhere I wasn't going to escape this ordeal either.

I tested the waters. "I'm not going to learn to cook them. If he wants to eat them, can't you just cook them for him? You're still young. You could make these for him for decades to come."

Eleanor raised a hand and gave me a light knock on the head. "You wish. I won't be around forever."

A shadow flickered across her face. "You two will have to walk the rest of the road on your own."

Her words carried a hint of farewell. Did she have other plans?

Before I could press further, she changed the subject. "Alright, wash your hands and come learn."

"Aunt Amber, next month is my wedding with Carl. You'll come, right?"

"Hmm."

If I could forgive the Sanders, I could forgive her too.

Now that I am a mother myself, I understand her actions. If I knew my children's

future was doomed, I would do anything to protect them, too.

For the next few days, Eleanor stayed with us.

Most of the time, she helped me take care of the children.

Sometimes, she would sit in

Jeffrey's old room or the dining

room, staring into space for hours.noveldrama

As the wedding drew closer, I started going to bed earlier each night, wanting to

be in my best shape for the ceremony.

After weeks of recovery, my health had improved somewhat.

I could never return to the way I was before, but being alive was already a

blessing.

At night, Carter never disturbed my rest. Even though we had a nanny, he insisted

on taking care of the children himself.

He placed their crib in the small suite next to our bedroom, so my sleep wouldn't

be disrupted. However, he still got up once or twice every night.

He would feed them formula and change their diapers.

Now that the twins were over five months old, the doctor had advised us to wean them off night feedings.

The past few nights had been filled with their cries. The soundproofing in our room was excellent, so I barely heard anything.

But tonight, I woke up. "Carl, I'm so thirsty," I murmured instinctively.

Since my health had been poor, Carter usually took care of everything at home.

If I was thirsty, a glass of warm water would be brought to me.

If I was hungry, he would immediately head to the kitchen to heat up food.

After waiting a few seconds, he still hadn't responded.

I opened my eyes and found the bed empty. Lifting the covers, I got up and pushed open the door to the small suite. There, I saw Carter

carrying another on his back

holding one baby in his arms while

Everett had his tiny hands tangled in Carter's hair, while Everly clutched at his pajama buttons, wailing loudly.

"Shh, be good, don't cry. The doctor said no more milk at night. Be good, okay?"

Everly blinked her big eyes while sniffling as if she understood.

"Sweetie, that's right—"

"WAHHHH!" However, Everly burst into even louder sobs.

I stared at Carter with his pajama collar pulled askew, revealing his broad shoulders and collarbones.

Gone was the ruthless man who once chopped off fingers with a single motion. Everett was obsessed with pulling his hair, while Everly was just a spoiled little princess.

"Alright, no more crying." I said as I stepped forward, taking Everly from his arms.

The moment she was in my embrace, she quieted down. My heart softened instantly at the sight of her teary eyes and red nose.

Forget milk-if she asked for the stars, I'd find a way to give them to her.

I silently prayed for her future boyfriend. This little girl was going to be a handful.

I stroked her cheek. "Baby, how about I sing you a song?"

Carter reminded me, "I should do it. You need to rest. They've been difficult these past few nights."

"Don't forget, Carter-I'm their mother too. I'll keep you company."

I knew he felt guilty for being busy

during the day. Whenever he was home, he did his best to be a good husband and father, trying to prevent history from repeating itself.

However, he carried too much on his own, and that pained me.

A family wasn't meant to be shouldered by one person. Only by working together, could we make it stronger.

Once we finally put the little troublemakers to sleep, I was so exhausted that collapsed the moment my head hit the pillow.

When I woke up, Carter had already gone to work. After getting dressed and washing up, I prepared to visit the bridal shop for my makeup trial.

It had been a long time since I'd gone out, so I decided to put some effort into my appearance.

As I searched for clothes, I pulled open a drawer. And unexpectedly, I found a surgical document.

Carter had undergone a vasectomy.