Back From Prison, Built For Revenge - Chapter 46: Chapter 46

Chloe slowly opened her eyes, wincing at the blinding white light that made her frown involuntarily. A dull ache throbbed in her head, reminding her of what had just happened.
She instinctively raised a hand and touched the bandage wrapped around her forehead, feeling the faint, unsettling dampness of blood seeping through beneath her fingertips.
Chloe tried to sit up, only to find her body utterly limp, completely drained of strength. It was then she realized she was lying in a hospital bed, a thin blanket covering her, and an IV drip inserted into the back of her hand.
She struggled to remember, memories flooding back in waves. She had a sudden high fever in the dead of night and was rushed to the hospital in a daze.
Through her blurred vision, Chloe caught a fleeting glimpse of Demi, who looked anxious.
"You're awake?" a familiar voice murmured close to her ear.
Chloe turned her head and saw Demi standing beside the bed, holding a cup of warm water. Her eyes were red-rimmed, betraying her concern.
Demi gently set the cup of water on the bedside table, her voice laced with concern as she asked, "How are you feeling? Any pain or discomfort?"
Chloe remained silent. Her gaze drifted past Demi to the city skyline outside the hospital's floor-to-ceiling window. Row upon row of gleaming buildings shimmered in the sunlight, yet they filled her with an icy emptiness.
Memories came flooding back, every moment from those years with the Stone family flashed through her mind.
There were Peter and Phoebe's artificial smiles, Hayden's cold indifference, and Yolanda's perpetually innocent expression.
Chloe had once believed she was part of this family, only to realize she was just a substitute, a pawn to be discarded at any moment.
Chloe closed her eyes, trying to suppress the emotions churning within her. But the scenes only intensified, and she could even hear Evelyn's kind voice from years ago. "Chloe, remember, no matter what happens, I'll always be on your side."
'But now, the only one who ever truly loves me lies in a hospital bed, her fate uncertain. And who is to blame for all this?' Chloe wondered.
"Ms. Quinn," Demi murmured softly, her eyes welling up in sympathy as she saw a tear slip down Chloe's cheek. "Please don't be upset. You still have us."
Chloe abruptly raised a hand to wipe away her tears, took a steadying breath, and shoved all her vulnerability deep into her heart.
'I can't fall apart now. I won't,' Chloe told herself. After everything she'd been through over the years, she'd long since mastered how to put on a brave face.
"Don't cry," Chloe said, her voice surprisingly steady as she turned to comfort Demi. "We both need to be strong."
Demi was stunned. She never expected that Chloe, the one who needed comforting, would end up comforting her instead. Demi's nose tingled, and she couldn't hold back her tears any longer.
"Ms. Quinn, I—" Demi choked back sobs, at a loss for words.
Chloe reached out and gently grasped Demi's hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "I'm fine. Don't worry," she assured Demi.
The two sat in silence for a while, until Demi finally composed herself and cautiously spoke, "Mrs. Stone has been waiting outside. She'd like to see you."
At the mention of Phoebe, Chloe's expression instantly turned icy. She let go of Demi's hand and sank back into the pillow, her voice flat and dismissive. "I won't see her."
"But," Demi hesitated for a moment. "Mrs. Stone insists on apologizing to you in person. She asked me to tell you that she truly regrets it."
"Regret?" Chloe's lips twisted into a sneer. "After all the damage is done, now she decides to regret it?"
Demi lowered her head, not daring to speak again. She knew all too well how much Chloe had suffered over the years, with Phoebe being the undeniable cause of it all.
After a moment, Chloe said, "Don't let Grandma know about this. I don't want her to worry."
"But Mrs. Evelyn Stone—" Demi trailed off hesitantly.
"I said I don't want her to know," Chloe reiterated, her voice tinged with weariness and resignation. "Understand?"
Demi nodded. "Understood. I'll handle it properly."
Just as the words left her lips, a faint sound came from the doorway. Both women turned to look, catching a glimpse of a familiar figure hurrying past. It was Phoebe.
"Seems she's really persistent," Chloe sneered, then closed her eyes and turned away from the door. "Tell her I'm still unconscious. I don't want to see anyone."
Demi responded, "Yes," then, with no other choice, turned to leave.
The ward fell silent once more, broken only by the rhythmic, monotonous beeping of medical equipment. This sense of loneliness wrapped around Chloe like an invisible net, tightly enveloping and suffocating her.
After what felt like an eternity, Demi reentered. This time, she was holding an exquisitely wrapped small gift box.
"Mrs. Stone left it in a hurry," Demi murmured hesitantly as she placed the gift box on the bedside table. "Would you like to take a look, Ms. Quinn?"
Chloe opened her eyes and glanced at the gift box in silence.
The exquisite wrapping and ornate ribbon spoke volumes about the giver's thoughtfulness, yet to her, that very attention only made the gesture feel all the more bitterly ironic and hypocritical.
After a moment of silence, Chloe finally reached out and drew the gift box closer. The instant she untied the ribbon and lifted the lid, her eyes fell upon a pearl necklace snapped cleanly in two.
It was a vintage pearl necklace, each pearl once perfectly round and lustrous. Now, it lay snapped cleanly in two, its silk threads dangling haphazardly, just like the shattered fragments of an irreparable relationship.
Chloe's breath caught. This was the very necklace Phoebe had given her for her tenth birthday. Chloe could still hear Phoebe's gentle voice saying, "This necklace represents my love for you. I hope you'll always cherish it."
But now, this so-called symbol of maternal love had been returned to her, broken. 'What's this supposed to mean? Is it a taunt? Or a final severing of ties?' Chloe wondered.
Memories flooded back again. Those childhood scenes felt as vivid as yesterday.
Phoebe held Chloe's hand while picking out her birthday cake; the whole family gathered around the dinner table, laughter filling the air; and every night before bed, Phoebe's gentle, warm voice told her stories.
But reality had mercilessly shattered those beautiful illusions. From the day the truth was laid bare, Chloe understood that the happiness she once thought belonged to her was nothing but a carefully woven lie.
Now, this broken necklace was like a knife, severing all lingering resentment and fantasy, leaving everything exposed and undeniable.
Chloe suddenly let out a hollow laugh, her smile filled with bitterness and self-mockery. 'So in the end, they couldn't even be bothered to keep up the act anymore?' she thought.
"Ms. Quinn," Demi's eyes welled up as she watched. "Don't be so upset."
"They're not worth my sorrow," Chloe said as she slowly closed the gift box and set it back on the nightstand.
Chloe shut her eyes and leaned into the pillow as if she never wanted to speak of it again. Yet only she knew the bitter sorrow and crushing desolation swelling in her chest, threatening to consume her.
The hospital room remained brightly lit, yet for Chloe, all she felt was a chilling emptiness.
Just like that pearl necklace, snapped in two and beyond repair, no matter how she tried to piece it back together, nothing could ever return to how it once was.