Back From Prison, Built For Revenge - Chapter 8: Chapter 8

A draft slipped through a crack in the window, and Chloe felt the cold air ghost across her cheek. She stood in the long hallway of the Stone villa, her eyes fixed on the closed door to Evelyn's bedroom.
Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open.
The room was cast in a dim, warm glow. Evelyn was propped up against the headboard, her face pale, her eyes sharp. Looking at the one who had showered her with affection, Chloe felt a dizzying sense of dislocation.
"Chloe, you're here," Evelyn said, her voice weak but laced with relief.
"Grandma, let me help you." Chloe moved to the bedside and gently supported her, arranging the pillows. Evelyn's body was as light as a bird's, as if a strong gust of wind could carry her away.
"Don't fuss over me, I'm fine," Evelyn insisted, but her words was cut short by a sudden, violent fit of coughing that curled her up with pain.
"Doctor! Get the doctor!" Chloe yelled, spinning toward the door.
Demi rushed in, the family doctor right behind her. He quickly opened his medical bag, and after a brief examination, administered an injection. The entire time, Chloe gripped Evelyn's hand, its icy coldness a stark ache in her own.
"She's alright," the doctor said in a low voice. "Just emotional distress. She needs rest."
Chloe nodded, relieved, but her heart remained heavy. The Stone family was a whirlpool, and Evelyn was the only thing Chloe was willing to fight to keep from being pulled under.
"You can all go," Evelyn said weakly. "I'd like a moment alone with Chloe."
When the room was empty, Evelyn tightened her grip on Chloe's hand, her gaze complex. "Chloe, my dear," she began, "you've suffered so much."
Chloe looked down, saying nothing. The word "suffered" was a pebble meant to describe a mountain of pain.
"I know you hold resentment in your heart," Evelyn continued, her voice full of sorrow. "But no matter what, you are still a part of this family. All I want, in the time I have left, is to see you find happiness."
Happiness sounded so foreign that Chloe couldn't stop the ironic smile that touched her lips. "Grandma, happiness has never been in the cards for me."
"Don't say that," Evelyn sighed. "I know you're resistant to the idea of marriage, but finding someone who truly loves you... it could be its own kind of freedom."
The words made Chloe freeze. Love? Freedom? They sounded absurd and distant. She slowly pulled away her hand. "My career is my focus now. Marriage isn't on my radar."
Evelyn looked taken aback for a moment, studying Chloe's expression. Finally, she gave up, patting Chloe's hand gently. "Alright, dear... as long as you're happy."
A soft knock came at the door. Demi poked her head in. "Miss Chloe, you have a visitor."
"Who is it?" Chloe's brow furrowed.
"It's... Miss Yolanda."
The name was a shard of glass in her ear. Chloe's expression turned to ice. "I'm not seeing her. Tell her to leave."
Demi hesitated. "Miss, perhaps you should reconsider? Maybe... "
"I said I'm not seeing her," Chloe repeated, her tone leaving no room for argument.
A soft, yet stubborn, voice drifted from the hallway. "Chloe, I just want to see you... I won't take up much of your time."
Yolanda stood in the doorway, her white dress making her look pitifully innocent, her face a mask of perfect, sorrowful concern. To Chloe, it was a sickeningly familiar performance.
A flicker of cold curiosity stirred. Chloe finally relented with a curt nod. "Let her in."
A faint, cloying perfume followed Yolanda into the room, coating the air in a layer of artificial sweetness. She approached Chloe, her voice a careful mixture of timidity and ingratiation. "How have you been feeling, Chloe?"
"Get to the point," Chloe said, her voice flat. She had no energy for these games. "Don't waste my time."
Yolanda's smile froze for an instant before she recovered. "I know I've done many things to wrong you in the past. I came today to apologize... "
The words sounded so ludicrous coming from Yolanda's lips that Chloe let out a short, sharp laugh. "A little late for apologies, don't you think?"
"It's never too late, if you can forgive me," Yolanda said, her head bowed in fragile remorse. But a flicker of cold calculation in her eyes betrayed the performance.
"Forgive you?" Chloe leaned back. "Tell me, when you were framing me, did you think about this day?"
The question struck Yolanda like a physical blow. Her face went white, but she held her ground. "It was all a misunderstanding. I never meant to hurt you... "
"Stop it!" Chloe shot to her feet, the chair scraping loudly against the floor. "Stop insulting my intelligence with these lies. I have one question for you—why?"
The simple word was heavy with years of anger, betrayal, and a deep, aching pain.
Yolanda's jaw was tight. She didn't answer right away. After a moment, she looked up, her voice taking on a pleading tone. "Whatever happened in the past, we're still a family... "
Chloe laughed again, a sound stripped of all humor. "If 'family' means hurting each other, then I'm sorry, but I have no use for that kind of 'love'."
The tension in the room was a drawn bowstring. Suddenly, the door burst open.
Demi stood there, her eyes darting between the two women. "Miss Chloe, is everything alright?"
"Yes," Chloe said, reigning in her emotions, her face becoming a cool, blank mask once more. "Show our guest out."
The command was absolute. Yolanda bit her lip, lowering her head in a gesture of wounded defeat.
But as she turned to leave, a venomous hatred flashed in her eyes. Chloe watched her go, then slowly closed her own eyes, burying the storm of emotions within her.
The sky outside had turned to black. Chloe stood alone by the window, staring into the inky night. A gust of wind lifted the curtain's edge, tearing open a wound in her sealed-off memories.
Three years ago, she had been naive enough to believe in things like loyalty and love.
She had been proven spectacularly wrong. She wouldn't make the same mistake twice. She would never again give anyone the power to hurt her.
Not her so-called family. And not Carlos, the man she had once loved with all her heart.