Chapter 431: Hope to Tear You Apart

When I became a spirit, I had accepted that my parents never loved me. I couldn’t cry then, but my heart had already wept enough. So, no matter how harshly they spoke to me now, it didn’t bother me.

I looked at their shocked faces and continued, “We met in Snowville not long ago, didn’t we?”

“Are you truly Chloe? This can’t be! How could this even happen?”

I held a knife and moved closer. As I neared Josh, he snapped out of his daze, his face tense with fear.

“What are you going to do?” he asked, his voice shaky.

I bent down and calmly cut the rope binding his wrists, then stepped back. “I understand why you’re afraid of me. In your hearts, it would have been better if I had died. You’d be remembered as the grieving family, the good parents, the caring brother. But unfortunately, not only did I survive, I also remember your ugly faces clearly.”

Whitney looked at me, confused. “Chloe, what are you talking about?”

I helped her up and wiped away her tears. “Sweetheart, if you think our reunion is going to be all happy and harmonious, I’m afraid you’re wrong. I’m no longer part of the Sanders.”

Kate staggered toward me, her eyes full of tears. She looked at me like a loving mother. “Chloe, is it really you? I was wrong…”

She tried to reach out, but I took a step back. “Mrs. Sander, please understand. I’m Zoey now, and my mother is Philippa.”

“Chloe, are you still holding a grudge against us? We were tricked too. Can’t you forgive me?” Whitney tried to reason with me. “Chloe, we’re family. You…”

I cut her off. “I can accept you, Whitney, but not them.”

“That’s enough!” Josh snapped. “If you’ve been reborn, why didn’t you acknowledge us? No wonder there’s always tension between us when we meet. You knew that fake Anna was suspicious. Why didn’t you warn us? Ethan and Jake died because of you! Are you blaming us for not noticing your depression? You hid it so well. How were we supposed to know?”

That was why I never wanted a reunion. Even though I thought I had become heartless, hearing his accusation still stung. Nothing had changed, with or without Wisteria. Josh was still the same—he still saw me as a criminal who couldn’t be forgiven. I used to explain, but now I knew their true nature. It wasn’t me who was wrong, so why should I explain myself?

Josh shouted, “You wicked girl! How can you say something so cruel? You’ve let your whole family drive down that road to death and join Ethan.”

Josh raised his hand as if to strike me, just like he used to when incited by Wisteria. But this time, a hand stopped him. It was Carter, standing taller than him, blocking the blow.

Carter’s voice was icy. “If she’s cruel, she should bury you herself. You have no right to hit her.”

The Sanders looked confused, unsure of why Carter was here and why his legs seemed fine. Only Whitney seemed puzzled, not understanding why I and her family had become enemies. Since she had been largely isolated, without access to a phone or the internet, she only knew a small part of the truth. She had no idea what my life was like at the Sander residence. To protect the image of her family in her mind, I had never mentioned the unpleasant things I went through. I didn’t expect the Sanders to show up here, making everything even more absurd. This time, though, I wasn’t alone. Carter’s tall figure stood protectively in front of me, blocking any hostility coming from the Sanders.

Greg spoke up, “Mr. Bolton, my father’s heart is weak. Please let him go.”

Carter forcefully pushed Josh onto the couch. Whitney, noticing his poor condition, rushed to get him a glass of water. “Dad, drink this first.”

He sighed, placed his hand on his knee, and sat still, staring at me coldly. “Back then, we were deceived. When we heard about your death, do you think we weren’t worried? I even went to Chedor with Luke to search for you. I searched everywhere. You’ve been reborn but didn’t acknowledge us. And you said those things at the funeral. Do you truly think Ethan and Jake’s deaths aren’t your fault? If only you had warned us earlier, they wouldn’t have died!”

Greg added, “Yes, Chloe. You didn’t die, but you didn’t acknowledge us either. You made us suffer for no reason. Dad and Mom are getting old, and they have to deal with the loss of their children. Do you understand how hard that is for them?”

I smirked sarcastically. “How hard is it? The day after I died, the police called you in for questioning. What did you say? You said someone like me deserved to die. Mrs. Sander was more interested in doing her nails. You two rushed back to your company, unwilling to stay even a little longer to help the police. Honestly, I wish I could have come back as an evil spirit to tear you all apart. You should experience what it feels like to be skinned alive and have your bones crushed.”

That was why I never wanted to acknowledge them. There was simply no point. The people who loved you would love you no matter what you became, and the people who hated you would still hate you even if you were dead. They hadn’t changed at all.

“Was it Luke who told you this?” They were confused about how I knew so many details.

“No. After I died, I became a spirit and watched everything. I saw how my family ignored my disappearance, badmouthed me, and even ate from the bowl that held my ashes. I watched as you all were fooled by the fake Anna, yet you still defended her as if she were real. It’s honestly laughable.”

“Acknowledge you all? I fought so hard to come back to life. Why would I waste my time on heartless people like you? The Chloe you once knew is gone. I’ve already paid back everything I owed you. So stop with the fake pity. I know exactly how dirty you all are. If you don’t want me to expose everything, stay out of my way.”

Saying all that made me feel a lot better. I looked at Whitney, who was staring at me with a mix of emotions. I smiled at her and patted her head. “Sorry for scaring you.”

Suddenly, applause echoed from the stairs. “What a great show!”