Chapter 73: Memory Ends

Chloe, hearing the man in front of her—her own father—call her mother a failure, felt something inside her snap. It was as if all the restraint she had been holding onto broke free. She didn't even notice that her previous nervousness had vanished as she abruptly stood up from her chair and, without hesitation, grabbed the knife from the table.

In an instant, she flung the sharp knife with all her might toward the heartless man who had insulted her mother. Chloe, who wasn't used to throwing things, it felt almost like a miracle that she managed to aim so precisely at the man standing across the room from her.

Anderes, watching the scene unfold as if in slow motion, was momentarily shocked. He hadn't expected this kind of wild behavior from Carmelia's daughter—his daughter. For her to throw a knife at him so suddenly, so recklessly—it was something he hadn't anticipated.

The brown-haired woman, Anderes' current wife, and her two children were equally stunned. They had never imagined that someone who appeared so small and innocent as Chloe could be this dangerous. No one in the room had been prepared for this, so no one could move to stop the knife from flying toward Anderes.

But Anderes himself wasn't worried. After all, he was a trained fighter, and a knife thrown by a child was nothing for him to be concerned about. He could easily block it. However, the sheer unexpectedness of the attack caught him off guard. He hadn't anticipated this reaction.

In the blink of an eye, Anderes moved to protect his vital areas—his neck, his eyes, and his chest. After a split second, he felt a sharp sting on his forearm, followed by the sound of the knife clattering to the floor. The pain in his arm confirmed that Chloe's knife had indeed hit its mark, but it was far from a fatal blow.

Relaxing slightly, Anderes lowered his guard, knowing that there were no more knives within the wild child's reach.

Anderes wasn't particularly worried. He knew that his shadow guards were always nearby, ready to act on his signal. If Chloe pushed things too far, they would stop her. Still, he had no intention of killing her. On the contrary, he found her actions amusing. Chloe's spirit—her wildness—was entertaining to him, and it was in stark contrast to her mother, Carmelia.

Yet, he couldn't help but think. 'It's unfortunate she is so tiny and fragile' He doubted she would grow much stronger, no matter how fierce she acted now with her tiny body.

Glancing down at the blood slowly dripping from his sleeve, Anderes noticed the minor cut—about an inch long—on his forearm. He smirked slightly, thinking to himself. 'This child is certainly braver than my two sons. They can't even look me in the eye when I'm angry. It's such a shame she's a girl and even more of a shame that she's so small and weak.'

While Chloe had shown a remarkable amount of courage, Anderes doubted that she would be of much use to him in the future. The World Evolution was fast approaching, and after that people would begin to awaken their magical abilities. Perhaps she would awaken something powerful, but even if that happened, it would be simple enough for him to force her under his control.

After all, she was still just a child. If she awakened any kind of strong magic, he could easily mold her into a tool for his own purposes. But now, after this outburst and the fact that she had actually wounded him in front of everyone, his pride wouldn't allow him to consider bringing her in to follow alongside his sons.

Chloe, on the other hand, stared at the man she called father. He stood there with blood dripping from his sleeve, a small cut visible on his arm. And in that moment, Chloe finally realized the gravity of what she had done. She had acted on impulse and actually hurt someone—her father, no less.

This was the first time young Chloe had ever hurt another person, and the fact that she had caused someone to bleed left her shaken. Staring at the blood before her, she couldn't hold back the flood of emotions any longer. Her small body began to tremble, and tears welled up in her eyes, spilling over her cheeks like a torrent.

But these tears weren't from guilt or regret for what she had done. No, Chloe wasn't sorry. Her tears were for the young girl inside her who had once held onto a faint hope that her father would one day apologize—that he would recognize his mistakes, say sorry, and ask for her forgiveness. That hope was now crushed.

The man she had called father didn't even flinch, didn't even acknowledge that he had done anything wrong by calling her mother a failure. Chloe understood in that moment, with brutal clarity, that there was no place for her in this family, in this house. And with that realization, she began shouting, her tears of anger and resentment falling onto the table as her small frame shook with rage.

She screamed everything she had held inside her heart for years.

"Why?! Why?! WHY?! My mother loved you with all her heart! But why did you betray her like that?!"

"You bastard! You didn't even visit her when she was sick!"

*Sob* *Sob* *Sob*

Chloe tried her hardest not to cry as she expressed her deep-seated anger and resentment. But for a young and pure girl like her, it was impossible not to. She wiped at her tears with her hand, but they just kept coming, flowing down her face in an endless stream. Her voice rose, becoming higher-pitched as she struggled to get her words out through her sobs.

Chloe glanced at the brown-haired woman seated at the table—the woman who had replaced her mother. The woman's mouth was slightly open, her eyes wide in shock at the scene unfolding before her. But she hadn't moved. From the beginning of Chloe's emotional outburst, Anderes had signaled with a casual wave of his hand that no one was to interfere.

And so, no one stopped the young girl's cries. Not even the woman's two sons, who were equally stunned. They had never seen their father allow anyone to speak to him like this, much less a small, wild girl. Their father, Anderes Shade, was a man of power and authority. He commanded fear and respect. But here, he had done nothing to stop this child from throwing insults at him.

Anderes had told them all to stay back because he found the entire situation amusing. He watched, entertained, as the small, weak girl—his own flesh and blood—screamed and sobbed before him. No one had dared disrespect him like this in years. Not since his own father, the former ruler of the Eastern Union, had challenged him.

And Anderes had taken care of that problem personally, silencing his father after learning about the World's Evolution.

Now, Anderes watched Chloe with a mixture of amusement and calculation. He still held some hope that she would awaken powerful magic after the World Evolution. If she did, he could easily control her, shaping her into a pawn in his greater plans. After all, what was one girl against his army of thousands? Even if she awakened something impressive, she wouldn't be able to resist his power.

But for now, he was content to let her rage. He wanted to see how this weak, little thing—his own daughter, whom he was ashamed of—would act. Would she keep fighting? Or would she crumble?

With her eyes burning with hatred, Chloe turned her attention back to the brown-haired woman, her words full of venom.

"And you! You're not even ashamed to be here! You're nothing but a whore! You replaced my mother while she was sick! heartless woman!"

Then she looked at Anderes's face once again.

"But that's not even the worst part, you monster!" Chloe screamed, her voice cracking as more tears poured down her face. "You didn't even go to her funeral! Why?! Why didn't you attend her funeral?!"

Her tears flowed harder, but Chloe didn't wait for a response. Without giving anyone the chance to say a word, she turned and ran for the door. Her small feet pounded against the floor, her sobs echoing in the grand hall as she fled.

*Tap* *Tap* *Tap* *Sob* *Sob* *Sob*

No one stopped her. No one moved. While running Chloe's heart felt like it was shattering into a thousand pieces. And just as she reached the door, she heard something that made her world crumble completely—the sound of laughter. Her father's laughter.

The last sliver of hope Chloe had held onto, the hope that her father might care, was gone. Her heart was broken, and now, more than ever, she hated Anderes Shade with every fiber of her being. Searᴄh the Nôvelƒire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Anderes stood there laughing, shaking his head. He had expected more from her—perhaps another reckless attempt to throw something at him now that he was prepared. But seeing her flee, sobbing like a coward, the small amount of interest he had in her faded away completely. His earlier words rang true in his mind. 'A failure is always a failure. I wasn't wrong to declare her one at birth.'

Chloe's small feet continued to pound against the floor as she ran through the hallway toward her room. Tears blurred her vision, and she tripped, falling hard and hurting her foot. Normally, she would have stopped to check her injury, but not this time. Now, she just wanted to reach her room, the only place that still held memories of her mother.

She needed to cry—really cry—to take out all her emotions and stop thinking Bastard Anderes.

Her pace slowed as the flood of tears increased due to her foot being slightly hurt. The maids noticed Chloe's tear-streaked face as she passed by but didn't interfere. They knew nothing good would come from meddling in the dramas of the wealthy.

One maid, however, was the head chef, Mary. She had been a close friend of Carmelia and had been there for her during her illness. Seeing Chloe in such a state, Mary felt a deep sadness. She knew Chloe had just dined with that bastard Anderes.

'That son of a bitch must be the reason Chloe is like this,' she thought, but she is powerful in front of someone like Anderes Shade and she can only comfort her.

Yet Mary decided not to comfort her right away. She believed it was better for Chloe to realize on her own what kind of person her father truly was. Still, she resolved to bring Chloe her favorite dishes the next morning and ensure she finished her meal, knowing Chloe would likely refuse to eat while upset.

Chloe finally reached her room, slamming the door behind her and locking it. She staggered toward her bed, her body shaking with sobs.

*Sob* *Sob* *Sob*

She threw herself onto the bed and curled into a fetal position, covering herself entirely with the blanket. The blanket trembled as the sounds of her sobs filled the large, quiet room, heavy with the sadness of a broken-hearted young girl.

At least there was one good thing for Chloe: she still had someone who cared for her, even if she didn't fully realize it yet. But the real outcome of this night was a broken heart and the birth of an intense hatred for her father—one that would only make her life more miserable if Mary was not there for her.

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