NovelEnglishChapter 415 After all, during those three years, not a single member of the family had shown Claire even a shred of care-only three years of relentless hurt.
Now, after reading her diary, the memories crashed over Ethan like tidal waves. He saw it all play out in his mind: every bitter argument, every cruel punishment, every tthe family lashed out at Claire—either with words or worse.
Scene after scene replayed themselves, each one more painful than the last. Over those years, the ways they'd hurt her, sometimes intentionally, sometimes without even realizing it, must have numbered in the hundreds. Nearly every week, Claire had been humiliated or punished for one reason or another.
Those images tormented Ethan, leaving him in utter agony. His head felt like it might explode, pain and guilt pounding until it seemed his mind might shatter under the weight.
"Claire," he choked out, "I'm so sorry. I promise you, I'll spend the rest of my life making this up to you." He slid the diary back into the drawer, stumbling from the room as if the floor were tilting beneath him.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtHe had to find Claire. He had to get down on his knees before her and beg for forgiveness.
With his hair disheveled and tear tracks streaking his face, Ethan dashed straight for the front door. Every person he saw, he stopped and grabbed. "Have you seen my sister?" "Your sister? Who's your sister?" "Claire-have you seen Claire anywhere?" Most people just shook their heads. "Sorry, don't know her. Haven't seen her." Undeterred, Ethan rushed from one person to the next, growing more frantic by the second.
Each time, he got the sanswer: a shake of the head, a raised hand, a look of confusion. No one had seen her.
Finally, he found himself standing alone on the busy street, his eyes hollow and unfocused.
"It's been ten years. Claire, why aren't you home? Where did you go? I know now I know I was wrong." || "I have to find her. I need to apologize to her face-to-face." "Where are you, Claire? Where did you go?" Ethan muttered the words over and over, almost in a trance. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. "Sean!" "That's right-ten years ago, Claire left with Sean. She must be at the Foster estate!" It was as if he'd found a lifeline. Without a second thought, Ethan took off running toward the Fosters' mansion.
He ran faster and faster, as if each step could close the distance between him and his sister.
His heart thudded with a mixture of hope and dread-hope that he'd finally see Claire, fear that she would never forgive him.
At last, he arrived in front of the Foster family's grand house.
The tall iron gates glinted coldly in the sunlight, imposing and unwelcoming.
Ethan rushed forward, pounding on the gates with both fists. "Please, letin! I need to see Claire!" he shouted, his voice raw with desperation.
Every word trembled with years of suppressed guilt and regret finally breaking free.
"Claire, it's me-your brother. I'm out now. I cto see you. Are you in there? If you are, please just cout for a minute. I'm so sorry I chere just to apologize." He kept banging on the gates, hoping someone-anyone-inside would hear, hoping Claire would cout and face him.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmBut as the minutes ticked by, the gates remained stubbornly shut, and there was no sign of life inside.
Ethan's hope slowly withered. What if Claire wasn't here? What if she didn't want to see him? What if she could never forgive him? He pounded harder, his voice rising with panic. "Claire, I know I was wrong! I'm begging you just cout and see me, please..." Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the doors to the house creaked open.
May appeared, standing behind the iron gates, staring at Ethan with a cold, expressionless gaze.
Her voice was flat, icy. "Ms. Claire isn't here. You should leave." May was much older now. Her hair had turned completely white, her back stooped with age.
After Claire and Mandy had both passed away, May had been devastated she'd spent half a year in the hospitab before finally being discharged. Since then, she'd stayed on at the Foster estate, too frail to do much of anything. The family let her stay, caring for her in her old age.
Ethan's face twisted with disbelief.
"May, don't lie to me. Claire wasm Iways closest to you-she treated you like her own mother. If you're here, how could she not be here too?"
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