FULL NOVELXO Chapter 563
"I'll head to the kitchen and get them to whip up something special for breakfast."
Tara bounced out of bed, full of energy, and left the room. It was still early, so Chloe figured she'd hang out in her own room for a bit. Chloe had her own spot in the Moncada family mansion. It wasn't the bridal suite from her "wedding" days with Lucas, but the room she'd grown up in.
When she opened the door, she noticed the room had changed. The furniture and decorations were the same, but there were definitely extra things in there. Clearly, someone else was living in her room now.
Just then, Kate, the housekeeper, happened to pass by. Chloe flagged her down. "Kate, who's staying in this room?"
Knowing it was once Chloe's, Kate explained, "The new Mrs. Moncada, Miss Linda, insisted on moving into your old room. Mrs. Moncada wasn't thrilled about it, but Linda used the baby as leverage, and the master caved. Mrs. Moncada got into a big fight with the master over it, but there was nothing she could do."
"Ms. Chloe, Mrs. Moncada set up another room for you, right next to hers. She decorated it herself."
Chloe's face gave nothing away. "Is Lucas staying here too?"
She noticed there weren't any of his things around, which made her curious.
Kate replied, "The master stays in his own room when he's here. They're not sharing a room right now."
Kate kept an eye on Chloe, unsure why she was asking all these questions.
Chloe calmly said, "Thanks, Kate. You can get back to what you were doing."
Once Kate left, Chloe stepped inside. She'd lived in this room for over twenty years. Now, it was Linda's. It didn't sit well with her. Linda had always been like this-wanting whatever Chloe had.
Even back in school days, Linda had a knack for eyeing Chloe's stuff. Clothes, jewelry, shoes, even used pencils and backpacks-Linda was interested in everything. But Chloe never tacked those things. She'd usually let Linda have whatever she wanted, which only made Linda's appetite grow. From debate team spots to scholarships, and eventually, even Lucas.
Looking back, Chloe found it all kind of amusing. How did she not see through Linda's act when it was so obvious? Maybe it was because Linda was so good at hiding it. She'd stand by Chloe when teachers punished her, stand up for her when others gossiped, even if she was scared, and skip classes to bring homemade fish soup when Chloe was sick in the hospital.
Chloe thought it was genuine. So, she never paid attention to material things. Now, she realized Linda was a master manipulator.
Chloe took a look around the room,
finally sitting down at the dressing table. Not much makeup there, but plenty of pretty hairbands. Some of them looked familiar. Then she remembered-they were hers All those hairbands Linda had given her over the years.
Linda always said she couldn't afford fancy gifts, so she'd give hairbands instead. Chloe appreciated the gesture and kept them safe in her jewelry box. After Linda and Lucas betrayed her, Chloe tossed everything out. But Linda had picked them up again. Why would she do that? Seeing all these things now, and remembering everything that happened over the years, Chloe felt a mix of irony and sadness. She wanted to see how much of her past was still lingering here.