Even after Her Death by Rita Bond

Chapter 526 Goodbye

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We sent Jeffrey off, the final step of a long journey. Everything had been planned by him, down to the smallest detail–his burial beside his first wife.

It wasn’t in the Bolton family plot, but in a quiet valley, where the air was crisp and the wildflowers bloomed in abundance.

There were no speeches, no grand ceremony. It was just us, the immediate family, standing in silent respect as he was laid to rest.

Carter spoke first, breaking the stillness. “He always said we didn’t need to visit on holidays. He owed her too much. She spent her life tied down, trapped by the Bolton name. She never knew a moment of peace. But now, in death, he can finally make it up to her. He has all the time in the world to share with her, to explore the world they never had.”

A man who had spent his whole life bound by duty–who would’ve guessed that in the end, he’d choose to let go?

Whentherich are buried, it’salways a grandaffair–thebesttime, thebestplace, theperfectconditionsforprosperityandfamilylegacy. Peopleconsultexperts, checkthestars,

andensurethateverythingisjustright.

But Jeffrey? He didn’t care about any of that.

He spent his years working to preserve the Bolton legacy. But on the day he chose to die, he was free.

Carter wiped away the tear at my cheek. “Dad said not to cry, this isn’t an end. It’s a new beginning.”

I nodded, unsure of what to say.

“It’s beautiful here,” Carter continued. “The birds, the flowers… He won’t be alone.”

“Yeah.”

It didn’t feel like a funeral. It felt more like a quiet goodbye.

We set the tribute and the wreaths, and that was all.

Everett and Everly had been still, calm in their stroller. But then, they started laughing.

Their tiny hands reached up, swiping at the air, their eyes focused on something only they could see.

Above them, two butterflies danced–one pure white, the other bright with color.

Maybe they didn’t see

tterflies at all.

The white one landed gently on Carter’s shoulder, while the colorful one fluttered in front of me.

Suddenly, I remembered Jeffrey’s words. “Your mother–in–law always had a love for beauty. Even if she turned into a butterfly, she’d still be the most beautiful one in the garden.”

The white butterfly gently landed on Carter’s shoulder, as if a soft hand had rested there, offering a quiet blessing. It seemed to whisper, “The Boltons are yours now“, a weight passing from one pair of hands to

another.

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with a deliberate grace. It felt like it was studying me, examining the life I had led. Jeffrey must

taken.

of the kids

a small tribute to Jeffrey’s wife, remembering her fondness for sweets. It was a

It danced with the breeze, as if the world were a playground

as she held candied apple in one hand and an ice cream cone in the other. Milkshake and

a picture of youth and joy, standing beside a tall man who spoke softly, offering wisdom in gentle

drifted past every Bolton descendant,

before it moved on, one last farewell to each

to the colorful butterfly, their reunion

colorful butterfly paused again, fluttering its wings before it landed on Adam’s tie.

This was the child she had fought to bring into the world, the one she had

the twins. The old hag had plotted to use them as weapons in her vengeance against the

mere eight years of age, the sister had died protecting her brother.

broken, his legs fractured, his spirit shattered too. He was like a puppet, moving only because his strings hadn’t

like a young Jeffrey. The old hag had kept him close, as if he were some kind

bear a

wealth and

ago, she had loved Jeffrey. They were a perfect match–both from respected families, destined to marry, or so

a different path. He had fallen for a poor flower seller, and

agreeing to the marriage would make Jeffrey see her as the one he needed

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force him into making a decision, but all it did was prove that he only saw her as a sister. She had given everything–her time, her heart, her life–for a love that was never truly hers to claim.

the Commander. But that

flower seller, her

the woman only deepened, while her own life

Her bitterness grew like an unforgiving vine, twisting and pulling her

sight of couples in love

with his pregnant wife, his arm around her as he whispered soft words of affection. The tenderness between them pierced Brynn like an

everything she had longed for,

grandmother had not been trying to please Commander. She had her eyes set on

My grandmother’s eyes darkened with jealousy as she watched Mrs. Carlyn Senior. “She must

my grandmother. The hag, consumed by the jealousy she had

Commander saw Mrs. Carlyn Senior, he did

immediately drawn to her beauty. But it wasn’t just that–he admired her kindness, something he hadn’t found in his own life. He grew to care for her, and he had plans

truth, fury boiled inside her. She couldn’t stand the thought of Commander loving another woman, especially one so kind. In a fit of rage, she set

the Carlyns‘ happiness, leaving them

on his own, easily swayed by those around him. My grandmother, though strong and determined,

introducing him to other women, hoping to break his faith in

the stage for the Carlyns‘ revenge. My grandfather’s health had already begun to fail. The Carlyns knew exactly how to finish him off–by introducing a few more women and some carefully placed poison. His life would soon end in their hands.

else was Mrs. Bolton–the woman whom Jeffrey had fiercely protected, the

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