Loved You Once But He's My Forever

Chapter 526 Goodbye 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?

When the rich are buried, it's always a grand affair-the best time, the best place, the perfect conditions for prosperity and family legacy. People consult experts, check the stars, and ensure that everything is just right.

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 butterflies 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.

The colorful butterfly hovered near me, its wings flicking with a deliberate grace. It felt like it was studying me, examining the life I had led. Jeffrey must have told it everything—the trials, the twists, the paths I'd taken.

I forced back the lump in my throat, my voice thick with emotion. "Jeffrey, don't worry. I'll take care of the kids and Carter." I wanted to believe it myself, but the weight of his absence was already pressing down.

The butterfly hovered over the dessert beside the gravestone, resting for a moment. Carter had prepared it as a small tribute to Jeffrey's wife, remembering her fondness for sweets. It was a simple, quiet gesture, but somehow, it felt like the most meaningful one.

for long. It danced with the breeze, as if

20, carefree and full of life. She ran through a bustling night market, laughing as she held candied apple in one hand

standing beside a tall man who spoke softly, offering wisdom in gentle tones, guiding her forward, and protecting

drifted past every Bolton descendant, as if saying

before it moved on,

the colorful butterfly, their reunion quiet but full of

fluttering its wings before it

fitting. This was the child she had fought to bring into the world, the one she had given up

hag had plotted to use them as weapons in her

years of age, the sister

spirit shattered too. He was like a puppet,

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

to bear a child

along, we thought her obsession was with wealth and legacy. But the

she had loved Jeffrey. They were a perfect match-both from respected

chosen a different path. He had fallen for a poor flower seller, and Commander's eyes had

had thought that agreeing to the marriage would make Jeffrey

into making a decision, but all it did was prove that he only saw her as a sister. She

married the Commander. But that marked her descent into madness, into

with the flower seller, her heart

while her own life with

colder her

further away from the person she

in love that hurt

pregnant wife, his arm around her as he whispered soft words of

was everything she had longed for, everything she could never

Commander. She had her eyes set on Mrs. Carlyn Senior from

watched Mrs. Carlyn Senior. "She must be

on her words to my grandmother. The hag, consumed by the jealousy she had

Carlyn

just that-he admired her kindness, something he hadn't found in his own life. He grew to care for

Brynn learned the truth, fury boiled inside her. She couldn't stand the thought of

especially

of rage, she set out to destroy Mrs. Carlyn. She sent her into another man's

that, she crushed any hope the Commander had for

tore apart the Carlyns'

shattered.

grandfather was a man too weak to stand on his own, easily swayed by those around him. My grandmother, though

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

through it all, the one person Brynn hated above all else was Mrs. Bolton-the woman whom Jeffrey had fiercely protected, the woman who had captured

send him women. Women she secretly drugged, hoping he would