Shattered Rose He Held On Tight novel Chapter 40

Chapter 40 Buried in the Rain

When the ceremony ended, Wilson turned to Claudia and gave a cold command. “Bow!”

Zoey had died because of her. Staring at the rain–soaked photo on the gravestone, Claudia didn’t resist this time.

She slowly bent her back. The cold water fell from the sky and quickly soaked through her clothes.

L

hed

“We didn’t ask you to worship your savior’s daughter,” Wilson said harshly, “but at least don’t be ungrateful. Think about what you’ve done all these years. You don’t even have the courage to admit your mistakes. Do you think you’ve honored your Aunt Zoey? Today, you need to confess in front of her grave.”

Every word of blame landed heavy on her shoulders.

The rain grew stronger. The wind whipped it against her face, and even an umbrella couldn’t keep her dry.

It was so cold. Cold enough that Claudia felt she had never really left that stormy day when she was six years old.

Lydia finally convinced the family to return to the car.

Now it was just the two of them—one bowing, one standing–before Zoey’s grave.

After a long silence, Lydia was the first to speak. “You know, when I was little, I used to envy you.”

Back then, she wasn’t even called Lydia Wallace. She was Lydia Decker.

Her father, Angus Decker, had every bad habit a man could have–drinking, gambling, cheating, violence, and favoring boys over girls.

Yet he was also a hypocrite who knew how to hide it well, so for years no one realized what he really was.

For the longest time, Lydia thought all fathers in the world were like him.

Zoey had too much pride to ask her parents for help. She refused to let anyone know she had married the wrong man. So the two of them lived shut off from the world.

At least in their poor neighborhood, everyone else’s lives were just as hard. If she was miserable, she could remind herself that others weren’t much happier.

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Other kids called her dirty and poor. She snapped back by mocking them for being orphans.

It was a daily back–and–forth, leaving both sides hurt.

Then one day she met Claudia. Her cousin wore a flowery dress, with skin so fair and clean. looking like a doll.

That was when she realized not everyone lived like her.

Claudia’s parents loved her. Her brothers spoiled her. She lived carefree, innocent in a way that felt almost insulting.

The first time they met, Lydia didn’t even dare to touch Claudia. She was afraid she’d dirty those fancy clothes.

But Claudia didn’t care. She cheerfully ran up with open arms and hugged her. Claudia even shared candies and toys Lydia had never seen before.

Lydia hated her.

Claudia was too bright, too perfect–shining a light on all the darkness and weakness Lydia tried to hide.

Worse, ever since Claudia’s family appeared, Zoey grew more and more unhappy.

Her father started to abuse Zoey harder.

Then one day, Zoey told her something shocking: Claudia’s life was supposed to have been hers.

Wilson had once been promised to Zoey, but he changed his mind and married Lottie instead.

Furious, Zoey had been tricked by Angus. From then on, Zoey sank into misery.

If not for that twist of fate, Zoey would have been Wilson’s wife. Lydia would have grown up like Claudia–living like a princess.

As a child, Lydia couldn’t fully understand. She only knew she envied her cousin.

Until another night, when Angus came home drunk and beat Zoey again. She tried to protect her but ended up bloodied herself.

Zoey shielded her and told her to run. To go to the Lancasters and ask for help.

She stumbled all the way there, bruised and broken, and when she finally arrived, she saw a scene she would never forget. Lottie and Wilson were smiling, calling their children inside for dinner.

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