Chapter 1052
“So what now?” Calliope’s voice was steady, her gaze cool.
Jett broke in, the steel in his tone unmistakable. “Callie might not be your blood, but you hurt her all the same and now you want her to pay your debts? That’s your mess, not hers. Don’t you dare expect Callie to clean it up p>
He turned toward her, his voice softening with warmth. “You don’t need to worry about them anymore. From now on, you’re our daughter. Let us take care of you. Let us love you the way you deserve, spoil you even p>
Calliope studied Jett, the slightest frown etching her brow. “That’s not necessary. I’m doing just fine on my own. I don’t need anyone’s charity or affection p>
She doubted the White family would ever cast Blythe aside. If she went back to them, how would things be any better than they were with the Jewells? At their core, Blythe and Lisette were much the same except Blythe was even more calculating.
“Callie Mrs. White’s voice caught on sorrow. “Are you angry with us, my dear? Is it because we never searched for you, because we only learned you were our daughter just now p>
“Callie, we never meant for any of this to happen,” Mrs. White hurried to say, her words tumbling out in her distress. “After my accident all those years ago, I had amnesia. I forgot I ever had a daughter-forgot you.” She glanced at her husband, voice trembling. “And your father… He truly thought you were dead. Your grandfather hid you away, raised you as the Jewell family’s child. Their real daughter, the one born around the same time as you, died. So they let everyone believe you’d taken her place. When your father investigated, he found their daughter’s grave and thought it was yours. He was afraid to tell me, afraid it would be too much for me to handle. That’s why we didn’t look for you. We believed-truly believed you were gone from this world p>
Mrs. White spoke with desperate sincerity, her eyes pleading for understanding. Calliope listened, and she believed them. But it made little difference; even if she was their biological child, they already had a daughter-one who seemed more convenient, perhaps even more beloved, than the real thing.
“I understand,” Calliope said quietly, her tone even. “That’s why I don’t hate you don’t blame you, either My life is good now, and I’ve found
my own family. You have your е daughter already. There’s no need forts to pretend at some grand reunion p>
She paused, her eyes calm, unflinching. “Just go on believing your daughter is gone. In your hearts, she’s been gone a long time already p>
Jett and Mrs. White fell silent, searching Calliope’s face. She’d had enough of
turmoil. She wasn’t about to invite more back into her life.
“You’re worried about Blythe, aren’t you?” Mrs. White’s realization sparked in the hush. “Of course—that’s it. You feel like she’s been living your life, taking your place all these years p>
“Callie,” she hurried on, “you are our daughter-our flesh and blood. We could never be like the Jewells, treating an adopted child better than our own. You are the one we owe, the one we want to make it up to!” There’s no way we’d treat Blythe better than you p>
“That’s right,” Jett agreed, his tone firm. “You’re our only daughter, Callie. Blythe may be adopted, but if she ever did anything to hurt you, we’d never stand for it p>
Calliope gave a mirthless smile. “It’s easy to promise. But when it matters, who you really stand up for-that’s another question, isn’t it p>
She remembered how the Jewells
welcomed her at first, how
everything seemed perfect… until, slowly, it all changed. Once people have something, they just stop
caring it’s the ones who
Othe
longest, the ones always at your side, who win their hearts in the end.
“Callie Mrs. White faltered, stricken by the grief in Calliope’s voice. She finally
saw how deep the wounds from the Jewell family ran-how much they had shattered the girl’s faith in love and trust.