Chapter 337 The Woman Who Stayed Behind
#Finished
“Now that she’s dead, you regret it. You want to make amends. How touching, Elaine said, voice dripping with disdain.
After Lauren’s death, her brother had spent years searching for women who looked like her.
In the past decade, he’d found more than ten.
Some had the same silhouette. Some had her profile. Some shared parts of her personality.
And each one became his emotional crutch.
This latest one–her figure, her features–was the closest yet. With a little makeup and the right outfit, she could almost pass for Lauren.
Elaine knew exactly what her brother was doing.
He wanted a substitute, Someone to live in Lauren’s old room. To sit on her couch. To breathe in her
space,
So he could pretend she was still here.
The very thought made Elaine sick.
They didn’t cherish her when she was alive.
Now they were losing their minds trying to keep her memory alive through imitation?
Disgusting.
They deserved every ounce of their grief. They earned t
And if Lauren was watching from above, there was no way she’d feel moved. She’d laugh–bitterly, coldly.
Elaine stood and watched a moment longer. But the scene -two grown men fighting over a copy of a woman they’d helped destroy–was too pathetic.
She turned and walked away.
Lauren… if there’s a next life, please–be happy. Don’t ever come back to a family like the Bennetts
It was the only sincere wish Elaine had left for her.
At the front gate of the estate, the two men finally stopped fighting.
Both had bruises and swelling across their faces.
But Elliot didn’t seem to care. His eyes were locked on the girl in the white dress, his beaten face twisted into something like joy
“Lauren? You’re back? You’ve forgiven me, haven’t you?
21:53 Wed, Apr 16 G. LOG.
Chapter 337 The Woman Who Stayed Behind
65
Finished
The girl glared at him, “What the hell are you talking about? I’m not Lauren. You’ve got the wrong person.”
She was defiant, spoiled.
No surprise there–ever since she’d hooked up with Kenneth, she had everything she wanted. From a bar hostess to the arm of a millionaire in one leap.
For more than two years, Kenneth had doted on her.
But what she hated–what she couldn’t understand–was that he never took things further. Never slept with her. Never truly looked at her the way she wanted him to.
He wouldn’t even let her speak freely or leave the house alone.
Now, finally brought out in public, she’d walked right into this mess with a lunatic–and she was more than happy to take it out on someone.
But she never expected what would happen next.
That one phrase “What the hell Lauren–ignited something feral in Elliot
He slapped her hard across the face.
“Don’t you dare insult my sister!”
Kenneth’s eyes turned blood–red. He rushed over and damped a hand over her mouth.
“I told you not to speak! Do you know how wrong you sound? Do you know how much you don’t sound like her: She was nothing like you.
The girl’s mouth was covered. Her nose too. She couldn’t breathe. She fought him, nails digging into his
arms.
But Kenneth didn’t ease up. His grip only tightened.
Her eyes rolled back from the lack of air.
Finally, Elliot snapped out of it and pulled Kenneth off “Let go! You’re choking her!”
Kenneth released her and caught her limp body in his arms, whispering, “Lauren, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. Please forgive me.
Elliot just stared at her face, stunned.
She looks so much like her. Especially in profile…
“Kenneth, Elliot said quietly, “you want to move into my house with her, don’t you?”
Kenneth didn’t deny it. “Yes. So how much do you want? Name your price.”
Elliot’s eyes lit up. “The house isn’t for sale. But if you and she want to move in. I won’t stop you.”
And so it began.
The three of them moved into the Rennett house tourther
מיין
Chapter 337 The Woman Who Stayed Beltind
“You’re not allowed to talk. Your voice ruins the illusion.”
“Don’t laugh. Lauren never laughed like that.”
Sit still. The light on you makes you look just like her
Who told you to go in the storage room? Get out. Don’t touch anything that belonged to Lauren”
Bit by bit, they reshaped her–molded her–into Lauren’s image.
In their minds, she was Lauren
In that house, Lauren never left.
She was always there.
“Alice, push–push harder. We can see the baby’s head
The woman on the delivery bed bore down with all her strength, following the doctor’s guidance.
And with a loud, healthy cry, the child was born.
“She’s here! Congratulations, Alice–it’s a girl!”
Alice was soaked in sweat, her hair plastered to her pale face. She was too weak to move.
But that didn’t stop h
her.
“Bring her to me,” she gasped. “Let me see her–pleaser
The nurses worked quickly. They cleaned the baby and wrapped her in a soft blanket, then placed her gently in Alice’s arms.
458