Lahat ng Kabanata ng All But a Dream: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 10

Claudia Hepburn had seduced his fiancé, Arthur Maxwell, ninety-nine times. However, he was still into her sister, Fione Hepburn.Not only was he nowhere to be seen on the day of the wedding, but he even went ahead and registered his wedding with Fione instead. Claudia was turned into a laughingstock after that. While she was drowning in despair, Arthur's brother, Brett Maxwell, showed up and took her into his arms. He confessed that he had been secretly in love with her for ages and beckoned her to turn to him.Enchanted by his devotion, she decided to marry him instead.Even after five years of marriage, Brett still doted on her endlessly. That was until a shipwreck took him away.On the day of the funeral, she was so heartbroken that she felt the urge to smash her head against his coffin to end it all right there.It was only when she found she was pregnant that she gave up on the idea of ending it all. She decided she would live on and grieve her late husband for the rest of

The phone rang very suddenly and when Brett looked down to inspect the display, his expression softened instantly. When he answered the call, Fione's voice came through the speakers.“Honey, is the soup ready? I’m hungry.”Brett spoke to her gently, “I’ll bring it to you as soon as it’s done. Wait just a little longer, okay?”They were standing close enough for Claudia to overhear Fione's sweet and tender voice.“Oh you, you’re the reason I ended up here! We’ve been married for so long, so what got into you last night? You were doing it like a possessed man as if it was our first time.”Claudia stiffened at Fione’s words and felt a mix of pain and sadness in her heart.Come to think of it, it must be his first time with Fione…She stood still without a word but her thoughts were already drifting to some time in the past.Even though Brett had doted on her during the five years they had been together, he had always been very stoic when they were in bed. It seemed like he was doi

After everything was sorted out, Claudia went home alone.Shortly after she got home, she got a notification on her phone.It was her father who sent her a text.[You traitorous daughter, you haven’t been home for years! Have you forgotten about me now that you’re married? My birthday is tomorrow and you will attend!]The tone of the text was very critical. Claudia lowered her eyes and replied curtly.[OK.]It had certainly been a long time since she last went home. After all, it seemed like the only one that was ever welcome home was Fione.She was used to being seen as an afterthought.Ever since they were children, Fione was the treasured child. No matter how hard Claudia tried to please her parents, she would never compare to her sister who knew how to stir their hearts.When she grew up, she was told she was to wed Arthur Maxwell. Hoping that she would finally have a place to call home, she dedicated herself to Arthur only for him to brush her aside. He only had eyes for

“I understand. Thank you, doctor.”Claudia lowered her eyes and acknowledged the doctor softly. After that, the doctor advised her on several matters before leaving the ward.When he reached the door, he brushed shoulders with Brett who was standing by the doorway.Brett proceeded to step into the ward and sat down beside the bed. Then he looked at Claudia without saying a word.Claudia felt her heart skip a beat upon seeing him. She wondered if he had overheard her conversation with the doctor.She looked at him silently for what seemed like forever until he started, “Fione is my wife. I had to save her first.”When she heard this, she breathed a sigh of relief. He had not heard the conversation after all.She was otherwise unbothered by his claim about having to save Fione first. “It was right of you to do that, my dear brother-in-law.”Brett felt a sudden wave of panic at her words. “Didn’t you refuse to address me as brother-in-law in the past?”“I have come to accept the

The next day, Claudia went to Cocteau Church.The church was located on the top of a hill so she had to climb the three thousand flights of stairs to get to the church. She made a climb with a heart filled with piety the entire time.Four years ago during their first wedding anniversary, they were on their way to celebrate when they got into an accident.In one crucial moment, Brett threw himself on her to shield her from harm.She remembered thinking that if Brett was willing to risk his life for her, she should offer the same devotion to him.Later when Brett fell into a coma in the hospital, she became frantic. That was when she was told that Cocteau Church was one of the most sacred churches in the country and with that, she made the pilgrimage to get a cross for him.Later when he finally came to, they returned to the church together where he vowed to her, “Claudia, I want to be with you forever.”She believed him at the time but now she realized that it was a complete lie.