Chapter 148 I Have Never Resented You
The hypnosis process had been going smoothly all along.
By the seventh day, Alexander had practically become a statue outside the hospital room.
For seven whole days, he hadn't stepped inside Caroline's room.
Even when she was asleep, Alexander didn't dare go in, as if getting close might break the fragile peace she had finally found.
Suddenly, a muffled sob came from inside.
"Why... why are you doing this to me..."
Alexander turned sharply.
Through the curtain, he couldn't see what was happening, but he could hear Caroline's crying grow more anguished.
"Dad... Mom... ever since I was a child, you always favored Edith more... I never blamed you for it, never blamed her either... but why... why do you have to take away even the last bit of my soul now? Even the tiny piece of myself I have left... you won't let me keep that either?"
Alexander rushed to the door, his hand gripping the handle.
What was she saying?
What did she mean the Andersons had always preferred Edith?
No, that wasn't right.
It completely contradicted what she had said yesterday when her memories were confused.
In Alexander's memory, the Andersons had treated both daughters equally. He had even heard that because their eldest daughter was calm and steady, they placed higher expectations on her, planning for Caroline to inherit the family business.
"Sir, please wait!"
Just as Alexander was about to turn the handle, the attending physician for the hypnotherapy opened the door from inside.
"Mr. Hamilton, you absolutely cannot go in right now. This is the most critical step—it is her self-awareness, the final separation from her original personality. Her resistance is normal, but she must complete this process herself. Her subconscious must fully accept the assigned new identity for the hypnosis to succeed. If you go in now and give her original personality any external stimulus or support, it will trigger a strong rejection and all our efforts will be wasted. It will be nearly impossible to perform deep hypnosis again, and it will cause even more severe cognitive confusion."
Alexander's hand froze on the handle, veins standing out, knuckles cracking softly, yet he still could not suppress the urge to rush inside.
Caroline was crying.
He could not remain unmoved by her pain.
Inside, her sobbing grew more desperate.
"What did I do wrong... I just wanted to live... to be like a normal person... is that wrong? Edith... I'm sorry... I can't hold on anymore... take my life too... please..."
Alexander could not hold on any longer. He let go and collapsed to the floor.
He curled up, burying his face in the crook of his elbow, biting down hard to keep the roar from escaping.
Making her disappear completely was far more painful than he had ever imagined.
After what felt like forever, the crying inside faded to broken sobs, then silence.
Liam had been standing nearby. Only now did he step forward, crouch down, and place a hand gently on Alexander's trembling shoulder.
"Sir, Mrs. Hamilton should be alright now. You... don't worry too much."
Alexander slowly lifted his head, staring at the closed door with hollow eyes. His voice was low, almost dreamlike.
"Yesterday, she told me her parents loved her very much, that her life was happy, that she had nothing to be sad about. But just now, she said..."
He turned to Liam, his eyes bloodshot and confused.
"I always thought the Andersons' change toward Caroline later was because Edith died, and they vented their resentment on her. I thought before that they treated her equally. Wasn't that the case? Edith was lively and adorable, Caroline was calm and graceful—the Neville family having two outstanding daughters was public knowledge in high society."
"Sir, perhaps what we saw was only the surface. After all, we are not Mrs. Hamilton herself. We have never lived her joys and sorrows."
Liam's voice was slow but steady.
"Besides, people are naturally partial, and true fairness is impossible. With family, with loved ones, with friends—throughout life, people face many choices. Sir, think about Linus and Armando. They are brothers, but your grandfather always favored his late-life son Linus more, didn't he? Even with twins who have identical faces, they are ultimately two different souls. The Andersons... perhaps they really could not treat them equally."
Alexander's lips trembled, as if he finally understood something.
But in that instant, his pain only grew deeper.
If the Edith he loved so deeply had once received unreserved favoritism, then what had Caroline—whom he believed had killed Edith—ever received?
He did not dare think further.
Watching the conflict and pain on Alexander's face, Liam was silent for a moment before speaking quietly.
"Sir, there is something... I am not sure I should mention. Many years ago, when Mrs. Hamilton was still a young girl, I saw her once in the Neville family's backyard. She was very different from the image I remember."
Alexander's gaze sharpened.
Liam recalled, "It was the day we were setting up the terrace for Mrs. Hamilton—that's when I remembered. I once went to the Neville mansion to deliver something to Ms. Edith Neville for you. That day, I found Mrs. Hamilton crying alone in the backyard."
Alexander froze.
Caroline cried often—it was as if she had an endless well of tears.
She cried from physical pain, from mental torment, and from emotions Alexander could not understand.
But that was after Edith's death.
He remembered the Caroline from before always wearing a faint smile.
She was calm and steady—not like someone truly of this world, but more like a distant deity.
That was why Alexander felt Edith was more alive than Caroline.
It was also why he had never liked Caroline, who looked exactly like Edith.
"And then..." he asked hoarsely.
"Mrs. Hamilton was crying very sadly, repeating over and over, 'I'm sorry, Dad, how can I explain this to you.' I could not hear what came after."