Chapter 4

Kylian refused to look at the woman he called his wife. From the sound of her voice, he knew she was crying, and while a part of him wanted to go to her and hold her, he stayed put and pinned his eyes on the papers in front of him.

She's getting what she deserves, he told himself.

"Y-you don't mean this," she said, trying to assure herself.

"Chloe, what part of my wanting a divorce don't you understand?" Kylian asked. He knew he was being mean to her and had never spoken to her that way, but he didn't care.

She had lied to him! Made a fool of him!

"Why, Kylian? I've never done anything to deserve this."

His head whipped up at her statement, and his eyes held daggers. "You deserve much worse. You pretentious cheat!"

Chloe took a step back, her lips quivering as his cruel words hit her like bullets. "Don't talk to me like that. You know me, Ky. You love me."

"No. No. I don't." He pointed at her as he said each word. "I could never love someone so shallow and filthy... Marrying you, Chloe... was the biggest mistake of my life."

Fresh tears poured out of Chloe's eyes, and Kylian looked away. He couldn't stand it.

"Why?"  Chloe's voice broke with her spirit.

Kylian scoffed. "Now you want to know why?" He paused, then said, "Fine. Who the fuck is Liam?"

"Liam?"

"Yes, Chloe, Liam. You couldn't get enough of him, huh?"

"What? I don't... I don't know anyone named Liam."

Kylian shook his head bitterly. His eyes had moistened, but his face was set in stone.

Chloe stepped forward but stopped, torn. "I don't know anyone named Liam. Kylian, you have to believe me."

"And Michael? You don't know him too?" Kylian ran a violent hand through his hair.

"What are you talking about, Ky? I don't-"

Kylian kicked his chair away in fury, and Chloe flinched. Her thoughts were unraveling.

She didn't know the man before her anymore. She didn't even want to believe he thought she cheated on him.

Their marriage vows replayed in her head as she watched him rummage in his desk drawers.

Kylian pulled out a large envelope and threw it at her. It stopped at her feet with a loud thud. "It's all in there. Pictures, phone call recordings, texts, dated back to the time we were dating!"

Rage shook Kylian as he watched her pick up the envelope. Her face was marred with confusion and pain, but he could see through her now.

He thought she was a good actress.

How had he been so blind?

Thankfully, someone had opened his eyes to the whore he married.

Chloe opened the envelope and froze. Her hand was moving mechanically, bringing out picture after picture of her and different men kissing in restaurants, holding hands on the beach, and standing naked in front of a window.

If she were someone else, she would've believed the woman in the pictures was her. The resemblance was uncanny—her hair, her eyes, her body.

"What's your excuse now?" Kylian asked her. "How will you deny it now?"

Chloe started shaking her head vigorously, but Kylian wasn't seeing it. "All those times I went on business trips. All those times you told me you were home, missing me, waiting for me... He trailed off, unable to relive those memories.

"Kylian, wait—this isn't me."

"Just get out, Chloe."

Chloe dropped the envelope, and more incriminating contents spilled out. She stooped and picked up a piece of paper that caught her eye. Wiping away tears blinded her. On the paper was a line of text messages sent from her to someone named James, talking about the good time she had and wanting to meet up again.

"What?"   She was beginning to sound like a broken record.

Kylian clutched the edge of his desk in a death grip, willing himself to calm. The tears behind his eyes didn't fall, and he wanted nothing more than to kick Chloe out himself, but he would rather let her leave on her own. He would give her a chance to pack her bags and leave.

"Leave," he said quietly. Too quietly.

Chloe glanced up from the paper. Her face was ashen with shock and pain. How would she contest this?

How would she explain that she had never known or met a man after Kylian? It was always Kylian. She loved him with her whole being.

Whatever was left of her heart and her hopes were crushed into dust. Even with Kylian staring at her like shit he found under his shoe, she had never felt so alone as she did now. His eyes had darkened, and his demeanor was now detached and cold.

"I..." Her throat closed in grief. She couldn't breathe.

"I wish I had never met you, Chloe. I wish I had never fallen in love with a snake like you. I hope no one ever loves you and you die the whore that you are," Kylian hissed under his breath, loud enough for his words to deliver a crippling blow to Chloe's emotions.

It was there, standing in his study, sobbing and holding false evidence of her infidelity, that Chloe broke.

Her overwhelming pain drowned out her fragile heart, and she wanted to repay Kylian's hurt for hurt.

She inhaled shakily. "I've never cheated on you, but I wish I had. A monster such as yourself should never, ever feel love!"

Kylian stepped back like Chloe had slapped him across the face. He was speechless.

She tore up the paper in her hand, backed away while cleaning her tears, and took off, leaving Kylian feeling hollow and sinking under a crashing wave of loneliness.

Nothing felt right.

====

Chloe raced out of the house, unable to breathe; she slapped her pockets to get her phone but realized she'd forgotten it in her car. It felt as though there was no more air, sun, or anything in the world.

Her car pulled up, and she stumbled down the front steps, not even seeing the look of confusion on her driver's face that melted into concern.

"Give me the keys," Chloe said before her driver could open the door for her.

"Ma'am?"  The man asked with apprehension.

"Give me the damn keys, Calvin!"

"But you can't drive in your..." Her driver trailed off at the look on Chloe's face and wearily handed her the keys.

Chloe snatched it and got behind the wheel, slamming the door. Tires squealed loudly as she peeled out of the compound with alarming speed.

She brought down the window as she sped up. The rushing wind helped her breathe but couldn't stop the words from dancing in her head on an endless loop.

She wanted it to stop. to scream at the top of her lungs and end everything.

She wheezed and wiped away the tears streaming uncontrollably down her face.

Why did love hurt so much?

She swerved right and got a lot of annoying honks and shouts that didn't seem to reach her.

Why was love never enough?

There was only one place Chloe could go. One place where she could deal with her emotions

====

Emma was selecting the sexy leggings she was thinking of wearing for her man when she heard a loud banging on her door.

"Who the fuck?"

She marched to her sitting room, her flimsy gown swishing in time with her flip-flops. The banging sounded even louder.

"I'm coming!" She shouted before she reached the front door. Looking through the peephole, she frowned and unlocked her door.

Chloe barged in, looking distraught and crying ugly tears.

Emma proceeded to lock the door behind her and focus on the obviously heartbroken woman.

"What happened?" She asked in concern before Chloe barreled into her, squeezing her in a rib-crushing hug and pouring tears and snot all over her.

Emma's face scrunched up, and she reluctantly hugged Chloe back, rubbing her hair and back in a soothing manner. "Sh, sh. It's alright. Everything's fine."

"But it's not." Chloe sobbed; her voice muffled by Emma's body.

"What did Kylian do this time?" Emma internally rolled her eyes. Always hearing of Chloe's failed marriage was beginning to annoy her. Chloe was stupid when it came to men, and now she was stuck playing the mom role.

"He... wants a divorce."

Well, isn't that splendid? Thought Emma. It's about damn time.

She held Chloe by the shoulders and gently urged her backward to properly look at her. Chloe was a sniffling mess. She looked like someone had run her over.

It was almost laughable...

"Well, him wanting a divorce is nothing to beat yourself up about. He can still change his mind.”

"He's already signed it, Em. He wants nothing to do with me. He said... He said I cheated on him.”

"Cheated on him?" Emma's eyes grew wide.

People like Chloe would never cheat, even if they pushed her down a metaphorical flight of stairs.

They were loyal till the end. That was why Chloe would never be able to see the brewing hatred Emma had in her heart for her.

Chloe crumpled to the floor, and Emma went with her, kneeling.

"There were horrible pictures and text messages—all lies." It was terrible, and Kylian didn't want to listen. He's convinced I

"Oh, Chloe."   Emma sighed sympathetically.

Why do hurtful things always happen to good people?

"You know me, Em. You know I would never--"

"I know, Chloe."

"You know how much I love him, and I'd rather die than—"

"I know, Chloe. I know," Emma assured her cousin. "And I'm so sorry this is happening to you."

They fell into silence, broken only by Chloe's sobbing and wheezing.

Emma rubbed her back like a diligent friend and waited for her to calm down and stop crying. She then helped Chloe to her feet and carried her to the couch in the sitting room.

"Do you want ice cream or something stronger?" Emma asked once Chloe collapsed on the couch.

"Something stronger," Chloe said tiredly.