Chapter 73: More Than One Woman
The cold wind blew through Chloe, making her shiver as it slipped down her neck, even as she tightened her scarf around herself. The weather forecast that morning had warned of a temperature drop, advising everyone to dress warmly. Chloe hadn’t felt the cold much earlier, but after being outside for a while, the chill began to creep into her bones, making even her breath feel icy.
“You can stop talking about how serious you are,” Chloe said coldly. “If you really want to talk about seriousness, then I’ll be serious too: we will never go back to how things were, even if you’ve broken up with your girlfriend now.”
After the breakup, Chloe had slowly begun to see Julian for who he really was. In some ways, Julian was interesting, but Chloe could no longer tell how much he truly cared for her–or for Layla, for that matter. If he really loved her, how could he so casually mention breaking up?
His behavior was irresponsible, both to her and to Layla. While someone was investing their heart in the relationship, he seemed indifferent. Chloe used to hope that Julian would humble himself and apologize to her properly. But now that he finally was, it was too late.
Looking at Julian with an unusually calm expression, Chloe spoke again: “These past years, you’ve thrown yourself into your career, wearing yourself out. If you can, you should cut back on the drinking. It’s not good for you.”
She pulled her hand away from him again. This was the only thing she could say to him, the final acknowledgment of their past.
Julian froze, not expecting such words from Chloe. Did this mean she still cared about him? If she still cared, didn’t that mean there was a chance they could start over? As long as he took this opportunity, surely they could be together again.
With a surge of confidence, Julian stepped forward, his gaze intense as if his eyes were burning. “You’re still willing to care about me, right? If you care, why can’t we start over?”
He reached out to pull Chloe close, intending to kiss her, but she recoiled in disgust. With unexpected strength, she shoved him away.
“Don’t touch me! If you’re not disgusted, I certainly am!” Chloe snapped.
Julian stared at her, shocked by the intensity of her reaction. Her eyes were filled with nothing but revulsion and rejection, a look he had never seen before.
In that moment, whatever drunkenness remained faded completely.
Chloe continued, her voice steady but biting: “I’ve known for a long time that there have been other women. One after another, they never stopped. Do you think I’m stupid? Or that I wouldn’t notice? The more you thought you could hide it, the more obvious it became. The moment I didn’t want to share a bed with you anymore was the moment I realized how disappointed I was in this relationship. Just because I didn’t say anything didn’t mean I didn’t know. Liking you didn’t blind me to the truth.”
Chloe recalled the first time she had noticed something off. Julian had been on a business trip, and during a video call, she caught a glimpse of a woman’s silhouette in the reflection behind him. It had been just a small shadow, but it was enough for her to know the truth.
After that, their time together in bed became less frequent. Chloe began to pull away from Julian’s physical affection because she knew there was someone else. She found the idea of being intimate with him revolting, knowing he had been with other women.
Julian, at the time, didn’t seem to mind. He probably thought it was normal since he had already found
Chapter 73: More Than One Woman
Chapyet
satisfaction elsewhere. Why would he care if Chloe withdrew?
2/2
Now, Chloe didn’t want to think back to the first time she discovered his cheating, or how devastated she had been. The thought of Julian’s touch made her nauseous.
At one point, she had even gone for a health check–up, worried that he had exposed her to something. Thankfully, she had been fine. After that, she resolved never to let him near her again.
There were so many things Julian had kept hidden from Chloe, and he never expected her to figure them out. Or maybe, in his arrogance, he thought she never would. Hearing Chloe’s words now, he realized how absurd he had been all these years.
“I think you’re filthy,” Chloe said, her voice calm yet piercing. “I don’t care how many women you’ve had. I’m done counting. Every time I tried to count, I just lost more of the feelings I had for you. I don’t know exactly when the cracks in our relationship started, but I want you to stay away from me. I can’t stand it anymore. It’s disgusting.”
Julian couldn’t bring himself to meet her eyes. He claimed to love Chloe, but his actions had never reflected that. He had always believed that as long as Chloe didn’t find out about his affairs, they could continue living a happy lie together. Now, he realized how foolish he had been.
The rain began to fall, and the temperature dropped even more. Chloe shivered, not wanting to say anything more. All she wanted was to go home.
Julian stood frozen, rooted to the spot as he watched her walk away. His heart felt like it had been hollowed out, leaving only emptiness. He had made so many mistakes, thinking he could hide the truth, only to realize now that the biggest fool in the story was himself.
How could he have ever thought Chloe would forgive him and give him a second chance?
Chapter 74: Don’t Let Go
