Alexander I took a slow sip of my whiskey, letting the familiar burn slide down my throat. My expression remained indifferent as I stared at nothing in particular. Someone was talking, but I had long since tuned them out. A loud smack against the table snapped me back to the present. The impact made the plates rattle, and I lazily lifted my gaze to see Joshua glaring at me, his hand still pressed against the table. "Let me guess, you zoned me out again," he said. I took another sip of my drink and hummed. "Correct." Like I said, sometimes it wasn’t intentional, sometimes my mind simply decided what was worth listening to and what wasn’t. And, as usual, Joshua fell into that category. He groaned, running a hand through his hair. "You're a lost cause, Alexander. Sometimes I think God blessed you with a perfect face and a genius brain, but he completely skipped the part where he was supposed to give you emotions. You have zero EQ." He turned to Leo, who was sitting beside
Chloe I poked at my food absentmindedly, barely paying attention to it. My appetite had vanished the moment we sat down. “Why aren’t you eating?” I looked up, meeting Logan’s gaze. His fork rested on his plate, untouched, as he stared at me. Before I could answer, his gaze flickered to my plate. “You don’t think I asked them to poison your food, do you?” My fingers tightened around my fork. Well, that could be a possibility. Logan wasn’t exactly above doing something like that. He could have gotten tired of me and wanted me out of the picture so he could have Amelia and any women he wanted all to himself. Or maybe he was finally bored of tormenting me. But instead of letting me go, he decided to speed up the process and send me straight to the afterlife. Instead of showing how suspicious this whole thing was, I forced a smile and shook my head. “I’m just not that hungry. I don’t really eat much at night. Your mother wouldn’t like it if I gained more weight.” Logan paused, his
Chloe People always think it’s easy. Easy to walk away. Easy to let go. Easy to do the right thing. Even when I watched movies with Stella and the female lead did something incredibly stupid—something that made no sense, Stella and I would yell at the screen, calling her an idiot, telling her to get her shit together. I never understood. I never saw that it’s hard to do something just because I thought it was simple. What might be easy for one person might be impossible for another. Even now, maybe… maybe I was just making excuses. I pressed my fingers to my temple, feeling the dull throb of a forming headache as Stella’s voice buzzed in my ear. She was still talking, still telling me all the ways Logan was bad for me, still trying to knock some sense into me like she always did. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “Stella,” I interrupted, my voice quieter than before. “Can I call you back?” She paused. “…Chloe?” “Everything is confusing me right now. I just… need to thi
Chloe "Chloe, men cheat. It’s normal. It’s their nature. There isn’t a man in this world who doesn’t like women." The maid’s words echoed in my mind, a lesson drilled into me since I was twelve years old. I still remembered how innocently I had asked, “But if men can cheat, what about women? Can we cheat too?” Her expression had twisted with disgust, as if the mere thought of it was repulsive. I hadn’t understood it then. Why was it acceptable for men to stray but shameful for women to do the same? Why did society turn a blind eye when a husband betrayed his wife but condemned a woman who did the same? But tonight, I finally understood. It was because men knew that if women cheated—if we truly let go, stopped caring, and indulged the way they did, deep down, they know we’d do it better. We wouldn’t just betray them. We’d outmatch them. We wouldn’t just seek pleasure. We’d make them regret ever taking us for granted. Because when a woman decides to be unfaithful, it would no
ChloeI splashed cold water on my face, gripping the sink tightly.I knew myself. I knew my body. I was seconds away from breaking. But I wouldn’t dare let the tears fall.I swallowed everything—shoving it down, locking it away. If a man like Logan had gone through all that effort just to make me feel worthless, then he wasn’t worth my tears.Straightening, I took a slow breath, fixing my expression until I looked composed, and unaffected. Then, after making sure I looked presentable, I turned and left the restroom.The weight of the staff stares hit me immediately.Some looked at me with pity, others with amusement, like I was the tragic entertainment for the evening. But I didn’t care. I just wanted to leave. I needed to go home. But where was home, exactly?At my father’s house, a manipulative monster and his abusive son awaited me.At my husband’s house, an arrogant mistress, a delusional sister-in-law, and a mother-in-law who treated me like an accessory to flaunt, not a person.
Chloe There are two kinds of people in this world. The first—the ones who take and give in equal measure. If you wrong them, they wrong you back. If you push them, they push harder. These people don’t tolerate injustice. They refuse to sit in silence while someone mistreats them. They fight, not because they want to, but because they have to. Because it’s the only way they could survive in this cruel world. And then there’s the second kind. The ones who only take. They take the mistreatment. The injustice. The pain. They swallow it all down, piece by piece, until it becomes a part of them. They tell themselves it’s better this way. That enduring it is easier than fighting back. That silence keeps the peace, keeps things from getting worse. These are the people who become victims of bullying, of betrayal, of broken promises and one-sided love. The ones who convince themselves that as long as they endure, things will eventually get better. And I, Chloe, have always been one of t
Chloe There was one thing my father was right about. Money makes the world go around. I leaned back against the plush velvet seat, my posture lazy, my fingers tapping idly against the armrest as I gazed down at the woman kneeling before me. Poppy was struggling to keep her forced smile in place as she adjusted the delicate diamond heels on my foot. The shoes sparkled under the store’s bright lights, hugging my slender feet like they had been made just for me. She looked up, her voice tight but polite. "How is this one, ma’am?" I tilted my head, humming thoughtfully, drawing out the moment. “It’s nice,” I mused. Poppy visibly relaxed, her shoulders sinking with relief. But then I smiled and said, “But I don’t like it. Change it.” Poppy stiffened, her fingers twitching slightly against my ankle. The other sales associates busied themselves, avoiding my gaze, as if afraid I would drag them into whatever this was. It had been minutes now. Minutes of Poppy circling the store, sear
Chloe I stared at the rows of dresses in front of me, my expression blank. They were all undeniably beautiful—the kind of elegance that belonged at charity galas and high-society events. But I wasn’t looking for something beautiful tonight. Amy, still fumbling to keep up with me, carefully held out another option. “How about this one, ma’am?” Her voice shook slightly, and I didn’t miss the way she almost tripped over herself in her rush to please me. Her demeanor had changed drastically. Gone was the dismissive sales associate who looked down on me just hours ago. Now, she was looking at me with fear, as if she expected me to snap my fingers and have her thrown out alongside Poppy. I didn’t know what had happened to Poppy after I walked away. And honestly? I didn’t care. My gaze dropped to the dress in her hands, it was a stunning silver-grey gown, classy, refined. The kind of thing my mother-in-law would approve of. I shook my head. Amy swallowed, adjusting her stance. “What ki
ChloePresent timeSome mornings I’d wake up in an empty bed, the sheets cold, and Tristan's voice would echo in my ear.“You and Logan can never have a happy ending.”And on those mornings, I'd ask myself the same question I’d asked a hundred times, if I could go back, if I could do it all over again… would I have listened? What had Tristan seen back then that I refused to? What had I been so desperate to believe?Now, standing in front of him after so many years, I felt like I’d been pulled back into a moment I’d tried to bury. Tristan, the high school bad boy who’d beat up seven students and walked away without a scratch. The reckless idiot who once climbed into my window like an outlaw. The boy who irritated me because he liked seeing me mad.But this wasn’t the cocky high school boy who’d broken into my dorm and commented on my terrible taste in music. This was a man.He was taller, more refined and attractive, but the look in his eyes hadn’t changed. He still had that same fie
Chloe Eight years ago I yawned. I had just stepped out of the library. My eyes stung from all the reading. I’d spent most of the day reading between book pages. My only thought was collapsing into the comfort of my pillow and sleeping. My phone buzzed. I pulled it out of my pocket and instantly felt my stomach drop at the name flashing across the screen. Psychopath: Come home tomorrow. I have something to show my lovely sister. I promise I’ll make it last longer this time. I stared at it for a long time. My hand trembled slightly around the phone. Last longer. What he meant wasn’t what anyone would normally think. It was so much worse. There was a reason I’d saved his number that way. Richard wasn’t just cruel, he was twisted. He used to torture animals, those little, harmless creatures, and he’d make me watch. He’d time it, test new ways to kill them. Like it was both a game and a challenge for him. And Father… Father never stopped him. Sometimes, he even provided the "subj
Chloe Eight years ago “I’m in love with the shape of you,” I sang at the top of my lungs. “We push and pull like a magnet do, although my heart is falling too…” I turned off the shower, still humming, and grabbed a fluffy towel from the rack. One I wrapped around my body, the other I wrapped around my hair to dry it. I snatched my phone from the counter, still blasting Shape of you by Ed Sheeran, and stepped out of the bathroom, dancing my way into the room like the pop diva I clearly was. “And last night you were in my room…” I shimmied my hips, twirled slightly, grinning at my reflection in the mirror. “Now my bedsheets smell like you…” Still swaying, I made my way to the dorm kitchen. I placed a kettle on the stove and dropped a tea bag into my favorite mug. I was halfway through another verse, hips still moving, when a deep voice echoed in the room. “You’ve played this song on repeat for like… three minutes. Don’t you have anything else?” I paused, the mug slipping from my
Chloe The car jerked forward and slammed to a sudden halt, dragging my body slightly forward. My chest hit the restraint of the seatbelt hard enough to knock the air out of me. “Stella, goddamn it!” I gasped, pressing a hand to my chest. “Do you want to kill us?!” Stella rolled her eyes and slammed the gear into park. “I should be asking you! Chloe Summer, are you trying to give me a heart attack?! I’m too young. Too fucking young to die of shock!” I blinked at her, confused, until she reached toward me. “No—wait—what are you doing?” I asked, fending her off. “I have to make sure you’re actually you,” she muttered dramatically, inspecting my face like I was some sort of alien clone. She touched my cheek, then my forehead, then her fingers slid down to my neck. I shrieked, jerking away with a laugh. “Stop that! You know I’m ticklish there!” Her hand dropped, and she slumped in her seat. “Shit. You are Chloe alright. Not an imposter.” I rolled my eyes. “When are you ever going
Chloe I looked at him. I had thought about what I would say, but now that I was here, I was acting awkward again. I cleared my throat, trying to regain some control. “I’m leaving,” I said. “My friend will be here in a while. I thought we could discuss a few things before I go.” He slipped his phone back into his pocket, and that innocent expression on his face didn’t match the glint in his eyes. The mischief was obvious if you looked close enough. I had to be careful with this man. I didn’t know him well, but I could already tell he was sharp. If I wasn’t careful, I could lose myself before I knew what was happening. I took a deep breath and stepped toward him. “I want to continue this relationship with you, and if you want to continue it with me, I’ll be happy to. But there will be a few rules before we start.” He moved closer to me. My eyes traveled downward, and I swallowed. Those abs, that V-line beneath his sweatpants... it was impossible to look away. “And what are those?
Chloe The man introduced as Logan raised an eyebrow and stiffened. “But I’m—” He didn’t get to finish, because Joshua slipped an arm around his waist, pulling him close. Logan yelped, then let out a nervous chuckle. “This is Logan,” Joshua said with a proud smile. “My fiancé.” The man swallowed and forced a smile, his cheeks slightly pink. “Y-yes, I’m Logan. Nice to meet you.” I raised a brow, looking between the two of them again. Logan? Was that really his name? Something about this felt...off. It was suspicious. But before I could fully spiral into overthinking, Alexander was walking straight toward me. “What are you do—oof!” My breath hitched as he lifted me like I weighed nothing. Instinctively, my legs wrapped around his waist, my arms tightening around his neck. His intoxicating scent overwhelmed my senses. “Stop it,” I hissed, trying to keep my voice firm. “What do you think you’re doing? Put me down, Alexander!” He chuckled, that smug smirk tugging at the corn
Chloe I opened my eyes slowly, blinking at the ceiling above me. Bright light streamed through the curtains. I sighed. I fell asleep again? Really, Chloe? I squeezed the white blanket tighter around me, feeling the warmth still lingering in the sheets. My face flushed as I remembered what we did a while ago. My hand drifted up to cover my face as heat crawled up my neck. “Stop it, Chloe,” I whispered. “Just… stop thinking about it.” But it was hard. Because what kind of woman was I? Did I really call myself that? Even when my family humiliated me, even when Logan’s mother and sister insulted me, none of them ever dared call me that. I called myself a whore for him. And somehow, a part of me found that… arousing. A shaky breath escaped me as I tried to sit up and swing my legs over the side of the bed. The moment my foot hit the floor, a sharp ache jolted through me, radiating from between my thighs down to my knees. I whimpered, falling back into the bed with a soft thud. Wha
Alexander I stepped out of the bedroom, towel in hand, dragging it lazily through my damp hair. I was shirtless, sweatpants slung low on my hips, the hem of my boxers peeking out. The door clicked shut behind me, and the two voices that had been echoing through the hallway fell silent. Joshua and Leo stood stiff as statues, eyes pinned to me like I’d grown a second head. I didn’t need to hear their thoughts, their faces said it all. Shock, curiosity, judgment. Pretty much the usual. I headed toward the kitchen, but Joshua stepped in front of me. "Where do you think you're going?" “Considering this is my house, shouldn’t I be the one asking why you’re still in it?” Joshua narrowed his eyes, lowered his voice, and tilted his head toward the closed bedroom door. "Don't play dumb. I know your games, Alex. And they don’t work on me. Leo told me everything. Are you seriously going to pretend to be a stripper?” I glanced at Leo, who was scratching the back of his head like a kid cau
Chloe The only sound in the room was the ticking clock and our breathing. I wanted to say something, but it was like my voice had forgotten how to function. I just stared at him, heart pounding, words slipping away. Run away? Was that what he thought I was doing? I wasn’t even sure what I had been trying to do. Maybe I just needed air. Maybe I wanted to avoid the reality of waking up in his bed, naked, tangled up with a man who looked at me like I was both his challenge and his reward. My mouth moved before my brain could catch up. “Um… good morning, Alexander. How are you?” God, what a stupid question. He raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. I looked away quickly, cheeks burning. Seriously, Chloe? This was ridiculous. Since when did I get shy? Where the hell had all that confidence from last night gone? I caught the slight smirk tugging at the corner of his lips before he leaned in, his eyes locked on mine. “Haven’t you been fucked enough to stop that shyness?” he said, voic