All Chapters of My CEO Husband Regretted After I left: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Alexander slumped on the floor, staring at the leather binder in his hands—the comprehensive dossier of his "crimes"—with a completely blank mind.He had always thought he was a genius at compartmentalization. He truly believed he had balanced me and Chloe perfectly.In his eyes, I was the traditional, virtuous housewife. I was the bedrock of his life. He thought I needed him, needed the kids, like a planet needs its sun to survive.And Chloe? She was the spice in his bland life. She was the splash of color after a day of gray corporate warfare.He had naively believed that as long as the checks cleared, as long as he came home every night, and as long as he gave me the title of "Mrs. Sterling" in front of his friends, I would stay in that house waiting for him forever.But now, looking back...Every time I fell silent over the last few years. Every time I stopped myself from speaking. Every lonely look I had when the children mocked me. Every time he defended Chloe without a second th

Three days after I vanished, the kids started to crack."I want Mom's lasagna!" Leo screamed, hurling a box of lukewarm Domino's pizza across the room. Pepperoni and grease splattered across the hardwood floor."I want Mom to do my hair! You're pulling it! It looks like a rat's nest!" Mia was sobbing, pushing Alexander’s hands away. Her hair was a tangled mess; Alexander had no idea how to do the French braids she liked.Alexander felt like his head was going to split open. His patience had evaporated.For three days, he had searched everywhere. I had simply evaporated.Looking at the chaos in the living room—the spilled food, the crying children—he suddenly remembered the message on the SIM card he had found in the trash. If Chloe had sent one text like that, were there others?He immediately dialed his company's Chief Information Security Officer."I need a favor. Off the books. Pull the iMessage and SMS logs for Chloe’s number on the company plan for the last two weeks. Send them to

When Alexander dragged the kids back into the house, Chloe was lounging on the living room sofa.She clearly hadn't heard about the incident at school. She was munching on a bag of Lay's chips, watching Netflix, and humming a tune, acting every bit the Lady of the Manor.Seeing Alexander walk in, she tossed the bag of chips aside and sashayed over with a giggle. "Brother, you're home! Leo's teacher called earlier... I didn't pick up... Anyway, now that the frumpy hag is gone, the house is finally peaceful. I'll help you raise the kids...""Security!"Alexander's roar made Chloe jump.Three burly men in black suits walked in, standing stone-faced in the foyer."Throw every single thing this woman owns out onto the street!" Alexander pointed at Chloe, his eyes colder than ice. "And then throw her out with them!"Chloe froze, then let out a shrill scream. "Alex! Have you lost your mind? I'm Chloe! I am the mistress of this house! The children look at me as their mother!"She clung despera

A few days later, Alexander’s friends, refusing to give up, organized another dinner intervention."Alex, look, we messed up last time. No more party girls. We want to introduce you to someone serious. Someone 'wife material'."The door to the private dining room opened, and a woman walked in. She was wearing a modest, cream-colored dress, her makeup minimal, her demeanor gentle.She had a six-year-old boy clinging to her hand."This is Sarah. She’s a divorcee with a son. She has a heart of gold and loves taking care of people," his friend introduced eagerly. "Look, doesn't she remind you a little of Evelyn back in the day?"Alexander looked at her through drunken, hazy eyes.Indeed. The submissive tilt of her head, the quiet, non-threatening aura... she looked exactly like the Evelyn who hadn't yet been ground down by life.Sarah sat down nervously and began pouring wine for Alexander, her movements soft and practiced.Then, noticing Leo and Mia playing with their food, she started pe

The divorce settlement, signed in my handwriting, became the only thing Alexander had left of me.He treated it like a holy relic. He actually had it encased in a protective archival sleeve, as if it were the Declaration of Independence. It was the only way it could survive him tracing my signature with his fingertips a thousand times a day."Evelyn, where are you? I know I messed up. I really know it this time..."Alexander murmured to the cold paper until his vision blurred and he passed out on the study floor from sheer exhaustion.When he woke up, reality was more brutal.What was more concerning was how the rumors about "Sterling CEO losing his grip, family crisis brewing" would start spreading, mixing with those photos of Alexander and Chloe in the garden. And they'd pop up exactly where he didn't want them to—in Wall Street analyst reports and internal board emails.Trust, especially in someone running a family business, can disappear way faster than it takes to build.This weir