All Chapters of Husband Abandoned Me, I Married Billionaire: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

I stood in the wreckage of my gallery, staring at the broken glass on the floor and the slashed canvases.This was supposed to be the debut of the solo show I'd spent three years preparing.A room that should have been full of flowers and applause looked like a dump.Half an hour ago, my husband Preston had come storming in like a man possessed and trashed the place."Chloe! What the hell did you send Vivian?!""She read your goddamn text and suffered a depressive episode! She nearly jumped off the rooftop!"I looked at his furious face and the whole thing struck me as absurd."Preston. What exactly did I send? I told her that today was the opening of my show and asked her not to call you during it."Vivian had sent me a mocking text a half hour earlier with a selfie attached — her in Preston's shirt, one shoulder bare, stretched out on a hotel bed.She'd even followed it up with a voice message: "Preston said I was feeling unsafe, so he stayed the night. In my room.""Chloe, honey. I'

Chapter 2

By the time we made it up to the downtown penthouse Preston and I shared, Rowan was shivering hard enough that his teeth were clicking.We'd bought the place together. Most of the down payment, though, had come from me.I found an oversized men's bathrobe and handed it to him."Go take a hot shower. Don't get sick on me."Rowan accepted the robe, glanced down at his right hand, and went sheepish."Chloe... I — I can't undo the buttons with one hand."His eyes were rimmed red. His voice had a wounded note just at the edge of it.I sighed and stepped closer."Let me."I stood in front of him and started undoing the buttons of his shirt.But my fingers accidentally rubbed against his pecs.He took a breath, his pants became tighter and tighter, and his cock raised a big bulge inside.My face flushed slightly; the desire I had barely suppressed surged back up, and I couldn't help but become increasingly wet down there, my nipples itching more and more.But Rowan was still a patient, so I c

Chapter 3

The second he saw Vivian, Preston's anger flipped into tender concern.He rushed over and drew her into the room."Vivian — what are you doing up here? It's windy outside. I told you to wait in the car."Vivian bit her bottom lip. Fat tears rolled down her cheeks, one after another."I was afraid — afraid Chloe was still angry with me. I wanted to apologize to her in person.""Chloe — I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ruin your show. I — I just read your message, and I lost control of my emotions."As she spoke she folded herself deeper into Preston's chest.Watching her — the whole, practiced little performance of it — made me physically nauseous."Vivian. Stop with the act in front of me. If you lose control of your emotions, go check yourself into a psychiatric ward. Why are you showing up at my home?"I wasn't kind about it.Preston went off instantly."Chloe! Do you have to be this cruel? Vivian already hates herself enough!"I looked at him, cold all the way through."Cruel? You wrecke

Chapter 4

For the next several days, Preston didn't come home.I heard from the office that he'd moved Vivian into another condo in his name and was taking care of her personally.That was fine by me. I had the peace and quiet to focus on damage control at the gallery and to keep an eye on Rowan.Rowan's "post-traumatic stress," as he called it, was apparently severe.He had nightmares at night. He'd wake up drenched in a cold sweat and come knocking on my bedroom door."Chloe, I can't handle the dark. Can I sleep on the floor in your room?"Standing there looking pitiful in a loose set of pajamas with most of his chest on display — I honestly didn't have it in me to turn him away."No one's sleeping on the floor. Take the couch."And that was how Rowan ended up comfortably installed in my bedroom.He was, admittedly, good at taking care of a person. His right hand was out of commission, but his left did almost everything around the apartment.Every morning I'd wake up to an elaborate breakfast

Chapter 5

I took a deep breath, unable to hold back any longer, and lifted my buttocks to meet his.I groaned, "Fuck me, Rowan."His eyes darkened instantly, and he thrust his hips forward, his enormous penis penetrating me.I couldn't help but scream. I don't remember how many times I orgasmed; it lasted from afternoon until dawn.The next day, I drove Rowan to the ER to have his left hand cleaned up.On the way back, my gallery partner Zach called."Chloe. We took a beating with the show. Cash flow's drying up.""Preston says if you'll back down, apologize, and get rid of the Ellsworth guy, he'll keep the funding in place."My hands tightened on the wheel. I laughed, short and sharp."Zach. You tell Preston this. I'd sooner panhandle on the street than take one cent from him.""His share of the gallery — I'll figure something out. I'll buy him out. He can take his money and get out of my life."I hung up and took a long breath to push the anger down.Rowan was watching me from the passenger se

Chapter 6

I didn't go chase Preston down to argue it out.I had him thrown out of the gallery, and then I sat alone in my office for a long time.Because if I was being honest with myself, I'd suspected something for a while.Rowan's right hand might have been wrapped up in bandages, but the way he moved when he wasn't thinking about it didn't look like someone with severed nerves.I'd just refused to dig into it.Because in that cold apartment he'd been the only warmth I had left.That night, Rowan had dinner waiting when I got home."How was work today?" He came over smiling.I looked at his perfect, flawless face and felt, suddenly, very tired."Rowan. Is your hand actually damaged."I put it plainly.The smile stalled on his face, then reset."Chloe. What made you ask something like that?"I pulled out my phone and played the video Preston had sent me."Explain that."He watched the clip. He didn't panic. He didn't defend himself. He just watched me."Chloe. If I told you I only did this bec

Chapter 7

Preston didn't remember how he got out of that office.His head was full of Vivian's smug little laugh.He'd spent all this time believing she was fragile, helpless, someone who needed him to protect her.It had never occurred to him that he'd been a marionette in her hands.For a woman whose mouth was full of lies, he'd wrecked his wife's life's work. Gutted her.A massive, cold weight of regret twisted through his chest like a snake.He tried to call me, over and over. My number was blocked.He drove like a maniac back to the apartment. He pushed open the door to a dark, empty apartment."Chloe! Chloe!"He tore through the rooms like a man losing his mind. He couldn't even find a shirt of mine.I had moved out.The morning after I kicked Rowan out, I'd packed my things and rented a studio apartment near the gallery.I was done sharing oxygen with Preston.Preston couldn't find me, so he came to find me at the gallery."Chloe, I know I was wrong! I know everything!"He stormed into my

Chapter 8

I stood there blinking at him."You said — seven?"Rowan nodded. He took my hand and led me to the bench beside the library."The first day you moved into the dorms, I noticed you.""You were in a white sundress. You were carrying a huge portfolio. You stood out in the crowd.""For the next three years I'd quietly swing by the art studios just to watch you paint. I wanted to tell you. But every time I saw you with a brush in your hand I couldn't make myself interrupt.""Until your junior year — my family pushed me to go abroad for my master's. I was going to confess to you before I left. And then I saw you with Preston."Rowan's voice had gone rough."I thought he'd make you happy. So I stepped back.""But I kept up with you from a distance. I watched you give up your own dreams for him. I watched the light go out of you, a little at a time.""And when I heard he'd trashed your show over another woman, I couldn't do it anymore.""So I set up that meeting. I faked the injury. I lived in

Chapter 9

"Congratulations, Ms. Whitmore. Welcome back to your life."Rowan handed me the roses, smiling hard enough that it hurt to look at.I took the bouquet and breathed in the scent. My mood lifted."Thanks. Though, Mr. Ellsworth, this is a little flashy, don't you think?"Rowan arched a brow."Flashy? I don't think it's flashy enough. I want the whole world to know you're a single woman today."I laughed in spite of myself and climbed into the passenger seat."Enough. Let's go back to the gallery. I have a mountain of things waiting."Rowan slid behind the wheel and started the engine."Chloe. There's a charity gala tonight. A lot of heavyweights from the business world will be there. I had an invitation held for you. Show your face. It'll help the gallery."That surprised me."A charity gala? I run a small gallery. Would I even fit?"Rowan turned his head and looked at me, serious."What wouldn't fit? You're the woman Rowan Ellsworth chose. Who's going to look down on you?"Heat crawled u

Chapter 10

"Chloe — move!"At the last possible second Rowan slammed into us and pulled me against his chest.There was the ugly sound of fabric tearing.I looked up, terrified, and saw a long slash open along Rowan's left arm. Blood surged out."Rowan!" My voice cracked.Security finally got themselves together and pinned Vivian down, still kicking."Let go of me! I'll kill that bitch!" She was screaming like she'd come undone.Rowan was cupping his bloody arm, white as paper, and still trying to reassure me."Chloe. It's okay. I'm okay. Don't be scared."Watching him bleed out in front of me, for me — tears came down before I could stop them."You idiot! Why would you do that!" I yelled at him, crying.Rowan pulled a faint smile out of somewhere."I couldn't just stand there and watch you get hurt. Chloe. Taking a knife for you — I'd do that gladly."The place was in chaos. Someone called the police. Someone called an ambulance.Officers arrived and took Vivian away.I rode with Rowan to the ho

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