To a Place He Can't Find

My husband's mistress, Chloe Monroe, cornered me in a public spectacle of her own making.

"I love Cole so much. Can't you just let me have him?"

Cole sat quietly to the side, but texted me, "Just say yes. Humor her for now."

So I did. Then I started packing my bags, ready to leave the penthouse we shared.

On my way out, I heard his friends joking over a poker game. "Clara's surprisingly obedient. Hey Cole, you think if you told her to get rid of the baby so you could go on that ski trip with Chloe, she'd actually do it?"

Cole raised an eyebrow, looking nonchalant. "Want to bet?"

"I bet she'll cry and make a scene at the clinic, but in the end, she'll still go through with it."

I didn't say a word. I just opened a chat with someone else.

"Will you marry me?"

"I will."

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1

A message flashed on my screen: "Are you serious?"

A happy emoji followed. I locked my phone without replying. Not yet.

The laughter from the living room roared on, relentless. "If Clara gets rid of the baby, you can drive my new Porsche for three months!"

"Only three months? I say a full year!"

"It's a deal!"

The noise swelled as the men in the living room cheered the bet.

Back in the bedroom, I frantically shoved anything I could grab into a suitcase. I slammed my calf into the sharp corner of a table, the sudden, searing pain finally tearing a sob from my throat.

Cole Harrington had fallen in love with Chloe Monroe, a model seven years his junior. He bought her luxury homes and cars and whisked her away on lavish vacations around the world.

However, Chloe wouldn't even let him hold her hand in public. She would always dissolve into tears, whimpering, "You're married. I can't do this to Clara!"

Her tears must have broken Cole's heart. He came home demanding a divorce, a grand gesture meant to appease her.

I fought him on it, refusing to accept such an absurd reason. But he just pulled me into his arms, his chest warm against my back. "It's just for show, baby," he murmured. "We'll remarry as soon as it's over. Okay?"

A few days later, Chloe appeared before me. She was a mess of pitiful tears as she collapsed into Cole's arms. "I love Cole so much. Can't you just let me have him?"

Cole's friends told me to be the bigger person and not make a fuss over a "young girl" like Chloe. Cole said nothing, his show of reluctance just a cover for the text he was secretly sending me. "Just agree with her. You don't have to mean it. Just humor Chloe for now."

I gave in. Again.

Another text popped up on my phone. "Are you really, really serious, Clara? You're not lying to me, are you?"

Heat flooded my cheeks. I typed back before I could second-guess myself. "Yes. I'm serious. I'm not lying."

Shortly after I finished packing, Cole drove me to a private clinic. He was in a good mood the whole way, even trying to discuss his upcoming ski trip with Chloe. It was a high-profile trip, the kind that would officially turn our marriage into a public joke.

"Honey, I've looked at a few ski resorts, and they are absolutely gorgeous. Which one do you think Chloe will like?" he asked, then pecked me on the cheek. "Silly me. I forgot you never liked skiing. We'll just book the best suite in Aspen!"

It wasn't until we got out of the car that Cole noticed the tear tracks on my face. He reached out to wipe them, but I slapped his hand away without a word. It wasn't until he was leading me towards the obstetrics and gynecology department that he finally tried to comfort me.

"Don't be angry, honey. We can always have another baby. You know how dramatic young women like Chloe can be when they throw a fit," Cole said smoothly.

The doctor seemed unfazed by Cole's words, simply asking me a few questions before telling me to wait in the reception area for the procedure. Cole sat next to me, but I saw him using his tablet to book a couple's spa treatment for Chloe.

I glanced at his tablet. He was texting Chloe. Alright, be good, he typed. This kind of thing takes a while. I'll be back as soon as she's out. You said you'd let me kiss you today. You can't go back on your word, okay? A sigh escaped him. Chloe was probably whimpering for attention again.

Seemingly satisfied with my silent obedience, Cole shot to his feet. "I have to go, honey. After the surgery, just grab a cab and head to the new place I arranged for you."

He left in a hurry, his words rushed. He was gone before I could even respond.

Lying on the operating table, a hollow ache spread through my core. The faint flutter of life I'd carried was gone, replaced by a chilling, unfamiliar silence.

As soon as I left the operating room, an email popped up on my phone. It was a flight ticket confirmation from Seattle to Aspen Falls, accompanied by a short text: "Wait for me."