Loved You Once But He's My Forever (Chloe) novel Chapter 16

It was late, the night still and silent.

"Chloe!"

Luke woke up, calling my name as if he had just escaped a nightmare. His right hand clutched his chest, and he was gasping for breath.

Sweat covered his forehead, and his chest heaved unevenly.

Frantically, he fumbled for his phone on the nightstand, dialing my number again. Still off.

He opened our chat history, stopping at the last message—a voice note where he had threatened me.

Only then did Luke realize I might actually be mad this time. After all, I'd never disappeared for more than three days without saying anything.

He mumbled under his breath, "Women are nothing but trouble."

He then called Roy. "First thing in the morning, go to the jewelry store and buy the Heart of the Ocean. And pick up a bouquet of yellow roses while you're at it."

Yellow roses meant an apology.

In his mind, my disappearance was just another one of my usual tantrums, something he could smooth over with a simple gesture, a little sweet talk, a crook of his finger, and I'd come running back.

He tossed and turned, unable to sleep, his face twisted in discomfort. Half-conscious, he muttered, "Chloe, get my stomach medicine."

The room was empty and silent, with no one to respond.

I looked up to see Luke clutching his stomach, his face twisted in pain.

He had a bad stomach, and I'd spent years taking care of it, always keeping medication on hand just in case.

But ever since my miscarriage, things between us had changed for the worse. And with Anna's deliberate seduction, he'd spent more of the time in the past three months with her than he did with me.

Without my care, his stomach problems flared up again.

Luke was curled up on the bed, writhing in pain.

I stood off to the side, watching coldly. Luke, there'd be no one to bring you medicine anymore.

His trembling hands fumbled to open the drawer.

I'd always kept his medication in the easiest spot for him to reach, so that even in the dead of night, he could find it the moment the pain kicked in.

He yanked open the drawer, only to find it packed with all kinds of things.

Those were gifts from Anna, and the bottle of stomach medicine buried at the bottom.

Luke crouched down, frantically searching. After what felt like an eternity, he finally found the medication—only to discover it had expired a month ago.

It hit him then that our relationship had been on the edge of collapse long before our marriage. Despite our impending wedding, he spent nearly eighty percent of his time with Anna, only coming back to me around his work hours.

In his most intense pain, I couldn't tell if he was recalling the better times we'd shared, but his eyes were misty.

"C-Chloe … "

Suddenly, his gaze fixed on me, as if he could see me.

He stumbled toward me, his face was pale but a trace of relief lit up his expression. "You're finally back."

With a thud, Luke collapsed at my feet, overwhelmed by the pain and losing consciousness.

In the past, I would have worried. Now, I merely watched him coldly.

What could I do? I was nothing but a ghost to him now.

I no longer felt any sorrow. Instead, I stood by the window, watching the snowflakes swirl beneath the streetlights.

If I couldn't even protect my own body, what could I protect?

Besides, even if Luke died, he deserved it.

When morning came, Roy, unable to reach Luke, arrived at the Bolton Residence and found him sprawled on the floor.

"Mr. Bolton, what's going on?" he asked, trying to wake him.

"Chloe!"

Luke's eyes snapped open as he grasped Roy's hand tightly, his voice desperate as he called my name.