Ex's crazy pursuit After Divorce (Chloe and Adrian) novel Chapter 14

Chapter 14 Panic

Chloe froze for a moment, then nodded and greeted him. “Good morning.”

Adrian set breakfast on the table and waved her over.

“Breakfast is ready. Come eat.”

Chloe hesitated.

This was the first time Adrian had cooked breakfast in their entire marriage.

Usually, unless she was working a night shift at the hospital, she’d always be the first one up, preparing breakfast for both of them.

She used to fantasize that eating breakfast together every day, leaving for work together, would make them feel like a normal married couple.

Day after day, she’d lived inside her own delusion.

If not for that trip to Norway, if not for that avalanche that nearly killed her, she might have stayed trapped in that fantasy forever.

But it wasn’t too late.

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She understood now.

Besides Adrian, she had parents, family, friends, and a career she loved. She shouldn’t pour all her energy into one person.

In two months, once their marriage officially ended, she’d need to move forward. She’d need to learn how to live without

Adrian.

A dignified, amicable separation beat harsh words and an ugly ending.

With that thought, she nodded and walked over to the table. “Thank you.”

Adrian sat across from her. Hearing her polite thanks, he paused and looked up with an unreadable expression.

Chloe kept her head down, eating quietly. She didn’t share little daily stories like she used to.

“You-”

Just as Adrian started to speak, Chloe’s phone buzzed with several consecutive notifications, cutting him off.

Chloe checked her phone. Messages from Nicholas.

[Good morning. Hope I didn’t wake you?]

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[I’ve been thinking–I should warn you about those nightmares you’ve been having.]

[After the avalanche, you’ll likely develop severe PTSD. You should see a therapist ASAP before it gets worse.]

[If you need someone to talk to, you can always chat with me. We’re friends now, right?]

Nicholas had sent these messages one by one, so her phone kept chiming.

Chloe couldn’t help but smile at his rambling texts.

She put down her fork and texted back:

[Dr. Foster, isn’t it past midnight in Norway? Why are you still awake?]

Nicholas replied almost instantly.

[Night shift. Just finished rounds, back in the office.]

[Did you eat breakfast?]

[Heading out soon?]

[Remember what I said. Make time for that therapist. Don’t

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tough it out.]

For every message Chloe sent, Nicholas fired back several.

She’d noticed this habit during her hospital stay.

Nicholas never sent long messages. Instead, he’d send them sentence by sentence, making her phone sound like a popcorn machine.

Chloe couldn’t help picturing Nicholas as a chatty priest, clutching a rosary and muttering prayers. She laughed out loud.

[Thanks, I’ll remember.]

Adrian sat across from her, listening to her phone buzz endlessly, unable to get a word in.

The way her lips curved while texting was particularly grating.

When Chloe actually laughed out loud, Adrian hit his limit.

“Who’s texting you so much this early?” His casual tone carried an edge.

“Hm?” Chloe looked up just as another message from Nicholas came through.

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This time, a voice message.

Adrian suddenly slammed his utensils down with a loud clatter, making Chloe jump. Her finger slipped and accidentally hit play on Nicholas’s voice message.

[Got an emergency patient coming in. Talk later.]

Nicholas‘ warm voice filled the room through her phone speaker.

Chloe quickly typed back:

[Okay, take care of work first.]

When she looked up again, Adrian’s expression was thunderous, his gaze ice–cold.

In all their years of marriage, even without love, they’d always been respectful to each other. This was the first time Chloe saw Adrian so furious, so cold toward her.

She thought about her chat with Nicholas earlier.

She knew Adrian hated phones at the table. Usually, to make the most of their limited time together, she never touched her phone during meals.

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Feeling awkward, Chloe set her phone aside. “Sorry, did I ruin your breakfast?”

She stood up, went to the kitchen, and grabbed plastic wrap to cover the sandwich Adrian had made.

“I’ll… I’ll eat on the way. Don’t want to bother you. Take your time.”

She didn’t want to spend their final two months of marriage fighting. She was trying her best to keep things civil with Adrian.

Since she’d disrupted his meal, she’d just eat elsewhere.

But her gesture didn’t improve Adrian’s mood–it darkened his expression even further.

Chloe thought he was being petty, but she had no interest in coaxing him. She grabbed her bag and headed out, eating as

she walked.

She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been this

spontaneous.

Back in college, rushing to class while eating breakfast was completely normal.

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But after marrying Adrian, her infatuation had made her unconsciously try to meet his standards.

Eating while walking was improper and completely unbecoming of Mrs. Foster.

She couldn’t even remember how many rules she’d imposed on herself because of that identity.

But now that she’d decided to let go, to stop loving Adrian, all those Adrian–related restrictions naturally disappeared too.

Standing in the elevator, she took a deep breath. The weight in her chest felt slightly lighter.

*****

Adrian sat frozen in the dining room, staring at the empty chair across from him, his expression blank and lost.

This was the first time he’d seen Chloe text during a meal. And the first genuine smile she’d shown in days.

But that smile wasn’t for him.

Chloe hadn’t argued with him. She still spoke with the same soft politeness. Yet Adrian could feel her slipping further and further away.

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The realization made his chest tighten with panic. Before he could even process it, he was already on his feet.

By the time his mind caught up, he was standing inside the

elevator.