Ex's crazy pursuit After Divorce (Chloe and Adrian) novel Chapter 3

Chapter 3 Such a Lame Lie

His eyes were ice cold, dead serious.

She knew then–Adrian wasn’t joking.

Still, she agreed without hesitation.

To be his wife… after ten years of loving him quietly, maybe this really is my happy ending.

“Well then… It’s a deal.” Adrian smiled and held out his hand.

Those long fingers were as elegant and refined as the man

himself.

“Deal.” She reached out and shook it.

Warmth spread from his palm through her entire body.

Just like that, she became Adrian’s contract wife for three

years.

A cold wind whipped past, making Chloe shiver and snapping her back to reality.

Without Adrian here, she’d totally lost interest. She holed up in the hotel and slept the afternoon away.

That whole day, Adrian never called.

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The next morning, she woke up early again.

She threw on her snow gear, grabbed her hiking equipment, and hired a local guide. She’d go trekking on her own.

After all, she was already here. Why waste half a month of vacation?

The trail was crowded with expedition teams from all over the world.

But Chloe wasn’t nervous at all.

She snapped photo after photo, then pulled up Adrian’s Facebook, ready to send them to him like she always did.

Her finger hovered. Then she stopped.

By now, Adrian should already be back in the States. With Natalie kidnapped, sending him vacation pics felt… wrong.

So she didn’t.

She went to shove her phone back in her pocket–but instead, she tapped open Natalie’s profile.

A week ago, Natalie’s family had come back to New York and visited the Fosters. After the family dinner, Natalie had added

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her on Facebook.

The first post was from just an hour ago.

“Whoa! I’m forever Adrian’s precious gem!”

Nine photos. Natalie grinning in a hospital bed. A few shots of a man’s broad back. Hands carefully peeling an apple.

She didn’t need to see his face. Chloe knew those hands. Especially the wedding ring on his finger.

So Natalie has been rescued.

Relief washed through Chloe. Maybe Adrian would come back for her soon.

She scrolled down to the comments-

r

“Lol, relying on Adrian again? Making up kidnapping stories.”

“Classic Natalie. Adrian dumped Chloe in Svalbard just for her. He’s so dead when Chloe gets back.”

And then Adrian replied.

“Don’t ever try this again.”

Natalie’s answer came right after: “Aww… sorry, Adrian! I’ll 3/7

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apologize to Chloe when she’s back, pinky promise!”

The feed kept going-

“Yeah, the kidnapping was fake, but her depression? That’s still serious. Chloe can’t seriously be mad about that, right?”

“Tbh, Adrian should’ve married Natalie. They’ve known each other forever—maybe her depression wouldn’t be so bad with him.”

“Come on, Adrian’s with Natalie anyway. Everyone knows she’s number one.”

Chloe read every word, expression calm.

Of course they looked down on her. They always had. They thought she was too soft to fight back. And maybe she was.

But Adrian never said a word for her. Never defended her.

Suddenly, Chloe felt like none of it mattered anymore.

She closed Natalie’s Facebook, totally over it.

Just as she was about to keep walking, the mountain started shaking.

White snow came rushing down like some savage beast, 4/7

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straight toward her.

Before she could even react, it buried her completely.

Fear, terror, and despair flooded her chest all at once.

Trapped beneath the crushing snow, Chloe clutched her phone- with trembling hands, desperately trying a video call.

If this was it, she wanted to see Adrian’s face one last time. Ten years of loving him in silence–ending here.

But the call got declined almost immediately.

In that moment, resentment and hurt filled her chest. Heavy and suffocating.

This bitterness and disappointment even overwhelmed her fear

of death.

Some stubborn part of her made her call again.

As expected, the video call got declined again.

Her heart turned as cold and bone–chilling as the snow covering her body.

Her fingers shook as she typed-

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[Avalanche! I’m stuck under the snow.]

She didn’t really expect someone who’d hung up on her twice to respond right away.

But she still held onto that last thread of hope.

Maybe giving this ten–year crush one final chance.

Or maybe looking for a reason to finally give up completely.

Surprisingly, the reply came immediately.

Yet every word was like a blade, tearing her heart to shreds.

[Chloe, seriously? Making stuff up just to get me back? I’m staying with Natalie a bit longer. Just head home when you’re done.]

A cold so sharp it crawled under her skin like a thousand

needles.

She didn’t respond to the message. The words felt too far away now, too meaningless.

As the snow continued to bury her deeper, inch by icy inch, all the warmth slowly drained from her body.