[113] b
Chloe tossed her phone haphazardly; luckily, it landed on the bed. She then bowed her head, resting her forehead on her knees.
Both of Chloe’s hands embraced her legs, getting tighter and tighter. Then the sound of sobbing began, initially soft but gradually growing louder.
Crying.
During her exile, she kept herself busy with anything she could do, all in an attempt to erase Leonel’s name from her heart. Trying to accept someone else’s presence quickly makes Leonel’s name disappear from her mind. But in reality, Those efforts were in vain.
It wasn’t easy; it could even be said it was difficult for her to forget Leonel even when Darren did everything to win her heart. Yet, Leonel resurfaced, reminding her that she had once been the wife of a Leonel Grisham and was a victim of the Mountain leader’s selfishness.
Cold, lonely, tired, and in pain. That night, Chloe felt incapable of living her life well. She wanted to complain; she tried to wave her hand for help. The pain in her heart was too deep, weakening her sanity. “Never appear in my life again, Ben!”
Those sobs drowned her even more.
On the same night, it felt different for the two individuals who had once shared a marriage that ended in divorce.
That night was the most beautiful for Leonel because he could meet his ex-wife, whom he still loved. He hoped the night would pass quickly to greet Chloe with his beautiful smile.
Meanwhile, Chloe, the woman who had recently closed her eyes, had yet to wake up. That morning, she could finally close her eyes to relieve her fatigue, even briefly.
Chloe wasn’t someone who usually slept in late like this. She had to sleep in that morning because she couldn’t sleep all night, primarily due to thinking about her ex-husband, who pressured her. She began to feel a pretty severe headache.
Since Chloe didn’t come out of her room, Tia tried knocking on Chloe’s door. There was no response, even though she had repeatedly called out her name and knocked on the door.
Curious, Tia opened Chloe’s door and found her sound asleep.
“You rarely sleep at this hour.” Not wanting to disturb Chloe, Tia left the room, closing the door gently.
The employees at the cafe wondered where their boss had gone because the restaurant was already open, and Chloe hadn’t arrived yet.
Darren, who tried calling Chloe, received no answer, so early in the morning, he arrived at Chloe’s cafe. He wanted to meet her and ask why she hadn’t answered his calls. However, instead of meeting Chloe, he encountered her ex-husband.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g
“Leonel?”
“Darren?”
The two men, who met accidentally, disliked the person before them.
With grins, they silently criticized each other with their gaze alone.
“What are you doing here?” Darren asked sarcastically.
Leonel chuckled. He had just stepped out of the car, and the person he wanted to meet was Chloe. However, it was Darren who stood before him. “Is this your cafe? As far as I know, this cafe belongs to my woman.”
Darren laughed at Leonel’s words. “My woman? Are you suffering from amnesia? Chloe is your ex-wife!” Darren exclaimed, his eyes glaring sharply. He didn’t like hearing Leonel acknowledge Chloe as his woman. He was jealous, hoping Leonel would leave Beverly Hills and never meet Chloe again.
“Yes, Chloe is my ex-wife; she might become my wife again. Nothing is impossible in this world,” Leonel disregarded Darren’s sarcastic attitude.
Darren smirked. “Indeed, nothing is impossible in this world, including you being a guest at my wedding with Chloe in the future.”
As if ready for battle, the two men, with different professions, attacked each other with words. Two men who were equally handsome, equally charming, but for the present Chloe, marriage was something she still had to think about thousands of times.
“You better go home,” Darren said confidently.
“You should go to work instead. What’s a doctor doing in a cafe at this hour? Ck!” Leonel stared at Darren with eyes that indicated his disdain for the man who had been close to Chloe for the past year. “Don’t think that just because you can hug Chloe means she will be yours. Don’t forget; we shared a bed for a long time.” Leonel didn’t care if his words sounded childish. He only wanted Chloe, and he would fight to win her back.
Darren appeared shocked by the words that came out of Leonel’s mouth. Oh my! It ruined the morning he was going to have.
“What about yourself? Do you think about your busy affairs? To the point of forgetting that you have a wife? It’s good that Chloe chose to divorce. She doesn’t want to linger with someone who neglects her!”
Leonel clenched his fists tightly, ready to swing and strike Darren hard, but…
“Excuse me, Sir,” one of Chloe’s employees approached. His face looked concerned. “I hope you won’t argue here. The customers have arrived. Please have a seat inside if you want to meet Chloe.”
Darren let out a rough breath; he couldn’t linger here. Meanwhile, Leonel scanned the corners of the cafe space that was starting to fill with customers. Most of them chose breakfast menus before starting their activities. He walked in and took a seat in one corner. He could wait here until Chloe arrived.
Darren? He didn’t care. After all, the man finally left. Darren’s medical practice couldn’t be abandoned just like that.
“One-zero, Darren,” Leonel said with a satisfied grin. He sipped the cup of coffee that had just been brought by one of the cafe employees.
“No matter how hard you try to avoid it, Chloe, I will prove I am serious. You won’t find the despicable Leonel anymore. Leonel comes to you this time, bringing a much greater and more sincere love just for you.”