Chapter 97

Chapter 97
Chloe stepped into the room, the door sliding quickly through her fingers until it slammed hard against the wall. She wasn't angry—she would fiercely deny it if asked—but her chest ached the moment she sucked in a sharp breath. She buried her face in her hands as the morning's chaos flooded her mind like painful memories.

This wasn't the life she wanted to live. She would rather not keep running into the ghosts of her past. Perhaps her story in Phoenix needed to end. The very next second, the phone inside her purse vibrated.

Chloe dragged herself up lazily, leaning over to grab the phone she dropped on the floor when she first walked into the room. She unzipped her purse, pulled out the warm device, and slid it free.

A notification flashed across the screen the moment she unlocked it. Her eyes took a moment to adjust to the small print, but she collapsed backward onto the bed the second she read the message:

“Miss Chloe, after extensive review, we have decided to accept your application for a teaching position at our university.”

Was this some kind of joke? How long ago had she even submitted that job application? Back when she was still married to Ruan and they lived in another country? It felt like such a lifetime ago that Chloe had completely forgotten about it.

Ever since she earned her teaching degree, she dreamed of landing a position at Stanford University. She reread the message more than five times just to make sure she wasn't hallucinating.

A sudden knock on the door startled her. Even worse, Ruan's voice echoed from the other side. He turned the knob and pushed the door open without waiting for her permission.

Chloe quickly hid the phone, terrified Ruan might find out what she just discovered. Occasionally she forgot they weren't married anymore and that she was a free woman who didn't owe her ex-husband any explanations.

“What do you want?” She averted her gaze, looking anywhere but into his stormy eyes.

“I came to ask you out for lunch… with me and Chris,” the words tumbled out timidly, forcing Chloe to look up at him. “I mean, I figured you might be hungry.”

“You figured wrong,” she countered, standing up and turning her back on him. “Have a nice time with Chris. I am not having lunch with you.”

Ruan easily picked up on the sharp edge of discomfort in Chloe’s voice. He assumed she was just in a foul mood because of what went down at the school that morning, but that wasn't the half of it. He couldn't even look into her eyes to read her true feelings. Chloe strode into the bathroom and clicked the door shut.

Her heavy breathing filled the silence of the chilly bathroom as she leaned against the door, terrified Ruan might burst in at any second. She held her breath until she finally heard him leave the bedroom. The sound of the outer door clicking shut was the final cue that allowed her to breathe again.

Her mind raced back to the message. This was her golden ticket to shake off the past, start fresh far away from everything that hurt her, and finally find happiness. Ruan made his own choices, and now she was completely free to find a new love.

But if that was true, why wasn't she happy?

Ten minutes later, she left the bathroom and walked down the hallway just in time to hear the car engine rev and fade into the distance. She was entirely alone to contemplate her future. Her stomach growled with hunger. She instantly regretted turning down lunch the moment she swung the refrigerator door open and found it completely bare.

Grace never cooked; she practically lived on takeout. Chloe simply didn't want to give Ruan any leverage to worm his way back in, which was why she shot down his offer. She rummaged through the cabinets, hunting for anything she could whip up, until she finally stumbled upon a package of pasta.

Cooking lunch offered a welcome distraction, reminding her of the days she lived at her father's house and had to cook for her stepmother and Megan. Everything she did somehow dragged her right back to the past.

She plated her food, sat down, and ate the pasta, which tasted completely bland to her. Even so, she cleaned her plate. Suddenly, she heard the front door swing open and the sharp click of high heels pacing across the hardwood floor.

She turned to lock eyes with Grace, who tossed her purse onto a chair and stared at her with blatant curiosity.

“Did you actually cook?” Grace asked, lifting the pot lid before looking back at her. “Why didn't you call me so we could grab lunch together?”

“You wouldn't have liked today's menu,” Chloe replied, pushing a single noodle around her plate, missing the moment Grace stepped closer.

“Did something happen?” Grace leaned in, looking straight into her eyes. “Where is Chris? Why didn't that little rascal come to greet me?”

“He went out with Ruan,” Chloe said. Grace pulled out a chair and sat down right next to her. “I got a job offer to teach at Stanford University.”

Grace clapped her hands over her lips, her eyes widening in absolute shock as she sat in stunned silence, processing the news.

“I am so sick of living in this city, surrounded by people who did nothing but hurt me in the past.”

Chloe blurted out the words so fast she ran out of air, bracing for her best friend's reaction. She struggled to catch her breath for a moment. Her chaotic thoughts barely allowed her to form the right sentences; she just desperately needed to vent everything she was bottling up inside.

“Are you saying you're leaving?” Grace's eyes filled with sudden heartache. “I know landing a university gig has always been your ultimate dream.”

“That is precisely what I'm saying,” Chloe breathed out heavily before continuing. “I am leaving Phoenix. I'm taking the job.”

The loud slam of the front door made Chloe jump, and when she whipped around, she locked eyes with Ruan. Her pulse hammered against her ears, and her knees nearly buckled underneath her. The dark look on his face confessed that he heard every single word.

“What job are you talking about, Chloe?” She watched his throat tighten as he swallowed hard. “Why are you saying you're leaving?”

Next time, she would make sure to check her surroundings before spilling a massive secret like that where her ex-husband could overhear it.