Chapter 108
Chloe instinctively stepped back, a voice in her head screaming at her to run.
Her survival instinct pushed her to do just that, but Arthur caught her wrist in just a few strides.
He leaned down to her ear and whispered like a demon, "Why are you running? Feeling guilty? Afraid I'll be angry with you? Silly girl, I could never be angry with you."
Though his tone was gentle, like the sweet nothings they once exchanged in their most intimate moments, Chloe felt no warmth—only an inexplicable terror.
Her body trembled even more violently.
"Chloe, I never realized that the freedom you wanted meant a life without me. But my entire existence changed when you entered it. Remember that story I once told you? Someone who has tasted cake will never go back to eating hard buns. For me, you are my most delicious cake."
"Chloe, are you trembling?"
Arthur placed both hands on her shoulders, making them look like newlyweds from a distance.
"Good girl, go to sleep. When you wake up, everything will be better. We'll return to our beginning."
Chloe couldn't even get out the words "What are you doing?" before a sharp pain at the back of her neck plunged her into deep unconsciousness...
She seemed to be trapped in an endless nightmare, surrounded by darkness with no exit in sight.
The faster she tried to run, the more the thorns beneath her feet sliced into her ankles, leaving them bloody and raw, the pain nearly draining her completely.
Chloe cried helplessly, instinctively calling out Howard's name.
"Howard, save me..."
At some point, her subconscious had become more honest than her waking mind.
She clearly realized that in this city, only Howard could protect her—only he would appear before her immediately when she was at her most vulnerable.
He was her guardian angel.
"Howard..."
Calling Howard's name, Chloe suddenly opened her eyes to the blinding white of surgical lights.
She tried to sit up, only to discover that her hands and feet were restrained, tied to an operating table, while Arthur stood nearby, looking down at her.
Arthur's naturally cold eyes became even more detached with this gesture.
He seemed to be examining her, yet also pitying her.
Suddenly, Arthur bent down and gently lifted her chin, his eyes calm.
But Chloe knew that behind this calmness lay a fury she couldn't bear.
Was Arthur angry because she had hidden her pregnancy from him?
"Arthur, what are you trying to do now? Last time, you were disappointed when you couldn't perform the artificial womb surgery on me, weren't you? Is this your idea of love? Repeatedly hurting my body, pushing me into hell."
"If you do something irreversible to me today, you'll regret it."
Chloe's eyes were filled with helplessness and despair.
All she wanted was to simply keep this child, then leave this place when everything was over. She didn't care if she had to start a new life elsewhere.
All she wanted was peace and tranquility. Why wouldn't Arthur grant her that?
Why were they once so deeply in love, but now they were destined to reach a point where it was a fight to the death? Which step exactly went wrong, making Arthur act as if he had been cursed and no longer loved her?
Chloe's eyelashes fluttered as tears streamed down her face. Arthur wiped them away with his cold fingers.
"Chloe, while you were unconscious, you kept calling Howard's name. Is that because he's the father of the child you're carrying? Back in school, you trusted him so much—just because I said a few words against him, you would argue with me."
"Of course, a golden boy like him is different from me. If we hadn't been childhood sweethearts, would you have been with him instead?"
Chloe's eyes widened, thinking she had misheard.
She forgot her sorrow, looking at Arthur with shock.
"Arthur, do you realize what you're saying? Are you saying the child in my womb is Howard's?"
"I already have the pregnancy report. Are you still trying to deceive me? Chloe, you were so concerned about my child with Avery, yet to get revenge, you had a child with Howard. Was this revenge worth it? I never slept with Avery, but you rolled into bed with Howard."
Arthur's hand, which had been wiping her tears, slowly moved to her neck, gripping it as his eyes filled with intense hatred. He murmured, "Chloe, why would you do this to me?"
Chloe laughed bitterly, filling the operating room with laughter more painful than tears.
"Arthur, just when I think I've finally seen you clearly, you hit me with another revelation. In your mind, am I really that self-destructive? You were the one who first betrayed our marriage. Because I couldn't have children, you had Avery do IVF. In all the years I've been married to you, I've never done anything to betray you. Because of you, I've suffered so many wounds, but I never regretted it."
"But now I do regret it. I regret ever knowing you. Arthur, if I were really as you say—if I had developed feelings for Howard the moment he appeared—I wouldn't have sold my studio that year. If I hadn't sold my studio then, I would be an internationally renowned designer by now. Arthur, how could you forget everything I sacrificed for you and accuse me so arrogantly?"
"I don't want to force myself to hate you, but right now, you're making me truly despise you!"
Arthur looked at her with reddened eyes, love and hatred intertwined in his gaze.
He lowered his head to place a kiss on Chloe's forehead, seeing her closed eyes and rejecting expression, he smiled desolately.
"Chloe, will you get rid of Howard's child? I can pretend none of this ever happened, and we can start over. I don't want Avery's child either. It works out perfectly—you've had a child with Howard outside our marriage, so we're even now. We're standing at the same starting point. Look at all we've been through—you haven't really forgotten. Why deceive yourself?"
"You've been miserable without me, haven't you? Come on, take this abortion pill. Once you've terminated the pregnancy, we'll start anew. Whether we have children in the future or not, I'll never let go of your hand."
"I've already had the property notarized. All my assets will be yours from now on. If I die before you, you'll be the company's largest shareholder. I've given you all the security you wanted—all you need to do is sacrifice this child with Howard."
Chloe's entire body trembled. Looking at the deranged Arthur with horror, she closed her eyes and said with desperate hoarseness, "Arthur, the baby in my womb isn't Howard's—it's yours!"
After saying this, she began to sob quietly. "Arthur, don't hurt our child."