The Ex-Wife They Begged To Keep - Chapter 194: Chapter 194
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Sterling was furious. Clutching his chest, he snapped, "Do you have any idea what you're saying? You ungrateful child!"
Serena, standing nearby, had started to piece things together.
Chloe hadn't fallen for Keith on her own. She'd been told over and over by Sterling that admiration was love, and that marrying Keith would lead to a perfect life.
But now Chloe had finally seen through it. She no longer wanted a life scripted by someone else.
"Sir, Chloe's an adult now. She has the right to make her own decisions. Maybe it's time to stop trying to control her," Serena said gently.
Sterling's expression hardened. "And who do you think you are? This is a family matter. It's not your place to interfere."
Of course Sterling knew exactly who Serena was. If not for her, Keith and Chloe would've been engaged by now. Serena had single-handedly ruined all his plans.
From the beginning, his willingness to help Keith had never been out of goodwill. He'd seen potential, an ambitious young man with no background but plenty of drive.
If he could turn Keith into a son-in-law, someone who could grow his money and carry the Whitmore name, then any early investments would be well worth it.
"Serena is my friend," Chloe said, frowning as she pushed Sterling back. "You don't get to talk to her like that. You've been trying to control every part of my life for too long.
"I'm not your puppet. I have my own goals, my own friends, and my own mind. You need to stop."
The crack of a slap echoed in the room. Chloe clutched her cheek, stunned. Sterling didn't let up. Instead, he grabbed her arm roughly.
"Sending you abroad was the biggest mistake I ever made. Years of education, and what did you come back with? A smart mouth and no respect!"
Serena stepped forward instinctively, but Sterling's icy glare stopped her in her tracks. "Ms. Gray, I suggest you stay out of this," he said coldly.
While Serena stood frozen, Chloe broke free and stormed out of the studio. Sterling followed close behind.
Watching them go, Serena immediately pulled out her phone and called Keith, her voice tight with urgency as she explained everything that had just happened. "She ran out without warning. What if something happens to her?" she asked.
She had assumed Sterling would be a supportive, level-headed father. But seeing Chloe dragged off like that left her heart pounding with unease.
She waited at the studio for half an hour, anxious and pacing, until her phone finally rang.
"Serena, I made it back to the apartment," Chloe said, voice low and tired.
Relieved but still worried, Serena replied, "Good. Just stay home and rest. I'll finish up here and come right over."
Chloe gave a soft "okay" and hung up.
Serena wrapped things up at the studio as fast as she could and rushed home. She found Chloe curled up on the couch, staring blankly at the floor. The moment she heard the door, she looked up.
It was the first time Serena had seen her like that. She was so lost and so small.
Serena sat beside her and gently rubbed her back. "You're safe now," Serena said quietly. "I'm not going to let him take you away. You're talented, Chloe. Don't let him convince you otherwise. He's just trying to control you."
"I know," Chloe mumbled, sniffling. "I've never thought I was worthless."
She tried to smile but couldn't hold it. Under Serena's soft gaze, her eyes filled with tears. "Ever since I was little, he treated me like I had to be perfect. Like I was some debutante in a glass box.
"After Keith's company took off, he wouldn't shut up about how great my life would be if I married him. And I believed him. I thought I loved Keith."
Serena listened in silence. She could hear the weight behind Chloe's calm words, the years of pressure, the confusion, and the guilt.
"It wasn't until I saw you two together that I realized... whatever I felt before, it wasn't love," Chloe said. She reached for Serena's hand, her grip firm. "I'm not going to say anything else about 'fair and square.' You two belong together."
Even in the middle of her pain, she was still thinking of Serena. That made Serena laugh softly. She reached out and ruffled Chloe's hair.
Keith arrived a moment later. By then, he'd already heard what happened. And now, he finally understood that what he once thought was gratitude from Sterling had always been calculation. He'd lived through enough power plays to recognize one when he saw it.
"How are you feeling?" he asked.
Chloe turned her head sharply, trying not to show how much it still hurt. "I'm fine. But he's probably going to come back. And when he does... I might not have a choice but to go with him."
Keith and Serena might want to protect her, but she had no real reason to stay. Nothing that could stop Sterling from dragging her away.
Almost as if fate agreed, a knock sounded at the door.
"Chloe, I know you're in there. Open up!" Sterling's voice came through loud and clear.
Keith's jaw tightened. He opened the door to find Sterling standing there, his expression already softening. "Keith, there you are. Chloe and I had a little misunderstanding, and she ran off. I figured she'd come here, but you could've at least told me."
Chloe let out a bitter laugh. "Of course you'd want me with him. That would make everything so tidy for you. But nothing I said today has changed, not a single word."
Keith stepped beside Serena.
Seeing them both standing there, unwavering, Sterling's patience snapped. He stormed across the room and yanked Chloe up from the couch. "Fine. If you won't leave, then I will make you. I've already arranged your engagement."
Chloe's eyes widened in shock. 'What?'
"The family saw your photo and liked what they saw. Your education checks out. You'll make a decent wife, at least for appearances," he said, as if listing product specs. "The wedding will be next month. I'll make the arrangements once I'm back."
Serena exchanged a glance with Keith, alarmed.
"No," Keith said firmly, stepping forward and grabbing Chloe's other arm. "You can't take her. Chloe works for me now."
Sterling knew all his scheming had gone down the drain. At this point, he figured he might as well throw all pretense out the window. With a bitter scoff, he snapped, "And who are you to her? It's just a job. She can quit."
Serena, standing nearby, had started to piece things together.
Chloe hadn't fallen for Keith on her own. She'd been told over and over by Sterling that admiration was love, and that marrying Keith would lead to a perfect life.
But now Chloe had finally seen through it. She no longer wanted a life scripted by someone else.
"Sir, Chloe's an adult now. She has the right to make her own decisions. Maybe it's time to stop trying to control her," Serena said gently.
Sterling's expression hardened. "And who do you think you are? This is a family matter. It's not your place to interfere."
Of course Sterling knew exactly who Serena was. If not for her, Keith and Chloe would've been engaged by now. Serena had single-handedly ruined all his plans.
From the beginning, his willingness to help Keith had never been out of goodwill. He'd seen potential, an ambitious young man with no background but plenty of drive.
If he could turn Keith into a son-in-law, someone who could grow his money and carry the Whitmore name, then any early investments would be well worth it.
"Serena is my friend," Chloe said, frowning as she pushed Sterling back. "You don't get to talk to her like that. You've been trying to control every part of my life for too long.
"I'm not your puppet. I have my own goals, my own friends, and my own mind. You need to stop."
The crack of a slap echoed in the room. Chloe clutched her cheek, stunned. Sterling didn't let up. Instead, he grabbed her arm roughly.
"Sending you abroad was the biggest mistake I ever made. Years of education, and what did you come back with? A smart mouth and no respect!"
Serena stepped forward instinctively, but Sterling's icy glare stopped her in her tracks. "Ms. Gray, I suggest you stay out of this," he said coldly.
While Serena stood frozen, Chloe broke free and stormed out of the studio. Sterling followed close behind.
Watching them go, Serena immediately pulled out her phone and called Keith, her voice tight with urgency as she explained everything that had just happened. "She ran out without warning. What if something happens to her?" she asked.
She had assumed Sterling would be a supportive, level-headed father. But seeing Chloe dragged off like that left her heart pounding with unease.
She waited at the studio for half an hour, anxious and pacing, until her phone finally rang.
"Serena, I made it back to the apartment," Chloe said, voice low and tired.
Relieved but still worried, Serena replied, "Good. Just stay home and rest. I'll finish up here and come right over."
Chloe gave a soft "okay" and hung up.
Serena wrapped things up at the studio as fast as she could and rushed home. She found Chloe curled up on the couch, staring blankly at the floor. The moment she heard the door, she looked up.
It was the first time Serena had seen her like that. She was so lost and so small.
Serena sat beside her and gently rubbed her back. "You're safe now," Serena said quietly. "I'm not going to let him take you away. You're talented, Chloe. Don't let him convince you otherwise. He's just trying to control you."
"I know," Chloe mumbled, sniffling. "I've never thought I was worthless."
She tried to smile but couldn't hold it. Under Serena's soft gaze, her eyes filled with tears. "Ever since I was little, he treated me like I had to be perfect. Like I was some debutante in a glass box.
"After Keith's company took off, he wouldn't shut up about how great my life would be if I married him. And I believed him. I thought I loved Keith."
Serena listened in silence. She could hear the weight behind Chloe's calm words, the years of pressure, the confusion, and the guilt.
"It wasn't until I saw you two together that I realized... whatever I felt before, it wasn't love," Chloe said. She reached for Serena's hand, her grip firm. "I'm not going to say anything else about 'fair and square.' You two belong together."
Even in the middle of her pain, she was still thinking of Serena. That made Serena laugh softly. She reached out and ruffled Chloe's hair.
Keith arrived a moment later. By then, he'd already heard what happened. And now, he finally understood that what he once thought was gratitude from Sterling had always been calculation. He'd lived through enough power plays to recognize one when he saw it.
"How are you feeling?" he asked.
Chloe turned her head sharply, trying not to show how much it still hurt. "I'm fine. But he's probably going to come back. And when he does... I might not have a choice but to go with him."
Keith and Serena might want to protect her, but she had no real reason to stay. Nothing that could stop Sterling from dragging her away.
Almost as if fate agreed, a knock sounded at the door.
"Chloe, I know you're in there. Open up!" Sterling's voice came through loud and clear.
Keith's jaw tightened. He opened the door to find Sterling standing there, his expression already softening. "Keith, there you are. Chloe and I had a little misunderstanding, and she ran off. I figured she'd come here, but you could've at least told me."
Chloe let out a bitter laugh. "Of course you'd want me with him. That would make everything so tidy for you. But nothing I said today has changed, not a single word."
Keith stepped beside Serena.
Seeing them both standing there, unwavering, Sterling's patience snapped. He stormed across the room and yanked Chloe up from the couch. "Fine. If you won't leave, then I will make you. I've already arranged your engagement."
Chloe's eyes widened in shock. 'What?'
"The family saw your photo and liked what they saw. Your education checks out. You'll make a decent wife, at least for appearances," he said, as if listing product specs. "The wedding will be next month. I'll make the arrangements once I'm back."
Serena exchanged a glance with Keith, alarmed.
"No," Keith said firmly, stepping forward and grabbing Chloe's other arm. "You can't take her. Chloe works for me now."
Sterling knew all his scheming had gone down the drain. At this point, he figured he might as well throw all pretense out the window. With a bitter scoff, he snapped, "And who are you to her? It's just a job. She can quit."
End of The Ex-Wife They Begged To Keep Chapter 194. Continue reading Chapter 195 or return to The Ex-Wife They Begged To Keep book page.