The Ex-Wife They Begged To Keep - Chapter 199: Chapter 199

"You bastard!" The Kingsley family was furious. They hadn't expected Sterling to seize this moment to backstab them.
Yet Sterling maintained his wounded facade.
Chloe wasn't surprised. She had anticipated this exact reaction. Exposing Ashton's scandals and turning public opinion against him had been her goal all along.
Serena watched everything unfold just as Chloe had predicted. The irony wasn't lost on Serena, but she couldn't help feeling relieved. Chloe was finally free.
Amidst the whispers and stares, Chloe lifted her wedding dress and walked out of the venue.
Sterling, impressed by her decisiveness, had no idea she would disappear from the Whitmore family forever after changing out of her gown.
The guests murmured in pity. But whispers soon turned judgmental. Chloe had been criticized and painted in a bad light. Naturally, most people assumed any woman who ended up with Ashton must not be a good person either.
These planted comments, carefully arranged by Serena, were designed to sway public perception. Only by making Chloe seem worthless in Ashton's eyes would he truly let her go.
"Enough! My daughter had nothing to do with this." Sterling tried to explain, but the crowd seemed deaf to his words.
In the chaos, he searched for Chloe, only to realize she was already gone.
"Mission accomplished. Let's get out of here before Sterling catches on," Lana said, tugging at Serena's sleeve.
Snapping out of her thoughts, Serena nodded and followed. There was no point lingering to watch Sterling's meltdown.
At their prearranged meeting spot, Chloe was already waiting, having changed out of her wedding gown into sleek, practical attire. "What took you so long?"
Serena cleared her throat awkwardly. She couldn't admit she had stayed to enjoy Sterling's humiliation.
"After today's mess, it's understandable I'd need to stay elsewhere for a while. Thanks for helping me out. Still, I'm sorry to bother you," Chloe said, her voice lighter than it had been in months.
"Keith and I have everything set up for you," Serena reassured her. "You'll be safe there. No one will find you."
Chloe's gratitude overflowed as she pulled Serena into a tight hug. "Thank you. Without you, today would've been the worst day of my life." Soon, she left the hotel as planned.
The failed alliance between the Whitmore family and the Kingsley family was now the talk of the town, more infamous than the engagement had ever been.
Sterling, unable to locate Chloe, grew increasingly frantic as online speculation spiraled.
Meanwhile, Chloe settled into her new temporary home, changed into fresh clothes, and went out to meet Serena and Lana.
"To Chloe's new life!" Glasses clinked under the warm glow of lights as Lana led the toast. Chloe downed her drink in one go.
"Netizens see Chloe as the innocent victim. They believed she was too heartbroken to face the world," Serena chuckled, relieved their plan had worked flawlessly. She had been keeping a close eye on the comments online, worried their plan might accidentally hurt Chloe. Thankfully, it hadn't.
As they were celebrating, a figure approached unnoticed. It was Sterling.
Seeing Chloe laughing freely while chaos reigned at home ignited his fury. He thought, 'How dare she enjoy herself while everything falls apart?'
"Chloe!" He grabbed her arm, yanking her from her seat. "Don't tell me you had something to do with that video." His voice dropped low but sharp with accusation.
Initially, he hadn't suspected her, but the timing was too perfect. But now that he thought about it, how could something like that happen exactly at her wedding? It just seemed too convenient.
Before Chloe could respond, Sterling tightened his grip, warning, "Drop the act. You'll regret this when we get home."
Serena immediately stepped between them. "Let her go." Her eyes, sharp under the dim lighting, left no room for argument.
Sterling frowned, wanting to demand what Chloe had done to earn such support from Serena. But right now, getting Chloe back home was his priority. "I'm her father. No one has the right to stop me from taking her home," he growled, shoving Serena aside.
The moment Sterling appeared, Chloe's smile vanished. Shielding Serena, she said coldly, "This was all my idea. Don't take it out on her. I'll go with you."
"Going somewhere?" A calm male voice cut through the tension.
Everyone turned to see Keith approaching, his expression icy.
Serena's eyes lit up. She had invited Keith to celebrate their victory, never expecting Sterling to show up. But now, with him here, Chloe wouldn't be taken away so easily.
Sterling's face darkened as he realized the same. He sneered, "Keith, you'd better discipline your girlfriend. I've done for you, but now you let her manipulate my daughter into this mess? How do you think that'll look if word goes out?"
Keith ignored the threat, stepping close to Serena instead. "Are you hurt?" he murmured.
Serena shook her head. With Keith present and bystanders watching, Sterling wouldn't dare escalate things further.
Keith said softly, his tone devoid of mockery, "If you aren't afraid of people finding out you sold your daughter for profit, why should I be afraid of anything?"
Sterling froze for a few seconds before his face flushed crimson with rage. "Is this how you repay favors?"
"Since Brannon Creative Group took off, I've given you plenty of business in return," Keith said, unfazed by the emotional blackmail.