Book4Chapter7
John POV
Part 1
The first time I saw Chloe, she was a vision of vulnerability. It was a rainy night, and she was huddled outside the office building, feeding a stray cat. She reminded me of Amelia, always with a soft spot for lost creatures. I walked over, holding my umbrella over her head.
“Rough day?” I asked, trying to sound casual.
That’s when I noticed the tears streaming down her face.
She told me about her struggles, how she was a bright girl from a poor family, how she’d worked hard to get into a good college, only to face prejudice and harassment. I felt a pang of sympathy for her, seeing echoes of Amelia’s own struggles in her story.
Maybe I was projecting, looking for ways to make up for my own shortcomings as a husband. Amelia had her own dreams, her own ambitions, but she’d put them on hold for me, for us.
I gave Chloe a promotion, hoping to offer her a safe haven from the cutthroat corporate world.
Over time, I found myself drawn to her. She was young, ambitious, and eager to please. We clicked on an intellectual level, something I craved but hadn’t realized was missing in my life. I told Amelia all about her, thinking they could even be
friends.
But then Amelia started questioning me, her eyes filled with a suspicion I hadn’t seen before. I was hurt, even a little offended. Didn’t she trust me? Didn’t she
Book4Chapter7
know I loved her?
When the rumors about me and Chloe reached Amelia, I saw the hurt in her eyes, and it killed me. I reassured her, told her it was all lies, but the seed of doubt had
been planted.
Looking back, I realize I should have distanced myself from Chloe then. But I didn’t. I let my guilt and fascination cloud my judgment.
