Chapter 6 - The Descent and Expulsion
Chloe gestured toward the sprawling, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the glittering Manhattan skyline.
"This is my roof. And you are both officially trespassing."
Eleanor’s face twisted into an ugly, venomous sneer, shedding the fragile mask of the doting matriarch. "You can't kick a pregnant woman's husband out on the street! You're his wife! Have some respect!"
"I’m one of a hundred potential wives, remember?" Chloe shot back, locking eyes with her mother-in-law without a flinch. "But Julian only gets one mother. So, she can take him in. I'm sure there's plenty of room in Marcus's half-built mansion in Ohio."
Without missing a beat, Chloe picked up her smartphone and tapped the screen. "I've already packed your bags, Julian. Building security is on their way up right now to escort you both out. I've also frozen all joint credit cards—which, let's be honest, were funded by me anyway."
The private elevator chime dinged in the foyer. The heavy doors slid open to reveal three burly security guards in crisp uniforms, their expressions stoic and professional.
"Mr. Julian, ma'am," the head of security said, stepping into the apartment and gesturing toward the doors. "We received instructions. It's time to leave the premises."
Julian looked completely broken. He stared down at the spilled ramen staining the walnut table, then at the luxury shopping bags filled with items bought with his stolen money, and finally at Chloe—the pregnant wife he had severely underestimated.
"Chloe..." he whispered, actual tears welling in his eyes. "Please."
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"Goodbye, Julian. Have a safe flight to Ohio," Chloe replied coldly, turning her back on them as the security guards stepped forward to herd the disgraced pair toward the elevator.
The doors slid shut, sealing away the noise, the toxicity, and the dead weight of a marriage built on lies. For the first time in two years, the penthouse was truly quiet. And it belonged entirely to Chloe.
