The Billion-Dollar Divorce (Ian and Chloe) novel Chapter 163

Chapter 163

It was 9:40 AM at Harbor City Hospital.

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Chloe was already prepared for surgery, catching up with Blair, her college friend she hadn’t seen in ages as she waited to be called in.

Chloe turned to Blair and said, “Blair, when I go in for the procedure, stand guard outside for me. No matter who shows up, don’t let anyone stop me until my abortion is finished.”

Her phone was on silent.

It had been buzzing nonstop since 8:30 AM, barely taking a break.

If her guess was right, Ian was probably rushing over right now.

But she’d put all the arrangements in place ahead of time, and on purpose, she only signed up at 8:30 to stall him.

The abortion was scheduled for 10 AM.

“Even if Ian somehow pulled off a miracle, there’s no way he’ll get here by ten,‘ Chloe thought.

Blair was Chloe’s college friend and, as luck would have it, she worked right there in the OB–GYN department at Harbor City Hospital.

When Blair heard that Chloe’s husband had not only cheated but even had a love child on the side, she was absolutely pissed about what Chloe had been put through.

Blair swore up and down, “Chloe, don’t worry. The procedure’s quick–it’ll be over before you know it. I’ll stand guard outside and make sure nothing gets in your way, you’ll get through this smoothly.”

Chloe’s expression was numb as she placed her hand on her stomach.

She used to long for a baby with all her heart.

But now, she was going to such lengths just to end this pregnancy.

The day Chloe married Ian, she shamelessly wished the whole world would know she was the luckiest bride on earth.

But now, she was doing everything she could to get a divorce and escape from that man.

Looking back over the past twenty–something years, she realized she’d made so many mistakes.

She was only twenty–six. Nothing was too late for her.

If she’d gone down the wrong road, she’d turn back. If she’d loved the wrong person, she’d let go.

She would personally end everything tying her to lan–even this child.

Chapter 163

At exactly 10 AM, Chloe walked into the operating room right on schedule.

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A few minutes later, Ian burst through the hallway and rushed up to the operating room door.

“Chloe!” Ian called out, his voice hoarse with panic.

Ian, his eyes blazing red, pounded furiously on the operating room door–completely losing it.

Blair stepped right in his way, her stance firm. “Sir, there’s a patient undergoing surgery. Please lower your voice and don’t cause a scene here.”

Ian’s voice cracked with urgency, “My wife is inside. You have to let me see her, just for a minute!”

Blair shook her head, not budging an inch. “The operation has already started. It’s hospital policy–no visitors allowed.”

Ian almost shouted, desperation in his eyes. “I’m the father! That’s my wife in there!”

Blair shot back, unwavering, “Doesn’t matter if you’re her husband or her father. Nobody goes in until the patient is out. End of story.”

Ian’s eyes were wild with desperation as he snapped at Mitchell, “Call Dean Lane. Hurry!”

Mitchell fumbled with his phone in a panic, scrambling to make the call.

When Blair caught wind that Ian wanted to involve Dean Lane, she got even more fired up. “You can bring my dad right here, but either way, this surgery is happening!”

Before Blair could finish, the light above the operating room door flicked off.

The door opened, and a nurse came out helping Chloe walk, steadying her as she emerged.

Blair rushed to her side. “Why did it take so long?”

Chloe murmured weakly, “The anesthesiologist was a few minutes late.”

Seeing lan standing not far away, Chloe softly said, “Thank you, Blair.”

Blair and the nurse supported Chloe over to Jan, then left them alone.

Jan looked at Chloe, her face deathly pale and teetering on her feet, and he felt his heart shatter.

His eyes rimmed with desperation, he stepped forward and pulled her tightly into his arms, as if terrified she’d slip away.

His voice was raw, trembling with suppressed emotion.

Ian was losing it, his voice raw with emotion. “Chloe, do you even know how long I’ve waited for this?”

hurt her.

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His voice was raw with pain. “I called Eric and got you a few days off. Just focus on resting up, okay? Take care of yourself.”

As soon as Ian mentioned he’d already called her office to get her a few days off, Chloe just quietly lay back down, still clutching her phone in hand. She really had nothing more to say to him right now.

Ian stood right by the bed, his eyes rimmed red as he watched Chloe, wanting so badly to say something but the words just caught in his throat. He stood there for ages, silent, every emotion battling inside him.

Cora entered with a bowl of millet porridge, and Ian immediately stepped forward to take it from her, barely waiting for her to set it down.

He carefully placed the bowl on the nightstand, then sat beside Chloe and gently adjusted her blanket. “Cora cooked up some porridge for you. Come on, just have a few bites before you go back to sleep, okay?”

After lan finished speaking, he waited a long while, but Chloe gave him no answer. Looking utterly defeated, he finally turned and walked out of the bedroom.

Cora gently patted Chloe on the shoulder, her voice warm with concern. “Be good, dear. Your body is your own, so try to eat a little, okay?”

Only then did Chloe weakly sit up.

Cora placed a pillow behind Chloe to support her back, then began to gently spoon–feed her.

Cora couldn’t help but let out a long, heartfelt sigh. “Such a precious baby… what a tragedy.”

Chloe’s eyes welled up with tears as she replied.

“Cora, I wanted so badly to keep this baby too… but I was just so afraid,” she whispered.

“For Andrea, he even treated her son from her ex–husband as if he were his own. When it came to those two, he ignored me, threatened me, and wouldn’t let me cry, make a scene, or ask for a divorce,” Chloe said, her voice quivering with pain.

“He admitted right in front of me that Andrea Sherman was his wife, and said her son couldn’t be branded a bastard. He claimed he was Andrea’s husband, and insisted he was that kid’s father,” Chloe continued, her words shaky and bitter.

“Cora, he gave everything he had to that woman and her child. That’s the path he chose,” Chloe said, voice thick with grief.

“For Andrea Sherman and her son, he abandoned me and took away the child I could’ve had,” Chloe whispered, tears brimming in her eyes.

Chloe’s voice was just a faint, shaky whisper–so fragile and soft it felt like it’d vanish before anyone could

hear.

Ian stood in the doorway, his eyes bloodshot and raw with pain.

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Every word Chloe spoke felt like a knife driven deep into his heart, the pain so sharp he could barely breathe.