The Billion-Dollar Divorce (Ian and Chloe) novel Chapter 192

Chapter 192

Late at night, with streetlights casting shadows, Patrick and Chloe stood shoulder to shoulder on the edge of the sidewalk, watching traffic rushing by.

Patrick caught sight of a black luxury sedan slowly pulling up not far away.

He glanced at Chloe and asked, “Ian’s facing pressure from all sides, but he still won’t let go. Do you think, maybe, there’s a part of him that just can’t walk away from you?”

Chloe stared forward, a vacant look in her eyes.

She replied coolly, “Patrick, it’s not that he can’t walk away. He refuses to divorce me because it’s all about control. He just wants to change who I am.”

Patrick shot Chloe a sideways glance.

Patrick asked, “You’ve loved him for so many years. Are you really sure you want to give up on him?”

Chloe didn’t say a word, just gave a determined nod. “Honestly, I regret ever loving him, regret marrying him. At this point, divorcing him is all I dream about.”

Patrick said, “Chloe, I know you’re hurting. Please, talk to me. Don’t keep it all inside.”

Chloe turned to look at Patrick, her eyes swollen and red.

She forced out a painful smile—it was almost a grimace. “Patrick, I’ve always known there are good people and bad people in the world. But I never imagined the person who’d hurt me most would be the one I loved

most.

Patrick’s heart twisted for her, but all he could do was sigh helplessly.

Chloe said, “Back then, he was my whole world. I cared about him so much, I stopped caring about myself. Now that I think back, in my marriage with Ian, I didn’t even get the most basic respect. Yet I actually begged for his loyalty. Pretty pathetic, right?”

Patrick studied Chloe, his brow furrowed, concern etched across his face.

Chloe let out a bitter smile–one that looked more like she was holding back tears.

She said, “Whenever I tried to be close to him, he complained I was too attached. When I got upset and wanted him to comfort me, he’d say I was being unreasonable. If I acted a little willful, he’d accuse me of just making trouble. I always chalked it up to his personality.”

Chloe went on, “It wasn’t until I found out he’d been holding onto his first love all along that I realized–it was never just his personality. He was always thinking of someone else.”

Chloe continued, “When I actually heard him say how much it still ate at him that he never married Andrea Sherman, how unwilling he was to let it go, I just panicked. I felt so insecure, so scared of losing my marriage, of losing him. Whenever he said something even a little unhappy, I’d take it to heart and do everything I could to change myself.”

Chapter 192

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She went on, “For three years after marrying him, I always acted cheerful on the outside, but deep down I was so uneasy. I kept twisting myself into someone else, until even I didn’t know who I was anymore. And still, none of it could stop him from getting back with Andrea Sherman.”

Patrick’s heart ached for her. He gently patted Chloe’s shoulder, drawing her into his arms, letting her rest her head on him and offering what comfort he could.

Chloe leaned against Patrick’s shoulder and closed her eyes, completely drained.

She said, “Patrick, you know what? Every time Ian and I argued, he’d never really respond–just froze me out, went silent, kept his distance, and used coldness to punish me. Whenever I tried to fight for myself, it was like swinging at thin air. Nothing I did ever seemed to matter.”

Chloe continued, “He always called me emotional, said I was irrational, told me I was overthinking everything. I didn’t get it at first, but after getting hurt so many times, I finally figured it out–it’s not just that he didn’t love me. He simply didn’t care about me at all. Even when he was cheating, if I was upset, he wouldn’t even let me show a single bit of pain around him.”

Patrick, feeling her pain, tried to comfort her. “You’re only twenty–six, Chloe. You’re young–you’ve still got plenty of chances left to start over.”

Chloe straightened up, smoothed her hair, and turned to face the street.

She said, “Patrick, I knew the risks. I lost, so I’ll live with it.”

Ian only ever bought Chloe jewelry because she was Mrs. Hamilton–the showpiece he needed to make the Hamilton family look good.

He set up fancy homes for his parents and brother and sent them money each month, but it was all just so he could look good as the CEO and not let Chloe’s family ruin his image.

He kept track of every dime he spent on her and the Irvine family during their marriage.

Just thinking about spending three years in bed next to someone like that makes Chloe feel completely hollow inside.

Patrick tried to comfort her. “None of us ever imagined things would get this bad between you and Ian. Losing that baby… it was the worst pain either of you have ever felt.”

Ian’s brows drew together, his empty hands curling slowly into tight fists. He stared down at the table, throat working as he swallowed hard, fighting to keep his emotions in check.

He barely managed to move his lips, his voice rough and low. “I failed her. It’s all on me.”

Patrick tried to reason with him, his patience nearly worn out. “Ian, Chloe gave you her best years, and you tore her apart. If you really feel sorry, do right by her for once–show her some heart, show her some respect. End this marriage and let her go free.”

Jan grabbed his coat and stumbled to his feet.

His mind was in turmoil–he couldn’t even process a single thought. He was desperate to get out, to find somewhere to cool down and try to pull himself together.

He gave Patrick a lost look before stumbling out of the private room, his steps shaky and uneven.

For the next two days, lan didn’t set foot in his own home.

Chapter 192

He worked all through the day, then passed out on the office couch every night.

Mitchell was genuinely worried about lan, so he quietly filled Miranda in on the situation.

His parents came to check on him, Mia stopped by, Patrick tried talking sense into him, and even Chloe’s friends reached out one after another… But Jan just shut them all down, claiming he was swamped at work and that crashing at the office was simply easier right now.

On the third day, with the workday almost over, Mitchell finally worked up the nerve to speak. “Mr. Hamilton, Mrs. Hamilton’s already clocked out and gone home. Maybe you should head back and talk things out with

her?”

Jan slumped in his chair, looking totally wiped out as he closed his eyes.

Three whole days, and he hadn’t gone home once.

Not a call, not even a single text from her.