Chapter 7 

John POV 

Part 1 

The first time I saw Chloe, she was a vision of vulnerability. It was a rainy night, and she 

as 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 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. 

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