My Fiance Kissed His First Love After She Pushed Me Down the Stairs Chapter 05

My Fiance Kissed His First Love After She Pushed Me Down the Stairs Chapter 05

Gautier scanned the crowd, searching for a familiar face.

He dreaded seeing Chloe Harrington.

And yet, at the same time, he desperately wanted to see her.

No woman could watch her fiancé marry someone else and simply be okay with it.

He’d expected Chloe to be angry. Jealous. Hurt.

But that didn’t seem like such a big deal.

Chloe had always been reasonable.

Once everything was over, he would explain. He would apologize. He would make it up to her.

And she would forgive him.

She always did.

So why did his chest feel so tight?

Why couldn’t he shake the growing sense of unease gnawing at him from the inside?

Especially after remembering the look in Chloe’s eyes.

That pain.

That heartbreak.

The memory only made the feeling worse.

His phone remained silent.

No reply to any of his texts.

He debated calling her again when Vivian slipped her arm through his.

“What are you thinking about?” she asked with a bright smile. “Look at the sky. It’s gorgeous today. Come have a drink with me.”

Just like that, his anxiety faded into the background.

Gautier put away his phone and tried to reassure himself.

Just today.

No.

Just half a day.

He was only giving Vivian this one final wish.

A proper goodbye to their past.

After today, everything would change.

He would let go of the past and focus on his future with Chloe.

He would marry her legally.

He would go with her to every doctor’s appointment.

He would spend the rest of his life making up for the pain she’d suffered because of him.

So when Vivian leaned in and tried to kiss him again, he instinctively stepped back.

The kiss never landed.

Vivian froze.

A frown creased her forehead.

“Why are you pulling away?” she asked. “It’s our wedding night. You promised you’d stay with me.”

She took a few steps closer.

Deliberately.

The neckline of her dress shifted, revealing a glimpse of red lace beneath.

“I know you’re still upset about everything that happened,” she said softly. “That’s why I prepared a little surprise for you.”

Her lips curved.

“It’s your favorite color.”

Gautier swallowed hard.

Heat crept into his ears.

Just like that night.

His thoughts started drifting.

Desire stirred inside him.

But this time, when it came down to the final step…

He pushed her away.

Gautier stood abruptly and refused to look back at her.

“I’m sorry, Vivian.”

His voice was strained.

“We broke up. I’m engaged now.”

“That night was a mistake.”

Vivian stared at him in disbelief.

He continued, forcing the words out.

“I could give you a wedding. I could give you the closure you wanted.”

“But the woman I’m going to build a life with…”

“The woman I’ll actually marry…”

“That’s Chloe.”

“It’s what I owe her.”

Without waiting for a response, he grabbed his coat and headed for the door.

Almost fleeing.

Behind him came Vivian’s furious scream.

Then the sound of something shattering.

In the past, he would’ve turned around immediately.

He would’ve gone back.

Wrapped his arms around her.

Comforted her.

But this time…

He didn’t dare look back.

He floored the accelerator and raced home.

The moment he pushed open the front door, his heart sank.

No Chloe.

No smell of freshly made dinner.

No gentle smile waiting to greet him.

The house felt cold.

Empty.

Silent.

Only the brand-new engagement ring remained, sitting alone where she’d left it.

Gautier stood frozen.

Then it hit him.

Chloe was still supposed to be in the hospital.

The doctors had said her injuries were severe. She needed to stay under observation.

Thinking of Chloe.

Thinking of the baby they’d lost.

A heavy ache settled in his chest.

This time, he’d gone too far.

Flowers wouldn’t be enough.

He needed to do something bigger.

Something meaningful.

He ordered an expensive custom gemstone necklace and headed to the hospital carrying a bouquet of fresh flowers.

His heart was filled with anticipation as he pushed open the door to her room.

Only to find it empty.

Panic immediately set in.

He rushed to the nurses’ station.

“Where’s Chloe Harrington?” he demanded. “She’s not well enough to leave. Why would you let her walk out?”

The nurse blinked at him.

Clearly she didn’t know who he was.

“You mean the patient from Room 404?”

“She checked out this afternoon.”

“What?”

“We tried to convince her to stay. She was still very weak. But she was determined to leave.”

The nurse shrugged helplessly.

“She kept saying she wasn’t coming back.”

“There wasn’t much we could do.”

Then she looked at him curiously.

“Are you a friend of hers?”

“If you see Ms. Harrington, tell her to come back for a follow-up exam.”

Her expression softened.

“Two miscarriages can do serious damage to a woman’s body.”

The nurse continued talking.

Gautier heard none of it.

His mind had gone completely blank.

He wanted to say he wasn’t just Chloe’s friend.

He was her fiancé.

He was the father of her child.

But how could he possibly say those words out loud?

As her fiancé, he’d married another woman when Chloe was at her most vulnerable.

As the father of her child, he’d protected the person responsible for hurting her.

For the first time, Gautier truly understood.

He had been wrong.

Terribly wrong.

But it was too late.

Chloe was gone.

And she wasn’t coming back.