Chased By My Billionaire Ex-husband
Chapter 174: Jealousy Consumed me

Chapter 174: Jealousy Consumed me

Claire’s POV

I was furious that Susan had called, but the way Evander was handling her gave me a small sense of satisfaction. Yet, with every venomous word she spat, calling Evander a monster made my blood boiled. I wanted nothing more than to storm over there and punch her smug face. But I clenched my fists as I laid there in Evander’s arms, trying to control my anger.

Now wasn’t the time for impulsive actions and let her know that we were already together, lest she design something new.

I didn’t want the world to know about Evander and me—not yet. Not until our foundation was solid and unshakable. I wanted us to be secure in this relationship, untouchable by the manipulative games of others. I didn’t want either of us to fall prey to misunderstandings stirred by a scandalous article or any sorts of rumors.

But as the conversation delved deeper, my heart twisted painfully. Susan had struck me where it hurt the most.

She began talking about my child—my baby. My baby, whom I still missed every waking moment. The grief as raw as it was on it’s first day that clawed at me, but what shattered me completely was her revelation. It wasn’t just a cruel twist of fate that had taken my baby from me. It had been orchestrated.

Staged.

By Gloria.

The moment I realized the truth, a storm of rage and anguish surged through me, breaking through the dam of control I had tried so hard to maintain. My entire body trembled with the intensity of emotions I had bottled up for so long.

"Evander..." I choked out, my voice unsteady as I clutched at his arm, my nails digging into his sleeve. My vision blurred with unshed tears. I wasn’t just in grief—it was pure fury.

I would not let Gloria get away with this. I couldn’t.

"Claire..." Evander’s voice was soft but strained as he turned to face me, his eyes searching mine.

He asked me to tell him everything—out of the blue. This topic had been a silent agreement between us like an unspoken taboo we had both avoided since we got back together months ago. He never asked about it, and I never bothered to tell him.

I thought I was protecting him by keeping it buried. I had lived through that pain, and I didn’t want Evander to bear the weight of it. He already had his own share of wounds—deep, raw, and impossible to heal completely. But now, he wanted to know.

The moment he asked, my composure shattered. Tears spilled from my eyes before I could stop them, my heart twisting as if my sorrow had become too heavy to carry alone. Yet, even in that moment where we both were equally in pain, there he was—holding me, apologizing softly for even bringing it up, as though my pain was his fault.

But what about him?

How had life treated him?

Evander, who had never known a mother’s love, only pure and relentless hatred for him. She had destroyed him again and again, leaving him hollow. The grandmother he adored lay in a hospital bed became like a child. His father was like a distant shadow who had never been there for him. The brothers he cherished so much were both gone, leaving him alone in a world that had done nothing but take from him.

And what about me? Had I treated him any better?

Had I ever truly tried to understand him? Had I ever made an effort when he wasn’t making one?

No.

All I had done was make a few calls, visit his office a handful of times when he wasn’t there—or maybe he was, but Susan always made sure I didn’t see him. I never used my position as his wife, never demanded answers, never fought for us. Instead, I let my insecurities take over me. I made assumptions, let my thoughts run wildl, and when Evander was at his most vulnerable moment—when I could have been his emotional support, when we could have stood by each other—I walked away.

I left him.

But Evander? He never left me. Not once.

So, who was I to blame for everything that happened? Gloria? Susan? They were villains, yes, but they only set the traps. I was the one who naively, stupidly, fell for them.

This realization made me feel even heavier that I couldn’t even hide anything from him. This wasn’t just about the pain of losing our child or the betrayal we had faced—it was about the pain I had caused him by not standing by him when he needed me most.

Now, I had a chance to mend it even if it was just a little bit, to stand by him, to fight for us, to make sure we both healed. And this time, I wouldn’t let anything—or anyone—tear us apart again.

"I know... I know it was my fault that I fell into their trap because I never believed in you enough," I sobbed, my words barely came out of my mouth. "But that day... it was as if they had delivered the final blow, looking at how things went so flawlessly for them."

My hands trembled as I wiped at my tears, trying to steady myself enough to speak. "I saw you both on TV. She was flaunting a ring—one that looked exactly like yours. I mean, you never even wore your wedding ring in public, but... you had one, Evander. One just like hers that day."

My voice cracked, and I struggled to continue. "Then during the interview, she said things... things that made it sound like you two were together. You even hinted that she was a better partner for you. And you—" My breath hitched as fresh tears rolled down my cheeks. "You said something... I don’t even remember the exact words anymore, but I can still see the way she smiled at the camera, the way she snuggled close to you. It felt like she was mocking me, rubbing it in my face that I didn’t belong in your life."

Evander’s arms tightened around me, pulling me so close that I could feel the rapid beat of his heart against mine. His grip was firm but gentle, like he was afraid I might slip away if he let go. "I... I meant in work related partner," he said, his voice was barely audible.

And then, I felt it—a warm drop on the back of my hand. Confused, I glanced up at him, only to freeze in shock.

Evander was crying.

Tears streamed down his face, glistening under the faint light, carving trails through his stoic expression. The man I had only ever seen as cold and unyielding was crying in front of me!

My heart clenched painfully at the sight.

How could anyone call him incapable of love?

How could anyone say that about a man who was breaking in front of me, not for himself but for the hurt he believed he had caused me?

"Evander," I whispered, my voice shaky as I reached up to gently cup his face. "Why are you crying?"

His eyes locked onto mine, and I saw everything in them—the guilt, the sorrow and the love. He didn’t say anything, just leaned into my touch as if it was the only thing grounding him.

"I am so sorry, Claire," he murmured, his voice barely audible but filled with so much anguish that it shattered whatever walls I had left around my heart all this time.

In that moment, I realized something. Evander wasn’t just a man shaped by the pain of his past; he was a man willing to fight through it for the people he loved. And despite everything, he loved me.

And I? I had been too blind to see it. Too wrapped up in my own problems to realize that he had been fighting for us all along.

"Please... please continue," he said in a low tone as he held me tightly. His embrace trembled slightly, the same way my own body had shaken earlier.

But this time, it was different. This time, it was my turn to be his shelter. I didn’t want him to feel lonely anymore. I wanted him to know, that I was here for him—always, whenever he needed me.

"And then..." I took a shaky breath, gathering the courage to speak the words that had haunted me for so long. "I made the worst decision of my life. I decided that I would leave you because... because I thought you had found your happiness. I had no hatred or malice toward you. I only wanted you to be happy, to smile again. That’s all I wanted for you back then."

My voice broke, but I forced myself to continue. "I mean... you did smile from time to time in the pictures with her, and I thought... I thought that was enough. I wanted to see you smile, Evander. You never smiled at me like that. Not once."

His hold on me tightened, and I felt his heartbeat pounding against mine.

"That day..." My words trailed off a bit as it was hard for me to continue. "That day, I was in so much pain, so much agony, that I couldn’t think straight. I didn’t care about anything—not even the weather. It was raining heavily, but I didn’t stop. I just kept walking, driven by this overwhelming jealousy and envy. I was drowning in it, Evander. It consumed me."

I swallowed hard, my tears now flowing freely, unchecked. "And because of that... because I couldn’t control myself... I lost our child."