Chloe POV:
The blinding glare of the spotlights felt like an interrogation, but I stood my ground. Caroline rushed toward me, her manicured fingers digging into my arm as she tried to pull me back into the shadows.
Her whisper was a venomous hiss in my ear. "Chloe, get out of the spotlight! Are you insane? Do you want the Beaumonts on the front page of every tabloid tomorrow?"
I sidestepped her, keeping my posture perfectly rigid. "We already are," I murmured, my voice meant only for her.
Caroline's face drained of color. A few feet away, Julian shot me a lethal glare, mouthing the words, Get down.
I locked my focus entirely on the path ahead. To the Beaumonts, I had always been a stain on the family name.
They considered me mediocre, a docile pawn easily manipulated for their grand designs. This marriage was supposed to be my sole contribution. Now, Harrison's public abandonment wasn't a tragedy to them; it was the ultimate proof of my pathetic incompetence.
Under the stunned, hungry gazes of New York's elite, I gathered the heavy silk of my skirt, turned, and walked off the stage.
I kept my eyes fixed straight ahead, bypassing my family entirely. I headed directly for the grand doors of the ballroom. Every step resonated with absolute finality.
As I passed the Carlisle family's table, Harrison's mother watched me with a cold, appraising stare, evaluating me like a depreciated asset.
I met her gaze with pure ice, holding her stare until she looked away. From this moment on, our families were severed.
Just as I reached the heavy brass handles of the door, a hand clamped around my wrist.
Harrison.
Julian's furious threat over the phone must have hit its mark. Judging by the short time that had passed since the call, the prospect of losing a billion-dollar merger had clearly outweighed his need to play the hero. He must have dropped Victoria at the ER doors and sped straight back to the hotel.
He looked a mess. His hair was disheveled, his tie crooked, and his chest heaved as if he had sprinted through the lobby. His face was a mask of panic. "Chloe, what are you doing? Are you crazy? You can't just walk out!"
I studied him. The sharp scent of hospital disinfectant clung to his suit, mingling sickeningly with Victoria's sweet perfume. My deduction was spot on.
I pried his fingers off my wrist, one by one. My voice came out perfectly flat. "I am entirely sane, Harrison."
"You can't do this!" He reached for me again. "This is about our families! Our partnership, our future—"
"Our future?" I cut him off, a sharp, hollow laugh escaping my lips. "The moment you chose another woman over me, leaving me to face hundreds of guests alone, our future ceased to exist."
A flash of shame crossed his face, quickly swallowed by selfish justification. "I told you, Vicky got hurt! She needed me! You need to be more understanding!"
"Understanding?" I countered, my tone dropping to a lethal calm. "Who is understanding me? My family is currently blaming me for ruining their business deal. Your little stunt tonight just cemented my place at the absolute bottom of the Beaumont hierarchy."
I gestured toward the crowd behind him. The Beaumonts were surging through the tables, preparing for another round of condemnation.
I watched his expression fracture. He clearly wanted to salvage the alliance, yet his body physically shrank back at the sight of my approaching family. His utter indecision was the final blow.
The last embers of my attachment to him turned to ash. I had thought I loved a man, only to realize I was engaged to a spoiled boy.
"Let go." My voice was absolute zero.
He tightened his grip, opening his mouth to argue.
I was done talking. I raised my free hand and slapped him hard across the face.
The sharp crack echoed like a gunshot, instantly silencing the surrounding chatter.
Harrison clutched his cheek, his blue eyes wide with shock. "You... you hit me?"
"That was for me," I stated coldly. "For the years I wasted on you."
Taking advantage of his shock, I yanked my wrist free.
"From now on, Harrison Carlisle, we owe each other nothing."
With that, I stepped past him, tuning out my mother's shriek and my brother's furious roar. I pushed open the heavy ballroom doors and walked out into the corridor.
