On Our Wedding Day My Husband Announced His First Love Online-Chapter 83: Kill One, Count It as One

Chloe Miller plugged the USB drive directly into her phone to play the recording. Since she had it on speaker, I was forced to listen to the whole thing again.

After it finished, Chloe Miller unplugged the USB drive and clucked her tongue. "That level of performance... what’s in it for Clara Langley? The fact that he smells like an old man?"

I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

"Probably even worse than Theodore Grant with his low sperm count, huh? Speaking of which, Chelsea, you really had it tough all these years."

Seeing Chloe Miller get more and more outrageous, I quickly moved to cover her mouth. "Alright, that’s enough."

Chloe Miller saw my face flush red, which only seemed to amuse her more. She couldn’t resist teasing me again. "How was Theodore Grant’s stamina? He couldn’t have been worse than Vincent Lombard, could he?"

"Don’t be ridiculous!" I shot her a mock glare.

Chloe Miller nudged my arm with her elbow, a gossipy look on her face. "Just tell me. The last time you two were together, how long did it last?"

My mind couldn’t help but drift back to that wildly passionate encounter in the lounge at the banquet. Theodore Grant’s stamina had been almost frighteningly immense...

It felt like he was going to melt me whole.

It went on from the afternoon until dusk. When I finally woke up, the sky was already dark.

And the lounge had been cleaned until it was spotless; even the sheets had been changed.

A maid brought in fresh clothes, explaining that Theodore Grant had to leave for an urgent company matter and had arranged for a driver to take me home.

I was thrilled by Theodore Grant’s thoughtful arrangements, believing our relationship would finally take off after that. But he didn’t come home that night. Instead, he spent the entire evening drinking with friends.

Afterward, he went back to being his usual, indifferent self toward me.

It was as if that passionate, deeply satisfying union had been nothing more than a grand dream...

And now, it was time for the dream to end.

Noticing my melancholy expression, Chloe Miller pursed her lips and stopped pressing. Instead, she muttered under her breath, "I still don’t get how you were ever so blind as to fall for Theodore Grant..."

"Maybe I was just blinded by the light?" I offered.

On a bright, sunny afternoon when I was feeling humiliated and hopeless, it was a school jacket from Theodore Grant that shielded my fragile pride.

But that simple, thoughtless act of kindness wormed its way into my heart.

’I’d often wondered about it. He was such a warm and kind person as a boy, so how did he lose that gentle warmth as a man?’

’They say people change.’

’And Theodore Grant was no exception.’

’So I was the fool for clinging to the memory of that small warmth for so long.’

"Alright, my bad. We won’t talk about it anymore," Chloe Miller said, hugging my arm placatingly. "Let’s talk about something happy."

I pulled myself out of my memories and turned to find Chloe Miller’s eyes darting around. I knew she was cooking up some scheme.

"What is it? Just spit it out."

Chloe Miller immediately went into suck-up mode, eagerly massaging my shoulders with her little fists. "About the gathering this afternoon... can you take me with you so I can see what it’s like?"

I froze. "You want to go too?"

I was confused. If I remembered correctly, Chloe Miller’s company was in the auto industry. Why would she want to get involved in an event for military and scientific research?

"Well, our corporate headquarters has been thinking about pivoting, and opportunities like this are rare..."

Chloe Miller’s eyes lit up. "Master Forrest is famously powerful. The line of people who want his backing could stretch from here to the Varden River. Of course, I just want to go for the experience, and maybe see if I can expand our business horizons." 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Chloe Miller was a regional manager at her company. Climbing to that position at such a young age already made her quite the powerhouse.

’Compared to her, I really was a failure.’

However...

"I’ll have to ask Senior Forrest..."

After all, I’m just a guest myself. I don’t have the authority to bring anyone else.

"Of course you have to ask Master Forrest," Chloe Miller nodded eagerly. Then she bumped my shoulder with a knowing look. "I’m sure Master Forrest will listen to you."

"Chloe!"

"Hahaha, alright, I’ll stop teasing. Go on, ask him. If he says yes, I need to hurry home and get ready."

I nodded. You couldn’t dress too casually for a business event like this.

But just as I was about to pull up my contacts to call Sebastian Forrest, a call came in from him.

Chloe Miller grinned knowingly from the sidelines. "Isn’t this that legendary psychic connection?"

I quickly shot her a "be quiet" gesture before answering the call.

"The bidding conference has been moved up by half an hour. I’ll have Henry Paxton bring a gown over to you shortly. I’ll come pick you up at five."

"Oh, you don’t have to go to all that trouble. I have a gown here..."

"Your old ones probably won’t fit properly anymore. I had a designer use your previous measurements for this one, but with an enlarged waist. It’ll be more comfortable."

I hadn’t expected Sebastian Forrest to be so thoughtful, to have considered even such a minor detail.

Just as Sebastian Forrest finished and was about to hang up, I quickly interjected, "Um..."

"What is it?" Sebastian Forrest asked.

"Chloe was hoping to come along and see what it’s all about..."

But before I could even finish, Sebastian Forrest replied, "Of course. I’ll pick you both up."

"Thank you, Senior Forrest."

"See you in a bit."

After I hung up, Chloe Miller gave my arm a little nudge. "Well? Didn’t I tell you Master Forrest would listen to you?"

"Keep talking nonsense and I’ll leave you behind!"

"Okay, okay, okay, your highness! I need to hurry back and get myself ready. No one’s getting custom gowns made for poor old me. The comparison is enough to make a person sick!"

...

The golden days of October had passed, and the weather was growing cold. Although the sun had not yet set, there was a definite chill in the air.

As I stepped out of the car, a wave of cold air washed over me, and I instinctively tightened my wrap.

I had to admit, Sebastian Forrest’s level of thoughtfulness was far beyond what I had imagined. He had even prepared a wrap for me.

I couldn’t help but look up at Sebastian Forrest.

Maybe because he was used to working in a research institute, he rarely wore a suit.

But right now, he was dressed in a black suit with clean, expert tailoring, made from a fabric that was clearly expensive. He wore a black shirt underneath, no tie, with the top few buttons casually undone, giving him an air of noble, languid grace.

"Careful, watch your step."

As the elevator arrived, Sebastian Forrest placed a hand gently on the small of my back, guiding me in.

Chloe Miller trailed behind us, beaming so hard it looked like her face would crack.

I had to secretly shoot Chloe Miller a look, telling her to tone it down.

DING!

The elevator doors slid open on the top floor—

"Master Forrest, there you are! You finally made it..."

As the elevator doors opened, the melodious sound of a piano and the slightly anxious voice of Jude Miller reached our ears.

The first thing we saw was a spacious, comfortable indoor garden. Men and women in elegant attire held stemmed glasses, chatting and laughing in low voices. The whole scene felt less like a bidding conference and more like a high-society party.

"What is it?" Sebastian Forrest glanced at him nonchalantly.

"My Claire got into an argument with that cousin of yours! You’d better go check on them. Any later and they might actually start throwing punches!"

I couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. ’His cousin?’

’Could Fiona Forrest be here too?’

Thinking back to our trip to Varden, a wry smile touched my lips. ’That girl is just spoiling for a fight, isn’t she? She brings the battle with her wherever she goes!’

"Don’t mind them. Let them fight it out."

After saying that, Sebastian Forrest turned to me and said in a warm voice, "Let’s go. I’ll take you to the lounge to get something to eat first."

I instinctively opened my mouth, about to tell him to go handle his business first, when a petulant voice called out from nearby. "Sebastian, someone’s picking on me! You have to make things right!"

I saw Fiona Forrest walking toward us, pouting. But when her eyes landed on me, her brow furrowed, and her voice shot up several notches. "Chelsea Joyce? What are you doing here?!"