Goodbye, My Serial Husband

Start Reading

Alexander once whispered a sacred vow in my ear, For the rest of my life, I will love only you.

But that vow turned into a sharp blade, piercing me the moment Brittany returned.

Can't you be more understanding? Do you really want Brittany to be called a homewrecker?

But she is a homewrecker!

From hysterically slitting my wrists and waiting in a cold hospital bed.

To finally, learning to calmly pack my bags and leave in silence.

I once believed my compliance could win his heart back.

Yet, the moment Brittany left her lips, I need to handed him the divorce papers.

He set a date for our remarriage with practiced ease, certain I would come back obediently, to marry him again.

When his first love was not around!

Just like all the times before.

But he doesn't know.

This time, I'm not coming back.

Brittany's back. We should get a divorce soon.

"Let's do it the same as before this time. We'll get married after she leaves us. "

I signed papersslide it across the table to my husband, Alexander Croft.

For a moment, he looked stunned, but he recovered quickly, signing his name with a practiced ease.

"After Britney comes back, you should treat her with the same respect as my wife."

In the past, those words would have sent me spiraling, desperate for more reassurance.

I would have demanded he swear an oath.

But this time, I felt nothing.

No desire to respond at all.

Chloe, are you listening to me?

Alexander's brow furrowed, clearly annoyed by my silence.

I had to force a nod.

Yes.

My hands didn't stop moving, folding clothes and placing them neatly into a suitcase.

Alexander always kept his word about remarrying me. He was known in his industry for his integrity.

That much was certain.

It was almost as if we weren't a husband and wife, but two parties in a contract, periodically terminating and renewing our agreement.

The marriage and divorce certificates were just paperwork, two a year, every year. To date, I had signed twelve.

I remembered on our wedding day, he promised he would never be unfaithful during our marriage.

And he had kept that promise.

After all, once we were divorced, he was free to be with whomever he wanted.

The only cost was my reputation. I was known throughout our social circle as his plaything, a woman he could summon and dismiss at will.

My unusual calm today seemed to unnerve him. The memory of my past hysterics, of the times I'd hurt myself, was still vivid in his mind.

He watched me pack, faster and more efficiently than ever before, and said, a little defensively, I can be the one to move out this time

The snap of the suitcase latch closing cut him off.

I've already arranged it with my friend. I'll stay with her for a few days.

A flicker of recognition crossed Alexander's face, and his expression soured.

Don't tell me you're playing hard to get again. Are you going to sneak into the company disguised as an assistant to watch me?

Chloe, can't you get a life? Are you really that incapable of living without a man?

I understood his subtext perfectly. He just didn't want me showing up at his office and disturbing his precious time with Brittany.

She was only in town for a short while, after all, and he wanted her by his side, in her role as his special assistant.

After our second divorce, I had successfully applied for that assistant position. I had walked into his office holding his favorite latte, my heart full of hope.

I found him locked in a passionate kiss with Brittany, who was sitting on his lap.

I lost control and attacked her. Alexander slapped me so hard I fell to the floor.

A crowd of employees gathered outside the office, gawking at the spectacle.

They all thought I was still the CEO's wife, and their gazes on Brittany were filled with contempt.

To protect Brittany's reputation, Alexander ignored my tearful pleas, snatched my purse, and dumped its contents onto the floor.

The deep red of the divorce certificate was like a gaping mouth, screaming the truth of our relationship to the entire world.

From then on, every time we divorced, Alexander made sure to announce it publicly.

Everyone knew Alexander loved Brittany.

And everyone knew I was the shameless one, clinging to him, refusing to let go.

But this time, Alexander's fears were unfounded.

I picked up my suitcase without hesitation.

Don't worry. I won't bother you again.

He eyed me with suspicion, but as I opened the door and stepped out, he called after me, a hint of urgency in his voice.

We're getting remarried on the 13th of next month. Don't you forget.

I froze for a second.

What a coincidence.

The 13th was the day I was leaving the country.

With Brittany back, Alexander didn't think of me once. Just as he'd promised.

And I, for my part, broke my old, obsessive pattern of tracking his every move, of trying to intercept him at every possible location.

Instead, I settled into a blissful routine with my best friend, Sophia, filled with late-night food runs and cheap beer.

The days flew by.

With only twenty days left before my departure, Sophia and I were waiting for our food at a restaurant when Alexander and Brittany walked in.

He had his arm around her waist, and they were laughing, looking like a perfect couple.

Chloe?

Alexander's eyes found me immediately.

Brittany wrapped her arms around his neck, her smile sickeningly sweet.

Chloe, what a coincidence! You're here for dinner too?

When she saw my gaze land on her, Alexander instinctively stepped in front of her, shielding her.

I knew he thought I was going to lunge at her, just like I had before.

But not only did I not move, I actually held back Sophia, who was ready to fight on my behalf.

I managed a nonchalant smile.

Yeah, what a coincidence.

Sensing my submission, Brittany's smile widened.

So sorry, Chloe, but Alexander promised to book the entire restaurant just for me tonight. You'll have to find somewhere else to eat.

She tugged on his arm, her voice a saccharine whine.

Isn't that right, Alexander? You have to say something, or Chloe will think I'm targeting her on purpose.

For a split second, as his eyes met my calm gaze, Alexander hesitated. But then he nodded at me.

He didn't say a word, but his silence was more cutting than any insult.

Sophia started to roll up her sleeves, but I gently pressed her arm down.

It's fine. We can go somewhere else.

Somewhere else. Somewhere without Alexander.

My departure was so close. I didn't want to waste any more time on pointless arguments with my ex-husband.

As a good ex, shouldn't I just treat him as if he were dead?

The restaurant manager, sensing the situation, rushed over to fawn over the couple.

You two are so lovely together. It's truly enviable.

At his words, Alexander's gaze shifted to me, a complex mix of wariness and curiosity.

He seemed to be waiting for me to say something.

But I just took Sophia's hand and stood up to leave, pretending I hadn't heard a thing.

Alexander was clearly not expecting my lack of reaction. He stared at my retreating back, lost in thought.

Brittany had to call his name several times, her voice growing impatient, before he finally, reluctantly, tore his eyes away.

I thought the encounter at the restaurant would be my last with Alexander before I left.

But on the evening I officially resigned from my position as his assistant, he sent me a video call request.

This was so unprecedented that I had to fight the urge to decline, instead answering with audio only.

His voice was laced with annoyance.

Why just audio?

I'm not wearing any makeup, I said, the excuse tasting like ash in my mouth. It was a foolish thing to say, implying I still wanted to look good for him.

As I expected, he chuckled, his mood instantly lifting.

We've been married long enough. Is there any version of you I haven't seen?

His flirtatious tone made my skin crawl. What do you want? I asked, my voice cold.

He sensed the shift immediately, his lazy posture straightening. HR told me you resigned.

I did, I said, offering no explanation.

Silence hung between us.

He tried to make a joke, but it sounded forced.

It's for the best, I guess. You had a perfectly good life as the CEO's wife, and you chose to be an assistant. Talk about making things hard for yourself. Not that you were ever in the office much anyway. And I still had to pay you every month. The whole company knew you were only there because of me. They all said I was playing favorites.

I cut him off, my patience wearing thin. Don't you need to be with Brittany?

He muttered under his breath, It's not like there's anything serious between us. Nothing to be with.

Then he fell silent, as if suddenly remembering that I was just his ex-wife, too.

A wave of guilt seemed to wash over him.

About the divorce I'm sorry.

I was just worried that if we stayed married, people would talk about Brittany

I nodded. Brittany shouldn't be subjected to gossip. So I should be the one to become a laughingstock, the butt of every joke in our circle.

My voice turned to ice. If there's nothing else, I'm hanging up.

Wait! he said, his voice urgent.

The 12th is our anniversary. There's a concert, The Remnants. I know you want to go. I'll take you. We'll go together, okay?

For a fleeting moment, I was tempted to tell him the truth.

But before I could speak, Brittany's voice drifted from his end of the line.

Alexander, honey, I forgot my towel. Can you bring it to me?

He didn't answer right away, just stared at my name on his phone screen, clearly torn.

Go on, I said, my voice flat.

He slowly got up, but he didn't put the phone down.

Chloe, wait for me. I'll be right back.

He walked towards the bathroom.

And then, just as I expected, I heard the sound of them kissing, a muffled grunt from Alexander, and the bathroom door slamming shut.

I hung up, a bitter smile on my face.

Just then, Sophia burst in, excited about a night out at a club.

Without a second thought, I put my phone down and linked my arm with hers.

There were so many other things in the world that could make me happy.

I had been blind for so long. Why waste another moment of my life on a man who was already in my past?