Boyfriend Let His Side Chick Ruin My Painting, Now He Regrets. novel Chapter 5

Victoria flinched.

"Lucas, what are you talking about? I don't understand..."

Lucas's patience snapped.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?"

"This was the painting she planned to showcase at our wedding!"

"And you-of all things-you had to ruin this one?!"

"I..."

Victoria's eyes darted around before she tried to play coy, reaching for his wrist with a sugary smile.

"Lucas, I didn't mean to, I-"

He yanked his arm away, scanning the crowd, the dwindling exhibit.

Chloe still hadn't shown up. A rare, unsettling panic crawled up his spine.

The wedding officiant approached, steadying Victoria with a polite smile.

"Lucas, sir, please don't be upset with your wife."

"It's your big day-whatever it is, surely you can talk it out."

Lucas stiffened.

"Wife?" His voice was sharp, urgent.

"Chloe's here? Where?!"

He wasn't sure why, but suddenly, nothing mattered more than seeing her.

The officiant hesitated, glancing at Victoria.

"Isn't she right here?"

Lucas's temper flared.

"She's not Chloe!"

He spun around in frustration, then pointed straight at Victoria.

"Are you blind? She's nothing like Chloe!"

Victoria's face went pale.

The officiant awkwardly stepped back, withdrawing his hand from her arm.

The guests were growing restless, murmuring among themselves.

"Wasn't Lucas's fiancée supposed to be the artist hosting this exhibit?"

"It's getting late-where is she?"

"Yeah, and did you see that ruined painting in the corner?"

"If that's her ‘masterpiece,' I don't get the hype."

"Probably just riding on Lucas's influence."

"Who does she think she is, making everyone wait like this?"

Lucas clenched his jaw, shoving down the gnawing dread.

After smoothing things over with the guests, he called Chloe.

He once handed out flyers for an entire month just to buy me designer perfume.

Even when he nearly got heatstroke, he never complained.

I remembered the way he smiled, warm and sincere.

"Chloe, you deserve the best. If I ever betray you, don't ever forgive me."

When I woke up, my phone was buzzing nonstop, messages flooding in.

"Alright, Chloe. I've sent someone to grab one of your paintings from your studio."

"You always paint me so well-any of them will work for the wedding."

"Stop being mad. I already docked Victoria's bonus this month."

"She knows she messed up."

"…Chloe, where are all the paintings?"

"My assistant found scraps in the shredder."

"Chloe, pick up the phone!"

I sighed, barely audible, then declined his call and pulled out my SIM card, tossing it into the trash.

Goodbye, Lucas.

Lucas would never forget the way his heart clenched when he sped home, only to find an empty house.

Piece by piece, the unease that had been gnawing at him finally clicked into place, forming a devastating truth.

Chloe was gone.