Chapter 5 Thrown out

Cloe stumbled out of the grand doors of the mansion, the force of the shove sending her almost crashing to the ground. Her suitcase tumbled from her hands, its weight meaningless compared to the crushing burden in her chest. The doors slammed behind her with a finality that echoed through the cold, empty night.

Suddenly, a deafening thunderclap ripped through the air, followed by a torrential downpour. Heavy rain drenched her within seconds, clinging to her skin, her clothes. It felt as though the sky itself was weeping with her, the cold water mixing with the tears that had been streaming down her face. Her once-proud posture crumbled as she stood there, soaked, clutching her suitcase as if it were the only anchor she had left in the world.

She looked around, the world blurred by the sheets of rain pouring from above. The long driveway, the towering trees, everything she had known for so long was suddenly foreign, hostile. **Where would she go?** Her heart pounded, the reality sinking in. She had nowhere to turn. The mansion, once her home, now felt like a distant dream, locked away behind those cold, unyielding doors.

The rain poured harder, splashing against the cobblestones, the sound deafening in the silence of her despair. Her clothes clung to her, heavy with water and misery. Her body shook, but it wasn't from the cold-it was from the sheer weight of what had just happened.

She stood there, paralyzed, her mind racing but getting nowhere. No one was coming for her. Ethan wasn't there. No familiar arms would wrap around her to pull her out of this nightmare. She was alone. Truly alone.

Cloe clutched her chest, gasping for breath as the rain beat down on her relentlessly. **What now?** Every dream, every hope she had held onto for so long felt like it had been washed away with the storm, leaving her with nothing but emptiness and the cold, hard truth-she was no longer welcome. Not here. Not anywhere.

The lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the towering gates in the distance. The mansion loomed behind her, its windows dark, watching her silently as if mocking her pain. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block it all out, but it was inescapable. The rain, the thunder, the emptiness-it was all too much.

Her body trembled as she wrapped her arms around herself, the suitcase lying forgotten by her feet. She had nowhere to go. No home, no love, no safety. Just the storm raging around her, as fierce and unforgiving as the world she had just been thrown into.

Cloe stood in the rain, her soaked suitcase at her feet, her body trembling not just from the cold but from the deep, overwhelming pain in her heart. The grand doors of the mansion had slammed shut behind her, locking her out both literally and figuratively. She had been cast aside like she was nothing, like she had never meant anything to this family. Her knees buckled, and she collapsed onto the cold, wet ground, sobbing, gasping for breath, but there was no relief. The storm outside mirrored the storm inside her, relentless and unforgiving.

She couldn't leave. Not without seeing Ethan. She couldn't walk away without knowing why. Why he had done this to her. Why he had betrayed her. Every moment they had shared, every promise they had made to each other, played in her mind like a cruel joke. What about their love? The dream they had built together, from childhood until now-how could he throw it all away?

Her fingers clenched in the wet fabric of her dress as her thoughts turned to Sofia. That disgusting Sofia. The woman who had wormed her way into Ethan's life, despite her history, despite everything. Sofia Roth, the daughter of a billionaire, a woman with countless boyfriends, countless men. How could Ethan choose her?

Cloe's breath hitched as the thought twisted like a knife in her chest. Sofia? Pregnant with Ethan's child? Her stomach churned at the idea. It couldn't be true. It just couldn't. But if it was, did that mean Ethan had no choice? Was he marrying Sofia because of the baby? Did he feel trapped? Was that why he was abandoning Cloe? The thought of him choosing Sofia out of duty made her want to scream, made her want to rage against the world.

But what if Ethan truly had chosen Sofia? What if he wanted her? What if everything they had meant nothing? Cloe's heart twisted painfully as she tried to comprehend it. How could he leave her like this? After everything they had shared, after her parents died saving his life, after all the years she had spent being part of his world, part of his family, and now... what? He was throwing her away?

The rain pounded down, each drop hitting her like a cold reminder of her isolation. She had no one in this world. No family. No home. She had nowhere to go. No money. No job. If Ethan didn't come out, if he didn't take her back, where would she end up?

Cloe's chest heaved with sobs, her entire body trembling from the intensity of her emotions. Her parents had died saving Ethan's life. The Taylors had been business partners with her family, and when her parents died, the Taylors took everything-their business, their properties. In exchange, they took Cloe in, raised her as one of their own. Or so she thought. But now, it seemed like they had only tolerated her. Now, they were throwing her away like garbage, as if none of that history mattered. As if her parents' sacrifice was worth nothing.

She clenched her fists, staring up at the dark windows of the mansion, her teeth gritted in determination. She wasn't ready to give up. Not like this. She wasn't some stray they could toss aside. She needed answers, and she wouldn't leave until she got them. She would wait for Ethan. She would stand there in the storm until he came out and told her the truth to her face.

Her entire body ached, cold and drenched, but she didn't move. She couldn't. This was her life, her love, her future. She wasn't ready to walk away. Not yet. Not until she had fought for everything she believed in.

The sky rumbled with another deafening clap of thunder as heavy rain poured down even harder, each drop feeling like a hammer against Cloe's skin. She hitched her breath, trembling with fear as the storm grew fiercer, lightning flashing across the darkened sky. The wind whipped her hair around her face, and the cold rain soaked her to the bone, but still, she stood her ground. She was scared-terrified, even-but she couldn't leave. Not until she had her answers.

Her heart raced in her chest, the icy rain making it hard to breathe, but she wouldn't be driven away. She wouldn't let them win. Ethan owed her the truth, and she wouldn't leave until he looked her in the eyes and told her why. Why he had betrayed their love. Why he had chosen Sofia over her.

Inside the mansion, Sofia paced nervously, her anxiety growing with each passing minute. She peered through the window, watching as Cloe stood there, drenched and shaking, refusing to leave. Sofia's hands trembled as she clutched the curtains, her heart pounding with dread. "What will happen, Mrs. Taylor? She's not leaving."

Elizabeth stood by the fireplace, her face hard and unreadable. But inside, even she was taken aback by Cloe's stubbornness. It was uncanny-Cloe was exactly like her father, Jason William. That same unyielding spirit, that same determination that had driven Jason to fight for everything he believed in, no matter the cost. Elizabeth's jaw clenched. Cloe was not leaving, not without a fight.

"She's just like her father," Elizabeth muttered under her breath, a flash of frustration in her eyes. Jason had been a thorn in her side for years before his death, and now, his daughter was proving to be no different.

Sofia's voice quivered with fear. "What are we going to do? If Ethan sees her like this, he'll never let her go. And what if Erick returns before we've handled this?"

Elizabeth's eyes narrowed as she glanced at Sofia, her lips curling into a cruel smile. "Let her stay outside. Let her suffer in the storm. If she wants to die out there, so be it."

Sofia gasped, horrified by the callousness of Elizabeth's words, but she didn't dare challenge her. Cloe's stubbornness was a problem, but Elizabeth's resolve was even stronger. The storm outside was growing more violent by the minute, and Cloe-soaking wet, cold, and vulnerable-was standing in the middle of it.

"She won't last long," Elizabeth added, her voice cold and uncaring. "She'll either leave or the storm will take care of her. Either way, we're rid of her by the time Ethan and Erick return."

Sofia nodded, though unease twisted her stomach. She glanced out the window again, watching as Cloe remained unmoving, drenched in the heavy rain, lightning illuminating her silhouette against the dark sky. Cloe wasn't going anywhere. Not without answers. And Sofia knew, deep down, that Cloe was far more of a threat than Elizabeth realized.