When He Stopped Loving Me Chapter 16

The gathering ended miserably.

Ethan felt unprecedented shame—the humiliation caused by his partner, something he'd never experienced with Claire.

Claire came from elite society, elegant and articulate, enhancing his reputation at any event rather than becoming the circle's laughingstock.

As if that weren't enough, Pierce Industries faced an extremely tricky international cooperation project. The client was notoriously demanding about corporate culture, aesthetic taste, and public image.

Previously, Claire had advised on or personally handled such projects requiring sophisticated aesthetics and communication skills. Her deep artistic cultivation and elegant charisma always resolved difficulties smoothly.

Now, proposals from his team were rejected as worthless. Rachel offered idiotic suggestions like "just give more gifts."

Ethan had to personally engage in exhausting negotiations, feeling unprecedented strain and fatigue.

Late one night, he returned to his study exhausted, trying to reference past successful cases.

Almost involuntarily, he entered a password and opened an encrypted folder.

Inside lay several files marked with Claire's initials and dates.

Inadvertently backed up years ago—drafts and communication summaries Claire had prepared for key projects.

He clicked one open.

Claire's elegant yet forceful handwriting filled the screen—clear logic, meticulous reasoning, penetrating analysis of partners' cultural backgrounds, artistic preferences, potential concerns. The proposed solutions were both clever and sincere, every line revealing stunning talent and insight.

He could almost imagine her staying up late researching, carefully organizing thoughts for him...

Staring at these files, Ethan felt an invisible hand crushing his heart!

For the first time, he recognized with brutal clarity that he'd lost not just a wife who'd once loved him deeply, but a soulmate who resonated with him spiritually and provided enormous professional support!

Claire's talent and brilliance had never dimmed through marriage—instead quietly sustaining him and Pierce Industries in corners he'd failed to notice.

And Rachel? Beyond demanding and creating problems, what could she offer?

Overwhelming panic and regret crashed over him like a tsunami!

He slammed the laptop shut, chest heaving, cold sweat beading his forehead.

No! It's not like that!

He shook his head forcefully, trying to dislodge these terrible thoughts, almost obsessively repeating to himself: "I love Rachel! She gave me warmth and peace! Claire was too brilliant—being with her exhausted me! I'm not wrong! My choice wasn't wrong!"

He tried numbing himself with Rachel's supposed gentleness, but his mind uncontrollably conjured Claire playing piano—focused profile, her confident smile handling business dinners, and... those final eyes looking at him, cold and lifeless as death.

Just then, his assistant delivered an invitation to an international music festival with the performer roster.

Ethan's gaze swept casually across it before freezing on one name—Claire Morrison!

She'd perform as a rising piano virtuoso, giving a solo concert at the festival!

The invitation included her performance poster.

The photo showed her in a simple black gown, makeup flawless, posture straight, eyes cool and determined, radiating independent, confident, dazzling brilliance!

Compared to Rachel's increasingly petty nature, they were worlds apart!

Ethan's heart felt struck by a sledgehammer!

He stared at that photo as if he could see through paper to the woman who'd escaped his control, shining brilliantly in another world.

Intense, unwilling impulse surged up!

Like a madman, he pulled out his phone, finding numbers of mutual friends who might still contact Claire. Disregarding the late hour, he called one by one, tone urgent and almost humble:

"Could you... give me Claire's new contact information? I need to talk to her... I want to make it up to her!"

"How is Claire now? Could you pass along a message—tell her I want to meet, just once. I'll compensate her for everything!"