My Husband Let His Pregnant Ex Move Into Our Home

Chapter 1

At the peak of her acting career, Chloe Sterling stepped away without a second thought, entering a secret marriage with the man she had secretly loved for years, Christian Ford, the golden boy of The Old Money Elite.

There was no lavish wedding. No public announcements. Just a marriage certificate tucked away in the depths of a drawer.

She had thought time would eventually brew something tender between them, believing that three years by his side would be enough to thaw his frozen heart.

That was, until two weeks ago, when Christian's grandmother suddenly collapsed during her 88th birthday banquet. She was taken to the hospital and told she had only one year left.

When she finally woke, tears streamed down her wrinkled cheeks as she clung to Christian's hand. She had only one dying wish. "I only recognize Riley Cross as my granddaughter-in-law. Before I close my eyes for good, I just want to see you and Riley have a child. Let me fulfill my dream of holding a great-grandchild."

Riley Cross was Christian’s ex-wife. They had once shared an unforgettable, deeply passionate romance, but it ended in divorce when Riley stubbornly chose to move abroad to further her career.

After the split, Christian remained solitary until he crossed paths with Chloe. Drawn together by family ties and seemingly compatible personalities, they tied the knot.

Standing right there in the hospital room, Chloe’s hands had turned to ice. She watched as Christian, without a single shred of hesitation, gave his grandmother a firm nod. "Alright. I promise you."

Later, he had held her hand, trying to comfort her with a dismissive tone. "Chloe, Riley and I are just having a child for my grandmother's sake. Once she's at peace, everything will go back to normal."

All Chloe could do was watch helplessly as Riley moved her things into their marital home.

Desperate to numb the pain, she buried herself in the work of the production team, hoping the grueling hours would keep her mind occupied.

But before cameras even started rolling, trending topics about Chloe suddenly flooded the internet, rocketing straight to the front-page headlines.

An anonymous source leaked rumors of a suspected secret marriage between her and Christian, the CEO of The Ford Group. The post was accompanied by blurry paparazzi shots of them walking in and out of a hotel together.

Barely three minutes later, a second wave hit the trends.

In this new set of photos, Christian was gently supporting his ex-wife, Riley. They stood shoulder-to-shoulder outside a hospital's maternity ward. An insider claimed to have overheard them discussing their plans to conceive.

With both stories blowing up simultaneously, public opinion in the comments section was a landslide of mockery directed squarely at Chloe.

A: [A secret marriage? Please, Mr. Ford doesn't even look twice at her. She's totally throwing herself at him.]

B: [Riley is his ex-wife. Their romance was legendary back in the day. Now they're trying for a baby? They're definitely back together!]

[If you ask me, this Chloe girl looks more like the homewrecker.]

It felt as though an icy hand had brutally crushed her heart. Even drawing a breath brought a dull, agonizing ache to her chest.

Dropping everything on set, she rushed back to the Ford estate.

She needed Christian to clear her name and tell the truth!

But the moment she stepped through the foyer, a blindingly painful scene greeted her.

Riley was lounging lazily on the living room sofa, wearing Chloe’s own silk pajamas. The scattered red hickeys marking her collarbone were glaring enough to make Chloe’s eyes burn.

Christian sat casually beside her, acting as if this domestic picture was the most normal thing in the world.

He lifted his gaze at her arrival, his brow furrowing slightly. "I know about the trending topics. Grandmother's health is fragile. She can't handle any stress right now."

Staring down at him, Chloe felt her heart sink into an endless abyss.

"I'll have PR announce that Riley and I have remarried." His tone was as flat and businesslike as if he were discussing a corporate merger. "Just lay low and endure it for a while. I'll compensate you with some top-tier industry resources."

The old Chloe would have fought him tooth and nail. She would have screamed, demanding to know what gave him the right to sacrifice their marriage on the altar of his ex-wife and his grandmother.

But in this moment, nothing remained but a hollow, deadening silence inside her. She didn't even have the strength left to argue.

Forcing a faint, lifeless smile to her lips, her voice came out impossibly flat. "Fine. Just make sure you don't forget."

Christian stiffened, visibly caught off guard by her meek compliance. But after a brief pause, he remained silent, offering nothing more.

Turning on her heel, Chloe retreated to the master bedroom. The second the door clicked shut, her phone buzzed. It was her father.

The moment she accepted the call, Arthur Sterling's harsh accusations exploded through the speaker. "Didn't I tell you to keep a tight leash on Christian's heart? Why is he blowing up the internet with another woman? I married you off to him so you could secure resources for this family! Do you have any common sense at all?"

Her throat tight and raspy, Chloe fired back a single sentence. "If you want those resources so badly, why don't you offer yourself up to him?"

Without waiting for a reply, she hung up. She stood in the suffocating silence for a long time before slowly dialing another number.

When the line connected, her voice rang out, calm, cold, and undeniably resolute. "Director Sullivan. That new project you mentioned, the one shooting in Iceland? I want in."