Part 3
For the man who did not rest until he was certain that he was the best in his field, who drove people to the brink of exhaustion to be on top, it was surprisingly easy to let go of the reins of his company to be with his wife. Lex stunned the business world, making headlines both locally and abroad when he took a leave of absence from his corporation to take Chloe away from the city. Within a half hour after deciding that they needed the time away, he and Chloe were on their helicopter, making their way to the small town where they first met.
It was a doubly special occasion for Chloe. She had not seen her childhood home for many years. She had dreamed once, when Lex proposed to her, that they would get married in Smallville. Lex had thrown a wonderful and grand city wedding. In the beauty of it all, she had forgotten. But she was happy.
If this was a second honeymoon, then Chloe could think of nothing she would change. Lex had gone to extreme lengths to assure her that he was going to be with her, that she had his full attention. At first, Chloe had been grateful. There was never a moment when she felt insecure or unloved.
Perhaps all of her friends would think ill of her when they found out that through the course of the vacation, Chloe slowly slid from the high of elation to irritation. Whenever she turned, Lex would be there--an obsequious over the top sycophant.
She started avoiding him during their own time together. Chloe looked for excuses to refuse going out with him. In the mornings, Lex would ask her if she wanted to take a walk outside. However, Chloe had decided that she had had enough of Lex's uncalled for attention. Every time he fawned, she was only reminded more of the reason why they were here. It no longer was about their time together. With each of Lex's ceaseless assurances, the fact that she could not give this man what he had truly wanted all along grated on her.
Chloe had been sleeping restlessly when Lex sat on their bed, making her roll towards him. She woke up to find him smiling down at her. Chloe sat up and flinched when Lex moved to kiss her.
"There's my perfect, beautiful wife," he greeted. "Good morning."
"Lex, please," she murmured, pulling away.
"What's wrong, Chloe?" he sighed.
"Nothing."
Chloe stood up and pulled her red silk bedrobe around her body.
"There's obviously something going on," he continued. Chloe prayed that he would just accept that she did not want to talk and leave her alone. "You know that you can talk to me, Chloe."
"Lex, it's nothing."
For a while, he was silent. Chloe thanked her lucky stars.
"Do you remember when you were in high school and you made a deal with my dad?" he asked. Chloe closed her eyes. Why could he not learn? "You thought you could handle everything. You let your emotions cloud your judgment. Don't let the same thing happen now, Chloe. You have me. I can help you if you will only talk to me."
Chloe turned around to look at him. "You can do anything, Lex," she responded bitterly. And then, Chloe walked out of the room.
"What do you mean by that, Chlo?" Lex asked, following at her heels.
"I was just agreeing with you," she answered.
"You meant something else. I know you did."
Chloe whirled around and faced him. "Let's make this short. You always know everything, Lex. I agreed. But I don't want to talk."
"If you would only share your problems then our marriage wouldn't be in this kind of mess!" he exploded.
"Lex, we would be in trouble whether or not I told you!" she cried. "Don't you get it, Lex? You may be perfect! You may be able to solve pollution, AIDS or the fucking hole in the ozone layer... but you can't fix a dysfunctional wife!"
Chloe did not notice herself moving, or Lex walking. Her vision was a mix of black and red and silver. All she knew was that when she finally calmed down, her face was buried in his chest and she was wrapped inside his warm arms. She took a deep breath and turned her face. They were standing outside the bedroom, which meant that in her grief it was she who walked towards her husband and sought comfort in his embrace.
"I'm never going to be perfect, Lex," she sobbed. "Not for you."
"Shhhh." Lex rubbed his hand in circles on her back.
"I'm never going to be someone you deserve."
"Chloe," he whispered, "you can't know how much I thank God that you're mine."
"I'm taking so much away from you."
"Yes, you are," Lex responded. Chloe looked up at him. "If you continue like this, putting yourself down and just believing that there's someone out there better for me, then you'll be killing me one breath at a time."
Chloe brushed her tears away with her fingers. "How did we fall into this disgusting melodrama?"
Instead of answering, Lex closed his eyes and pressed his lips against her temple. Chloe sighed. She leaned her her and felt his kiss slide to her cheek until he was kissing her jugular. Chloe wrapped her arms around her husband and accepted his attention once more like someone who had been starved for so long.
It was then, she would think in the nine wondrous months to follow, that her impossible dream of an angel became a reality.
For the man who did not rest until he was certain that he was the best in his field, who drove people to the brink of exhaustion to be on top, it was surprisingly easy to let go of the reins of his company to be with his wife. Lex stunned the business world, making headlines both locally and abroad when he took a leave of absence from his corporation to take Chloe away from the city. Within a half hour after deciding that they needed the time away, he and Chloe were on their helicopter, making their way to the small town where they first met.
It was a doubly special occasion for Chloe. She had not seen her childhood home for many years. She had dreamed once, when Lex proposed to her, that they would get married in Smallville. Lex had thrown a wonderful and grand city wedding. In the beauty of it all, she had forgotten. But she was happy.
If this was a second honeymoon, then Chloe could think of nothing she would change. Lex had gone to extreme lengths to assure her that he was going to be with her, that she had his full attention. At first, Chloe had been grateful. There was never a moment when she felt insecure or unloved.
Perhaps all of her friends would think ill of her when they found out that through the course of the vacation, Chloe slowly slid from the high of elation to irritation. Whenever she turned, Lex would be there--an obsequious over the top sycophant.
She started avoiding him during their own time together. Chloe looked for excuses to refuse going out with him. In the mornings, Lex would ask her if she wanted to take a walk outside. However, Chloe had decided that she had had enough of Lex's uncalled for attention. Every time he fawned, she was only reminded more of the reason why they were here. It no longer was about their time together. With each of Lex's ceaseless assurances, the fact that she could not give this man what he had truly wanted all along grated on her.
Chloe had been sleeping restlessly when Lex sat on their bed, making her roll towards him. She woke up to find him smiling down at her. Chloe sat up and flinched when Lex moved to kiss her.
"There's my perfect, beautiful wife," he greeted. "Good morning."
"Lex, please," she murmured, pulling away.
"What's wrong, Chloe?" he sighed.
"Nothing."
Chloe stood up and pulled her red silk bedrobe around her body.
"There's obviously something going on," he continued. Chloe prayed that he would just accept that she did not want to talk and leave her alone. "You know that you can talk to me, Chloe."
"Lex, it's nothing."
For a while, he was silent. Chloe thanked her lucky stars.
"Do you remember when you were in high school and you made a deal with my dad?" he asked. Chloe closed her eyes. Why could he not learn? "You thought you could handle everything. You let your emotions cloud your judgment. Don't let the same thing happen now, Chloe. You have me. I can help you if you will only talk to me."
Chloe turned around to look at him. "You can do anything, Lex," she responded bitterly. And then, Chloe walked out of the room.
"What do you mean by that, Chlo?" Lex asked, following at her heels.
"I was just agreeing with you," she answered.
"You meant something else. I know you did."
Chloe whirled around and faced him. "Let's make this short. You always know everything, Lex. I agreed. But I don't want to talk."
"If you would only share your problems then our marriage wouldn't be in this kind of mess!" he exploded.
"Lex, we would be in trouble whether or not I told you!" she cried. "Don't you get it, Lex? You may be perfect! You may be able to solve pollution, AIDS or the fucking hole in the ozone layer... but you can't fix a dysfunctional wife!"
Chloe did not notice herself moving, or Lex walking. Her vision was a mix of black and red and silver. All she knew was that when she finally calmed down, her face was buried in his chest and she was wrapped inside his warm arms. She took a deep breath and turned her face. They were standing outside the bedroom, which meant that in her grief it was she who walked towards her husband and sought comfort in his embrace.
"I'm never going to be perfect, Lex," she sobbed. "Not for you."
"Shhhh." Lex rubbed his hand in circles on her back.
"I'm never going to be someone you deserve."
"Chloe," he whispered, "you can't know how much I thank God that you're mine."
"I'm taking so much away from you."
"Yes, you are," Lex responded. Chloe looked up at him. "If you continue like this, putting yourself down and just believing that there's someone out there better for me, then you'll be killing me one breath at a time."
Chloe brushed her tears away with her fingers. "How did we fall into this disgusting melodrama?"
Instead of answering, Lex closed his eyes and pressed his lips against her temple. Chloe sighed. She leaned her her and felt his kiss slide to her cheek until he was kissing her jugular. Chloe wrapped her arms around her husband and accepted his attention once more like someone who had been starved for so long.
It was then, she would think in the nine wondrous months to follow, that her impossible dream of an angel became a reality.