Title: New You
Author: Blaire
A/N: Angst
Disclaimer: I don't own it. Don't sue.
Summary: Can Lex change his cheating ways?
1/1
Chloe's slight bounce in her step as she reached the
elevators leading up to the penthouse was immediately
subdued as the doorman's lips quirked in the slightest
frown.
"Mrs. Luthor." His unsteady voice carried uneasily as
she stilled in front of him, her smile faultering
slightly.
"Troy." She nodded her head and waited for him to
press the elevator button for her. And waited. Her
eyes locked with his as he tried to look down.
"Troy..." Her voice had the tinge of warning on the
end of it and he flinched visibly. She sighed and ran
a shaky hand through her shoulder length blonde waves.
"He's up there isn't he?" Her voice sounded defeated
as the old man's eyes turned down to the ground in a
silent apology. "Is it the same one?" He looked to
his left at the brass and maroon waist high ashtray
and shook his head somberly. Chloe's shoulders
hunched and her eyes filled with the tears that came
all too quickly.
Trying her best to be the Luthor she was, she tried to
cover the sorrow with a smile. Turning the ring on
her left hand with her thumb, she looked down at the
bags by her feet. "I'm going to go and buy a new
sweater." She said quietly and the doorman nodded in
acceptance. It was her fourth in the past month.
Each time she came to their penthouse early, which was
more and more often. He was in their home, with their
life, with another woman. The first time had been the
worst. It was the third of the month and she had
arrived three hours early to surprise him. As she had
reached the elevator though, Troy had his hand on her
arm in a light grasp pulling her away from the opening
doors. "Mr. Luthor is tending to some private
business." The small shadow in his eyes had told her
all she needed to know. She had been expecting it.
In all, she could only blame herself the first time.
She had become emotionally detached the more and more
they fought and the less love making they were doing.
But she had kept to herself and Troy had called her
confirming that the woman had left and that the coast
was clear. And on her way out of Bloomingdale's she
had bought herself a dark pink angora sweater. And it
was June. June in Metropolis is smoggy and the air is
thick and hard to breath. But her body had felt so
cold. And when she had placed her bags on their bed,
and Lex's voice carried from the shower, she noticed
something. He wasn't even being careful about it.
The foil packet for the condom was sticking out from
the top of the comfortor. And there it stayed. No
tears that time. It had been her fault and she would
fix it.
The second time was much clearer. She had arrived
exactly on time, on purpose, planning the drive
carefully. She had even sat in the parking garage for
fifteen minutes, just in case. But as she rounded the
corner of the lobby and Troy's eyes turned from hers,
she knew. And a shaky hand covered her mouth as she
turned on her heel and pushed into the restroom where
she stayed for twenty more minutes, bent over the
toilet. Half an hour later she sat in the lobby, she
had only walked to the corner boutique and bought a
tight, low cut sweater that was on sale for half
price. And then she sat in the lobby and watched as
the elevator doors opened and out stepped the model
from the front page of that fashion magazine. You
know, the long legs, the long dark hair, the shocking
blue eyes that just *had* to be contacts. And even as
those shocking blue eyes met the fierce hazel glare
emitting from Chloe's own eyes, the woman had the
nerve to turn her nose up and fix the tiniest smirk on
her lips.
But again, Chloe stayed quiet. Lex had questioned her
about the sweater she pulled over her head as soon as
she entered the penthouse. All she could say was..."I
went shopping" and then the silence descended once
again and for the rest of the night, she saw the
brunette's face, and imagined what it would look like
as Chloe's hands wrapped around her neck. Not that
she'd ever actually do it. But that night, in her
dreams, in the restless sleep as she tossed back and
forth, she not only strangled, but slaughtered as
well. And when she woke up with a smile on her face
and Lex's arms wrapped around her, she promised
herself she would make the difference. She would be
more open. And that morning they made animalistic
sex. Which ended in her screaming his name and him
shuddering beneath her with a grunt of her own name
ripped from his lips. And as she collapsed on top of
him, her body still trembling, his fingers still tight
on her hips, he said he loved her. And she believed
him.
The third time nearly broke her apart. She had had a
bad day to begin with. Her father had been pressuring
her to go on a 'family vacation' with him. He wanted
to see the big city lights of New York, but not alone.
And she couldn't. Couldn't leave her husband alone
with that much space for him to do as he pleased. Her
path to the elevator was quick and hastily made, she
was an hour late. When Troy's eyes locked with hers
and he shook his head sadly, she stopped in the middle
of the lobby. And the tears rushed through her.
'This has got to stop.' Her knees weak as she glanced
around her for the closest chair she felt herself
falling, and then arms were around her and Troy was
practically lifting her to a small couch. She hid her
face and sobbed openly. She didn't care who saw her.
She wished someone would come by and take her picture.
She could picture the headlines with a photo of her
sitting in the lobby alone, face burried in hands,
each cry shaking her body. Then maybe he'd know that
she knew. Then maybe he'd stop.
Nearly two hours later the brunette walked past her
and Chloe's eyes met hers and she stopped dead in her
tracks. The tears streaming down Chloe's face,
shocking blue eyes turned soft and apologetic. And a
silent agreement was passed between them. The
brunette hurried out of the lobby that Chloe had come
to know all too well and Chloe looked back at the
elevator. And instead of being pulled toward it. She
turned around and walked out. She was cold, and she
hadn't packed any sweaters.
She left the store with the sweater on. It was
orange. A vibrant, perky orange. And on her walk
back to the penthouse, she passed a newspaper stand.
And there she was. The brunette. A pouty look on her
face as her breasts were thrust toward the camera.
Claire Manning. The new 'It' girl. Chloe bought the
copy and flung it into her bag. She had bought enough
sweaters to fill her closet. When she finally reached
the penthouse, Lex was on his way out.
"Hi, Honey." His cheerful demeanor shifted slightly
as she pulled her legs up underneath her and flipped
to the centerfold of her model-friend. Well, not
really friend, but still. The quick nod of her head
as a hello had him furrowing his brows. "No 'hello,
darling, how was your day?'" His voice deep and
charming as he moved toward her. Chloe glanced up at
him and his eyes focused on hers. "Nope." And her
eyes turned back down to the article she was reading
about Louis Vitton knock offs and the celebrities that
had preferred to buy them over the real thing. "Well,
I'm off. I should be back in time for dinner." He
waited at the door for her to look up and when she
didn't he frowned slightly. "Chloe?" Her eyes met
his once again. "Yes?"
"I'll be back in time for dinner." Her responding
shrug lead to the sigh that escaped him before he
closed the door. And when he hadn't returned home for
dinner, she cried herself to sleep. Because telling
herself she didn't care, was too tiring on her. Her
marriage was falling apart. And she was only 24.
But this time. This time she perused the sales racks
at Dolce Gabana. And when she couldn't find a sweater
there she liked, she moved on to Banana Republic. The
cutest outfit she had ever seen stared back at her
from the mannequin. The burgundy kneelength skirt
with the black argyle print and the white tshirt with
the 'Boys are mean!' slogo printed across the front
beckoned to her. So she tried it on. And she bought
it. And she changed into it with a pair of black
fishnets and a pair of docs she had stopped by
Journey's to get. And for a second as she passed the
hairdresser's a block from their penthouse, she
entertained the idea of getting black tips on her pale
blonde hair. And then she was sitting in the chair.
A half hour later she stood in front of the elevator,
not a damn sweater in sight. And Troy's approving
look of her personality change had him grinning at
her.
"Is she still there?" her voice hard and calculating.
He nodded an affirmative answer.
"Good." And her finger reached out and pressed the
button before he could stop her.
She unlocked the front door of the penthouse and
slammed open the door. "HONEY, I'M HO-OME!" Make as
much noise as possible, and the scurrying begins. But
this time. This time it was different. The loud
thump of someone preactically flying off the bed to
get dressed made her quirk her lips up into a half
smile. She felt like her old self. She felt like a
Sullivan. And she wasn't going to let some bimbo walk
out of that damn bedroom without facing her first.
And then her mouth feel open.
Her limbs were tingling and her fingertips had gone
numb.
And the woman that left the bedroom looked exactly
like her. Before her change of course.
The woman's clothes wrapped around her body loosely as
she shuffled for the door. Chloe's eyes burned and
she looked to the open door of their bedroom. She
walked slowly, as if she were floating and then he was
their. Sitting on the edge of the bed, his elbows
resting on his knees and his hand folded together, his
chin rest on top. "You sick fuck." She whispered
into the bedroom air.
Lex's red rimmed, teary eyes turned up to her and she
narrowed her own back at him. "Chloe..." His voice
stopped when he took in what she was wearing, and his
eyes met hers again.
"Claire Manning is one thing, Lex." She threw her
purse at him. "Claire Manning I could handle."
His eyes wide and he stood shakily. "You knew?"
"Of course I fucking knew. I'm not fucking dense,
Lex. I. Am. Your. Wife." Each word abbreviated
harshly as they past their lips.
"I know." He admitted by default.
"No, you don't." She whispered quietly and moved
forward to him. "Why?" Her head cocked to the side
and he reached out to touch her face. She could smell
the blonde's perfume. Her stomach turned as the sense
was overwhelming. "Why, Lex? What did I do to you
that was so horrible?"
Lex shook his head solemnly. "Nothing." He swallowed
a lump in his throat as he choked back words that
fought to be released.
"I'm not going to leave you." She crossed her arms
stubbornly over her chest.
His eyes snapped up to hers and the endless questions
that resided there made her want to slap him.
"Why?" His voice hoarse and dry.
"Because, Lex. I hate you." She turned her back on
him and moved to the window. "I hate you, but not
enough to let you have your own way." She turned to
face him again. "And if I ever...EVER find out you've
cheated on me again, I will run Lex Corp into the
ground. I will make your life miserable, Lex. Do you
understand?"
He nodded wearily. He had given Gabe the job of
running LexCorp as he took over LuthorCorp for himself
after the buyout. And Chloe ran LexCorp along side
her father.
"And if you ever try to leave me, I will kill you, I
will sue you for all you're worth and kill you." He
looked terminally frightened of her and she smirked
casually as she started over to him. "And from now
on, you are a celibate man." His face paled and he
furrowed his brow at her once again. "That's right,
Lex. You no longer have permission to do what you
want to my body." She turned on her heel and began to
leave the room.
"Take a shower, get dressed, we're going out for
dinner."
"I have a meeting." His voice slightly tinged with
something akin to fear.
"Cancel it." Her voice final as she returned to their
living room. She was her old self. She smiled as she
caught her reflection in the floor length window. And
she was glad.
The End
(No Sequels!)
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I'm stunned to the core on how AMAZING this story is. 
I've always secretly wished for a Lex cheats on Chloe fic. Just cause I wanted to see how she'd deal. And boy, did she deal with it! That's right Chlo...grab him where it hurts and lead him around with them. I'm so proud of her! You did an EXCELLENT job with it. The symbolism with the sweaters....heartbreaking, but very powerful! (:sad: I felt cold with her)
: !!!!
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