Chapter 173

"She's not my wife." Nelson Cooper blurted it out without a second thought, his eyes locked on Claire, dead serious. "We're not married yet. She's not my wife." Claire almost said, "Didn't you still call me Mrs. Cooper in front of people even after we divorced?" but that would sound a lot like she was jealous of Serena. So she switched gears. "But everyone knows you're gonna marry her, right? So whether now or later, she's gonna be Mrs. Cooper. And, honestly, women can be petty. If Mrs. Cooper finds out you ditched the hospital to check up on your ex, good luck sweet-talking your way out of that." Her words hit Nelson's ears like a slap. That 'Mrs. Cooper'—it grated on him. Almost felt like she was talking about the wrong person... But before he could finish that thought, Nelson shook it off. Serena was the one he was supposed to marry—this arrangement from his grandfather was something he'd tried to avoid. So why did it feel like Claire should've been the one who truly held the title?