Chapter Two

Natalie's POV:

Stepping out of the house, I hurried past the front porch and through the gates, my feet carrying me aimlessly down the road.

My vision was blurry from the tears that refused to stop. I wasn’t just crying—I was wailing. 

I fought for this marriage.

I endured the whispers, the disapproving glances, the silent judgment of people who thought I didn’t belong in Ethan’s world.

But Ethan… he never made me feel like I was beneath him. He never felt like a billionaire to me.

He loved eating greasy pizza on the couch while watching his favorite sports, his arm lazily slung around my shoulders. He loved cooking, taking over the kitchen with a kind of reckless passion that always ended in a mess, and surprising me with breakfast in bed. 

He laughed with me. Held me. Kissed me like I was the only woman in the world.

So how? When?

There were no signs—no distance, no arguments, no strange behavior.

What went wrong?

My hands trembled as they landed on my stomach. Was he unhappy because we didn’t have a child?

But he never acted that way. He never blamed me. He never even hinted at disappointment.

Yet, tonight, I heard it all.

"She was never a wife, not really."

"Five years of marriage, and nothing."

"No heir, no future. Just wasted time."

The words echoed in my mind.

Thunder rumbled in the distance. And then, the rain came.

Heavy drops splattered against the pavement, soaking my clothes within seconds, but I still didn’t stop. I wandered for over an hour, my body shivering, and my heart aching.

When I finally returned home, drenched and exhausted, I saw him.

Ethan was pacing the living room, his phone in hand, muttering to himself. The moment his eyes landed on me, relief washed over his face, and quickly it was replaced by anger.

"Natalie!" He strode toward me, gripping my arms. "What the hell? Where have you been?" His hands were warm against my ice-cold skin. "Why are you soaked? You could catch a damn cold!"

I said nothing.

His brows furrowed. "Did something happen at the gallery? Did someone upset you?"

I just stared at him, my heart hammering against my ribs.

"Talk to me, baby." His voice softened. "Why are you so quiet?"

A bitter laugh escaped my lips. Baby. The same man who had just hours ago mocked me for my miscarriages.

I slowly lifted my eyes to his. "Why are you acting like you don’t know what happened?"

Ethan blinked. "What?"

My hands curled into fists. "I heard you." My voice was barely above a whisper. "I saw you."

Confusion flickered in his eyes. "Natalie, what are you—"

"I heard everything, Ethan!" My voice trembled. "I heard you talking about wanting a divorce. I heard you mocking me—mocking our marriage, my childlessness, me!"

His face paled. "That’s not—"

"Don’t lie!" My body trembled, my nails digging into my palms. "I saw you with her. I heard you say you should’ve never married me. That I disgust you. That I was just a charity case."

He stepped back, running a hand through his damp hair. "Natalie, I swear to God, I have no idea what you’re talking about."

I let out a dry, humorless laugh. "So now I’m delusional?"

"You sound insane right now!" He snapped, then inhaled sharply, shaking his head. "Jesus, Nat, maybe you hit your head out there. We’ll go to the hospital tomorrow—"

I scoffed. "The hospital?"

"Yes!" He grabbed my shoulders again. "Because none of this happened! You’re not making sense. I never said any of those things, and I never cheated on you!"

I stared at him, at the concern in his eyes.

Was he this good of an actor?

A sad, cold smile curled my lips. "Ethan…" I exhaled slowly. "Get ready for the shock of your life."

His face twisted in confusion, but I didn’t stay to explain.

I turned on my heels and walked up the stairs, locking the bedroom door behind me.

He banged on it almost immediately.

"Natalie, please open the door!"

I sat on the bed, staring at my trembling hands.

"Baby, talk to me! Whatever you think you heard, I swear it’s not what it seems!"

Lies.

All of it.

"I love you!" His voice cracked. "Please, don’t do this."

I squeezed my eyes shut.

Eventually, the knocking stopped.

I heard him sigh heavily before murmuring, "We’ll talk tomorrow."

Tomorrow.

There was no tomorrow for us.

Taking a deep breath, I stood up and started packing my suitcase.

Then I took a hot shower, let the water wash away the filth of tonight, and cried myself to sleep.

_

Morning came too soon.

I showered and got dressed.

Just then, I heard Ethan banging on my door again. “Seeing that the door is still locked, it's obvious that you are not ready to talk. So, I will be heading to work now. Let's talk when I get back.” He said, and then I heard receding footsteps. 

I ran to the window, to confirm that they had driven out of the house. And as soon as the gates were closed shut, I picked up my phone and dialed Tom’s number.

"Are you here yet?" I asked, my voice shaking.

"I just drove onto your front porch." Came the deep reply.

Then I rushed out of the room.

As I descended the stairs, my eyes landed on Lily and Rosa— the two maids who had mysteriously taken family leave yesterday.

They were back.

How convenient.

The scent of pancakes drifted from the kitchen.

Ethan cooked.

Again—how convenient.

The doorbell rang.

I raised a hand, stopping the maids from moving. I opened the door to a middle-aged man in a black suit.

"I’m glad you’re early, Barrister Tom."

"Of course I am, you called late last night and you only ever do that when it's urgent.” He replied, handing me a brown envelope.

Footsteps sounded behind me.

"Good morning ma'am, should I serve breakfast?" Rosa asked.

I ignored her, opening the envelope and pulling out the papers.

“Do you have a pen with you?” Inquired.

And he pulled out a pen from his pockets and handed it to me. I took the pen from Barrister Tom and signed my name.

My hands trembled and tears threatened to spill but I forced out a smile and turned to Tom. “You will be contacted when it's signed by Ethan,” I said.

He nodded his head and walked out of the house. I returned to the room and sat on the edge of the bed.

I stared at the divorce papers for quite some time. Rethinking the decision I made, but when I suddenly remembered his words from last night. 

My grip on the papers tightened and I got up. I placed the papers on the side table and dragged my suitcase out of the room without hesitation.

Lily and Rosa stared at me, but they didn't say a word or dare to approach me. They just stood there, staring. 

Stepping out of the house, I hailed a cab to my older sister's home. After giving the driver the directions, I stepped inside. 

Suddenly, my phone rang.

Lena?

What a coincidence, huh?

I haven’t told her what happened yet, but I know she’ll say, I told you so.

I hesitated, then answered.

"Oh my God, Natalie!" She squealed. "Your test results came out! You’re eight weeks pregnant! That’s the longest your fetus has ever lasted! I told you all would be fine!"

Oh, and did I forget to mention that my sister, Lena, is a gynecologist?

I gripped the phone, my world tilting.

Then, in a voice I barely recognized, I whispered. "Lena, I want to abort it."