Chapter 1

On the third anniversary, which also happens to be Natalie Sherman's birthday, her husband, Lester Garrison, gives her a very special gift—a divorce agreement.

Calmly, Lester picks up a pen and drops his signature on the bottom left corner of the agreement. Then, he pushes the document in Natalie's direction.

"Rene is very stubborn, and it's very difficult for me to appease her. Only when I'm divorced will she agree to accept me as her lover.

"I've already signed the divorce agreement. You should do the same. Don't worry, we're just faking this divorce."

Lester's tone is very casual, not to mention he sounds emotionless, too. It's as though he's discussing what to have for dinner tonight.

Chapter 1

Natalie Sherman had stopped concerning herself with how Lester Garrison lived his private life outside their marriage.

Still, Irene Sterling was a name she knew well, thanks to the entertainment news that was all over the internet.

Irene was a newly signed young actress under Lester’s company. She was a young woman in her 20s, brimming with youth and vigor.

Most interestingly, Lester had been pursuing her for nearly two months, yet she showed no interest in him at all.

In the past, Lester would usually have lost interest in his lovers within a month.

Irene was different. Not only did she hold his attention longer than the rest, but she also got him to bring up a pretend divorce with Natalie.

Natalie took the divorce papers from him with a subtle smirk. "Is this the gift you've gotten for me? It's quite an unusual one, I'd say."

Confusion crossed Lester's face. When he finally recalled the occasion that day, he seemed apologetic.

"I've been busy being nice to Rene on set recently. It totally slipped my mind that it's our anniversary and your birthday today. I'm sorry. I'll get my assistant to bring over a gift later."

With his new love interest in sight, there was indeed no room left in his heart for Natalie anymore.

Her smirk oozing with sarcasm, Natalie replied, "Never mind. We're getting a divorce soon anyway. Keep your gifts for someone else."

Lester frowned at her words. Displeased, he retorted, "It's just a pretend divorce. We just have to sign the papers to make Rene happy. It's not like we're really getting a divorce certificate."

Was that really the case?

Nevertheless, Natalie had made up her mind to divorce him for real.

Keeping that thought to herself, she picked up the pen and signed the paper solemnly.

She was putting an end to her three years of marriage.

After she signed the papers, Lester sighed in relief. He took a photo of the divorce papers and made a phone call.

The person on the other end said something that pleased Lester very much. In a gentle tone, he coaxed, "I've already gotten a divorce, so you and I can officially start dating now. Wait there. I'll pick you up, then we'll have a little celebration."

After ending the call, he got up and took his coat as he headed outside. Right before he closed the door, he seemed to remember something and turned to Natalie.

"Rene has just agreed to go out with me, so I'll be with her today. Next year, I'll celebrate our wedding anniversary and your birthday with you."

Then, he hurriedly shut the door, eager to meet his young lover.

Naturally, he didn't hear Natalie's soft reply. She murmured, "Lester, there won't be a next year."

After the rumble of his car diminished into the distance, Natalie went upstairs and opened the safe. She retrieved the marriage certificates stowed away at the back of the safe.

She stared at the two beaming faces in the photo attached to the certificates.

It was a photo of her and Lester, with her being 24 years old and him being 26.

They stood close together, their eyes shining with affection for each other and with anticipation of the life ahead together.

Her gaze then subconsciously fell on the signed divorce papers.

How did it all come to this?

She remembered the first time she met Lester. It was during a wrap-up celebration after a shoot.

Back then, she was new to the acting industry. She had incidentally bumped into Lester around the corner, who was clutching his stomach and whose face was as pale as a sheet.

Realizing his stomach wasn't feeling quite well because he'd had too much to drink, she'd pulled out a bottle of yogurt from her bag and given it to him.

Because of her act of kindness, Lester took an interest in her. Over time, he developed romantic feelings for her.

However, Lester was out of the league for most people; he was the legitimate heir of the powerful Garrison family.

Having a realistic understanding of herself, she'd never expect someone from a wealthy family like him to fall in love with an average woman like her. She was sure he wasn't taking things seriously, so she rejected him without hesitation.

To her surprise, Lester didn't give up. In fact, he had always been by her side. Despite being a proud CEO of a company, he decided to wait on her as though he were her assistant.

During mealtimes, he prepared food for her and sent it to her on set. When she fell sick from working nonstop, he anxiously took her to the hospital. After every scene that required her to be underwater, he'd immediately serve her some ginger tea.

She wasn't a robot without feelings. His continuous show of affection slowly moved her.

Once, there had been an accident while she was descending from a wire stunt. Right before she crashed into the ground, Lester threw himself beneath her to cushion her fall. That was the moment she fell for him.

She had escaped the incident unscathed, but he had had two ribs broken.

After they had started dating, Lester had told his family she was the only woman he would marry. He didn't give in even when his family punished him for his decision.

Not wanting to be his burden, Natalie worked around the clock for four whole years. Finally, she won Best Actress and earned the Garrison family's approval.

On the day of their wedding, the whole internet had showered them with blessings, wishing them a blissful marriage. Some even exclaimed at how rare it was to see someone as loyal as Lester among the rich.

Natalie had thought so too. She had thought their marriage would be long-lived and filled with affection.

However, in the second year of their marriage, she started spotting lipstick stains on Lester's shirt.

The first time it happened, she bawled her eyes out.

Lester, who'd always been proud, knelt before her as he swore it was his business rival scheming against him. He vowed that it would never happen again.

Considering how long they'd been with each other, Natalie chose to forgive him.

However, he soon began staying out all night.

Countless times, she bombarded him with calls and demanded an explanation like a crazy woman. She stalked him and argued hysterically with him when he returned home.

All he did was watch her release her anger. Then, he'd calmly persuade, "Nat, no one in our social circle would stay loyal to one woman forever. All you have to know is you're the only one I love, and my wife will only be you."

Besides him, everyone else she knew gave her similar advice—His lovers wouldn't be with him forever. All she had to do was hold on to her role as his wife, and he'd eventually return to her. She only had to wait.

Therefore, she waited, only for him to bring up a pretend divorce for the sake of his lover.

The moment she saw him sign his name, something broke free in her.

Did she marry Lester for the Garrison family's wealth and authority?

No, she didn't.

She married him only because they were in love.

However, their love had become a pile of wreckage that stank.

Even their marriage, which they both cherished, had become Lester's tool to please his lover.

If that was the case, their marriage had lost all meaning.

Coming to her senses, Natalie picked up the divorce papers and went to the courthouse.

The staff made sure the documents were complete before telling her to pick up their divorce certificate a month later.

As she walked out of the courthouse and into the sun, she felt a sense of ease for the first time in a long while.

Then, she dialed a number that she'd saved long ago.

"Allen, I'd love to accept your offer to join your production in Echalon."

Chapter 2

A loud clatter came through the receiver. It was several moments later when she heard Allen Lang exclaim in pure excitement, "Natalie, you finally accepted the role! I've been keeping it for you! Our production will definitely win an award with you joining the cast."

Before Natalie married Lester, Lester's mother had asked her to stop acting and focus on family after the wedding.

For the past three years, aside from attending necessary events as Lester's partner, she had no longer been active in the industry.

She had almost forgotten how it felt to be the youngest Best Actress three years ago.

Thankfully, she'd receive the divorce certificate in a month and return to the acting industry she was passionate about.

"Natalie, when will you be coming to Echalon? I can't wait any longer!"

Natalie checked the calendar. Then, she answered softly, "I'll be there on the 6th of next month."

That was the day she could obtain the divorce certificate.

Once she received the document, she would fly to Echalon.

She spoke with Allen briefly about her upcoming role before ending the call.

Just as she entered her car, a notification sounded on her phone, a special ringtone she used for certain news.

She checked her phone and saw Lester's latest Twitter post.

"I'll do anything for you to be with me."

Alongside the caption were a photo of the divorce papers and another of his and Irene's hands clasped, their fingers intertwined.

Lester started his Twitter account seven years ago. Since then, he'd only posted three tweets.

The first was when Natalie agreed to make their relationship public.

The second was a celebratory status update when she won Best Actress.

The third was a flashy post announcing his love for her on their wedding day.

Now, he'd deleted those tweets. The latest tweet was the only one left on his account.

In the comments section, Irene's fans were in joy.

"Wow! A CEO and a gorgeous actress, what a couple!"

"Our Reenie is worthy of his affection! About time that old hag gets dumped!"

…

Later on, Natalie's name appeared on the trending list for the first time in a long while with hashtags like "#FormerBestActressNatalieShermanDivorced and #ExemplaryCoupleDivorcedAfterThreeYears

When she married Lester, she'd never imagined their relationship would end up like this.

Their love survived the Garrison family's massive disapproval, yet ended with Lester falling for someone else.

Suppressing the ache in her heart, she commented on his tweet, "Congrats on finding your new love, Mr. Garrison."

She had just posted it when she received a call from Yvonne Hall, her former manager.

"Nat, you and Mr. Garrison…"

Yvonne witnessed Natalie's rise to fame every step of the way. Even though Natalie had stopped acting after getting married, they remained friends.

Aware of Yvonne's hesitation to speak, Natalie replied, "It's true, Yvonne. Lester and I have signed the divorce papers."

Yvonne fell silent. When she spoke, she sounded regretful. "I saw how sincere he was back then and thought he was different from other wealthy men."

The sunlight shone through the trees overhead, leaving patches of shadow on Natalie's face.

When she married Lester, she had also thought he was a rare specimen among the rich, someone who stayed loyal.

Now, it seemed he was just a good actor.

If he were in the acting industry, he would easily win Best Actor.

After all, his performance even deceived her, someone who had once been Best Actress.

"Let's forget about him. Remember to be at the awards-giving ceremony on time. I'm already here."

Before her marriage, Natalie was the female lead in her last movie, "Before the End".

As the post-production process was demanding, it had only been aired last year. Nevertheless, it had already won several international awards.

Her role in the movie also earned her a nomination for Best Female Lead.

The award-giving ceremony was today.

After ending the call, she drove straight to the venue.

She had just found her seat when a commotion stirred at the entrance.

Looking toward the source of the noise, she saw Irene entering the hall, arms linked with Lester's.

Many reporters approached them as soon as they appeared.

"Mr. Garrison, do you regret ending your three-year marriage with Ms. Sherman just like that?"

"Ms. Sterling, Mr. Garrison divorced his wife for you. Do you think your actions are morally inappropriate?"

Irene replied to their ruthless questions confidently, "I will never be a mistress. Les and I started dating only after their divorce. Their relationship was already turbulent in the first place. I'm not at fault."

Lester gazed dotingly at her. "I don't regret my decision. If love is no longer present in a relationship, their marriage would only feel like a chain that restricts their freedom. Divorce will then be the best solution."

Chapter 3

Every word stung Natalie so much that she ached deeply.

A chain, huh?

It turned out that their marriage was suffocating him.

Sitting beside her, Yvonne held her hand. Her eyes were filled with concern.

Natalie shook her head. Her gaze fell on Lester's hand, carefully holding the hems of Irene's gown, and her lips curved into a self-deprecating smile.

Actually, their marriage was nothing less than a chain to her too.

She already knew their love for each other had expired, but she ignored that fact, trying to deceive herself and others into believing otherwise.

Thankfully, they would both be free from the chain of marriage after a month.

The ceremony soon began.

When the Best Female Lead award was about to be announced, Natalie's palm became sweaty.

She had thought "Before the End" would be her last movie, so she poured endless effort into portraying her role.

If she could win the award tonight, it would mark the perfect end to her acting career in Caledon.

Namelist in hand, the host purposefully swept his gaze across the hall before he slowly announced, "The Best Female Lead of the Golden Frame Award goes to…Irene Sterling!"

A thunderous applause ensued.

Smiling, Irene pecked Lester's cheek before going to the stage to take her trophy.

Though disappointed, Natalie quickly regained her composure.

Peeved, Yvonne leaned closer to her. She muttered, "Nat, I've been asking around, and it seems the judges gave overwhelmingly positive feedback on your role in the movie. You were supposed to win the award. Could Mr. Garrison have bribed the—"

Before she could finish, Natalie instinctively retorted, "No, he wouldn't."

Lester wasn't someone who would sacrifice his principles for personal gain, and neither would he pull dirty tricks like that.

Even when they were deeply in love, he'd never used his connections to help her.

She continued, "New talents emerge every day and may someday surpass those before them. Perhaps her acting resonated better with the judges."

Yvonne was still displeased. "How could her role in that commercial film possibly win against yours?"

Natalie patted her arm, trying to calm her down.

"It doesn't matter anymore—I'll be heading to Echalon next month."

Yvonne's eyes widened in surprise. Her voice was laced with excitement. "Echalon? To work with Allen, the same director who'd approached you many times?"

Natalie nodded, smiling.

"That's wonderful! Allen is a world-renowned director! Don't forget me when you become an international film star!"

Natalie had to assure Yvonne she would never forget her before Yvonne finally left to attend to other matters.

After the Best Female Lead award was announced, Natalie no longer needed to stay. She got up to leave.

As she walked past the backstage area, she spotted Lester standing beside the stage with a bouquet of red roses.

Her fingers curled reflexively. Pretending she didn't see him, she turned to leave.

Then, she heard a voice speaking in an ingratiating tone. "Mr. Garrison, we've done as you instructed and presented the Best Female Lead award to Ms. Sterling. Do you need anything else?"

Natalie halted in her tracks.

Lester then said nonchalantly, "Just keep it to yourself. Irene doesn't have to know that Nat was the one who originally won the award."

Chapter 4

Lester's words hit Natalie like a stroke of lightning. Did she…actually win the Best Female Lead award?

Lester was still talking to the other person.

Natalie's gaze fell on the bouquet he was holding, thinking how sarcastic it all was.

She confidently guaranteed that Lester wouldn't betray his principles for the sake of personal matters, yet reality proved her painfully wrong.

Her stare might've been too intense, so much so that Lester noticed her.

When their eyes met, a flustered look crossed Lester's eyes, but it quickly disappeared.

Walking over with the bouquet, he said in a resigned tone, "Nat, let Rene have the award for Best Female Lead this time. Keep this a secret, okay?"

Natalie couldn't believe his audacity to request that of her.

"Lester Garrison, the honor was originally mine. Why should I let her have it?"

Lester tugged on his necktie. He sounded slightly impatient as he said, "You're not even acting anymore. Why would you still need the title? Besides, if you hadn't commented on my tweet and made her angry, I wouldn't have to come up with this idea to please her."

His hurtful remark brought tears to Natalie's eyes. With a trembled voice, she asked, "Are you saying I deserve having that award snatched from me?"

Lester seldom saw Natalie in such a fragile state. He stepped forward and put an arm around her shoulders.

In a softened tone, he coaxed, "Nat, I don't mean it that way. It's just that I'm still interested in Rene, so of course I have to be nice to her. When my interest in her falters, I'll immediately take back the trophy and return it to you.

"Don't worry. I know who my wife is. I'm just being nice to Irene on the surface, so don't let it get to you."

For the past two years, Natalie had heard similar excuses more times than she could count, until she no longer felt anything when he said that.

He'd say he was only fooling around, that she would still be his wife, and that everything he did was just a pretense.

From his point of view, there was nothing wrong with what he was doing. However, if Natalie—his wife—acted out over it, she would be considered petty and insensible.

Natalie broke free from his hold and forced her tears back.

"There's no need, Mr. Garrison. I won't want a tainted trophy."

She didn't want a tainted husband too.

With that, she staggered out of the event venue without even looking to see what expression he had and went home.

The next day, she woke up early and started packing her belongings.

Except for the daily necessities she'd need to bring to Echalon, she packed and threw away the rest as trash, including items she'd shared with Lester.

The photo album that contained photos of them from when they were dating until they got married, the large wedding photo that they spent a fortune on, her favorite hydrangeas in the yard that Lester planted himself…

They dated for four years and were married for another three. All told, they'd been living in this house for seven years, and every corner of the house held shared memories.

Natalie spent a fortnight gradually getting rid of all the objects that were tied to so many memories.

Eventually, the once-cozy home was returned to its state from seven years earlier—a mansion devoid of warmth.

During those two weeks, Lester never came home.

Natalie knew where he was, though.

According to what he'd done in the past, he'd accompany his new lover for at least one month whenever he started a new affair.

Besides, Irene was never one to keep a low profile. She shared their affectionate moments on Twitter almost every day.

The day before, Lester took her out to sea for fishing and personally cooked for her.

Yesterday, he visited her on set and dotingly massaged her calves.

Perhaps clearing the mansion of their shared memories had helped cool down Natalie's feelings for him. When she saw Irene's posts, she merely paused momentarily before scrolling to the next.

After she was done packing, she drove to the mall. The filming duration for a movie was usually lengthy. She'd be in Echalon for at least two years and would need more clothes.

She shopped all afternoon and filled the trunk of her car with shopping bags. Closing the trunk, she opened the door to get into the car, ready to leave.

She had barely placed her foot in the driver's seat when a strong force grabbed and pulled her out.

Caught off guard, she fell heavily to the ground. Her arm was badly scraped, and blood trickled down it.

Enduring the pain, she propped her body up and saw that it was a group of young girls.

But she didn't know them.

"Who are you?"

The girls glared at her with contempt.

One of them stepped forward and grabbed her hair. She scolded, "It's all because of this bitch! If she had just given up her title as Mr. Garrison's wife, Reenie and Mr. Garrison could already have been together long ago!

"Now, they're already divorced, yet she has the audacity to spend Mr. Garrison's money on shopping! How shameless!"

Chapter 5

A sharp pain tore across Natalie's scalp.

Only then did she realize that these were Irene's fans.

But Natalie was the wife, and Irene was the mistress. Yet somehow, to them, Natalie was the one at fault.

Besides, she had paid for everything today with her own card. Lester had nothing to do with it.

Fighting through the pain, Natalie forced herself to speak, attempting to reason with them. "I didn't spend a single dollar of Lester's money. Let me go. You're committing a crime, you know?"

The young lady in front of her smirked. "Still lying. Girls, let's help Reenie teach this shameless woman a lesson!"

The moment those words fell, they surged forward and began hitting Natalie. Fists, feet, and elbows struck her from every direction, each of them using all their strength.

Natalie was completely outnumbered. Faced with so many people, she had no way to fight back and could only endure the beating.

She had parked in a relatively secluded area, and no one else passed by.

With no one around to stop them, the fans grew bolder, hurling insults as they continued their assault.

"You old woman. How dare you compete with Reenie for a man? We'll make sure you remember this."

"Best actress, huh? I bet you climbed your way up through your skills in bed. Mr. Garrison must've been blind back then. Good thing Reenie saved him."

Natalie could feel her hair being ripped out in handfuls, and the pain throughout her body was so intense it felt as though her organs had shifted.

"What are you ladies doing?"

The blows landing on her stopped immediately.

Natalie struggled to open her eyes and saw several security guards running toward her. At that point, she could no longer hold on and lost consciousness.

…

When she woke up again, Natalie was already in the hospital.

Lester, whom she hadn't seen for half a month, was sitting by the bed, holding her hand.

When he saw that she was awake, he asked with concern, "Nat, how are you feeling? Better?"

Natalie pulled her hand back and looked out the window. "Have the people who hit me been caught? I want to sue them."

Seeing the woman on the hospital bed, covered in injuries, a trace of distress appeared in Lester's eyes.

"The mall security called the police on the spot. Those people are already being held at the station. I—"

Before he could finish speaking, the door to the ward was pushed open.

Irene walked in and naturally hooked her arm through Lester's. "Oh? Les, I didn't know Natalie was awake."

With that, she turned toward Natalie and uttered apologetically, "Natalie, I'm really sorry my fans caused you trouble. They were just trying to help me. They thought you were standing in the way of my happiness with Les, so they lost their temper and went after you."

Though Irene apologized, the smugness in her eyes and the mockery in her words revealed her true feelings. She clearly took pleasure in seeing Natalie beaten.

Anger rose in Natalie's chest. If she hadn't desperately protected her face, she might've been disfigured already.

As an actress, if her face were ruined, her career would be over.

"Irene, since you can't keep your fans in check, I'll do it for you. I won't let things slide. I'm suing them," Natalie said.

Irene immediately defended her fans. "Natalie, I've already apologized to you. Why are you still pressing the issue? I won't let you harm my fans!"

Her eyes reddened as she looked up at Lester, tears welling. "Les, I'm your girlfriend, and Natalie is your ex-wife. Who are you siding with?"

Lester saw her tearful eyes and immediately pulled her into his arms. "Obviously, I'm on your side, Rene. Don't worry. I'll get your fans out of there."

Natalie's mind went black. She stared at him, disbelief written across her face. "Lester, are you seriously siding with your mistress? Those people almost ruined my face!"

Irene frowned and shot back, "Natalie, I've treated you with nothing but respect, but that doesn't give you the right to smear me. I only got together with Lester after your divorce. I've never been his mistress."

Natalie found it ridiculous. As the saying went, it took two to tango. If Irene had genuinely kept her distance before the divorce, Lester would never have pursued her so persistently for two months, given his pride.

It was clear that Irene wanted Lester's support and standing, yet she refused to be branded as nothing more than a mistress.

Lester reached out and gently stroked Irene's hair, then looked back at Natalie, his tone firm.

"But you're not disfigured, are you? How much compensation do you want? Name a price."

Chapter 6

Natalie felt a sharp shiver in her chest, as if something inside her had broken.

Her seven years with Lester, already in a fragile state, now seemed to have completely ended.

She dug her nails into her palms to suppress the storm of emotions rising in her chest and forced herself to say in an even tone, "Mr. Garrison, you really do love Ms. Sterling."

Lester's expression darkened, and he furrowed his brow, just barely.

Natalie ignored it and continued, "In that case, 70 thousand dollars will do. That'll cover the medical expenses, and I won't pursue the matter any further."

Irene raised her eyebrows in doubt. "Only 70 thousand dollars?"

Natalie nodded firmly. "Yes, only 70 thousand dollars."

70 thousand dollars would buy her a clean break from the seven years she had spent with Lester, from the time they were together to their marriage and divorce. It would close that chapter.

Lester didn't ask any questions. He transferred the money and then left with Irene.

The ward grew quiet again.

Natalie turned onto her side and pulled the blanket over her head.

Perhaps she had pressed against her aching wounds, for the pillow darkened with moisture, silently recording her suffering.

She stayed in the hospital for nearly ten days.

During that time, Lester visited her several times, coming alone each time.

She didn't want to see him, so she pretended to be asleep whenever he arrived.

After leaving the hospital, Natalie met a few of her close friends and told them she planned to go abroad.

When they heard she'd return to the entertainment industry, they were genuinely happy for her.

The final days passed slowly, as if she were counting down each one.

On the last day, Natalie arrived at the courthouse as soon as it opened.

The month-long waiting period had ended, and she received her divorce certificate without issue.

As she stepped outside, her phone lit up with a new message.

Natalie checked the message. It was from Irene, requesting a meeting at a private club.

She looked down at the divorce certificate in her hand and finally decided to go.

When she entered the private room, Irene was already there.

She picked up her glass of milk, took a small sip, and smiled at Natalie. "Natalie, I invited you here to thank you for letting Les and me be together. I meant to thank you as soon as the divorce was finalized, but he's been impossible to get away from this past month.

"He wouldn't leave me alone for even a few hours. He followed me on set and even acted as my assistant. Today is the first time I've been able to get away."

Natalie's hand tightened around the glass without her realizing it. Lester had been just as clingy when he was with her, but now, he no longer cared about her.

Irene noticed the shift in Natalie immediately, and the amusement in her eyes deepened. "Seems like you're still hung up on Les, Natalie. It's a shame you two are no longer married.

"When he pursued me, I made it clear I'd never be a mistress, and he proposed divorce right away. That proves I matter more to him. Natalie, you belong to the past now."

Natalie could tell that Irene was a smart and ambitious woman. Otherwise, Lester would never have been infatuated with her for three months, and he wouldn't have proposed divorce.

"You didn't call me here just to show off, did you?" Natalie asked calmly.

Irene let out a soft laugh. "Natalie, you're smart."

With that, she pulled a sheet of paper from her bag and handed it to Natalie.

Natalie frowned, unsure what it was.

The moment she saw that it was a pregnancy test report, her mind went blank. A chill ran through her chest, freezing her heart in place.

Irene was pregnant.

Irene was clearly pleased with Natalie's reaction. She lifted her chin with pride, one hand resting lightly on her belly, her voice brimming with unhidden triumph.

"Natalie, Les and I have been together for just a month, and I'm already carrying his child. Meanwhile, you had been married for three years and had never gotten pregnant, not once. That's a real failure."

Natalie's fingers tightened around the pregnancy report, leaving visible creases in the paper. She and Lester had once been expecting a child.

In the second year of their marriage, she had discovered she was a month pregnant. She'd been preparing to share the good news with Lester when she noticed the lipstick stain on his collar—his first betrayal.

That night, Natalie had cried until dawn, and the next day, grief had claimed her pregnancy.

Lester kneeled at her bedside, swearing he'd never cheat again. But later, he found one mistress after another.

One rule he never broke, though, was that he'd never get anyone else pregnant.

That lost life had been their unspoken boundary. Lester seemed to have forgotten it. Fortunately, they were divorced now.

He could be with whoever he wanted and have whoever he wanted to carry his child—Natalie wouldn't care.

She forced down the storm of emotions threatening to spill and returned the pregnancy report to Irene. "Congratulations. Looks like everything's going your way."

Irene's smug expression faltered. She hadn't expected Natalie to react so calmly, so quickly.

Irene rose, grabbing Natalie's wrist, a mocking smile tugging at her lips. "Natalie, you say congratulations, but I bet you hate me right now. Too bad, I never liked the idea of you hanging around Les either. I'll make sure you vanish completely from his life!"

Before Natalie could process her threat, Irene's grip loosened, and she collapsed heavily.

Blood ran down Irene's thighs, and her face drained of color as she clutched her abdomen.

Natalie's breath caught. Reflexively, she pulled out her phone and dialed 911.

Right then, the door was kicked open with a loud crash.

"Rene!"

Chapter 7

Lester kicked the door open, his hands trembling as he scooped Irene into his arms. "Rene, you'll be alright! I'm taking you to the hospital right now."

Natalie opened her mouth to explain, but Lester strode past her without a word, his shoulder knocking hard into hers. She staggered back.

Lester didn't even seem to notice, focusing entirely on comforting the woman in his arms.

He hadn't said a word, yet Natalie felt a chill run through her.

She had no idea how she even ended up at the hospital. When she finally found the operating room where Irene was, Lester was waiting outside, visibly tense.

It was clear that he cared deeply about Irene.

Natalie said nothing, taking a seat quietly across from him, waiting for the surgery to finish.

The hallway was deathly silent.

The intimacy they had once shared now felt galaxies away, leaving only silence between them.

After what felt like an eternity, Lester looked up, his eyes bloodshot, and spoke in a hoarse voice.

"Natalie, I already promised you that your status as my wife would never change. You're the only one I love. Why would you harm Irene?"

Seven years with him had given Natalie a deep understanding of Lester.

He was teetering on the edge of fury. The last time he had been this furious was when she'd been injured on set, and he had taken his anger out on the entire crew.

Now, the target of his anger was her, all because of his mistress. How ironic.

Natalie lowered her gaze, swallowing the bitterness coiling through her chest. "I didn't push her. She set me up."

Lester scoffed, disbelief clear in his tone. "Natalie, when did you start playing the games women used to compete for affection? Haven't I already given you everything? You're the one I love, and Rene is just a fling. Can't you tolerate her?"

Hearing that Irene was just a fling and that he only loved her, Natalie let out a bitter laugh, tears stinging her eyes.

"Lester, maybe you've said your lies so many times that you actually believe them yourself. Be honest with yourself—do you really still love me?"

If he loved her, why would he constantly seek out other women, get another woman pregnant, and not trust her?

Natalie's eyes revealed a desolate, barren truth.

Lester faltered, and his fury cooled somewhat. He assumed Natalie loved him too much and was just jealous.

After all, he had focused entirely on Irene this past month and had ignored Natalie's feelings.

He rose, holding Natalie close, and said, "Nat, wait for me. Once I lose interest in other women, I'll come back, and whatever you want to do, I'll be there with you."

It was the same empty promise he'd made countless times.

Natalie pushed him away, her voice flat. "No."

They were divorced—she no longer had to wait for him. From now on, she could live her own life.

Lester thought she was still sulking, so he said, "I'll make sure Rene doesn't press the issue, but when she comes around, you're going to have to apologize."

Natalie couldn't believe her ears. Why would she apologize when she had done nothing wrong?

Before she could respond, the operating room door burst open.

A nurse rushed out, saying, "Mr. Garrison, the patient is hemorrhaging. We urgently need type-A blood."

Lester immediately pulled out his phone and called his secretary, instructing him to source type-A blood from across the city.

Seeing his urgency, Natalie was reminded of the day of her accident on set. Lester had rushed to her side, tense and anxious, only relaxing when he saw she was safe.

Natalie rolled up her sleeve and offered her arm. "I have type-A blood. Take mine first."

Lester's gaze darkened, his lips moving as if to speak, but he said nothing.

Natalie ignored him and followed the nurse, giving 800 milliliters of blood.

After it was done, her face was pale, her lips colorless. She held her arm where the needle had been, stepping toward Lester with a faint, resigned smile. "Now, I owe you nothing…"

She had repaid Lester the debt from seven years ago.

However, he interpreted her selflessness as guilt for pushing Irene.

As he looked at her pale face, a flicker of tenderness rose in him. "Nat, go home and rest. I'll come see you once Rene's okay."

Natalie said nothing, dragging her weak body away.

For some reason, Lester's chest tightened as he watched her leave. He wanted to call after her, but the operating room's indicator light went off at that moment. He had no choice but to turn to the doctor for news of Irene.

When he turned back again, Natalie was gone.

When Natalie returned home, she dragged her already-packed suitcase to the door. She placed the divorce papers on the shoe cabinet and wrote one last note to Lester.

It read, "Lester, our story ends today. After this, we'll never meet again."

She pressed the note under the papers, glanced once at the home she had lived in for seven years, and walked out.

All the love and hatred of those years ended there and then.

Natalie was ready to write the next chapter of her life.