“The divorce certificate is done. You two are free to go.”
Natalie Weston stood there in a bright red sweater, makeup flawless, staring blankly at the divorce papers in her hand.
Same place. Same hour. The two people who had once sworn forever to each other now looked more like strangers passing by.
“All set?” The man beside her frowned, impatience written all over his handsome face. “If you’re done, let’s go. Isabelle is still waiting for me outside.”
Natalie slowly turned her head, eyes landing on the man in front of her.
Autumn was getting deeper by the day. He had on a light gray trench coat, his tall frame and striking features making him stand out without even trying.
No question about it—Sebastian Greyson was ridiculously good-looking.
Otherwise, back then, she wouldn’t have fallen for him at first sight.
Two years ago, when she married Sebastian, he had kissed her hand with shining eyes and promised he would treat her well for the rest of their lives.
But after the wedding, everything changed.
In these two years, she could barely remember a single truly happy day.
The Greyson family was rich, powerful, the kind of old-money household everyone looked up to. She, on the other hand, was just ordinary.
Marrying Sebastian had always been a reach, like she was punching way above her weight.
To fit into the Greyson family, she gave up her job and spent every day running around, handling things inside the house and out, trying her best to keep everything together.
But two full years had passed, and her belly still showed no sign of anything.
Her mother-in-law nitpicked everything, her sister-in-law made things hard at every turn, the tension at home was basically one spark away from exploding, and their marriage only got colder and colder.
For Sebastian, she had gritted her teeth and endured it all.
But not long ago, Sebastian’s first love, Isabelle Sherwood, came back to the country.
How could reheated leftovers ever compete with the white moonlight in his heart?
In a relationship that was doomed from the start, she chose to walk away with what little dignity she had left.
The two of them walked out of the Civil Affairs Bureau one after the other, not saying a single word the whole time, like total strangers who had just happened to share the same hallway.
Isabelle Sherwood was waiting outside.
She stood there in a white dress, her long hair loose over her shoulders, soft and flowing in the breeze, looking fragile and spotless, like a little white flower in full bloom.
She didn’t look at Sebastian Greyson first.
Instead, her gaze went straight to Natalie Weston. Her eyes were already red around the rims, guilt written all over her face as she said softly, "Natalie... I’m really sorry. I never meant to break up your marriage."
Natalie’s voice was so faint it was almost swallowed by the wind. "You don’t need to apologize..."
Before she could finish, Sebastian cut in, his tone already carrying a trace of irritation. "The divorce was my decision. It has nothing to do with Isabelle. If you have a problem, take it out on me. Don’t drag her into this."
Natalie fell silent.
Just like she had during that one-month cooling-off period.
She had cried. She had made a scene. She had begged too.
By the end, all she had left was numb silence.
Isabelle looked a little upset and turned to Sebastian. "Sebastian, Natalie didn’t do anything wrong. We’re the ones who let her down. You can’t talk to her like that."
The impatience in Sebastian’s face softened at once. His eyes showed that helpless, indulgent affection without even trying to hide it. "You... you’re just too kind. If I weren’t by your side, what would you even do?"
Natalie watched them stand there, all soft looks and tender words, and it felt like a blade slowly twisting in her chest.
On their second wedding anniversary, she had caught Sebastian and Isabelle in a hotel bed.
That day, Isabelle had cried so hard her whole body shook. She had dropped to her knees, tears all over her face, begging for forgiveness.
And Sebastian had protected her in exactly the same way.
In Sebastian’s eyes, Isabelle was pure, gentle, innocent.
But would a truly innocent person knowingly book a hotel room with a married man?
Natalie didn’t call it out, but that didn’t mean she was blind.
Still, when one person in a relationship had already checked out, then no matter how much crying, fighting, or holding on there was, it was all pointless. Pure dead effort.
A bitter smile touched her lips. "You two were clearly meant for each other. I should be congratulating you. I hope you’ll be happy. Truly."
Her calmness, her refusal to fight or snatch or argue, actually made Sebastian look up at her in surprise.
Natalie gave him a small nod. "Goodbye."