“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."

She was just about to turn and leave when Sebastian suddenly spoke again.

"You didn’t ask for the house, the car, or any of the property in the divorce. How are you planning to live from now on?"

Natalie Weston’s steps faltered for a second.

Sebastian Greyson pulled out a check, guilt faintly showing in his voice. "I held you back these past two years. Take this."

After a pause, he added, his expression a little tangled, "Live well from now on. If you run into trouble, you can come to me anytime. As long as it’s nothing too crazy, I’ll help."

Natalie looked at the hand he had stretched out toward her. Fair-skinned, long fingers, clean knuckles, exactly the same as when that hand used to hold hers.

But the wedding band he had worn for two years was gone.

She gently pushed his hand away and said, flat and simple, "No need."

Isabelle Sherwood looked like she couldn’t bear it and softly urged, "Natalie, just take it, okay? At least let me feel a little less guilty..."

Natalie shook her head and insisted, "Really. I don’t need it."

Sebastian’s hand hung there awkwardly in midair. Watching her walk farther and farther away, he suddenly felt this weird ache rise in his chest for no reason at all.

Isabelle said guiltily, "Sebastian, do you think Natalie’s going to blame us?"

Sebastian reached over and rubbed her hair, his voice low and soothing. "She won’t."

Isabelle’s eyes turned red, and even though her voice sounded upset, it was steady. "Even if she does blame me, I’ll take it. For you, I’m not scared of anything."

Something flickered in Sebastian’s eyes. Moved, he pulled her into his arms and let out a soft sigh. "Silly girl."

With her back to them, Natalie finally couldn’t hold it in anymore. Her eyes reddened on the spot.

Love didn’t come with a queue number. If she had known from the start that Sebastian had always kept someone else in his heart, there was no way—absolutely no way—she would have walked into this marriage trap.

He was the one who confessed first.

He was the one who proposed.

He was the one who said he’d give her a home, that he’d take care of her for the rest of her life.

Turns out love didn’t just disappear.

Sometimes it had been fake from day one.

Natalie stopped beside a pillar, wiped the tears off her face, then took out her phone and dialed a number.

"Are you here yet? I’m at the entrance. I’m wearing a red sweater."

Not long after, a tall figure emerged from the backlight and walked toward her.

"Ms. Weston."

"Mr. Caldwell?"

Natalie Weston froze for a second.

The bar had been dim as hell last night, and she honestly hadn’t gotten a clear look at his face.

Only now did she realize it.

This man was ridiculously good-looking.

He was dressed in a black suit from head to toe, the kind that made his whole vibe look even colder and sharper.

A clean, sculpted jawline. Eyes dark and deep, like still water you couldn’t see the bottom of. His whole body seemed to give off one clear message: keep your distance.

From top to bottom, he had that untouchable, restrained kind of charm. Total danger-zone visuals. The kind that made people want to sneak a second glance without even meaning to.

Snapping back to herself, Natalie quickly looked away and asked politely, "Is now a good time to talk?"

Her voice was still hoarse from crying, and the rims of her eyes and the tip of her nose were faintly red.

Vincent Caldwell looked at her for a few quiet seconds before giving a small nod. "Yes."

Natalie said, "Then let’s go."

The two of them walked side by side toward the civil affairs bureau lobby.

But the second they reached the entrance, they ran straight into Sebastian Greyson and Isabelle Sherwood.

The moment Isabelle saw them together, her eyes widened. She covered her mouth in surprise and blurted out, "Whoa, Natalie, is this your new boyfriend?"

Natalie instantly stopped in her tracks.

Sebastian glanced at Vincent, and his face darkened on the spot.

He frowned, then looked at Natalie with open displeasure. "What are you trying to pull this time? We’re already over. Let me give you a piece of advice—stop humiliating yourself. I don’t want this to get any uglier than it already is."