A faint smile touched Natalie''s lips. "Did you ever care? If it weren''t for everything that''s happened recently, you probably wouldn''t even remember what I look like." Seeing her, bristling like a porcupine, his voice grew colder. "Natalie, we can''t talk like this."


    "Why should I talk to you? When you and Joanna were framing me, when I wanted to talk, did you ever give me a chance? Did you ever let me exin?"


    Sebastian suddenly turned, moving to embrace her in a dominant, forceful gesture.


    "Don''t touch me!" Natalie screamed. “Joanna is filthy. You''ve held her, so don''t you dare touch me."


    Her shout made him freeze.


    "Natalie, you''re beingpletely unreasonable," he spoke with finality, tearing into her. "What right do you have to talk about Joanna? What makes her filthy? Look at yourself. You have the nerve to be disgusted by me? Let me tell you, as long as we are not divorced, if you dare to get involved with another man, if you do anything to betray me, don''t me me for being ruthless."


    A sharp pain shot through Natalie''s heart. His words seemed to drain all the strength from her body. So, in his eyes, she truly was nothing. She had loved this man for her entire youth.


    A mocking smile touched her lips. She stopped struggling, stopped arguing. No matter what she said, she was always in the wrong. She no longer had the energy or the reason to fight.


    Seeing her suddenly fall silent, her eyes downcast as she leaned against the window, keeping as much distance as possible between them, Sebastian was struck by the cold, lonely aura surrounding her. He remembered the Natalie of the past two years-quiet, pure. The woman she was now-vibrant, authentic-was the type of woman men fell for.


    An immense frustration washed over him. All he wanted was for her to be obedient.


    From the rearview mirror, Sean nced at Natalie, his heart aching for her. How did she end up with a man like this? Sebastian didn''t


    family''s interests wont


    understand love. For the sake of his he use


    anyone and anything. Natalie must still have some use to him. Only Joanna was special to him. Natalie had agreed to the divorce. Why wouldn''t Sebastian let her go?


    When they arrived at the vi, Sebastian got out first. This time, Natalie followed without a fight. She couldn''t stand his touch. He


    watched her get out of the cal ne


    quietly, no longershing out or caffing him a dog. She seemed to


    have reverted to the Natalie of a few months ago quietpliant doing as she was told. But he didn''t know that she was not naturally a quiet person. She had been restraining herself under the title of Mrs. Griffith. Without that burden, she was like a bird freed from its cage, living


    joyfully every day.


    He found this silent version of her unbearable. He hated it even more when she pushed him toward other women.


    As they entered the house, Natalie headed straight for the stairs. Sebastian, holding the suit jacket he had taken off, started to hand it in her direction out of habit. He froze when no one took it.


    .n


    Before, Natalie would always be at the door to greet him with a smile, dutifully taking his jacket. She would hang it up and then head to the kitchen to prepare food for him. He had a weak stomach, and she would always make him a soothing tea in the evenings that made him feel better. But now, even though she


    was back, she wouldn''t even look at him.


    As she started up the stairs, he finally broke the silence, his voice cold. "Natalie, I


    haven''t eaten yet. Go make me dinner."