A sharp pain pricked Natalie''s heart, and she gave a bitter smile. "You''re right. Sharing the same blood as you people feels disgusting. I can''t believe I''m rted to someone as vile as you. It''s truly pathetic."


    "You''re the vile one, Natalie, not me! I''m ashamed to be your brother!" If it weren''t for her, Joanna would have married Sebastian long ago.


    "But Jared, I''ve already cut ties with your family. Why do you all insist on harassing me?" Natalie sighed, exhausted. What was the point of arguing with a dead man?


    Her weary expression only angered him more. "If you were going to leave, you should have disappeared for good! Stop interfering in our lives!"


    "If it weren''t for you, Sebastian and Joanna would be happy together by now! It''s all because of you-"


    "Because of me?" Natalie snapped. "Jared, is your head full of rocks? When it was time to get married, Joanna was the one who ran off after Sebastian''s ident! But you all med me. Don''t forget, you were the ones who pushed me into that marriage in the first ce. You pack of hyenas, why is it that everything you do is right, and I''m the one who always has to suffer?"


    Jared faltered. She had a point. "But we told you when you got married that Sebastian belonged to Joanna! We said that if she came back, you had to divorce him! You''re the one who refused..."


    "I have signed the divorce papers, and I have signed the document cutting ties with your family. Now, do me a favor and get as far away from me as possible," Natalie said, her voice calm and devoid of any warmth. What was the use in arguing? He was as good as dead anyway.


    Jared was taken aback but quickly recovered. "Then why haven''t you finalized it?" he yelled.


    "Because Sebastian refuses to go! Instead ofing here to humiliate me, why don''t you go persuade him to go to the courthouse with me? I can''t get a divorce by myself." She wanted nothing more to do with any of them.


    Jared was convinced she was lying. "You''re the one who doesn''t want the divorce, Natalie! Stop trying to me Sebastian!"


    "Ugh..." Natalie took a deep, steadying breath, then roared, "Get out!"


    "You... Natalie! You''re a mess! What can you do besides seducing men?" Jared seethed. How dare she tell him to get out?


    "Get out! You''re a dead man walking. I''m not wasting my time with you," Natalie said, sitting back down.


    Jared was livid. "Are you cursing me, Natalie?"


    She smirked. "I don''t need to. Monica is your grim reaper. And congrattions, I hear you''re getting married. That''s just wonderful Her smile was chung, and Jared felt a surge of rage.


    “You just wait, Natalie! I will ruin you! Those rumors fromst night? I''l make sure they''re everywhere. I''m going to make you a social pafiahe so hated that people will spit when they see you."


    Natalie knew what he was capable of. "Go ahead. You don''t have much time left anyway. Do whatever you want."


    "You-!" Jared stormed out, fuming.


    Natalie slumped back in her chair, a


    wave of pain washing over her, so


    intense it felt hard to breathe. She


    closed her eyes, lost in her own worldof grief and didn''t notice someone else had entered untita pair of strong arms suddenly pulled her into a fierce embrace?


    Her eyes flew open and met a pair of bloodshot ones. It was Sebastian.