Chapter 15
Chapter 15
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After saying goodbye to Henry, Natalie went upstairs and packed her belongings. Truth was, she didn’t have a lot to pack- her stuff fit into one large suitcase. The house was mostly Shawn things, and she had no intention of taking any of it with her.
With her suitcase zipped and propped by the nightstand, she headed down to the kitchen to whip up some veggies for the
Guzman manor.
Arriving at the manor early, Natalie found that Mary hadn’t started dinner prep yet. Knowing this might be her last meal with Henry, Natalie offered to cook for them. After some convincing, Mary agreed to let her lend a hand.
Natalie ended up making half a dozen dishes plus a soup, and she encouraged both Mary and Ken to taste the home cooking.
After dinner. Natalie declined Henry’s invite to stay over and his offer for a ride home. As she watched him standing in the doorway, his frail silhouette backlit by the warm light, smiling and waving goodbye, Natalie held back tears and smiled back. With a silent farewell in her heart, she waved at him one last time.
A week later, Natalie got a call from Bobby Grant, the lawyer, saying he’d bring the divorce papers to the villa that day. The day had finally arrived.
Shawn hadn’t been around all week, and Natalie guessed he was probably with Tracy. They’d agreed to part ways, so she, wasn’t too concerned about where he spent his nights.
Luckily, when they last met, she was in casual loungewear, so he didn’t suspect a thing.
Bobby arrived at the villa in less than half an hour after their call True to his reputation as Evercrest Group’s top lawyer, he was super efficient. Sitting across from him, Natalie knew she was just the CEO’s wife he barely knew. Bobby was ready to explain the divorce agreement, something she wouldn’t have to think about for the rest of her life–or the next one.
“Mrs. Guzman, please review the agreement. I’ll explain your financial settlement after your divorce from Mr. Guzman.” Bobby said.
Without even looking at the document, Natalie signed her name at the end. She didn’t want anything from Shawn. If signing this made things easier for him, then so be it.
Bobby was a bit taken aback that she signed without any questions. She seemed she was no interested with the money she was getting. But as a lawyer, he’d done his job and wouldn’t push it. He pulled a bank card from his bag and handed it to her.
“Mrs. Guzman, this is the bank card Mr. Guzman asked me to give you. The PIN is your birthday. All the assets you’re entitled to according to the divorce agreement are on this card.
Natalie didn’t take it right away. “Thank you, Bobby. I appreciate you coming.
Bobby left the card on the table and stood up to leave. “You’re welcome, Mrs. Guzmu. Your divorce certificate will be ready on Monday at 9 AM. Mr. Guzman will be waiting for you at the evil affairs bureau. I’ll head out now.”
“Okay, Please let Mr. Guzman know I’ll be there on time.”
After seeing Bobby off, Natalie booked a flight to Yvengard. Yes, he had lied to Shawn about going back to her hometown. She needed to make plans for the two little babies growing inside her.
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Chapter 15
For the past few days, she’d been searching online for the perfect place and finally found posts describing Yvengard as a cozy town with clear mountains, beautiful waters, and a friendly, single community–ideal for living. She wanted to be somewhere no one knew her, where she could give birth and rage her kids in peace.
Soon, Shawn would probably marry Tracy, start a new family, and have his own kids. Natalie didn’t want to disrupt his new life. Leaving him was tough, but she felt grateful toward him for giving her these two babies and the most precious family she could ever have.
On Monday morning. Natalie arrived early at the civil affairs bureau to wait. She had worn a loose top to hide her belly, not wanting Shawn to suspect anything. At 9 AM sharp, Shawn’s car pulled up.
Before Shawn even got out of the car, he spotted Natalic sitting on a stone bench at the entrance.
As he approached, looking worn out, she stood up. Concerned words almost slipped from her mouth, but she held them back. They were there for a divorce, so it was best to keep things simple and quick.
They walked in together. Natalie left the civil affairs bureau with her divorce certificate in hand.
“Wait, Natalie. I can give you a ride, Shawn called as she was leaving.
She turned around, smiling. “No need. You can go back to what you were doing. I can get home fine on my own.”
They stood facing each other, and that was when she really noticed how tired he looked. She pressed on, “Take care of yourself and remember to eat on time.”
“What’s next for you? Going back to your hometown?”
“Yeah.” After saying that, she turned to leave, afraid that her resolve to move on would waver at the last moment.
“When will you head back? I can see you off, he offered from behind her.
“It’s alright. I’ll manage on my own,” she replied without looking back.
Instead of going home right away, she used the card Shawn had given her to withdraw 30 thousand dollars. She returned to the villa and left the bank card on the desk in his study, where Shawn would definitely see it when he got back. Then, she grabbed her suitcase, called a cab, and headed straight for the airport.
As soon as Shawn walked out of the civil affairs office, he called up a few friends to hit the bar. Charles had invited Sabrina and Abby along, and by the time they arrived, Shawn was already a few drinks in, half–sunk into the couch.
Aaron and Hayden were the first ones to get there. As soon as Aaron saw Shawn, he broke the silence. “Did something go- down in Daharam?”
Hayden shot a glance at Aaron, knowing his bluntness was pretty typical. Remembering recent events, Hayden said, “I heard that the deaths of his parents might not have been accidents. It seems to tie in somehow with his ex–girlfriend, but I don’t have the details. Shawn hasn’t said much
Aaron knew Shawn had been digging into this for years, and he been helping out, but so far, there wasn’t any real breakthrough Learning it might link back to Shawn’s ex was a sock.
When he’s ready to talk, he will, Aaron said, plopping down and grabbing a drink. Hayden decided not to press further and
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Chapter 15
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Not long after, Charles walked in with Sabrina and Abby. They greeted Aaron and Hayden before noticing Shawn, who had his eyes closed and was resting on the couch. “What’s up with Shawn? He called us out for drinks, but he looks really down,” Charles asked.
Aaron and Hayden exchanged looks with Charles, silently agreeing to let it go. Charles scratched the back of his head and sat down sheepishly. “Could it be that he’s… not satisfied? Like, did Natalie not meet his expectations?”
Everyone could tell Shawn was in a rough spot. The way he was owning drinks made it clear he was trying to dodge something. The table was already piled high with empty bottles and he sat there quietly, making everyone hesitant to approach him.
After a while, Fred finally arrived, surprising everyone by bringing a girl with him. It was the first time he’d introduced a girl. to their group, and everyone was taken aback.
