Chapter 78

"Okay," Natalie replied. "Natalie, now that you've stepped into the workforce, you should leave behind the version of yourself who was a housewife confined to the kitchen. You were meant for more than just standing in the background. "You have every right to be who you are, and you are more than capable of carving out your own path and creating a future of your own." Lucian gave her an encouraging smile. "Work hard. You got this." His words brought tears instantly to her eyes. No one had ever encouraged her like that before. No matter how hard she tried in the past, all she ever received from Rowan was rejection. Rowan complained endlessly—that a dish lacked something, that a bowl of soup didn't suit his taste, or that she hadn't organized his wardrobe well enough. Not a single strand of hair was allowed on the bedroom floor, and not a drop of water could be left in the bathroom. Even when she brought him lunch at his office, if she happened to catch him on a day when a me