Chapter 9

Abigail's throat had been damaged in the fire, leaving her with a hoarse and raspy voice that was difficult to listen to. But now, it sounded much clearer. It seemed that over the years, Jeffrey had invested a lot of time and money to fix the issue, and it had paid off. "Jeff, do you think this color looks good? Or is the style of this one better?" Abigail asked. After a moment, she was heard saying, "Oh, I like them both. What should I do?" She added, "Help me choose, Jeff." That was the kind of flirtatious sweetness Natalie could never pull off. To Jeffrey, she was gentle, obedient, considerate, and graceful, but she never had a young woman's sweetness and liveliness. After all, she wasn't loved. Abigail was the one he loved. Jeffrey's voice, softer than usual, replied, "You look good in everything." There was a kind of tenderness Natalie had never heard from him. He had always been cold and distant with her. The difference between his treatment of both of them was so obvious. Natalie lowered her eyes as she suddenly remembered something. Five years ago, Jeffrey had been the top science student in the entire school and the top scorer in Caspia City. His admission into Andby University made waves across the school. Countless juniors and seniors regarded him as a role model, and Natalie was one of them. Though she was already betrothed to him by arrangement when they were younger, she knew she couldn't fall behind. He was too brilliant, and she couldn't just be ordinary if she were to be with him. He had said, "Nat, I'll be waiting for you at Andby University." Back then, his voice had held the same tenderness it did now. That one line from Jeffrey became the motivation for all of Natalie's efforts through high school. She studied desperately. Every waking hour, she would review chapters and work on practice papers. Eventually, she made it to Andby University. In her freshman year, he was a senior. When she graduated, he was already Foster Group's CEO. Natalie had always followed behind Jeffrey, but she ended up losing him anyway. If not for the fire, and if Abigail hadn't saved him, would things have turned out differently? Snapping back to the present, Natalie raised her hand and knocked on the door. "Who's there? I'll get the door," Abigail said. "No need," Jeffrey said to her. Then, he called out, "Come in!" Natalie pushed the door open. The moment Abigail saw her, the smile on her face froze. But Natalie smiled brightly. "Sorry to interrupt. It looks like this isn't the right time for me to be here." Several hats and hair accessories were scattered on the couch. Jeffrey was always so busy with work, yet he seemed to have time to check out the hair accessories Abigail wore. It was no doubt true love. Natalie continued, shifting the tone of her voice, "But if I remember correctly, I scheduled this meeting at this hour. I'm very punctual." Abigail turned to Jeffrey. "Jeff, why didn't you let me know beforehand that you have a meeting with Natalie? I should have avoided coming so that I wouldn't disturb you two." Jeffrey answered calmly and indifferently, "Why should you avoid coming?" "It's not appropriate." "She took your spot. Now, she's giving it back to you. Ab, you should be here." He had always wanted to marry Abigail. It was Natalie who had clung to their childhood engagement and forced him into marriage. The one who should feel ashamed was Natalie. Natalie didn't intend to argue. She just wanted Jeffrey to sign the surgery consent form, as the surgery couldn't be delayed any longer. In fact, she didn't care if he signed the divorce agreement or not. But his words made her more uncomfortable than she had expected. She walked up to Jeffrey and spoke clearly. "I didn't take anyone's place. That position was always mine. When I was ten, my grandmother suggested that arrangement to you, and you didn't refuse. "Then, you wanted me to give that position to Abigail. Just because I wouldn't, did that mean it was hers? Jeffrey, that doesn't make any sense. "Now, I'm returning that position to you, not so that you can marry Abigail, but because I've decided to stop tormenting myself." Then, Natalie shifted her gaze to Abigail. "You've been eyeing things I don't want, including the man I don't want anymore, haven't you? I guess you have a thing for used stuff. Honestly, I can't understand that kind of obsession." Abigail's face turned pale, and she looked more fragile than ever. Jeffrey's lips tightened as a hint of anger flashed across his face. "Natalie, you…" Natalie interrupted him, "You knew I was coming this morning, yet you and Abigail were flirting in the office and being all lovey-dovey with each other. What's the point in that? "If you want to show off your love, just start a livestream and let the whole world watch. You can even get gifts from your fans." Natalie wasn't holding back at all. She was sharp, blunt, and unapologetic. Compared to her, Abigail appeared much more gentle and gracious. Abigail said softly, "You misunderstand Jeff, Natalie. I'm the one who couldn't sit still at home, so I took the initiative to visit him. I didn't know you two had plans, as he didn't tell me. Otherwise, I would've kept my distance." Natalie asked her, "Now that you know, why are you still here?" Abigail was momentarily speechless. She stared at Natalie for several seconds before sighing. "Natalie, I understand you hate me. Honestly, you're an amazing person, and you deserve better. Your relationship with Jeff has long since run its course. It's your obsession with him that's keeping you stuck here." Natalie almost snorted in frustration. Was Abigail lecturing her now? Abigail continued, sounding hurt, "After you got married, I stayed abroad for five years. You two were married, and I was an outsider. I couldn't interfere in your marriage, or I'd be labeled as a homewrecker. It wasn't until your divorce that I came back to Caspia City." If Abigail continued talking, Natalie would end up as the one who was ruining their romance. "Alright, I don't have time for your excuses. Plus, I'm not Jeffrey, so I'm not buying it," Natalie said flatly. "I'm here to sign the divorce agreement. I've prepared it. Jeffrey, do you want to look at it?" "I'll get the lawyer," Jeffrey said. He turned, picked up the office phone, and within five minutes, Kevin Murphy from the legal department rushed in. Natalie handed over the divorce agreement. She had downloaded a template online and made some adjustments, but she didn't give much thought to the clauses inside. All along, she had been saying she wanted money, but that was never the case. What she wanted was love. In the end, she didn't get any love, and the money wouldn't be much, either. She knew Jeffrey wouldn't give her much of his assets. He was cold, distant, and ruthless. Even without the divorce agreement, Natalie honestly wouldn't have minded much. She was only using it to get Jeffrey to sign the surgery consent form without him realizing it. Kevin read the document carefully in the silent CEO's office, the only sound being the rustling of papers. When he finished, he pushed his glasses up and said, "Mr. Foster, there's nothing in the agreement that puts you at a disadvantage. As for your assets, she only wants ten million dollars and a car." Was that really what Natalie meant by "wanting money"? Ten million dollars couldn't even buy the Patek Philippe watch Jeffrey was wearing.