Chapter 7

Richard stood there, stunned, and then slowly looked down at the papers in his hands.

When his eyes fell on the bold black letters at the top, Divorce Agreement, his pupils tightened and the color drained from his face.

He jerked his head up, his eyes wide with disbelief, his voice suddenly pitching higher.

"Di—divorce? Natalie, have you lost your mind?"

"I'm more clear-headed than ever," I said, staring at his face, twisted in shock. Inside, I was completely numb. "More clear-headed than I've ever been these past three years."

"Is this really just because I didn't let you come back early?" Richard stammered, his voice edged with incredulity.

"Natalie, I've explained this. It was for work. I had no choice. I..."

"You have to follow priority," I finished for him, my voice flat and emotionless. "So you keep sacrificing me, always putting Julia first, every single time."

"It's not about her. I was looking after a widow," he snapped, the veins at his temples standing out. "Natalie, when did you stop understanding how things work here? When did you become so difficult?"

Difficult? Seriously?

I stared at the man I once loved so deeply. He was still trying to shame me with his self-righteous logic, even now.

My heart went completely cold.

Even the last trace of emotion I had for him, left over from our past, disappeared.

"Richard," I cut him off, meeting his eyes with a cold, unwavering stare. "Do you really think that every time I get upset, I'll just end up coming back to you like nothing ever happened?"

He was caught off guard, his gaze faltering for a moment.

"You really think that no matter how much you ignore me, or how many times you make me swallow my pride for someone else, I'll just keep waiting around for you, all because I love you?" I said, my voice sharp.

I stepped right up to him, staring him down.

"The first time, I gave in. I thought you actually wanted to try and build something real with me," I said, my voice steady.

"The second time, I gave in because I cared about that child."

"The third time, you went behind my back and erased my name. I argued and I confronted you, but in the end, I caved and tried to make peace."

I paused, my voice cold as ice, every word hitting you like a punch to the face. "And this fourth time..."

I went on, "I was carrying your child. The pregnancy was unstable, and I needed proper medical care. You didn't hesitate. Once again, you chose Julia over me."

I looked at him and continued, my voice steady.

"Something changed in you a long time ago, Richard, and you chose not to see it. In your world, following priority has always meant putting Julia first. I, Natalie, and the child I carried were never anything more than something you were willing to give up whenever it suited you."

"No! Natalie, please, just listen to me..." he stammered, panic flickering across his face for the first time.

"Save it," I said, raising my hand to cut him off. "I already ended the pregnancy."

Those words, tossed out so casually, hit the room like a bombshell.

Richard just froze, eyes wide in shock, like he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"You ended what... What did you just say?" he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I said," I repeated, my voice icy and steady, "the baby is gone. When I signed that consent form, whatever connected us as parents ended. Completely."

All the color drained from his face, leaving him ghostly pale.

He staggered back as if struck, shock and pain written across his face, with a flash of anger that had no right to be there.

I watched him, incredulous.

"How dare you?" he rasped, his voice torn between pain and accusation. "That was our child."

"He was, once," I shot back, my voice cold. "But after the fourth time you put Julia ahead of me, he became my choice alone. And I chose not to let him be born into a world where his own father never wanted him."

I shoved the divorce papers right at him.

"Sign it, Richard. From now on, you can keep following priority, the kind where Julia always comes first. We're done here."

Richard stared at the divorce papers like they were a death sentence and then snapped his gaze up at me. His eyes were a storm of pain, anger, disbelief, and for the first time, something else...

It was a flicker of panic I'd never seen in him before.

His lips trembled, working soundlessly for a moment, and finally, like it cost him everything, he squeezed out three words.

"I... won't... sign."