Chapter 808 What Else Do We Have to Talk About?
Natalie finished speaking.
Selene didn't ask anything else. She checked the rest of the house one more time and then left with the moving truck.
Natalie was alone in the apartment for half an hour.
The little wooden horse was right next to her... all alone.
Around her, everything that belonged to Natalie and Haven had been moved out.
The apartment seemed to have returned to its original state, but how could it ever be the same? After all, Natalie and her child had lived there for two years.
Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the sky was painted with a red sunset.
Natalie remembered a similar evening when she had lost Clayton.
Compared to that time, the pain seemed less intense now.
Because being alive is always better than leaving.
They had been together, loved each other... even if it was for a different amount of time, she believed that during those overlapping months, they were truly in love.
Even now, she hadn't completely detached her feelings from Clayton.
She still loved him, didn't she?
But her situation was awkward, and she was angry.
Angry that he had someone else by his side, angry that he could just stop loving her so easily.
As darkness swallowed the sky, Natalie locked the door and left.
When she closed the door, her eyes were wet... she was closing not just the door to the apartment, but also the door to her marriage with Clayton.
A driver came to pick her up.
Natalie sat in the car, dressed in black, quietly, with tears at the corners of her eyes.
As the black car slowly drove away, she saw Clayton.
He was sitting in a white car, his long fingers gripping the steering wheel. Gina was in the passenger seat next to him, and his Labrador was in the back seat.
They passed each other.
Natalie turned her face away quietly, not looking at him again... but when Clayton couldn't see, tears would always fall.
In the white car, Gina whispered, "She's gone, she won't come back, right?"
Clayton didn't respond. His hands trembled as he took a pack of cigarettes from the glove compartment, but he couldn't light one after several tries.
He took the cigarette from his lips and got out of the car.
Gina wanted to follow him.
But Clayton turned and spoke, his voice stern, "Stay in the car!"
Because he didn't want Gina to follow him. That was his and Natalie's home, and he wouldn't allow anyone else to intrude.
Five minutes later, Clayton came out of the elevator.
The entryway was just as he remembered it.
He could find the key on the carpet with his eyes closed because Natalie was always forgetful, losing things... so he had made a spare key and left it there for her to use when she couldn't find hers.
Clayton took the key and opened the door.
As soon as he entered, he saw the green wooden horse on the sofa. He had made it for Haven, spending a week to finish it and another night to paint it.
Now, it lay there quietly—forgotten.
Clayton walked over and sat on the sofa, looking around.
The place was familiar, even though Natalie's and Haven's things were gone, their scent lingered in the air, especially the sweet smell of a child.
Clayton picked up the wooden horse, remembering how Haven called him "Daddy."
That was the happiness he had once longed for.
But he had pushed that happiness away with his own hands.
He gave a self-mocking smile. 'Natalie will choose Grant, won't she? And Haven will be with her biological father.'
In the darkness, a faint light shone on Clayton's face... he didn't care, just sat there quietly, reminiscing about the time he had lived with Natalie.
At the door, Gina cautiously pushed it open.
She was worried about Clayton.
But as soon as the door opened, something was thrown at it, followed by a man's harsh growl, "Get out!"
Gina was stunned, unable to believe it was Clayton.
Clayton had never been so rude.
"Clayton." Her voice was on the verge of tears.
In the past, whenever she cried, Clayton would comfort her... but not this time.
His voice remained rough and angry, "Get out, do you hear me!"
Gina left, crying.
Clayton listened to the footsteps outside, then slowly lowered his head... covering his face with his hands.
He stayed in the apartment all night.
He slept in the bed he had shared with Natalie, the bed still carrying her scent... in the middle of the night, half-awake, he reached out and called, "Natalie."
But his hands were empty.
Natalie was no longer there.
Clayton opened his eyes and slowly sat up, sitting in the darkness waiting for dawn...
Only he didn't know that once, someone else had sat on that bed, chin resting on knees, watching the night, waiting for his return.
On Monday, Natalie went to the office early.
Dorinda was already there.
Dorinda felt sorry about the relationship between her former and current boss. She knew how Natalie had endured the past two years.
She wanted to say something, to offer some comfort.
Natalie took a photo frame off the bookshelf, speaking with her back turned, "No need to say anything. Clayton and I have already agreed to divorce! The divorce papers should be finalized by now!"
She asked, "By the way, has the lawyer handling this, Mira Collins, arrived?"
Dorinda then took out an envelope.
"She delivered this earlier."
Natalie turned around, staring at the envelope for a long time before forcing a faint smile, "It's finalized, huh! Put it over there and leave me alone for a bit."
Dorinda nodded and quietly left the room.
As she closed the door, she saw Clayton.
Clayton was dressed in a casual suit, hands in his pockets, leaning against the wall, lost in thought.
It took Dorinda a moment to react, "Mr. Percy!"
Clayton lifted his chin.
Dorinda glanced at the office door, hesitating before speaking, "The divorce papers for you and Ms. Devereux have been finalized."
"Ms. Devereux said she wants some time alone. Mr. Percy, should I inform her you're here?"
Clayton said it wasn't necessary.
Dorinda thought for a moment, then stepped back.
Inside the office, Natalie put down what she was holding and slowly walked to her desk... she opened the envelope and took out two documents, flipping through them.
She looked at them quietly for a long time, then gently closed them.
The door opened, and she saw Clayton.
Compared to other divorced couples, Natalie seemed much calmer, "You're here! Just in time, the divorce papers are finalized."
She took out one of the documents and handed it to him.
Clayton also flipped through it, his face showing no emotion, then put it in his pocket.
Natalie leaned over and pressed the intercom, "Dorinda, come in for a moment."
Dorinda arrived shortly.
With her bosses' divorce, Dorinda felt like she was being divided like property, clearly assigned to Clayton.
She had asked to stay with Natalie, but Natalie had smiled and said there were no good positions at her place, just a struggling magazine.
Dorinda knew that Natalie needed help.
But she wanted to forget Clayton.
To make a clean break.
Dorinda had asked if they would never see each other again.
Natalie had thought for a moment and said, "We'll still see each other! We both live in Seattle, and my sister-in-law has been friends with him for years. I can't make things difficult for her because of me."
Dorinda felt sorry for her.
At the same time, she wished Natalie could be carefree like before.
When someone becomes sensible, it means they've endured immense pain.
Natalie calmly finished the handover, then took her few personal belongings and prepared to leave.
"Natalie!"
Clayton called out to her, "We need to talk."
Natalie paused, standing straight.
Only by doing so could she avoid crying and begging him not to leave her, not to say he loved her and then abandon her.
Natalie lowered her eyes, smiling faintly, "What is there to talk about? That I'll still be single in two years, that we might get back together?"
"Clayton, you can tolerate me rekindling things with Grant, but I can't accept you having someone else! You once said you wouldn't make me sad."
"There's really nothing left to talk about between us."
Natalie finished speaking, gently wiping the corner of her eye.
She still wanted to cry; she wasn't emotionless, not a robot.
Natalie left.
At the elevator, Clayton caught up with her, grabbing her wrist and pulling her into the elevator... it was the executive elevator, with no one else around.
He trapped her between him and the elevator wall, leaving her no room to move. If she moved, their bodies would touch.
It made her uncomfortable.
"Why didn't you take the little wooden horse? Haven should like it."
Natalie was dazed.
It took her a while to find her voice, "You don't need to worry about my child anymore. I've already applied to change her last name. She won't be called Haven Percy anymore, she'll be Haven Devereux."
She looked up at him, "Clayton, do you know why she's named Haven?"
"I know!"
"Then why did you treat me like this!"
Clayton didn't respond, just quietly looked at her, holding her close.
So close.
Close enough to stir a longing in him, a longing for her to still be his.
He acted on that longing, trying to kiss her.
Natalie turned her face away, avoiding his kiss.
She spoke softly, her voice low and pained, "Clayton, you still have the divorce papers in your pocket! We no longer belong to each other. Even if you're not married, you should be loyal to your partner."
Clayton didn't explain.
The elevator descended, the red numbers changing.
With a ding, the elevator reached the first floor, but Clayton didn't move aside.
He looked down at the woman in his arms.
Natalie's voice was soft, "Clayton, I have a bit of resentment towards you, but I'm more grateful that you're alive!"
She pushed him away and walked out without looking back.
There were still things she hadn't said to Clayton, like thanking him for being with her for so long... those memories were beautiful, proving that they had once loved each other.
Except for now, the past—the distant past—everything was beautiful!
Clayton watched her walk away, thinking that Natalie was like a bird he had raised and protected, but in the two years he was gone, this bird had learned to fly on her own.
He didn't know if he would regret it in the future.
But at that moment, he didn't!
Natalie went home and fell ill.
For two months, July and August, she stayed at home, with Selene taking care of Haven.
Occasionally, when she felt better, she would take walks in the yard with Haven.
By the end of summer, she was finally well.
Sienna said she wasn't sick, that love was the real illness, and the illness she had was called Clayton.
Sienna asked her, "Natalie, do you love Grant or Clayton?"
Natalie didn't answer.
As Sienna said, the illness she had was called Clayton.
She never mentioned Clayton again, and neither did anyone at home... but sometimes Natalie would see Clayton in financial news.
After taking over the company, business was good.
And by his side, Gina was still there.
But Natalie no longer cared. She thought she could live with Haven and their memories, living well, just like Clayton used to.
One evening, Sienna was with her when a lawyer came to the house.
Natalie recognized him; he was Byron Reyes, the legal counsel from Clayton's company.
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