Chapter 817 You Tell Me, What Is Our Relationship?
Natalie stared at her phone for what felt like forever.
This simple sentence was something she had once hoped for over the years.
This simple sentence was something she had hoped for over the past month.
Finally, it came, but she wasn't as happy as she thought she'd be.
She didn't reply because she didn't know how to. Should she ask him about Gina's condition?
Natalie put her phone down and sat in a daze for a moment before starting the car.
She stuck to her original plan and took Haven to her interview.
Technically, Haven was a bit young, but she was so cute and charming that the teachers at the institution adored her and quickly decided to accept her.
Haven seemed to know how likable she was. As they left, she held Natalie's finger and sweetly said goodbye to the teachers, who were all smitten with her.
Outside, Natalie gave her a kiss.
Haven hugged Natalie's neck. In this world, Natalie was her number one.
They chatted and laughed together.
But then Natalie's smile froze when she saw Clayton.
Clayton was leaning against his car, smoking. When he saw them, he straightened up.
From about 20 feet away, Natalie could see he had lost weight.
She thought to herself, 'Taking care of a sick person must be tough.'
But she didn't avoid him. She held Haven and walked over.
As they got closer, Haven recognized Clayton.
At first, she wanted him to hold her, but then she hesitated and clung to Natalie's shoulder, quietly watching Clayton.
Natalie said calmly, "She might not recognize you anymore."
Yes, after more than a month, children are very sensitive. She would wonder why the person who was always with her suddenly disappeared!
Clayton felt a pang in his heart.
He stepped forward and reached out to Haven, but she clung to Natalie's neck, refusing to let him hold her.
Clayton gently patted her head.
Suddenly, Haven started to cry.
Big tears rolled down her cheeks like little beads.
Natalie felt heartbroken. Before she reconciled with Clayton, she had asked him if he was sure. If he wanted to be with her, he had to be Haven's dad.
Haven had been so happy with Clayton, and now it was just as cruel.
Natalie held back her anger.
Children are always soft-hearted. After being mad at Clayton for a while, Haven couldn't stay angry and reached out her arms for him to hold her.
Clayton held her tightly.
He kissed Haven and then turned to Natalie, saying, "I sent the driver back. I'll take you home."
Natalie didn't object.
But once they were in his car, she didn't talk much, remaining silent.
Clayton knew she was angry because of Gina.
With Haven there, he didn't explain right away.
Half an hour later, the car pulled into Natalie's villa.
The housekeeper had prepared several dishes to celebrate Haven going to school, including a special roast pork dish that smelled delicious.
Max, the dog, was drooling in the kitchen.
When the car arrived, Max's ears perked up.
For a moment, it was stunned, then Max dashed out, barking furiously at the Bentley.
Clayton got out and tried to pet Max's head, but Max jumped around, refusing to let him touch it. It was clear Max was angry!
Natalie got out of the car with Haven.
Haven ran over and took Max away, who walked with its head held high, looking quite proud.
Natalie turned to look at Clayton.
It was already evening, and the yard was shrouded in twilight.
The dusk cast shadows on their faces, making them look more somber.
Natalie said softly, "Thank you for bringing us back."
Her tone was polite but distant, clearly a dismissal.
Clayton could tell.
He took a step forward, his voice slightly hoarse, "Natalie, we need to talk."
Natalie glanced back at the house.
Haven and Max were standing at the doorway, peeking out cutely. Natalie didn't want to argue with Clayton in front of the child.
She said quietly, "Let's talk another day."
Clayton gently held her shoulder, as if wanting to hug her, but he didn't.
Because Natalie turned her head away.
Her body language was full of resistance. She didn't want him to hug her.
Clayton lowered his hand, looking at her for a long moment, then said softly, "I'll go for now. When you're ready to talk, we'll talk."
Natalie didn't respond.
It wasn't until Clayton drove away that she felt the stiffness in her body turn into pain.
But she didn't dwell on her sadness for long because she had Haven to take care of. She couldn't let Clayton ruin her life.
Clayton kept waiting for Natalie to contact him.
But a week passed, and she didn't.
On the weekend, he drove to her villa, but Natalie and Haven weren't there.
Haven had been taken by Andrew and Chloe, and Natalie had gone to the city center for a date, according to the housekeeper.
It wasn't hard to guess… Clayton's face turned pale. He stood there for a moment, then got the address from the driver.
Natalie was meeting with the professor.
Everything was going well. The professor was enthusiastic, but Natalie sensed a hint of probing in his tone.
He hoped Natalie would let Haven be raised by her ex-husband, as they would have their own children in the future.
Natalie stirred her coffee and smiled lightly.
"When your mom and my mom set this up, they didn't mention that concern… I don't think we're a good match."
After making her point, Natalie prepared to leave.
But the professor, clearly fond of her, hesitated.
He gently pressed her hand and relented, "Actually, two children can be managed… Natalie, we…"
He didn't finish because Clayton arrived.
A man and a woman alone in a romantic coffee booth—it was obviously a date.
Clayton looked down at Natalie, his tone restrained, "Let's go."
Natalie looked up at him.
Her eyes were slightly wet, but she wasn't flustered. She had done nothing wrong.
The professor across from her watched them quietly.
In the end, he said nothing, paid the bill, and left.
After he left, Clayton sat down and asked Natalie softly, "A date?"
Natalie met his gaze.
After a moment, she nodded, "Yes, we're dating."
Clayton's hand on the table clenched, veins bulging. He restrained himself and grabbed her wrist, "Let's talk outside."
Natalie agreed it was best to clear things up.
She gently pulled her wrist free and said quietly, "Let's talk outside."
Both of them were too dignified to argue in public, so they got into Clayton's car. Clayton glanced at her and then drove off.
When the car stopped, Natalie realized he had driven to their old home—that apartment.
She sat in the car and said calmly, "No need to go up. We can talk here."
But Clayton had already unbuckled his seatbelt and got out.
When she didn't move, he grabbed her wrist and half-forced her to their old home.
Clayton retrieved the key from under the carpet.
He opened the door, and inside was just as Natalie had left it, only dustier.
Natalie didn't have time to reminisce. In a second, Clayton had her pinned against the door, kissing her urgently, as if trying to prove something.
She didn't open her mouth, so he gently pinched her chin, forcing her to accept him.
He kissed her for a long time, but she didn't respond.
Clayton leaned against her neck, breathing heavily.
After a while, he looked up at her, his voice changed, "Natalie, I can explain. There's nothing between us. You can ask me."
"Ask you what?"
Natalie leaned against the door, her smile faint and tinged with sadness.
"Clayton, you said you'd be gone for five days, but you were gone for almost fifty. You weren't just comforting Randy; you were comforting Gina, taking care of her emotions and her body…
"Clayton, you can take care of a woman you claim doesn't matter, so why can't I go on a date?"
"Tell me, what are we?"
"If we have any commitment, why did you spend over a month at the hospital, leaving us to take care of her?"
Clayton looked down at her, "Because she only has a few months left."
His voice was hoarse, "Her cancer has spread to her brain. Natalie, she might only have three or four months left, maybe less."
Natalie's eyes filled with tears.
But she tried not to let them fall. She didn't cry; instead, she smiled, "So you're going to leave again, right? You're going to spend her last days with her, right?"
Clayton didn't deny it.
Natalie raised her hand and slapped him, "Clayton, you're such a jerk! How can you expect me to wait for you, to build a family with you? I'm not that desperate for a man!"
She pushed him away and left.
Clayton pulled her back into his arms, holding her tightly, as if afraid she'd leave if he let go.
He whispered apologies.
He leaned close to her ear, telling her he wouldn't leave, only when Gina was gone.
Natalie listened in a daze.
She realized Clayton hadn't noticed that his feelings for Gina had surpassed normal emotions.
He treated Gina like he had treated her when she was 20.
But now she was 34, no longer young.
Natalie didn't question him.
She just stepped back, looking at him calmly, and told him, "Clayton, we're over. You don't need to explain anything to me."
She turned to leave, and Clayton spoke softly behind her.
He said, "Natalie, I know I love you."
Natalie heard him but didn't take it to heart.
She had given him chances. She had secretly imagined their family of three reuniting, how happy they'd be.
But reality was cruel.
After two years apart, a young, beautiful girl… maybe they shared the same beliefs, the same cultural background. It shattered their past.
If they were at their best, Clayton wouldn't have left her.
He wouldn't have agreed to someone else.
He wouldn't have broken her heart.
Natalie paused but didn't look back. She just said softly, "Maybe. But that was in the past."
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