Chapter 268 Destruction
Chelsea's face went ghostly white with fear. She'd already seen how ruthless he could be. Ever since he forced those drugs down her throat, she bolted overnight and never dared to show her face around him again, not even stepping foot in Imperick.
She knew Aurelia and her unborn kids were dead, and he’d never let her off the hook.
Even when she found out her own mom had been murdered, she didn’t dare go back. This time, she had no choice but to come back to Imperick to deal with her dad’s company.
That company was her parents' life's work. She couldn’t just sit back and watch it get carved up by a bunch of vultures. It was hers.
What she didn’t expect was her rotten luck. Even though she heard Nathaniel was out of town on a business trip, he cornered her on the third day she set foot in Imperick.
Chelsea was scared out of her mind. She feared she’d end up like her mom, with her heart ripped out even after death. She finally had a healthy heart and couldn’t afford to lose it again.
Clutching her chest, she played the victim card, saying, "Nathaniel, long time no see. How’ve you been? I’ve thought about you every day over these years. I’ve always wanted to come back, but I was scared you were still mad."
After a few seconds of awkward silence, she asked tentatively, "Can we live like a normal married couple now?"
Nathaniel’s brow furrowed, and he said, "Chelsea, stop with the disgusting talk. Live like a couple? Do you even deserve that?"
Chelsea stood there feeling wronged. Even though she had braced herself, his words still sent chills down her spine.
She said, "Nathaniel, I’ve been in bad health these past few years. Maybe it’s karma for losing the baby. I’m often in pain all over, and every month during my period, the pain is so bad I can’t get out of bed. I almost died. I think if I had kept the baby..."
"That’s what you deserve. You brought this on yourself." Chelsea’s words were cut off. He wasn’t listening to anything she said now.
Chelsea realized she had completely lost his heart, but she didn’t know that Nathaniel had already found out he had never touched her and that the baby was from another man.
With welled up eyes, she continued her pitiful act, her best skill. "Nathaniel, I..."
"Don’t call me Nathaniel, it’s disgusting."
Tears rolled down Chelsea’s cheeks, and her shoulders trembled. "Our baby had already taken shape when it was lost. I put him in a bottle and buried him under the plum tree in my yard. Do you want to see him?"
Nathaniel couldn’t take it anymore. "Chelsea, I came to find you this time to finalize the divorce. We never had a real marriage. I only ever felt gratitude towards you, never love. Stop saying those disgusting things to make us both uncomfortable. I’ve arranged for someone to handle it now. Come with me to finalize the paperwork, and after that, don’t ever show up in my or my loved ones’ sight again."
Night had fallen, and all the offices were closed at this hour.
But Nathaniel couldn’t wait any longer. On his way back, he had contacted a government buddy who agreed to work overtime to process their divorce.
He now felt that even the word 'divorce' was disgusting when applied to him and Chelsea. She didn’t deserve it.
Chelsea had her hair tied back and was wearing workout clothes. Before they arrived, she had been following a live-streamed fitness class.
In the past few years, she had wandered through various small cities, constantly thinking about the people and things in Imperick, which caused her immense stress. This led to her gaining weight uncontrollably, making her much heavier than before.
Afraid Nathaniel would come after her, Chelsea didn't dare ask her family for money and hid out in a small, rundown city. The double whammy of being broke and the crushing psychological pressure had stripped her of her former beauty.
"Nathaniel." Hearing the word 'divorce,' Chelsea felt a chill run down her spine.
She had been desperate to become Mrs. Heilbronn, but these four years as Mrs. Heilbronn had been anything but happy. She had never enjoyed the wealth and luxury that came with the title.
Four years ago, she fled but still held a sliver of hope for Nathaniel.
In her mind, Nathaniel would always be infinitely tolerant and understanding, no matter what she did. He would eventually forgive her because she had saved his life, and that was what he owed her.
She thought Nathaniel was just temporarily angry. As long as she kept her distance and didn't provoke him, she figured he would eventually calm down over time. Then she could start anew.
Chelsea took a step back, saying, "I won't divorce. I'll do anything you want, just don't divorce me. Nathaniel, please, don't divorce me!"
Chelsea cried her heart out, but her tears only disgusted Nathaniel.
Nathaniel signaled to Zack and Timothy to take her away. He couldn't even stand to be in the same space as her anymore.
Zack and Timothy immediately understood and grabbed her, one on each side, dragging her out. Nathaniel got into the front passenger seat; he didn't want to be too close to her.
A single light was on in the government office.
The staff responsible for stamping the documents was yawning in his chair when he finally heard the sound of a car engine downstairs. The big shot walked into the building, followed by a crying woman.
Chelsea was still shouting, "Nathaniel, I don't want a divorce. I want to be married to you for life. Forgive me this once, and I'll do anything."
Nathaniel walked ahead, exuding coldness, completely ignoring the person behind him. The more she said, the more repulsed he felt.
His mind was filled with Aurelia. He wanted to do anything to make up for the mistakes he had made and couldn't wait to end this absurd relationship with Chelsea.
When the official stamp was pressed down, Nathaniel felt another shackle lift from his body. He threw both the marriage certificate into the shredder, even destroying Chelsea's copies. If he could, he would erase this entire period of his life.
Chelsea, with her hair in disarray, slumped in the chair. Her lies had been exposed, and she could no longer manipulate Nathaniel.
She had once exploited his gratitude to challenge the limits of decency, but she hadn't anticipated ruining herself, causing her mother's death, and implicating her father.
She never believed that evil people should get their comeuppance. If Nathaniel hadn't taken his anger out on her family, she would still have a home and the company of her parents.
She wouldn't have had her house seized, her company targeted by greedy people, and ended up renting a place in such a rundown area.
She thought all of this was because of Aurelia. If it weren't for her, Chelsea's life would have been smooth. Hatred flashed in Chelsea's eyes.
If curses actually worked, she would have cursed the people she hated tirelessly, ensuring that even in death, they would have found no peace.
Nathaniel, having ended this regretful four-year relationship, got into the front passenger seat. "Change the car seats tomorrow," he ordered.
He felt uncomfortable even sitting in the seat Chelsea had occupied; he needed to replace it to accept the car.
Zack acknowledged and then asked, "Mr. Heilbronn, where to now?"
Nathaniel glanced out the window and replied, "Back to the Heilbronn Villa."
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