Sebastian paused for a moment but said nothing more. He had once been desperate for a divorce, wanting to marry Joanna.

Since childhood, he'd grown accustomed to having Joanna by his side, depending on him. She even needed his comfort when a cockroach scared her to tears.

But Natalie was different. She never needed him for anything; she had always been strong.

When she was bullied, she would grit her teeth and bear it. When he abandoned her on the road in a snowstorm, she never complained.

But just because someone doesn't cry out in pain, does it mean they don't feel it?

It was only when Natalie listed his transgressions that he realized she had been hurting all along. She just didn't want to show him her pain because he was always busy.

Unlike Joanna, who would summon him no matter how busy he was the moment she felt wronged.

Sebastian drank in morose silence. Julian watched him with a knowing look. "Sebastian, don't tell me you're one of those classic jerks who only learns to cherish someone after they're gone?"

Sebastian replied flatly, "Maybe. When I had my accident, Joanna left. You said it yourself—she left on purpose because I was crippled and she didn't want to take care of me."

"But I kept thinking, I didn't need her to take care of me even if I was disabled. Her excuse was that my mother forced her away. It was only later that I realized I was the naive one."

"Natalie took meticulous care of me for two years, and because I was in a foul mood, I was never particularly kind to her..."

Sebastian trailed off. After Natalie left, all her good qualities seemed magnified.

It had gotten to the point where everything he did reminded him of her, especially when his stomach acted up.

Before, whenever his stomach

bothered him, Natalie would remind

him not to drink, to take better care

of himself. She urged him

Com

home for dinner often. She only made simple, home-cooked meals, but they always tasted delicious to him.

Looking at her back then, he always felt she was nothing more than a housewife.

He had been born with a silver spoon in his mouth, his pride ingrained in his bones.

At the time, he had this mentality that Natalie, coming from the countryside, couldn't compare to the accomplished Joanna.

But her origins made him overlook so much about her. He assumed the seemingly helpless Natalie couldn't live without him.

He was wrong. He was the one who couldn't live without her. He missed the warmth Natalie brought to their home.

Natalie knew medicine, she knew design. After leaving him, everything she did amazed him.

Including what she said tonight, which had thrown him into a panic. Natalie was really never coming back.

Sebastian closed his eyes, his face etched with undisguised weariness, his brow deeply furrowed.

Seeing his friend in pain, Julian

offered a wry smile. "Sebastian, you don't have to be so miserable. It's just fate, I suppose. A shattered heart can't be pieced back together. especially since you conspired with the Scott family to bully her."

"The most painful part for her must be that you knew Joanna was behind it all, yet you still chose to hur Her She cared for you tirelessly for two years. She could have kept loving you, but a heart is made of

flesh and blood. It feels pain."

"From what I've seen, she's had several handsome men around her since she left you. It's been almost six months now. If she finds the right person, that barren desert of her heart might just bloom for someone else."

At those words, Sebastian's deep-set eyes snapped open. He thought of Matthew, a man who was his equal in every way.

But he still hadn't solidified his position in the Monroe family. His mind went blank. The thought of Natalie falling in love with another man soured his mood completely. He pursed his lips and said nothing.