Chapter 14

In the apartment, the carefully prepared dishes on the dining table had long gone cold. The rich, creamy cake had melted completely, trickling down the table until it reached Natalie's feet. But she didn't seem to feel anything. She just stared blankly at the 99 missed calls on her phone screen. Ever since Samuel left the apartment last time, he hadn't returned. At first, he'd still reply to her texts, saying he was busy and telling her to behave. But later on, he didn't even bother replying anymore. Obviously, something was wrong with their marriage. This was exactly what happened with her parents before they divorced—her father stopped coming home, ignored her mother's calls, and never replied to messages. Natalie didn't want to end up like them. She refused to believe that their marriage was falling apart before it had even really begun, and she couldn't bring herself to accept that Samuel might not love her anymore. He'd once consumed her completely with his overwhelm