Chapter 2

Back at home, Nathaniel listed his custom-made wedding suit—which had cost him over ten thousand dollars—on a secondhand resale platform. After all, since he had decided to break things off with Yvonne, the suit was no longer of any use. Due to the brand new suit's low price, it was sold almost immediately after it was listed. Yvonne happened to return home just as Nathaniel was handing off the package to the courier. Upon seeing the delivery guy take the suit away, Yvonne asked with a slight frown, "Where are you sending the suit to?" "It didn't fit right. I'm sending it back to the store for some alterations," Nathaniel casually replied, making up an excuse. He had already made up his mind to leave, and he didn't want Yvonne using the Cole family's past kindness to emotionally blackmail him. So before going abroad, he had no intention of letting Yvonne know about his departure. After the courier left, Yvonne hugged Nathaniel tightly. "I'm sorry about today. I really couldn't get away." Maybe out of guilt, she looked at Nathaniel and leaned in to kiss him on the lips. However, Nathaniel was suddenly reminded of the lipstick mark on Louie's face in his Instagram feed. Instantly disgusted, he pushed her away. "Nathaniel? What's wrong?" Upon seeing Yvonne's confused gaze, Nathaniel simply replied, "I just got back from the airport. I haven't washed my face." Yvonne chuckled. "It's not like I mind." She leaned in again to kiss him, only to have Nathaniel turn his face to the side. That slight movement made Yvonne realize something was off. "Are you upset because I didn't go with you to Motiva today? Don't worry. After I get through these next few days, I promise I'll go with you. I care about our wedding even more than you do." Nathaniel found Yvonne's feigned affection laughable. In his heart, he knew there was no future for them. Just as he was trying to figure out how to respond to her, Yvonne's phone rang. Nathaniel discreetly glanced at the screen and saw that the contact name was a single word. "Lou." Nathaniel knew immediately that it was Louie. Yvonne quickly stepped into the bedroom to answer the call, instinctively leaving the door slightly ajar. When she came out again, she hastily grabbed her bag and car keys. "There's been a security incident at the office. I need to head over right away." Nathaniel forced a smile and nodded. Just as Yvonne reached the door, he suddenly called out to her. Yvonne turned back with a puzzled look. Nathaniel reminded her with a small smile, "Be careful on the road." "I will." As the door shut behind her, it felt like the door to Nathaniel's heart had also closed for good. After Yvonne left, Nathaniel checked Louie's Instagram again. The location tag on his most recent post was none other than the largest five-star hotel in Shoretown. The post read, "I miss your scent. I can't help but breathe you in, over and over." Nathaniel stared at the screen, dazed. Suddenly, he recalled the moment Louie had come to the hospital for a consultation. "Dr. Stillman, when I'd just gotten back to the country, I couldn't resist doing it with a friend in the car. We didn't use protection. Will she get pregnant?" At the time, Nathaniel had found the question bizarre, but he still gave a professional response. However, in retrospect, it all made sense now. The "friend" Louie had mentioned… was Yvonne. Not to mention, his real reason for coming to the hospital and adding Nathaniel on Instagram was to flaunt it. Nathaniel let out a quiet laugh at how Louie had completely underestimated his value. After all, there was no way Nathaniel would want a woman so thoroughly stained.