2. Divorced.

Rhys walked into Roderigo's abode, his emotions on the edge. 

The betrayal of his wife was freshly on his mind. Part of me believes that nothing is going on with Natalie and Alec.

She'll never do that to him, or would she?

His mind believes the possibilities of that happening but his heart is blinded by the love he has for her. 

Rhys decides to go for the latter by trusting his wife, hoping that he doesn't get slapped in the face by the truth after confronting her.

What he and Natalie share is more than that. There's trust, love and respect. 

"Rhys, good to see you" Teresa the housekeeper of the Roderigo greeted.

Forcing a slight smile, I give her a curt nod "You too Teresa" he mumbles barely above a whisper.

Teresa stepped aside making space for him to walk in before shutting the door.

"Where is she?" Rhys inquires his face returning to the scowl it had in a blink.

"Oh. Natalie is at the guest parlor waiting for you" She responds.

Rhys nods, taking calm and precise steps to the parlor with his thoughts and emotions running haywire. 

His body went stiff after sighting her. The things Natalie made him feel are an understatement. No matter how much she had hurt him these past few days, his heart never missed a beat when he saw her onyx eyes.

He walked in clearing his throat to announce his presence.

She turned away from the portrait photo she was staring at, drawing her attention back to Rhys with a displeasing look.

"Where have you been? What's the matter with you?" She spat with barely contained annoyance. 

Rhys remains composed, not sure what to say to her.

Although he was angered he didn't want to be harsh with her. Natalie is a short tempered woman most times the cause of their fights is her but Rhys never gives her a reason to think that, always ready to take the blame.

All because of the love he has for her. 

"I'm talking to you, or are you deaf?" Her pitch is getting higher.

"Good to see you too Natalie" Rhys says, erasing the distance between them.

She raised her hand forward, "Stop! Don't come any closer. Don't you dare" she sneered.

Rhys's steps soon took a halt, his scowl hardening soon turning to displeasure as Natalie was speaking to him. 

Very unlike her. What's happening to her? To them? They've never had a fight that lasted more than a day yet surprisingly It's three days since their fight

What's wrong with starting a family? Ever since he made mention of having kids, Natalie had begun acting oddly different which led to the fight they had three days back.

"I was with Nonna" he answered her question, cutting the silence between them.

"And you didn't think to inform me? I'm your wife for goodness sake. You need to start treating me like one and quiet being--"

Rhys cut her halfway his anger evident, "I called you some hours back, I fucking did" he roared.

He's beginning to lose his cool and it has everything to do with his emotions that are on the edge.

The death of nonna was still fresh in his mind and Natalie here instead of her to be doing what all partners are to be doing she's doing otherwise. 

"You don't get to yell at me" She defends. 

Rhys's hands balled into a fist his chiseled jawline hardened with a mix of immense rage and pain.

No. He needed to get a hold of himself, he couldn't let his anger cloud his judgment. He has been able to maintain his cool for all these years he could do that for the remaining time being. 

Huffing out a breath, "She's gone" he whispered well enough for Natalie to hear.

"Huh?" She inquires confused as to what he means.

"Nonna," he says, "She passed away in the morning"

Natalie sucked in a harsh breath, her palms soon reaching her mouth as a sob escaped. 

"No! You're lying to me" She cried out a strand of tears slipping from her eyes. 

He shakes his head, "You don't need to pretend, 'cause you cared you would have listened to what I have to say when I called" he spoke his tune a bit higher.

More tears slipped from her eyes, "I'm sorry, I didn't know." She says in between tears 

Natalie is fond of Nonna, and the duo's bond is incomparable. Nonna was always fond of having Natalie around, their usual conversation during tea time.

They get along so well, that the news of her death hits Natalie harder than she thought.

"Rhys believe--"

He cut her off, "Don't you dare lie to me" he sparked by pulling out his phone from the pocket, unlocking it and pushing the phone in front of her face.

"In a meeting? Is this what you called a meeting? You choose to be in the arms of another man rather than rushing down to the hospital to have a final say with her before she passes away" Rhys spoke as calm as he could but inwardly burning with rage and betrayal.

"A few minutes after her death, I find out that you have been having an affair with Alex Freeman. Seriously?" His tune dripped with pain, "I thought we were better than this." 

More tears gushed out from Natalie, tongued tied to spew any word.

"Speak up! Why are you quiet huh?" Rhys ushers.

He just wanted her to look him in the eye and tell him that the publication was a lie. That she loved him and would never think of doing something absurd.

That's all he wanted. 

"It's not what you think. I promise you" she begins, "That headline is a total lie. You're the only one I love Rhys and you know that" 

"I don't know anymore Natalie, I don't"

She grips a hold of his hand, "No. Please don't say that baby, our love is better than this" 

Rhys tries to wiggle his hold of her so as not to give in. 

"I promise you--"

Her words were cut short when a paper from the center table slipped to the ground gaining Rhy's attention.

His brows scrunched as his eyes narrowed, his sight falling on the boldly written information on the paper.

DIVORCE AGREEMENT.

He read his heart dropping. 

Natalie's hold on him let loose. Rhys turned and walked to it, picking it up and roaming his stare around it flipping through the pages till he got to the last one that had all of Natalie's signature on the desired spot. 

Reality came crashing down to him as every piece of his heart crumbled down to pieces. 

"Rhys--" Natalie tries to explain but he waves her off.

Rhys extended his hands, "Give me a pen" he said Instead.

"No. Hear me--"

"FUCKING GIVE ME A PEN!" he roared his voice echoing in the silent walls

She hesitantly grabbed one and handed it over to him.

Rhys wasted no time in signing the papers as well; his heart broke with each signature.

Been done, he handed her over the papers, "I respect your decision Natalie... I hope you have a better life" and with that, he walked away.