3. A Fair Warning.

Rhys paused as Mr and Mrs Roderigo walked in, not just behind them was no one other than Alec Freeman; the man his wife chose over him.

Oh wait, he's ex-wife now.

So Natalie isn't his anymore? Rhys has never imagined that a day would come when he had to give her up. 

All this while he has been living in deceit. 

"You" Mrs Roderigo sneered, sparing him a disgusting look along with her husband brushing past him.

His jawline tightened as his eyes fell on Alec who had a smirk darting on his lips. 

"Natalie, what is this poor deceitful man doing in our home?" Mrs. Roderigo questions. 

Rhys turned to face the family that never really liked him or the relationship he shared with Natalie. They always mocked and insulted him at how incompetent and not wealthy enough to meet up with their daughter's standards. 

No matter how much Rhys tried to please them, it was never enough. 

"Natalie. What's wrong? Are you crying?" Alec asked, walking towards her in concern.

Rhys felt the burning jealousy brewing in him but it was pointless. He has no rights over her now. She had made her choice and so has he.

Rhys loves Natalie so much that he doesn't know how life is going to lead now without her. She's the only good thing he considers in his life now aside from Nonna and with Nonna fine, he thought Natalie would give him hope and stand by him, but only if he knew.

If only he had seen it coming, he would have safeguarded his heart a long time ago.

"What did you do to her?" Mr Roderigo questions sending daggers at him.

Rhys sent him a cold dominating glare that had him fear and his mouth sealed. 

"What did he say to you, Natalie? Tell us, what did he do?" Mrs Roderigo questions reaching out to her daughter.

Natalie wiped off her tears, "Nothing Mum, we were just talking" she lied sharing a look with Rhys that barely spared her a second. 

Mrs Roderigo looked between the duo before shaking her head in displeasure, "I think it's about time we end this. You need to tell him Natalie or I will" 

About time?

Her words rang in Rhys's head, the betrayal hitting him even harder than expected. For how long have they been planning this?

It all makes sense now. Everything is finally making sense to him now, he gets why Natalie had been acting strange with him, so they all had it planned out right from the start.

"Natalie tells him how you no longer need him in your life, give him the divorce papers" Mrs Roderigo orders, sending Rhys a distasteful look. 

Natalie shakes her head wiping off the tears, "It's alright Mum, he already signed the papers. It's of no use" she says

Mrs Roderigo sucked in a breath taken aback as she didn't expect Rhys to agree to the divorce judging by his poor nature and his living off of their wealth. 

Rhys smirked, "There's no need indeed. You've got what you've wanted, at least now I don't need to tolerate your ill manners"

Alec chirped in, "You dare come here with your filthy mouth and spew rubbish? Just who do you think you are? What do you have other than your ragged outfit? All this while you've been living off on your wife's, oh sorry, ex-wife's wealth, and when she finally comes to understand that you never really loved her but what she had to offer, you dare stand in front of not only her but her family, insulting them " 

Rhys had to calm every nerve in his veins to prevent lashing out on him. 

"Don't act stupid. We all know the reason you're clinging on to her is because she saved you sorry ass company from running bankrupt!" Rhys scoffed, cutting Alec off guard.

Rhys knew all about the Freeman Corp falling to ashes as they've lost eighty percent of their shares due to unsteady and incompetency in their market. 

"Lies! Who told you that?" Mr Roderigo defends offensively. 

Mrs Roderigo walked to Alec placing a hand on his shoulder, "Don't take what he says to heart, we all know what he said is not true"

"Oh please--" Rhys mocked but gets cut off by Natalie. 

"ENOUGH!" She thundered sending daggers at Rhys which cut him by surprise 

He didn't expect such a reaction. His Natalie had never raised her voice on him, she's always been gentle and kind towards him but today all that has suddenly disappeared into thin air.

How pitiful.

"You have no right to come here and speak utter nonsense, Rhys. Just cause I don't want you anymore doesn't give you the right to speak I'll of my family and the man I," she paused, her eyes narrowing down. 

Whoever this woman is, isn't that same one he fell in love with. It's like she's turned into someone else. 

Rhys stepped forward, "You what?" He ushers, "Say it Natalie" he insists his eyes hardening in displeasure. 

"I Love. The man I love is Rhys... Yes! Do you have a problem with that?" She says building up such confidence all of a sudden. 

Rhys's muscles raged in not only anger but hurt. "Did you ever love me," he cleared his throat, "All of what we shared was nothing to you from the start Natalie. You led me on all this while making me feel what I was not supposed to. I was willing to bring down everything at your feet--"

She cut him off, "Everything Rhys? Seriously? Just what do you mean by everything?" She sneered, "What do you have to offer to me other than your poor wretched self that has only been a burden and nothing more?"

Every word of hers pierced through his heart breaking every ounce of love and respect he once had for her. 

He bore his eyes deep into hers trying to figure out the uncertainty of her words but all he saw was nothing but the truth, crushing his bleeding heart even more.

So this is love?

He nods, "You're wrong!" his voice cool but tune soaking with hurt, "I had everything to offer. My love and respect for you is more than the so-called opulence you consider sufficient"

Mrs Roderigo laughed mockingly, "Coming from a low-life crap like you, I'm not surprised you're saying this "

Rhys shut his eyelids briefly giving himself the pep talk, "With all due respect Mrs. Roderigo, I suggest you take back your words or you will regret it" he threatened.

Natalie's eyes lit up offensively, "Mind the way you speak to her, she's my mother!" 

"Then she better keep her manners intact" he replies the duo sending daggers at each other. 

"It's alright Natalie, he's not worth it. He's just going through the face of reality, trying to understand him." Mrs Roderigo says sending him a pitiful look.

Rhys breathes out, slipping his hands into the pocket of his slacks, "A mouth you've got there. Before my marriage with your daughter, your family business was also falling, am I right?"

Mr Roderigo's eyes widen in shock as Rhys knows about it. 

"What is he saying?" Natalie asked, shifting her eyes to her parents inquisitively. 

"I don't know what he's talking about," her father responds. 

She shakes her head, "I think that's enough. You should go, cooking up cock and bull stories just to get payback, huh?" Natalie's left brow arched up, "You're even more disgusting than I thought. I can't believe I ever gave us a chance, if only I had listened to my parents in the first place, then none of us would be standing here getting insulted by a sorry of a mistake"

"Mind your words, Natalie. Just cause I loved you doesn't mean I'll favor you" he orders with his index finger pointing towards her.

She moved closer to him till they were an inch away, leaning in, "Or what? What are you going to do about it? Hit me? File a complaint against me? Huh?"

Rhys greeted his teeth letting out a series of breaths, trying as hard as possible not to lose his temper or her. 

He loves Natalie, with every action and word she's giving off towards him; is taking away every bit of the feelings he has for her. 

"Speak!" She roared, cutting him out of his train of thought.

"This isn't you. This isn't the Natalie I fell in love with. Can't you see that you're under the influence?" Rhys tries to reason in the hope that she backs him up and stops with whatever this is.

Losing her the same day he lost Nonna would hurt even more than it already has. The two most important figures in his life are gone. 

She laughed a weary one, "I never loved you, Rhys Mickelson, never had and never would. I could say it was only just an infatuation" She paused.

"And guess what?"

His left brow lifted urging her to go on.

"Now I've come to realize it, now gather the remaining shame you have in you and walk away" 

Rhys took a step back nodding hurtfully, "Fine. I get that" he pulled out his hands from the pocket of his slacks checking the time on his wristwatch. 

They all weren't this. None of them staying here would only hurt him even more than he already is. 

"I'll leave. But you all will regret this"