Chapter 7

Taylor took a drag from his cigarette and exhaled smoke that wafted across Natalie's face. Amidst the haze, she caught him sneering. "Do you dare say that because I've been too lenient with you in the past?" Natalie shot him a glare but remained silent. Taylor regarded her with a frosty gaze. "I don't care how lonely or empty you might feel. You must maintain your role as Mrs. Jones. Otherwise, I won't hesitate to evict my bedridden mother-in-law from the hospital!" Natalie's eyes widened in surprise. "Don't you dare!" "That depends on how compliant you are." Taylor smirked before pushing Natalie away from his car and opening the door of his Maybach. Just before he got in, she said, "If I genuinely fall in love with someone else, won't that give us a reason to end our marriage prematurely? You should be relieved instead of being angry." Upon hearing that, Taylor's typically sharp tongue was briefly silenced. Natalie turned, slipped into her car, and drove away. Feeling infuriated, Taylor climbed into his Maybach and sent a message in the WhatsApp group chat. Taylor: "Let's meet up for drinks at the usual spot." Natalie found it puzzling why Taylor, typically so astute, was so irrational about their imminent divorce. While she was bound by her agreement with George not to initiate the divorce proceedings, Taylor had plenty of options at his disposal. He could have easily manufactured evidence of infidelity or engineered a situation where she was caught in a compromising position with another man. Not only could Taylor expedite their divorce, but he could also safeguard the Jones family's reputation. Yet, Taylor had never done so. Instead, he opted for petty and vindictive tactics to make her suffer. Suddenly, the ringing phone interrupted Natalie's train of thought. It was her best friend, Penny Wright. "Nat, I have good news to share. Let's meet up at the bar on South Street." "Alright. I'll see you later." Meanwhile, Taylor sat brooding at the bar. He was still pondering over Natalie's parting question. Why was he so against her falling in love with another man as grounds for divorce? After some reflection, he concluded—he couldn't bear the humiliation of being cuckolded in a divorce. In his view, no man should have to endure such indignity. "Hey, Taylor, isn't that your wife over there?" Aaron Moore swirled his drink in one hand and nodded toward Natalie with his chin. Taylor immediately turned his gaze in her direction. She remained dressed in the same attire—a white short coat, snug jeans, and knee-high boots. Beneath her coat was a light pink sweater that hugged her shapely figure. Taylor's expression darkened. Did she leave so she could hit the bar and flirt with men? Was she that desperate? His mood eased a bit when he noticed another woman joining Natalie. Aaron smirked. "Your expression changed multiple times in just a few seconds. Did you think your wife was meeting a man?" Ethan Orlen glanced at Natalie, his lips curling slightly. "Given how you've ignored her since marriage, it wouldn't be surprising if she was meeting someone else." Taylor scoffed. "She wouldn't dare." Aaron shot him a disdainful look. "You spend your time having fun with other women. Shouldn't she get a chance to have fun too?" Taylor hissed, "She shamelessly crawled into my bed and caused Bethany to break up with me. She should be grateful that I'm allowing her to live freely." Ethan couldn't resist chiming in, "Taylor, if Bethany returns and is single again, would you divorce Natalie to marry her?"