"You're back?"
"Go wash your hands. Dinner's ready."
Natalie brought out a dish and placed it gently on the table. Her tone was soft, familiar even—but it felt like a memory from another life. I looked at her and asked, without warning, "Have you thought about the divorce?"
She visibly flinched. The dish in her hands nearly slipped.
Placing it down carefully, she forced a smile. "Food first. You need energy to talk about things like this."
"Alright."
I went to wash my hands and sat at the dinner table, watching her move around the kitchen, in and out, back and forth. For some reason, my eyes stung again. Maybe the tears from last night hadn’t quite dried. Or maybe, they were fresh. But deep inside, I felt something warm. A flicker of something I hadn’t felt in years.
After dinner, she poured me a cup of tea and said, “Your birthday is next Wednesday. I feel like... it’s been forever since I last celebrated it with you.”
She looked at me, a hopeful glint in her eyes. “Let’s go away for a bit. Just the two of us. A short trip, a little break—what do you think?”
I stared at her in silence. After a long pause, I finally said, “About the divorce—”
“Can we... not get divorced?” she cut in, grabbing my hand tightly.
Her hands were shaking. Natalie—who could remain calm even if the sky was falling, who never broke her composure—was trembling. I hadn’t seen her this panicked since the night I was wheeled into the ER, hanging on by a thread.
Something in me shifted. She still had the power to stir my heart.
“Alright,” I said. “I’ll go with you next Wednesday.”
The following days were hectic. I had just taken over the company and there were endless matters demanding my attention. But when Wednesday came, I cleared my schedule and got into her car early.
She had made an effort to dress up for me that day—even pulling out her old school uniform, something I hadn’t seen in years. Watching her drive, I felt like I was being transported back to our youth.
I smiled and said, “You should still be the company’s CEO. It suits you more.”
She glanced at me and smiled. “Let’s not talk about any of that today. It’s your birthday. Just you and me, okay?”
“Okay.”
I nodded. But inside, my emotions churned. It had been so long since we had a moment like this. And all I could think was—if only things could stay like this forever. When we arrived at Swan Lake Resort, her phone suddenly rang.
On the screen, I saw the caller ID: Baby. Once upon a time, that nickname was mine. But not anymore. And I knew exactly who it was now.
Natalie noticed the change in my expression. She panicked a little. “I…”
“Pick it up,” I said calmly. “You’ve been distracted this whole time. If you don’t take that call, you’ll be in a fog all day.”
She hesitated for a moment, then answered.
“Nat.. I feel so alone right now,” said the voice on the other end. “Can you come be with me?”
Natalie opened her mouth, then replied, “I can’t today. I have something important.”
“But he fired me,” Robin’s voice cracked through the speaker. “He pushed you out of the company too. Shouldn’t we both be miserable right now?”
Then, with a sudden softness, he said, “Nat, come see me. It hurts too much without you. I’m afraid of what I might do. You know I have depression…”
Natalie’s eyes flickered nervously toward me, gauging my reaction. I just sat there, my face calm, but cold as stone.
Then his voice came again—sharper, more desperate. “I know today’s his birthday. But if you don’t come now… you might never get the chance to see me again.”
The line went dead. Natalie, who never flinched even in a boardroom war, was now trembling uncontrollably. And in that moment, whatever had begun to reopen inside me—whatever small crack she’d made—slammed shut. Sealed off completely.
I leaned back in the passenger seat, closed my eyes and said, “Go. Maybe he really will do something stupid. If you miss this moment… it might haunt you forever.”
“Thank you for understanding,” she whispered. “I’ll be back soon.”
She looked at me with determination. “I will come back.”
That was when my heart finally broke. Because what I meant was, if you miss this moment, it might haunt you forever. That “forever” could have been him. But it could’ve been me too. And she chose him. I got out of the car.
As she drove away, I stood alone in silence. And quietly, I said to myself, “Don’t come back.”
