Damian's face turned dark when he heard Natalie's answer. He glared coldly at her, and his tone was laced with anger.
"Then, get out of my face and go get the condoms now!"
Natalie didn't say a word and picked up the cash from the ground before leaving the mansion. After she got the things he wanted, she left them neatly by the door and went back into her room before locking the door behind her.
The sounds from next door never ceased the entire night.
Damian kept talking gently and sweetly while doing the deed with Cheryl the entire night, like he was trying to get revenge on Natalie for everything.
"You smell so good, Cherry. I love you so much. Won't you also love me forever and never leave my side?"
He used to say the exact same things to Natalie back when they were also sleeping together.
At that time, they were still living paycheck-to-paycheck in a run-down, rented flat that was less than 200 square feet, but they were very much in love with each other.
Natalie had always fantasized about growing old together with Damian and having a son and a daughter together, living happily ever after. Unfortunately for her, those memories were nothing but a fantasy. Beautiful as they were, they would never materialize.
She cried the entire night. When she woke up the next morning, her pillow was soaked.
She told herself that this was going to be the final time she ever cried for Damian.
When she went downstairs, Damian and Cheryl were already up.
Back then, the women whom Damian slept with never stayed the night. Cheryl was the first one and also the only one to still be there during breakfast.
The maids in the mansion looked a lot busier than usual. It was only then that Natalie learned it was Cheryl's birthday today, and Damian was throwing a massive birthday banquet for her in their home.
Plenty of friends and guests from their circle arrived for the party when it started later in the day. They all greeted Cheryl warmly as if she were the actual lady of the household.
Meanwhile, Damian continued indulging Cheryl, leading her around while receiving toasts and congratulatory wishes from the guests. After Cheryl made a wish and blew out the candles on the cake, he then fastened a diamond necklace worth millions of dollars around her neck.
In the heat of the moment, Damian and Cheryl even shared a passionate kiss in front of all the guests. Everyone erupted into loud applause, and the glances cast at Natalie were mostly those of disdain and pity.
"It's truly pathetic to see the actual wife being reduced to this."
"Everyone knows that she's the laughingstock of the entire circle. If I were in her shoes, I'd dig a hole in the ground and hide in it for the rest of my life."
"Yet, she's behaving like she's not the least bit affected by it at all. She's not even responding to anything."
Natalie bitterly forced a smile. She'd already suffered way too much—this was nothing compared to all of that.
Halfway through the banquet, Cheryl got hold of Natalie in a secluded corner.
"It's been a day. Aren't you going to ask me anything?" Cheryl asked.
Natalie just shook her head lightly. "There's no need for me to know anymore."
Cheryl was her best friend. So, she was aware of the things that had happened in the past as well.
Over the years, Cheryl had witnessed firsthand how much Natalie had suffered. She had watched Damian send her countless photos of random women in his bed every night while Natalie cried alone by herself. At times, Cheryl had felt so sorry for Natalie that she thought of calling him up and just explaining everything to him.
However, Natalie had stopped her from telling Damian the truth. She said that there was nothing that would change their fate, no matter what they did.
And now, Cheryl was looking at her with red-rimmed eyes. There were just too many hidden emotions in her eyes, and Natalie wasn't sure she could decipher all of them.
"You know that I hate seeing you like this the most, Natalie Underwood. You always act like you don't care. You don't know anything, so, naturally, you also wouldn't know that I've been in love with Damian for years.
"Yet, the only person he cares about is you. I know that you suffered a lot because of him for years, but do you know what kind of life he went through in the years after you left him?
"He kept drinking himself close to death every night because of you. He would stay alone in your old rented flat, waiting for you to come home to him for the whole night. He kept a photo you left behind in his wallet for years.
"Once, when he got robbed, he preferred to get stabbed a few more times instead of giving up the wallet with your photo in it because he didn't want to lose the only memento of you he had left. He even married you and brought you home as his wife after he succeeded.
"Yet, he kept bringing home random women every day simply because he was waiting for you to make the first move and beg him to stop. He was just trying to crack you open. If you'd only told him that you still loved him, he would have abandoned everything and gotten back together with you. You guys would be like how you were in the past.
"Do you know how arrogant he is, Natalie Underwood? Yet, he humbled himself to such an extent for you. He hates you, but he loves you even more."
Cheryl then paused for a moment.
"You know what? I hate you too. I hate that he still refuses to let go of you, even though you keep treating him coldly.
"Actually, Damian never wanted to sleep with me. The women he brought back with him every night have all always looked just like you, but I don't look like you one bit. Yet, I will be the woman who will stay by his side the longest.
"Do you know why?
"That's because I lied to him. I told him that I was the one who donated the kidney to save his life."
Natalie listened to everything quietly without saying a word.
Seeing that Natalie was still keeping her silence, Cheryl's breathing became increasingly rapid. After a long while, she said, "You haven't given me a birthday gift this year, Natalie. There's only one thing I want from you.
"I want you to give Damian to me."
At that, Natalie went silent for a long time. Just when Cheryl thought that she wasn't going to be getting a response from her anymore, Natalie said, "Okay."
Cheryl smiled with tears in her eyes.
"Since you're giving him to me, then you must give him up completely so that he has absolutely no more feelings for you."
After saying that, Cheryl released her grip on the staircase railing, closed her eyes, and toppled backward.
