Free At Last, Untouchable Now

On their third wedding anniversary, Natalie Reed spent hours in the kitchen, putting together a feast and waiting the entire day for her husband to come home.

She checked her phone repeatedly, seeing the unanswered messages she sent to Lucas Thorpe that afternoon.

"The food's ready. When are you coming home? Weren't you off work today?"

"Are you still stuck in the office?"

"If lunch isn't possible, will you make it for dinner?"

Every message sat there, unread.

Natalie let out another quiet sigh. Right as she thought about texting him again, his name popped up with a new message.

"I'll come home. There's something I want to talk about."

That one line sent a jolt of excitement through Natalie. She sprang out of her seat, and her smile was too big to hide.

Was he going to say something about their anniversary?

Just the thought that Lucas might remember left her hopeful in a way she hadn't felt in years. Maybe, for the first time, he'd bring her a present.

Holding on to that hope, Natalie warmed up the meal again, this time in much better spirits.

When the clock chimed eight, the sound of her son's happy laughter drifted through the hallway.

Natalie couldn't help but smile as she hurried to open the door.

"How come you're just getting home, Cole?"

Colin Thorpe didn't bother to look her way. He rushed past Natalie and took the stairs two at a time.

Taken aback, Natalie reached out to catch him. "You haven't had dinner yet. What's the rush upstairs?"

That was when Colin finally seemed to notice her waiting by the door. He barely paused, brushing off her hand.

"Mom, just let me be! There's something I have to do right now!"

The sharpness in his voice stung more than she cared to admit.

Trying not to show her disappointment, Natalie forced herself to smile. "I made all your favorites tonight. There's even blueberry cake for dessert."

"I said I'm not hungry!"

Halfway up the stairs, Colin stopped short, turning to face her, a spark of excitement in his eyes.

"Don't touch the cake. I want to take it to Ella tomorrow. Blueberry's her favorite."

Ella?

Could it be Ella Wheeler-Lucas' first love, the woman he never quite got over?

Natalie's chest tightened at the possibility. She started toward the stairs, ready to ask more, but Colin had already disappeared, bounding up to his room, not caring about her questions.

"Julissa!" Natalie's voice wavered as she stopped the housekeeper, who had hoped to slip away quietly. "You've known about this for a while, haven't you? When did Cole first start spending time with Ella?"

Knowing she couldn't hide it anymore, Julissa Rowe let out a weary sigh and came clean.

"It was about three months ago. Miss Wheeler moved back here and ran into Cole a couple of times. They seemed to click right away. Since then, they've been meeting up often."

The news landed hard. Natalie shut her eyes, trying to steady herself as the truth settled in. "So he didn't stay late at school today. He was with Ella instead, wasn't he?"

Julissa hesitated, then nodded. "He was meant to come home after class, but Miss Wheeler picked him up straight from school. I was going to tell you, but..."

Her words trailed off, and she glanced at Natalie, her expression tinged with sympathy.

A sudden suspicion flashed through Natalie's mind, and she spoke before she could stop herself. "Was it Lucas? Did he ask you to keep this from me?"

After a pause, Julissa replied in a gentle voice, "He just didn't want you to worry."

Natalie brushed her off with a tired gesture. Her voice was thin, nearly defeated. "It's alright. You can go."

Drained of all energy, she dropped down on the couch and let herself sink into the cushions, feeling as if every last bit of strength had left her.

Ella wouldn't have crossed paths with Colin on her own. He was just a kid, with no way to find her unless someone brought him along.

There was no doubt in Natalie's mind-only Lucas could have made that happen.

An uncomfortable sense of irony crept in. For three months, her son had been growing closer to Lucas' old flame while she remained completely in the dark. The knowledge left her feeling both foolish and heartbroken.

Time seemed to blur as she sat lost in thought, until the familiar sound of the front door broke the silence.

Lucas appeared, looking every bit as tired as the day must have made him. He dropped his briefcase and took off his coat.

Normally, Natalie would be at his side, ready to help him settle in. Tonight, she couldn't bring herself to move from the couch.

Lucas' eyes swept over the untouched dinner spread across the table. His wife's quiet figure caught his attention, and a crease appeared between his brows.

"Is there a reason for all this food? Did I forget something?"

Since Natalie didn't bother to help him with the coat, Lucas hung it up and loosened his tie.

"I already had dinner," he added.

Natalie gave no reply. She wanted to ask if he'd had dinner with Ella, but the words stayed trapped behind her lips. She was afraid of sounding petty.

Lucas and Ella had known each other since they were kids. It made sense for him to have dinner with her.

"Today is..."

Just as she was about to mention their anniversary, Lucas placed a folder on the coffee table.

"Go ahead and sign it. We've put this off long enough."

Two stark words in heavy print stared back from the cover-Divorce Agreement.

Natalie's heart raced, and a ringing filled her ears. The world seemed to tilt as her vision clouded over.

This wasn't the first time Lucas had talked about ending their marriage.

Three years together, and each time they fought, Lucas' answer was always the same-divorce. He'd toss out the word like it meant nothing, and she would plead with him, hoping he'd give her another chance out of pity.

That pattern became their life, stretching on and on. Natalie convinced herself that if she kept loving him enough, one day he'd finally come to appreciate her and love her back.

Tonight, she realized she'd been chasing a fantasy.

Her hand trembled as she reached for the pen.

Lucas' eyes flashed with a hint of surprise, but his voice stayed calm and steady. "I won't leave you with nothing. The money I gave you is yours to keep. Bayshore Villa, the cars, and you'll keep five percent of the company's shares."

Natalie hesitated, her fingers loosening around the pen. She placed it on the table and looked up.

"And Cole?" She searched his face, desperate for a sign of kindness. "Does he get to stay with me?"

Her question wiped away whatever softness was left in Lucas' eyes. He grew cold, his words sharp.

"Are you really going to use our son to get what you want again?"

A wave of icy dread swept through Natalie, freezing her where she sat.

A heavy silence hung between them before she managed to speak, her voice thin and shaky. "What are you talking about?"

Lucas let out a bitter laugh, his words dripping with scorn. "You really think you can play the same game forever? You used Cole to trap me into this marriage, and you're still at it?"

Stunned, Natalie stared at him, struggling to form the words. "That's not true. I never planned any of this. I was framed..."

"Don't bother." Lucas settled onto the couch and lit a cigarette, the curl of smoke softening his expression into something unreadable. "Three years of living in luxury, and you're still not satisfied?"

Smoke drifted between them, masking the anger on his face.

Tears burned in Natalie's eyes as she forced herself to speak. "All right. Let's end this. I hope you find what you're looking for."

Natalie scribbled her signature at the bottom of the divorce agreement. Without risking a second look at the man lounging on the couch, she pushed herself upright and hurried up the stairs toward the bedroom.

Only when she was hidden from Lucas' eyes did she press weakly against the closed door, her body and spirit utterly drained.

Her marriage felt like a dream turned to dust, and she no longer knew where to place the blame.

Perhaps there was no one to blame at all. Love could not be bent to anyone's will.

Drawing in a shaky breath, Natalie opened her wardrobe in silence and began filling a suitcase with her clothes.

Her marriage with Lucas had begun with a child she had not expected. After the boy was born, she had poured all her time into their home, neglecting her appearance. Shopping meant grabbing plain clothes that made it easier to cook, clean, and tend to both Lucas and their son.

Three years had passed in this house, yet every trace of her life could fit inside one small suitcase.

Natalie tugged the case toward the doorway, her eyes sweeping over the bedroom that had been hers for three years. A flicker of hesitation came, but she pushed it aside and walked away.

Downstairs, she found Lucas and slipped the wedding band from her finger right in front of him.

"Take this," she said, offering up the ring in her open palm.

Lucas stared at her hand, his attention catching on the pale imprint left behind by the band, and his eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

She had once lost weight just so the ring would fit, and not once in three years had she removed it.

Seeing how easily she let it go now sparked a feeling in Lucas that he could not name.

Trying to hide any reaction, he flicked his gaze to the suitcase and a crease formed between his brows. "You don't have to leave right away."

"What do you mean?" Natalie frowned at him, a spark of hope flickering before she could stop it.

However, that hope was crushed in an instant as Lucas continued, "It'll take about a month for the divorce to go through. There's time for you to find somewhere else and move out when you're ready."

His cold words left her forcing a brittle smile.

She shook her head and waved off his suggestion without a moment's pause, her voice steady and unyielding. "There's no sense in dragging this out. Let's keep things clean."

This way, there would be no false hopes left behind.

Lucas pressed his lips together, hesitating before turning his face away. "Whatever you want."

"I'm going to check on our son."

Natalie had barely turned to go when Lucas' voice cut through the air, flat and unfeeling.

"Grandma's health has taken a hit these past months. She won't handle this kind of news well. Hold off on telling anyone about the divorce."

At the mention of his grandmother, Natalie's thoughts drifted to Martha Thorpe's gentle smile and warm words.

Out of all the Thorpes, Martha had been the rare one who showed her kindness, even scolding Lucas more than once for treating her poorly.

Because of that, Natalie had no intention of letting the news reach her, whether Lucas warned her or not.

"I won't say a word."

Her readiness took Lucas by surprise. He half-expected her to turn Martha's affection into a weapon and try to fight for her place in the family.

For a long moment, his eyes lingered on her face, dark and unreadable, as if he were seeing her differently for the first time.

"We'll have to keep pretending we're still married in front of her."

"That won't be an issue." Natalie gave a quick nod. "I'm just going to check if Cole's asleep."

Even knowing the odds were against her, she couldn't abandon the thought of keeping her son. Lucas might refuse her custody, but if Colin asked to live with her, his father might reconsider.

Natalie made her way to Colin's room and tapped softly on the door. "Cole, are you still awake? Mind if I come in?"

No answer came. Her shoulders drooped, assuming he'd already drifted off. But then a bright, excited voice floated through the doorway.

"Ella, you have to come by early tomorrow! I want to get you a blueberry cake-your favorite!"

Colin's tender, coaxing tone slipped through the crack, and Natalie's chest tightened.

He once used that same voice only for her. Somewhere along the way, things had changed, and now he hardly spoke to her without distance in his tone.

Her hands curled into fists, then slowly loosened, as if she were forcing herself to gather courage before stepping inside.

"Cole, I need to talk to you about something important..."

The phone was snapped shut in a heartbeat, and Cole shot her a glare.

"Mom, don't you know it's rude to barge in like this?"

Irritation rang loud in his voice, leaving no room for doubt about how he felt.

Natalie felt as though his words had cut her open, sharp and merciless. She faltered, then forced a small, uneasy smile.

"I'm sorry for barging in, but I really need to ask you something, Cole. Would you even consider-"

"No!" Colin snapped before she could even finish, his voice full of irritation. "Why can't you be more like Ella?"

Natalie stood rooted to the spot, thrown by the sting in her son's voice.

"You're useless. All you ever do is spend Dad's money and get in the way. I feel embarrassed just telling anyone you're my mom. I wish Ella were my mother!"

The cruelty in his tone left Natalie stunned. She opened her mouth to respond, but he was already glued to his phone, shutting her out completely.

The name Ella lit up his screen, messages flickering back and forth, and Natalie felt her chest hollow with despair.

She cast one last look at her son before slipping silently out of the room.

It took only a few minutes for her to gather her things, book a ride, and head out, never once glancing back at Lucas.

Lucas sat on the couch, his eyes following her until she disappeared, a strange irritation gnawing at him now that she had left without hesitation.

Natalie made straight for a modest apartment she'd purchased on a whim two years before, a place she once meant for cooling off after fights with Lucas. Now, it was her only safe haven.

Exhaustion weighed down on her, and she had no strength left to think. She washed up quickly and collapsed into bed.

Morning came, and Natalie ordered a ride straight to Thorpe Group. She was determined to hand in her resignation.

Originally, she had joined the company only to be close to Lucas. Divorce erased that reason.

"Would it be possible to process my resignation today?" Natalie asked Jeffrey Tucker, Lucas' assistant.

A bead of sweat rolled down Jeffrey's forehead. He hesitated before replying, "Let me double-check with Mr. Thorpe. Please give me a moment."

Since Jeffrey was one of the few in the company who knew her marriage to Lucas, Natalie could see why he looked so uneasy.

Pausing for a moment, she asked, "Is it really necessary to bring him in?"

Jeffrey's uncertainty showed on his face. "It was Mr. Thorpe who signed off on your hiring back then..."

Not wishing to complicate things, Natalie nodded in understanding. "Thank you for helping out."

Back at her desk, she debated making a quick run for coffee, but the ding of the elevator doors caught her attention.

Lucas strode out, looking every inch the powerful executive in his tailored suit, but his stern expression softened when he faced the woman beside him. The usual chill in his eyes seemed to thaw away.

For a split second, Natalie's breath caught. She hadn't expected to run into that woman.

Ella!

The woman Lucas never truly let go of.

Why would she show up with Lucas in the company?

Natalie's first instinct told her to slip away unnoticed. Before she could move, Lucas' gaze found her.

The sight of her trying so hard to avoid him unsettled him, and the question slipped from his lips before he could stop it. "Why are you at the company?"

Caught off guard, Natalie froze, then faced him reluctantly.

His expression tightened, his eyes narrowing as if silently accusing her of something. She almost laughed at the sight.

Did he really believe she'd stoop so low as to follow him around? What sort of woman did he imagine her to be?

Natalie let out a chilly laugh before answering, "Because I'm still an employee here."

The sight of Natalie made Ella's smile falter for just a moment. Quick to regain her composure, she flashed a practiced smile and said, "Luke, you and Natalie should talk things through. I'll head to the office on my own."

Lucas reached out, catching her wrist before she could take a step. "No need for that. You're my special consultant now."

Special consultant?

The words cut into Natalie, and a heavy disappointment swept over her.

So that explained why Lucas had gone back on his promise.

He'd once promised her that landing the west suburb project would earn her a promotion to consultant.

She remembered how many late nights she'd spent on research and how many drinks she'd had to secure the project. But when she finally delivered the good news, Lucas barely looked up before telling her the role had already gone to someone else.

Although the disappointment stung at the time, Natalie convinced herself he was simply putting the company's interests first.

She realized now how foolish she had been from the very start.

It was clear as day how much Ella meant to Lucas, enough for him to break his rules.

Standing off to the side and watching how well the two fit together, Natalie couldn't help but feel like she had been lost in a fantasy all these years.

She decided to tell Lucas about her resignation, but before she could speak, he spat impatiently, "You signed the divorce agreement. There's no undoing it."

With a faint scowl, Lucas fixed his gaze on Natalie, displeasure flickering across his features, convinced she was having second thoughts and had come just to stir up more trouble.

He believed she had finally changed, but it became obvious this was only another one of her tricks.

That realization only fueled Lucas' contempt and disregard for her.

Natalie, hand curled into a fist at her side, stared at his cold expression. Her eyes bounced between Lucas and Ella as she replied, "Don't worry-I won't get in the way of you and Miss Wheeler."

"What kind of nonsense is that?" At the mention of Ella, Lucas' eyes turned cold, and his voice grew sharp.

"That isn't how it is between Luke and me. You're misunderstanding everything," Ella said gently, her tone laced with innocence.

Had Natalie not been in the middle of it all, she might have believed Ella's soft-spoken act.

"There's no use explaining yourself, Ella. Someone who lives for scheming always assumes the worst." Lucas stepped in front of Ella, glaring at Natalie as if she were nothing more than an adversary.

Despite feeling nothing but disappointment toward Lucas, witnessing this scene still left Natalie hurting inside.

He was so attentive to another woman, yet his wife didn't even deserve an explanation from him.

What a cruel joke life could play.

"Step aside! Ella and I actually have things to do, unlike you, who spends her time nursing old grudges."

When it came down to it, Lucas doubted Natalie had anything worthwhile to say at all.

With him showing nothing but cold indifference, Natalie drew in a steady breath, and the calm she wore faded into something much stormier.

She didn't move a muscle. Instead, she held her ground, which only made Lucas grow even more impatient. Before he could snap at her, Jeffrey walked over.

Catching sight of Natalie standing before Lucas and Ella, Jeffrey paused, surprise flickering across his face for an instant before he slipped back into his usual professionalism.

"Ma'am, did you already speak with Mr. Thorpe about leaving the company?"

Carrying a freshly printed resignation letter, he handed the document toward Lucas.

"Resignation?"

For a heartbeat, uncertainty clouded Lucas' features as he stared at Natalie, clearly not expecting her to go this far. The idea that she would use her resignation to halt the divorce crossed his mind.

"So, what are you up to now? Planning to walk out and then run to my grandmother for sympathy?"

With eyes narrowed, Lucas studied her, searching for some hidden agenda.

If she lost her job, he doubted she would even get by.

"I don't stoop to the levels you imagine," Natalie replied, locking eyes with him, her words firm and stripped of any trace of her old deference.

Lucas felt stung by her reply, irritation bubbling up with no clear reason.

"You better stand by your decision." He grabbed the pen from Jeffrey and scrawled his signature on the page, not a hint of hesitation in his movements. "Just don't come crawling back."

"No need to worry about that." Natalie took the document from his hand before turning away, her steps light, as if she carried no weight from the years spent here.

Without a word, Lucas narrowed his eyes and watched her go.

She was nothing like the woman she'd been before last night. In the past, she might have pleaded for another chance. Now, she left without looking back.

"Luke, are you alright?" Ella asked in concern when she saw his stormy expression.

Her gentle question snapped Lucas out of the haze in his head, dragging him back to the present.

Everything about Natalie was supposed to be in the past now. Their ties had been cut, and her problems no longer concerned him.

Meanwhile, Natalie stepped out of the company building, feeling as if a heavy shroud had finally been lifted. The sunlight poured over her, bright and warm, sweeping away the shadows that had been clinging to her.

She drew in a deep breath, silently promising herself that she would never let anyone make her small again.

There had been a time when she'd loved so deeply that she lost sight of her own worth, but not anymore.

Just then, her phone buzzed, pulling her out of her thoughts.

Natalie pulled out her phone, and the caller ID made her heart flutter unexpectedly.

It was a call from Ruby White, her closest friend and roommate back in school, but after she married Lucas, the bond had thinned to holiday greetings and little else.

Swallowing her nerves, Natalie answered.

A familiar voice came through, saying, "Natty, I'm in trouble! I need your help right now!"

Ruby's panicked voice made Natalie's brows crease, worry flashing across her eyes. "What happened?"

"I accepted a restoration job for a Jonathan Moss painting. But the damage is worse than I thought. No one at the studio-or anywhere else I've asked-can repair it. It wouldn't be so terrifying if it were any other client. But this guy's business is tied up with my family, and if I mess this up, my dad will lose it. He'll probably freeze my credit card, and my whole studio could go under."

Ruby sounded on the verge of tears. "I know you stopped working on commissions after you got married, but I'm desperate. You're my last hope. Can you help me this once?"

Silence filled the line. Ruby remembered how Natalie had once walked away from her flourishing career for Lucas, and her hope began to dim.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't put you in this position. I'll figure something else out..."

"I'll handle it."