He Brought Me a College Guy, Saying I’d Never Touch Him—But I Kept Him Chapter 06

He Brought Me a College Guy, Saying I’d Never Touch Him—But I Kept Him Chapter 06

That night, Nathaniel’s father insisted, so I went back to the family estate.

On the way, I tried to figure out what to say.

How to explain that his son got another woman pregnant?

That he forced me into a divorce?

That I was already preparing to go to court?

Relationships were sometimes harder to get out of than lawsuits.

When I arrived, no one else was there yet.

Eugene Hawthorne paused. “Where’s Nathaniel?”

“He’s busy,” I said.

“Busy?” He put his fork down. “What’s more important than his own wife?”

I didn’t answer.

His father and mine had been through war together. They trusted each other with their lives.

He’d always wanted our families to unite, but Nathaniel’s mother refused.

She thought my family wasn’t good enough. Thought I was unlucky because of an illness I’d had.

Nathaniel was the one who wouldn’t let go.

He went to St. Clare’s Chapel alone and knelt on the cold stone floor for hours, praying. His knees were torn to shreds by the time he finished.

He said, “I don’t have to be with Isabella. Just let her be okay.”

When I found out, I cried for hours.

It was always him charging ahead while I hung back, full of insecurity.

After that, I took his hand and said, “I’m done hiding. If you want to marry me, I’ll say yes.”

And somehow, I got better.

I went home with him willingly.

Eugene was so happy he transferred a third of his stock options to me as a wedding gift.

He said it was to show the family I had protection.

Back then, I thought his mother was the biggest obstacle.

But looking back, outsiders were never the real problem.

Just as I was trying to figure out how to bring up the divorce, the door opened.

Nathaniel walked in with Cassidy on his arm. When he saw me, he stopped.

Eugene’s face went dark. “You bring trash into this house now?”

Nathaniel sat down with Cassidy, completely at ease. “Dad, it’s just dinner. Relax.”

Then he looked at me. “Isabella, you should go.”

As if he needed to explain, he leaned in and lowered his voice. “I didn’t think you’d actually show up, so I brought her. Tonight’s her night, okay?”

I laughed.

So it’s her night.

He was so busy building up his mistress that he brought her to meet his parents before the divorce was even final.

I used to think Cassidy was just another fling.

Someone to amuse him until he got bored.

Maybe I was wrong.

His mother came downstairs. Her eyes went from me to Cassidy.

“So this is the pregnant one. Our house attracts such low-class women.”

One sentence insulted both of us.

Nathaniel used to step in front of me and say, “Isabella is my choice.”

But tonight, he just frowned and pulled Cassidy closer. “Mom, don’t talk about my girl like that.”

His voice was harder than when he used to defend me.

Cassidy pressed into his chest, her eyes red.

She always looked like the whole world was picking on her.

Not like me. When someone insulted me, I just looked like I could handle it alone.

I stood up, bored. “I’m leaving.”

Eugene couldn’t convince me to stay.

Nathaniel didn’t have time to look at me.

Walking out of the Hawthorne estate, I thought about that night at the chapel.

He knelt on the cold floor and said, “I don’t have to be with Isabella. Just let her be okay.”

Well. He got what he asked for.

…

The divorce went smoother than I expected.

Nathaniel probably thought we’d remarry after Cassidy had the baby and everything would go back to normal.

The day we signed the mediation agreement, he showed up forty minutes late.

But when he got there, he picked up the pen and signed without a fight.

Then he leaned close to me, almost gentle.

“Didn’t you always want a real wedding ceremony?”

“Once we remarry, I’ll plan it myself. That island you like. The white dress you wanted. Everything you ever dreamed of. It’s yours.”

I looked up at him. “Nathaniel. Don’t bother.”