Chapter 4 I Never Loved You

It seems Dad had long realized that Nathaniel doesn’t love me. Despite everything, he always had my best interests at heart. He made a contract with the Rainsworth family, allowing me to fulfill my wish of marrying Nathaniel. But before we could even get married, he was in a car accident. If it weren’t for his passing, Magnus and Mom wouldn’t have been able to break the contract… After handing over all the property transfer procedures to Norman, Cecilia happened to see Stella’s promotional posters lining the street on her way home. The Stella on the poster radiated dazzling beauty, optimism, and charm. She knew it was time to let go, set Nathaniel free, and liberate herself as well. Upon returning to Daltonia Villa, Cecilia tidied up her luggage. Having been married for over three years, all she had to her name could merely fit into a single suitcase. She had asked Norman to prepare the divorce agreement last year. In Nathaniel’s presence, she often felt overly self-conscious, excessively humble, and too emotional. She had realized long ago that their relationship was bound to end, so she had prepared herself early on to leave. That night, there was no message from Nathaniel. With a surge of courage, she sent him a message: Are you free tonight? There’s something I want to discuss with you. There was a prolonged silence from the other end. Cecilia’s eyes darkened. She realized that he didn’t even want to reply to her text messages now. She could only wait for his return in the morning. In the CEO’s office of Rainsworth Group, after a mere glance at the text message, Nathaniel casually set his phone aside. Zachary was sitting on a nearby couch. He noticed his actions and asked, “Is that from Cecilia?” Nathaniel remained noncommittal. Zachary sneered thoughtlessly. “That little deaf girl actually believes she’s the lady of the Rainsworth family. She’s even trying to check in. Nathaniel, you’re not seriously planning to keep this up with her, are you? The Smith family is hopeless now. Cecilia’s younger brother, Magnus Smith, is a complete fool. He has no idea how to run a business. It won’t be long before the Smith family goes under. And her mother is a greedy woman!” Nathaniel listened to all of this with a placid expression. “I know.” “Then why haven’t you divorced her yet? Stella has been waiting for you all this time,” Zachary said anxiously. In his heart, the innocent and hardworking Stella was immeasurably superior to the scheming Cecilia. When the topic of divorce was brought up, Nathaniel fell into a deep silence. Seeing that, Zachary blurted out, “You didn’t fall for Cecilia, did you?” Me? Fall for her? Nathaniel flashed a mocking smile. “Is she even worthy?” Nathaniel handed Zachary a purchase agreement. After a quick look, Zachary truly believed that Nathaniel was heartless. He only wanted Nathaniel to divorce Cecilia, but unexpectedly, Nathaniel was even considering taking over the entire Smith Corporation. It was at this very moment, he surprisingly felt a touch of sympathy for Cecilia. After all, they had been married for three years, and Cecilia’s boundless affection for Nathaniel was evident to everyone. Nathaniel is truly heartless, and it’s absolutely impossible for him to have feelings for Cecilia! Cecilia had assumed that Nathaniel wouldn’t return. Yet, he returned at the stroke of midnight. She hadn’t been sleeping. She stepped forward, skillfully taking his coat and briefcase from him. Their series of actions were strikingly similar to those of an average married couple. “Don’t just casually text me in the future.” The tranquility of the moment was shattered by Nathaniel’s chilling voice. In his view, she wasn’t working, just staying home all day. What could possibly be going on? Cecilia’s hand, holding his coat, trembled as she murmured, “All right, it won’t happen again in the future.” Nathaniel didn’t catch the hidden meaning in her words and went straight to the study. Over the years, he spent most of his time in his study upon his return. Even though the two of them were clearly under the same roof, Cecilia was always alone. Perhaps in Nathaniel’s understanding, the world of a person with hearing impairment was one of complete tranquility. Or perhaps he simply didn’t care about Cecilia. Hence, once he was in the study, he could discuss business as he always did, even if the topic was about acquiring Smith Corporation. As usual, Cecilia brought him a bowl of ginger tea. She listened to him energetically instructing his subordinates, but she couldn’t quite put her feelings into words. She was well aware of her brother’s incompetence and knew that the downfall of Smith Corporation was inevitable. However, she never expected that the person to strike the first blow against Smith Corporation would be her own husband. “Nathaniel.” A voice interrupted Nathaniel’s deep thoughts. Nathaniel paused, unsure if it was guilt or something else that prompted him to quickly hang up the phone. He also turned off his laptop. Pretending not to notice his actions, Cecilia walked in and placed the ginger tea before him. “Nathaniel, have some tea and get some rest. Your health is more important than anything else.” For reasons unknown, upon hearing Cecilia’s gentle voice, Nathaniel relaxed a little. She probably didn’t hear it! If she had, she would have surely argued with me! Uncertain whether it was guilt or something else, Nathaniel stopped Cecilia who was about to leave. “You mentioned you had something to discuss with me. What is it?” Cecilia looked at his all-too-familiar face and softly said, “I was going to ask if you were free this morning. Could we go and finalize the divorce proceedings together?” Cecilia sounded so calm and nonchalant. It was as if she was talking about the most mundane and insignificant matter. Nathaniel’s eyes narrowed, disbelief filling his gaze. “What did you say?” Throughout their three years of marriage, no matter how outrageous his actions were, Cecilia never once brought up the idea of divorce. In truth, Nathaniel understood very well just how much Cecilia loved him. Back when their homes were next to each other, he had known that the young girl had a crush on him. He had always been aware that she had liked him for over a decade. At that moment, Cecilia’s previously vacant gaze became incredibly clear. “Mr. Rainsworth, I’m sorry for holding you back all these years. Let’s get a divorce.” Nathaniel’s hand, resting at his side, involuntarily clenched. Zachary suggested I file for divorce, but I didn’t agree. I can’t believe she brought it up first. Who does she think she is? “You heard it, didn’t you? Smith Corporation is already on its last legs. What difference does it make whether I was the one who took advantage of it or someone else? What’s your aim for asking for a divorce? Is it for a child or the money? Or is it to stop me from going against the Smith family? Don’t forget, I never loved you. Your threats are useless against me!” He felt that Cecilia was attempting to intimidate him with the threat of divorce. He knew she wouldn’t dare to leave him; the Smith family couldn’t afford it, and Cecilia was even more unwilling to do so. The reflection of Nathaniel in Cecilia’s eyes suddenly became unfamiliar. She felt a lump in her throat and a piercing pain in her ears. Even with her hearing aid, she couldn’t make out what Nathaniel was saying. She could only respond to his earlier question. “I don’t want anything.” Fearing that Nathaniel might notice something amiss, Cecilia left the study. Nathaniel watched as she walked away. For reasons unknown, he felt an unfamiliar sense of melancholy. He had never been one to control his emotions for the sake of others, and at that moment, he flipped the table before him. The ginger tea that Cecilia had prepared spilled all over the floor.