Chapter 6 Traditional Medicine

Apart from work-related messages, Cecilia hadn’t called or sent a message to apologize all day. “I want to see how long you can hold out!” Nathaniel tossed his phone aside, stood up, and headed toward the kitchen. The moment he opened the refrigerator, he was taken aback. Inside, aside from some food, there were all kinds of traditional medicines piled up. He casually picked up a packet and saw the label: Five packets a day, specifically for treating infertility. Infertility… Nathaniel could smell the unpleasant aroma of the herbs. Recalling the medicinal smell that had lingered on Cecilia before, he realized its origin. He scoffed internally. The two of them had never been intimate, so no matter how much medicine she took, it was impossible for her to get pregnant. He tossed the medicine back inside. It seemed Nathaniel had figured out the reason for Cecilia’s recent tantrum, and suddenly he felt lighter. He returned to the master bedroom to rest. Without Cecilia around, he could come and go as he pleased from now on, with no need to deliberately avoid her. Nathaniel slept soundly. Today, he had plans to meet his friend Zachary for a round of golf. Hence, early in the morning, he went to the wardrobe to change into his sportswear. After changing, he walked into the living room. Out of habit, he tried to inform Cecilia that he wouldn’t be back today. “Today…” He’d barely spoken before he remembered—there was no need to inform her anymore. At the golf course, Nathaniel was in high spirits. His white sportswear complemented his cold, handsome face, giving him a softer look. Standing tall on the course, he resembled a movie star. With one swing, the ball landed directly in the hole. Zachary, who was standing nearby, praised him. “Nathaniel, you’re on fire today! Is there some good news you’re not sharing?” The news that Cecilia wanted a divorce from Nathaniel had spread by yesterday, so Zachary was, of course, aware of it. He just wanted to hear it from Nathaniel directly so that he could call Stella, who had been waiting outside, to join them. Nathaniel took a sip of water and casually replied, “Nothing much, just getting ready for a divorce with Cecilia.” Hearing it with his own ears, Zachary couldn’t help but feel surprised. As Nathaniel’s friend, he knew Cecilia too well. She was nothing more than a scheming, manipulative woman, clinging to Nathaniel for all she was worth. If they were going to divorce, they would have done it long ago. How could they have dragged it out for more than three years? “Has she agreed?” he asked. Nathaniel’s eyes darkened slightly. “She’s the one who brought it up.” Zachary sneered, “She’s definitely playing hard to get. I’ve seen plenty of women like her before.” After saying that, he grinned at Nathaniel. “Nathaniel, I’ve got a surprise for you today.” Nathaniel looked puzzled. Zachary sent a message to Stella. Soon, Nathaniel saw her in the distance, dressed in a stylish pink athletic outfit, waving playfully at him. It didn’t take long for her to reach the two men. Zachary was sensible enough to excuse himself. “I’ll leave you two to chat. I don’t want to be the third wheel.” After Zachary left, Stella suggested that Nathaniel accompany her for a walk. Not far away from the golf course was the university they had both attended. Stella was well aware of how to appeal to men, so she didn’t bring up Cecilia. Instead, she talked about their shared past. “Nathaniel, do you remember this path? We used to walk along it when we were dating. Back then, you’d hold my hand and say we’d walk it together forever.” As she spoke, Stella stopped and extended her slender hand toward Nathaniel. “Nathaniel, will you hold my hand and walk with me?” The moment her hand brushed against Nathaniel’s, he instinctively pulled away. Stella was momentarily stunned. Nathaniel’s expression remained indifferent. “I don’t remember anything from the past.” Studying, falling in love, getting married, working… For Nathaniel, these were merely milestones in life, no different from completing work tasks—none of it held any real significance. Even his first love was just that. Stella’s eyes filled with tears. “Are you still angry with me? Back then, I had no choice. I didn’t want to leave you. I love you. I love you so much. You have no idea how I survived all those years alone. It was the memories of us that kept me going. I wanted to better myself, to become worthy of you.” Hearing this, Nathaniel frowned slightly. “I’m already married.” “I know. She wants to divorce you,” Stella quickly interrupted. “I’ll be grateful to her for giving you back to me.” Tears streamed down Stella’s face as she clung to Nathaniel’s waist. “Do you know how much I hate Cecilia? Truly hate her! If it weren’t for her, we wouldn’t have been apart for so long.” Perhaps people were inherently forgetful. Stella seemed to have forgotten that she was the one who broke up with Nathaniel first, only after which Nathaniel got engaged to Cecilia. Cecilia, Cecilia… Nathaniel’s mind involuntarily conjured the image of her gentle and serene face. He remembered the time when her father had passed away. Through her tears, she had looked at him and asked, “Nathaniel, can you hold me?” Back then, her brother Magnus had just disrupted all their engagement terms, seizing all the money and resources Nathaniel had given to the Smith family. So, Nathaniel had walked straight past Cecilia, offering her no comfort whatsoever. The image of her sorrowful expression lingered in his mind, and unconsciously, he pried Stella away from him. Still clinging to him, Stella was about to say something when Zachary suddenly hurried over, causing her to wipe away her tears. Despite noticing that something was off, Zachary handed some documents to Nathaniel. “Nathaniel, take a look.” Nathaniel took the papers and opened them to replace a property transfer agreement. Zachary then added, “Cecilia’s lawyer sent this over. It’s supposed to be compensation for your three years of marriage.” Compensation? Zachary had thought Cecilia was demanding compensation from Nathaniel, which was why he had rushed over in such a hurry. However, when Nathaniel opened the file, he saw that it was actually Cecilia transferring assets to him. He was filled with disbelief. However, when he saw the final asset transfer amounting to a hundred million, he found it laughable. What did Cecilia take me for? “One hundred million? She thinks that’s enough for me to let go of the Smith family? For me to forgive her?” Nathaniel scoffed in front of Zachary and Stella without hesitation. Zachary, who had just realized what was going on, laughed too. “Little deaf has always played the innocent card. Turns out, she’s been hiding one hundred million in assets this whole time. Does her brother and her greedy mother know?” Meanwhile, Stella observed Nathaniel and Zachary ridiculing Cecilia. She had been worried that Nathaniel might have developed feelings for Cecilia after three years of marriage, but it seemed her fears were unfounded. It doesn’t matter if they had been married for three years or an entire lifetime. Nathaniel, an exceptional man, would never fall for someone as dull as Cecilia. She isn’t even worthy of being my rival. Meanwhile, in a dimly lit motel room, Cecilia slowly opened her groggy eyes, her head throbbing. The silence around her was deafening. She knew her condition was getting worse.