Drifting Apart With Time

Natalie Sherman had stopped concerning herself with how Lester Garrison lived his private life outside their marriage. Still, Irene Sterling was a name she knew well, thanks to the entertainment news that was all over the internet.Irene was a newly signed young actress under Lester’s company. She was a young woman in her 20s, brimming with youth and vigor.Most interestingly, Lester had been pursuing her for nearly two months, yet she showed no interest in him at all.In the past, Lester would usually have lost interest in his lovers within a month.Irene was different. Not only did she hold his attention longer than the rest, but she also got him to bring up a pretend divorce with Natalie.Natalie took the divorce papers from him with a subtle smirk. "Is this the gift you've gotten for me? It's quite an unusual one, I'd say."Confusion crossed Lester's face. When he finally recalled the occasion that day, he seemed apologetic."I've been busy being nice to Rene on set recent

Every word stung Natalie so much that she ached deeply.A chain, huh?It turned out that their marriage was suffocating him.Sitting beside her, Yvonne held her hand. Her eyes were filled with concern.Natalie shook her head. Her gaze fell on Lester's hand, carefully holding the hems of Irene's gown, and her lips curved into a self-deprecating smile.Actually, their marriage was nothing less than a chain to her too.She already knew their love for each other had expired, but she ignored that fact, trying to deceive herself and others into believing otherwise.Thankfully, they would both be free from the chain of marriage after a month.The ceremony soon began.When the Best Female Lead award was about to be announced, Natalie's palm became sweaty.She had thought "Before the End" would be her last movie, so she poured endless effort into portraying her role.If she could win the award tonight, it would mark the perfect end to her acting career in Caledon.Namelist in hand,

A sharp pain tore across Natalie's scalp.Only then did she realize that these were Irene's fans.But Natalie was the wife, and Irene was the mistress. Yet somehow, to them, Natalie was the one at fault. Besides, she had paid for everything today with her own card. Lester had nothing to do with it.Fighting through the pain, Natalie forced herself to speak, attempting to reason with them. "I didn't spend a single dollar of Lester's money. Let me go. You're committing a crime, you know?"The young lady in front of her smirked. "Still lying. Girls, let's help Reenie teach this shameless woman a lesson!"The moment those words fell, they surged forward and began hitting Natalie. Fists, feet, and elbows struck her from every direction, each of them using all their strength.Natalie was completely outnumbered. Faced with so many people, she had no way to fight back and could only endure the beating.She had parked in a relatively secluded area, and no one else passed by.With no o

Lester kicked the door open, his hands trembling as he scooped Irene into his arms. "Rene, you'll be alright! I'm taking you to the hospital right now."Natalie opened her mouth to explain, but Lester strode past her without a word, his shoulder knocking hard into hers. She staggered back.Lester didn't even seem to notice, focusing entirely on comforting the woman in his arms.He hadn't said a word, yet Natalie felt a chill run through her.She had no idea how she even ended up at the hospital. When she finally found the operating room where Irene was, Lester was waiting outside, visibly tense.It was clear that he cared deeply about Irene.Natalie said nothing, taking a seat quietly across from him, waiting for the surgery to finish.The hallway was deathly silent.The intimacy they had once shared now felt galaxies away, leaving only silence between them.After what felt like an eternity, Lester looked up, his eyes bloodshot, and spoke in a hoarse voice."Natalie, I alread

Lester's pupils constricted, and he immediately let go of Irene's hand."Rene, I have something to attend to. I'll come back to see you afterward."Without another word, he strode out of the ward.Irene was close enough to hear Henry's words on the phone, and jealousy flared uncontrollably in her chest. She called after Lester, desperate to make him turn back.But it was as if he hadn't heard her at all. He just left without the slightest hesitation.Once outside, Lester floored the accelerator, and the car shot forward. The hospital was a 40-minute drive from home, but he made it in half the time.Henry was still waiting anxiously at the door, and the moment he saw Lester, he hurried over and said, "Mr. Garrison, I've been ringing the doorbell for over half an hour, but Mrs. Garrison still hasn't answered."Suppressing the unease rising in his chest, Lester opened the door and walked in.The house felt emptier than usual the instant he stepped inside. The massive wedding photo