Ex-Husband's Brother

NATALIE

Mr. Wolfe asked. “What woman?” 

Before the butler could give him an answer, the entrance door opened again. This time, Adrian walked in with Serena Beaumont, the woman from the hospital. He held her hand and together, they led their way into the living room. 

“Hello, Mom!” He hailed. “Hello, Dad.” 

Without any shame, he looked in my direction. “Good evening, Natalie. I see you came.” And then he walked to a couch to take a seat. 

Serena sat by his side and didn't stop smiling. 

“I didn't know you were coming with a lady, Adrian.” My thoughts were interrupted by Mr. Wolfe's next words. “Did you tell me about this?” 

“Oh, no, Dad.” Adrian answered. 

“I thought it didn't make any difference. You know, you're going to meet my woman at the end of the day.” He cast a glance at Serena Beaumont before looking at everyone in the room. “Allow me to introduce Serena Beaumont to you.” He spoke with so much pride, and no respect for me. 

Now I thought about the fact that I shouldn't have come to this dinner. I should have stayed back at home and minded my business. 

“Nice to meet you, Serena.” 

No one else but Mrs. Wolfe said that. “You're welcome to the family. Please, feel free.” 

Of course, she would support Adrian. 

He was her son. And even if he did wrong, she would never find anything wrong with it. 

I got on my feet and smiled. 

“I'll need to use the restroom,” I announced. For a moment, I caught Dominic staring at me. He looked away and I walked towards a bathroom I've known since my first day in this mansion. 

How dare Mrs. Wolfe?

Didn't she know what it meant to have sympathy? The same kind Mr. Wolfe had. I shut the door when in the bathroom, rushed to the sink, and puked. I had tears running down my face but it wasn't as severe as what fell from my mouth. 

Now that I was done, I leaned on the sink and sobbed. I didn't deserve any of this, but Adrian had chosen to do what he's done. 

While I cried, there was a knock on the door. I looked up and wiped my face, turned on the sink so that I could wash my face one last time. 

“Yes?” I let out. “I'll be out soon.” 

“Ma'am?” I recognized the butler's voice. 

“You're asked to be at the dining table soon.” 

“Thank you.” I wiped my face with a towel and walked towards the door in a few moments. 

“Are you okay, Natalie honey?” 

“Yes, Dad.” I took a seat and nodded. 

“Thank you.” Another fake smile was planted on my face. There was nothing I knew I should say, even though I needed to break the news of my pregnancy to the family, especially to Mrs. Wolfe who believed from the onset that there was something wrong with me. 

She needed to know. 

It was important to make her understand that she was wrong to assume there was something wrong with me. 

The poor woman didn't know it was her son who refused to make me pregnant two years ago. How would I make them understand Adrian and I didn't have sex as couples should? 

“Well—” Mr. Wolfe coughed. 

Everyone looked up. 

“As long as I am alive,” he looked in my direction. “Natalie will always be my daughter-in-law.” 

He looked around the table now. “She's a young, pretty and hardworking woman and I don't care if she's no longer a wife to you, Adrian—” he looked at my ex-husband who didn't utter a word. “Another woman is not going to take her place in my heart if you must know. Not now or later.” 

“Oh, Dad, please.” 

That was Adrian. 

I wanted to be shocked but I wasn't. The amount of boldness he's shown since he walked into the house with Serena Beaumont wasn't ordinary. There were no regrets on his countenance. 

“You're forgetting something, Dad. Are you not?” 

Mr. Wolfe looked at his son. “Tell me about it.” 

“You're judging me and yet you forget it was you who asked me to bring up a divorce between Natalie and me. How are you going to explain that to the public when you're asked?” 

Mr. Wolfe laughed. 

I wanted to be shocked but I wasn't. If not for anything, the old man had his reasons. Reasons I knew he would say in the next three minutes. 

“We all know how private you were about the marriage, or were you not?” Mr. Wolfe asked. “I'm shocked Serena knows about it because the last time I checked, only this family knew about it. You claimed you wanted the marriage to be private from the start of it. And until now, what? It's still private. Did you think your wife was cool with it?” 

Adrian laughed. “If she wasn't cool with it, why did she agree to be private about our marriage?” 

My mouth opened and I spoke.  “That's because I thought you would have a change of heart later on, Adrian. You hid me for two years.”

“But that was the agreement—” 

“Of course,” Mr. Wolfe said. “It was either you go public or end the marriage. No marriage should be like that. It's sad Natalie's was that way.” 

What could I say? 

I sipped more water so that I did not choke.

Mrs. Wolfe spoke. “This should be a dinner. Not a war ground. There are many other things to talk about other than a failed marriage, aren't there?” 

“There are,” Mr. Wolfe said. “But it doesn't change the fact that your son is still a kid. I'll recommend he learns a lot from his brother here, Dominic. I'm sure Dominic can put him on a—” 

Gracie cut him short. “Anthony?” 

Silence ruled again. 

As a matter of fact, it was better that way. 

But the silence didn't last. Not when Mrs. Wolfe looked at me, then Dominic before me again. 

“Dominic is single. I'm sure he wants to mingle.”