2. Still The Same

Two Weeks Earlier...

“Let me introduce you to Ms. Natalie. Starting today, she’ll be taking over Mr. Arman’s position as Marketing Manager,” Mr. Julian announced, introducing the beautiful woman standing beside him.

Declan froze for a moment, trying to process what was happening right in front of him. His eyes never left the beautiful woman who was smiling back at him. He knew her. He knew her very well.

Natalie Carter, a beautiful name for an equally beautiful woman. She had been Declan’s best friend since their school days, the popular girl who had been admired by countless boys back then. Declan had been the only boy who was truly close to her. Wherever Natalie went, Declan was never far behind.

It had been nothing more than a simple friendship between two teenagers. But just as people always said, perhaps there was no such thing as a purely platonic friendship between a man and a woman. Usually, one of them ended up developing feelings. Declan was proof of that.

He had secretly fallen for Natalie. Unfortunately, when he finally confessed his feelings, Natalie gently turned him down, saying that she could never be in a romantic relationship with her own best friend. As time passed, their careers took them in different directions. Natalie moved to New York, while Declan stayed in Brooklyn.

Then, several years later, Declan heard the news that Natalie had married one of the sons of a renowned herbal medicine tycoon in New York. A knock on Declan’s office door pulled him away from the document he was signing, a business agreement between his company and a new heavy-equipment supplier.

“Come in.”

“Busy, Mr. Declan?”

When Declan looked up, Natalie was already standing gracefully beside the slightly open door. “Hey... Natalie. Not really.”

Declan smiled awkwardly and quickly got to his feet to welcome his childhood friend. “Come in.”

He repeated himself, trying to conceal his nervousness. How could he not be nervous? Natalie standing before him now was even more captivating than the girl he remembered from their teenage years.

“How long have you been working here?” She pulled out the chair in front of his large desk and sat down.

Natalie had deliberately stopped by his office that afternoon, especially since her new office happened to be right next door.

“About six or seven years. Back when Mr. Kyle was still in charge.”

Mr. Kyle was the owner of the construction company where Declan worked. Due to health issues, however, the company was now fully managed by Julian, his eldest son.

“Wow... That’s quite a long time.” Natalie flashed him a sweet smile.

Declan nodded slowly. “What about you? What brought you here all of a sudden?”

Declan knew that Natalie had previously worked for her father-in-law’s company, where she had already held a fairly senior position.

“I resigned a long time ago. I have a situation.”

“What kind of situation?”

Natalie suddenly shifted restlessly in her seat, her eyes wandering around the room. “I-I’m getting divorced from Rayhan. We’re just waiting for the court hearing.”

The beautiful woman tried to keep her voice steady. Declan’s heart faltered. A strange ache suddenly spread through his chest at the news that the woman he had once adored was going through the end of her marriage.

For some reason, Declan had never been able to stand seeing a woman in pain. Especially Natalie. Memories of the past suddenly came rushing back, filling his mind.

“H-How? You two looked perfectly fine.”

Declan wasn’t making it up. He had seen several news articles that occasionally covered the private lives of the Rowan family, Natalie’s in-laws, who were well-known businessmen in the country. And Nael Rowan, Natalie’s husband, was often mentioned in those reports as well.

“That’s life, sometimes things can go terribly wrong even when everything looks fine from the outside.” Natalie sighed softly before looking at Declan again.

He was staring at her with obvious sympathy. “Let’s not talk about that anymore... This is our first meeting in years. Why are we talking about something depressing?”

Natalie pouted adorably.

“Ah... you’re right. I’m sorry for asking.” Declan chuckled softly.

“Hmm... How about lunch together? I still don’t know anyone here except you and Mr. Julian. Besides, there’s no way I can ask Mr. Julian to have lunch with me. I’d rather ask someone I actually know.”

Her words brought a laugh to Declan’s lips. There she was. Natalie he remembered. The cheerful woman whose laughter had once captivated him completely.

“Sure.” Declan nodded and returned her smile. “Let me finish these documents first.”

He gathered the papers scattered across his desk. Then, with a brief glance to the side, he closed the two containers filled with the lunch Sarah had sent to his office through a courier only a short while ago. A small pang of guilt struck him for not eating the healthy meal his wife had prepared.

All because Natalie’s sudden appearance had stirred something inside him and left his mind in turmoil. Sarah will understand.

Ten minutes later, Declan and Natalie were having lunch together at a fast-food restaurant not far from the office. Since they had once been close friends, it didn’t take long for the awkwardness between them to disappear. Their conversation flowed effortlessly throughout lunch.

They talked about their old friends, their respective careers, and even their families.

“Are your parents doing well?” Natalie placed her spoon and fork on the edge of her now-empty plate.

“They’re both doing well.”

“They still live in the old house?”

“Yeah. The one in Brooklyn. Come by sometime.” Declan smiled faintly, realizing that Natalie still remembered his parents.

“Maybe next time, when things at work settle down. You know what it’s like being new at a company. There’s a lot to adjust to.” Natalie took a sip of her hot chocolate.

“Your wife... hmm... where is she from?” Natalie hesitated before asking.

Declan sighed softly. For some reason, talking about his wife suddenly felt like an uninteresting subject in front of the beautiful woman sitting across from him.

“Sarah. She’s from around here.”

“She must be beautiful. Why don’t you post pictures of the two of you on social media?” Natalie sounded genuinely curious.

“Too lazy to use social media, La. Besides, I’m getting old.”

“Old? You’re only thirty-two. It’s just a number.” Natalie chuckled, her dimples showing.

“So, how many kids do you have?”

“Kids?” Declan narrowed his eyes.

It had never even crossed his mind that he might have children with Sarah. Yes, they had been intimate several times during their marriage, but for some reason, he had never pictured having a child with her.

Declan slowly shook his head. “None.”

“Sarah hasn’t gotten pregnant?”

Declan nearly choked on his drink at Natalie’s question. “Not yet.” He answered shortly after taking a sip of the warm orange juice he had ordered.

Silence returned. The awkwardness that had disappeared earlier suddenly crept back in after Sarah’s name entered their conversation. After all, Declan had once been in love with Natalie. Talking about another woman in front of the woman he had once loved was bound to feel uncomfortable.

“Declan...” Natalie’s voice broke the silence.

Declan looked at her. The expression on Natalie’s face had suddenly grown sad. What was wrong with this woman now?

“If I had accepted your feelings back then... maybe we would be a happy couple by now.” Natalie paused, her voice turning bitter. “Maybe I wouldn’t have ended up becoming a single mother either.”

Declan’s chest tightened as though a thousand arrows had pierced straight through his heart. Without thinking, he reached across the table and gently brushed the back of Natalie’s hand, which felt slightly cold and clammy.

“I’m still the same, Nat. You can come to me whenever you want. I’ll always be here for you.”

He didn’t even understand what had come over him. How could he say something so tender to a woman who wasn’t his? They were nothing more than old friends. At least, that was what they were supposed to be. Natalie gave him a faint smile.

“How could the Declan of today possibly be the same Declan from back then?” Her sentence trailed off as her eyes fell on the wedding ring around Declan’s finger.

“Because of this.” Natalie drew a small circle over his ring finger, gently brushing the band around it.

Declan understood exactly what she meant. In one swift movement, he took Natalie’s hand and held it firmly. The woman immediately gasped in surprise.

“I’m still the same Declan.” His eyes briefly flicked toward the wedding ring she had just touched.

“And this...” He looked back at Natalie, his gaze unwavering. “Never meant anything to me.”

***