Free At Last, Untouchable Now

On their third wedding anniversary, Natalie Reed spent hours in the kitchen, putting together a feast and waiting the entire day for her husband to come home.

She checked her phone repeatedly, seeing the unanswered messages she sent to Lucas Thorpe that afternoon.

"The food's ready. When are you coming home? Weren't you off work today?"

"Are you still stuck in the office?"

"If lunch isn't possible, will you make it for dinner?"

Every message sat there, unread.

Natalie let out another quiet sigh. Right as she thought about texting him again, his name popped up with a new message.

"I'll come home. There's something I want to talk about."

That one line sent a jolt of excitement through Natalie. She sprang out of her seat, and her smile was too big to hide.

Was he going to say something about their anniversary?

Just the thought that Lucas might remember left her hopeful in a way she hadn't felt in years. Maybe, for the first time, he'd bring her a present.

Holding on to that hope, Natalie warmed up the meal again, this time in much better spirits.

When the clock chimed eight, the sound of her son's happy laughter drifted through the hallway.

Natalie couldn't help but smile as she hurried to open the door.

"How come you're just getting home, Cole?"

Colin Thorpe didn't bother to look her way. He rushed past Natalie and took the stairs two at a time.

Taken aback, Natalie reached out to catch him. "You haven't had dinner yet. What's the rush upstairs?"

That was when Colin finally seemed to notice her waiting by the door. He barely paused, brushing off her hand.

"Mom, just let me be! There's something I have to do right now!"

The sharpness in his voice stung more than she cared to admit.

Trying not to show her disappointment, Natalie forced herself to smile. "I made all your favorites tonight. There's even blueberry cake for dessert."

"I said I'm not hungry!"

Halfway up the stairs, Colin stopped short, turning to face her, a spark of excitement in his eyes.

"Don't touch the cake. I want to take it to Ella tomorrow. Blueberry's her favorite."

Ella?

Could it be Ella Wheeler-Lucas' first love, the woman he never quite got over?

Natalie's chest tightened at the possibility. She started toward the stairs, ready to ask more, but Colin had already disappeared, bounding up to his room, not caring about her questions.

"Julissa!" Natalie's voice wavered as she stopped the housekeeper, who had hoped to slip away quietly. "You've known about this for a while, haven't you? When did Cole first start spending time with Ella?"

Knowing she couldn't hide it anymore, Julissa Rowe let out a weary sigh and came clean.

"It was about three months ago. Miss Wheeler moved back here and ran into Cole a couple of times. They seemed to click right away. Since then, they've been meeting up often."

The news landed hard. Natalie shut her eyes, trying to steady herself as the truth settled in. "So he didn't stay late at school today. He was with Ella instead, wasn't he?"

Julissa hesitated, then nodded. "He was meant to come home after class, but Miss Wheeler picked him up straight from school. I was going to tell you, but..."

Her words trailed off, and she glanced at Natalie, her expression tinged with sympathy.

A sudden suspicion flashed through Natalie's mind, and she spoke before she could stop herself. "Was it Lucas? Did he ask you to keep this from me?"

After a pause, Julissa replied in a gentle voice, "He just didn't want you to worry."

Natalie brushed her off with a tired gesture. Her voice was thin, nearly defeated. "It's alright. You can go."

Drained of all energy, she dropped down on the couch and let herself sink into the cushions, feeling as if every last bit of strength had left her.

Ella wouldn't have crossed paths with Colin on her own. He was just a kid, with no way to find her unless someone brought him along.

There was no doubt in Natalie's mind-only Lucas could have made that happen.

An uncomfortable sense of irony crept in. For three months, her son had been growing closer to Lucas' old flame while she remained completely in the dark. The knowledge left her feeling both foolish and heartbroken.

Time seemed to blur as she sat lost in thought, until the familiar sound of the front door broke the silence.

Lucas appeared, looking every bit as tired as the day must have made him. He dropped his briefcase and took off his coat.

Normally, Natalie would be at his side, ready to help him settle in. Tonight, she couldn't bring herself to move from the couch.

Lucas' eyes swept over the untouched dinner spread across the table. His wife's quiet figure caught his attention, and a crease appeared between his brows.

"Is there a reason for all this food? Did I forget something?"

Since Natalie didn't bother to help him with the coat, Lucas hung it up and loosened his tie.

"I already had dinner," he added.

Natalie gave no reply. She wanted to ask if he'd had dinner with Ella, but the words stayed trapped behind her lips. She was afraid of sounding petty.

Lucas and Ella had known each other since they were kids. It made sense for him to have dinner with her.

"Today is..."

Just as she was about to mention their anniversary, Lucas placed a folder on the coffee table.

"Go ahead and sign it. We've put this off long enough."

Two stark words in heavy print stared back from the cover-Divorce Agreement.

Natalie's heart raced, and a ringing filled her ears. The world seemed to tilt as her vision clouded over.

This wasn't the first time Lucas had talked about ending their marriage.

Three years together, and each time they fought, Lucas' answer was always the same-divorce. He'd toss out the word like it meant nothing, and she would plead with him, hoping he'd give her another chance out of pity.

That pattern became their life, stretching on and on. Natalie convinced herself that if she kept loving him enough, one day he'd finally come to appreciate her and love her back.

Tonight, she realized she'd been chasing a fantasy.

Her hand trembled as she reached for the pen.

Lucas' eyes flashed with a hint of surprise, but his voice stayed calm and steady. "I won't leave you with nothing. The money I gave you is yours to keep. Bayshore Villa, the cars, and you'll keep five percent of the company's shares."

Natalie hesitated, her fingers loosening around the pen. She placed it on the table and looked up.

"And Cole?" She searched his face, desperate for a sign of kindness. "Does he get to stay with me?"

Her question wiped away whatever softness was left in Lucas' eyes. He grew cold, his words sharp.

"Are you really going to use our son to get what you want again?"

A wave of icy dread swept through Natalie, freezing her where she sat.

A heavy silence hung between them before she managed to speak, her voice thin and shaky. "What are you talking about?"

Lucas let out a bitter laugh, his words dripping with scorn. "You really think you can play the same game forever? You used Cole to trap me into this marriage, and you're still at it?"

Stunned, Natalie stared at him, struggling to form the words. "That's not true. I never planned any of this. I was framed..."

"Don't bother." Lucas settled onto the couch and lit a cigarette, the curl of smoke softening his expression into something unreadable. "Three years of living in luxury, and you're still not satisfied?"

Smoke drifted between them, masking the anger on his face.

Tears burned in Natalie's eyes as she forced herself to speak. "All right. Let's end this. I hope you find what you're looking for."