Chapter 184
in just a few words, the shift in status between him and Nathalie was laid bare. Once, he was the unattainable dream for Nathalie, but now, he’d taken a tumble, and she had become the untouchable beauty out of his reach.
Cameron played dumb. “What do you mean?”
Benjamin was always quicker with his words than his thoughts. He blurted out, “Oh, come on. Cameron, can’t you see it? Back then, Nellie was broke, unsophisticated, and uneducated. Now, this new Nathalie is stunning, successful, and a powerhouse in her career. Honestly, Cameron, you really blew it by divorcing her.”
Benjamin was like Nathalie’s biggest fan, and he went on and on, “You have no clue. She is a complete transformation, outshining even top celebrities. She’s not just got the looks, her elegance is unmatched, and she’s incredibly capable. Even my granddad can’t stop praising her business smarts, saying she outshines her peers by a mile. He even predicts a bright future for her.”
Once Benjamin opened his mouth, others felt free to join in, no longer scared of stepping on Cameron’s toes. “We totally misjudged
Who would’ve thought Nellie was a diamond in the rough just waiting to shine?”
“Yeah, and for her work to catch Frankie’s eye is something else.”
“Didn’t you hear? While Nellie was away, she was learning from Jasmine. Jasmine had loads of students, but she only let Nellie learn directly from her. Abroad, Nellie’s known as Nathalie, and she’s made quite a name for herself.”
The glass in Cameron’s hand shattered with a sharp crack, and suddenly everyone went quiet.
His friends‘ praise for Nathalie felt like a slap to his face. After all, he was the idiot who couldn’t see her worth.
His buddies quickly tried to console him, “Cameron, don’t get worked up. If you ask me, Nellie still loves you. They say the deeper the love, the deeper the resentment. She only divorced you because she was upset about how cold you were before. If you can swallow your pride and show her you care, she might just come back. After all, she loved you so much that she lost her dignity before. Love like that doesn’t just vanish.”
Their words eased Cameron’s troubled heart a bit. He latched onto the idea. Does deep love mean deep resentment? Maybe Nellie still loves him? He almost fell for her act.
But then Greta spoke up, unable to hold back, “Cameron and I are already married.”
Everyone exchanged awkward glances. Greta got no congratulations, just an awkward silence. Her face turned bright red.
Cameron didn’t want his beloved to face his friends‘ disdain, so he jumped to Greta’s defense. “You guys know Greta and I go way back. She’s my responsibility for life. So, please, don’t bring up other girls in front of her. It upsets her.”
The room went silent again.
The party wrapped up in a cloud of awkwardness. Cameron’s friends made excuses to leave early. Cameron felt the sting of being left behind, and his mood turned dark and brooding.
Greta couldn’t stop blaming herself. “Cameron, I feel like I’ve let you down.”
Cameron hugged her tightly. “They just don’t get how precious our love is. Don’t pay them any mind.”
14
