Dumping Ex and Spoiled 9

Gavin thought for a moment. Natalie had mentioned that the divorce process would take a few days to finalize, which meant she and Hubert were still legally married. With a sly glint in his alluring eyes, Gavin turned and headed back to the private room. In the adjacent room, Frank Quinn could no longer tolerate Hubert’s silence. D*mn it, can’t even enjoy a drink properly, Frank grumbled inwardly, flicking ash from his half-smoked cigarette. “I mean, Hubert, who’s the sour face for? Don’t tell me you’re actually reluctant to let Natalie go?” Hubert sneered, the corners of his cold lips curling into a beautiful arc. “Her? Me? Reluctant? Don’t make me laugh.” To him, Natalie was nothing more than a puppet on strings, utterly uninteresting. She lacked depth, didn’t understand romance, and apart from cooking excellent meals and keeping the house spotless, she was completely useless. Frank wasn’t convinced. “Then why are you here drowning your sorrows?” Hubert seemed lost in thought and didn’t respond to Frank’s question right away. For two years, he had grown accustomed to Natalie’s spotless housekeeping, her home-cooked meals, the crisp suits she ironed, and even the scent she carried. It was terrifying how, for the sake of the Lawson family name, the title of Mrs. Lawson, and money, that soulless woman had tirelessly and methodically seeped into every corner of his life. “Habits,” Hubert finally said. “Even if you raise a dog, you’d develop feelings for it, wouldn’t you?” He was certain it was just a habit. He didn’t love her—only pitied her. Soon, he’d get used to being cared for by another woman. “Still, I’ve got to hand it to you, Hubert,” Frank said, smirking. “How did you manage to get Natalie to agree to the divorce without crying or making a scene? Respect!” For a woman to give so much to her family and care so selflessly for her husband, it must have been an immense love. In Frank’s eyes, every little thing Natalie did for Hubert spoke of her affection for him. Hubert took a long swig from his glass and muttered in a voice so low it was barely audible, “I gave her five million… and a rabbit.” That woman, who always claimed to love him, had finally revealed her vain and materialistic nature. All her past devotion was nothing more than a ploy for the Lawson family’s money! “What?” Frank crushed his cigarette in shock. “Hubert, you’re unbelievable. Splitting up and giving your ex-wife a rabbit? You’re heartless…” Still, Frank felt that Natalie didn’t seem like the type of woman to sell herself for money. He firmly believed that when she married the dying Hubert and cared for him both in and out of bed, it wasn’t about money. The reason she wanted the Lawson family’s money now was simple. She was broke. An orphan, divorced, and needing something to fall back on. It was understandable. Bored out of his mind, Frank stuck around for a while longer, sipping drinks with Hubert. Eventually, he used an incoming call as an excuse to leave. “Don’t drink too much,” Frank warned the tipsy Hubert before leaving. “Call your assistant to pick you up and take you home.” Meanwhile, in the private room next door, a club staff came in to report, “Mr. Gavin, the guest in the adjacent room has ordered more drinks,” Gavin leaned in, whispered a few instructions, and handed the staff a small package. The staff member nodded and left the room. Turning his attention back to Natalie, who was singing loudly, Gavin pulled her over with a charming smile. “Thirsty, Natalie? Have a drink.” Natalie, in a drunken haze, nodded and opened her mouth to take the glass, but the boyish, fair-skinned Steven intervened. “You… you… added something to the drink!” Steven stammered, his face red with anger and anxiety. “You can’t… hurt her. She’s already… so heartbroken!” “Oh, please!” Gavin scoffed, now intrigued by the rabbit-like boy’s unexpected concern for Natalie. “I’m not hurting her. I’m helping her!” he declared confidently. Nobody knew better than Gavin how deeply Natalie loved Hubert. But in two years of marriage, Hubert hadn’t even touched Natalie. Now was the perfect time. If he didn’t take this chance, he’d regret it. After the divorce, there would be no more ties between the two of them, and certainly no opportunities like this.