Damian's face turned dark when he heard Natalie's answer. He glared coldly at her, and his tone was laced with anger.

"Then, get out of my face and go get the condoms now!"

Natalie didn't say a word and picked up the cash from the ground before leaving the mansion. After she got the things he wanted, she left them neatly by the door and went back into her room before locking the door behind her.

The sounds from next door never ceased the entire night.

Damian kept talking gently and sweetly while doing the deed with Cheryl the entire night, like he was trying to get revenge on Natalie for everything.

"You smell so good, Cherry. I love you so much. Won't you also love me forever and never leave my side?"

He used to say the exact same things to Natalie back when they were also sleeping together.

At that time, they were still living paycheck-to-paycheck in a run-down, rented flat that was less than 200 square feet, but they were very much in love with each other.

Natalie had always fantasized about growing old together with Damian and having a son and a daughter together, living happily ever after. Unfortunately for her, those memories were nothing but a fantasy. Beautiful as they were, they would never materialize.

She cried the entire night. When she woke up the next morning, her pillow was soaked.

She told herself that this was going to be the final time she ever cried for Damian.

When she went downstairs, Damian and Cheryl were already up.

Back then, the women whom Damian slept with never stayed the night. Cheryl was the first one and also the only one to still be there during breakfast.

The maids in the mansion looked a lot busier than usual. It was only then that Natalie learned it was Cheryl's birthday today, and Damian was throwing a massive birthday banquet for her in their home.

Plenty of friends and guests from their circle arrived for the party when it started later in the day. They all greeted Cheryl warmly as if she were the actual lady of the household.

Meanwhile, Damian continued indulging Cheryl, leading her around while receiving toasts and congratulatory wishes from the guests. After Cheryl made a wish and blew out the candles on the cake, he then fastened a diamond necklace worth millions of dollars around her neck.

In the heat of the moment, Damian and Cheryl even shared a passionate kiss in front of all the guests. Everyone erupted into loud applause, and the glances cast at Natalie were mostly those of disdain and pity.

"It's truly pathetic to see the actual wife being reduced to this."

"Everyone knows that she's the laughingstock of the entire circle. If I were in her shoes, I'd dig a hole in the ground and hide in it for the rest of my life."

"Yet, she's behaving like she's not the least bit affected by it at all. She's not even responding to anything."

Natalie bitterly forced a smile. She'd already suffered way too much—this was nothing compared to all of that.

Halfway through the banquet, Cheryl got hold of Natalie in a secluded corner.

"It's been a day. Aren't you going to ask me anything?" Cheryl asked.

Natalie just shook her head lightly. "There's no need for me to know anymore."

Cheryl was her best friend. So, she was aware of the things that had happened in the past as well.

Over the years, Cheryl had witnessed firsthand how much Natalie had suffered. She had watched Damian send her countless photos of random women in his bed every night while Natalie cried alone by herself. At times, Cheryl had felt so sorry for Natalie that she thought of calling him up and just explaining everything to him.

However, Natalie had stopped her from telling Damian the truth. She said that there was nothing that would change their fate, no matter what they did.

And now, Cheryl was looking at her with red-rimmed eyes. There were just too many hidden emotions in her eyes, and Natalie wasn't sure she could decipher all of them.

"You know that I hate seeing you like this the most, Natalie Underwood. You always act like you don't care. You don't know anything, so, naturally, you also wouldn't know that I've been in love with Damian for years.

"Yet, the only person he cares about is you. I know that you suffered a lot because of him for years, but do you know what kind of life he went through in the years after you left him?

"He kept drinking himself close to death every night because of you. He would stay alone in your old rented flat, waiting for you to come home to him for the whole night. He kept a photo you left behind in his wallet for years.

"Once, when he got robbed, he preferred to get stabbed a few more times instead of giving up the wallet with your photo in it because he didn't want to lose the only memento of you he had left. He even married you and brought you home as his wife after he succeeded.

"Yet, he kept bringing home random women every day simply because he was waiting for you to make the first move and beg him to stop. He was just trying to crack you open. If you'd only told him that you still loved him, he would have abandoned everything and gotten back together with you. You guys would be like how you were in the past.

"Do you know how arrogant he is, Natalie Underwood? Yet, he humbled himself to such an extent for you. He hates you, but he loves you even more."

Cheryl then paused for a moment.

"You know what? I hate you too. I hate that he still refuses to let go of you, even though you keep treating him coldly.

"Actually, Damian never wanted to sleep with me. The women he brought back with him every night have all always looked just like you, but I don't look like you one bit. Yet, I will be the woman who will stay by his side the longest.

"Do you know why?

"That's because I lied to him. I told him that I was the one who donated the kidney to save his life."

Natalie listened to everything quietly without saying a word.

Seeing that Natalie was still keeping her silence, Cheryl's breathing became increasingly rapid. After a long while, she said, "You haven't given me a birthday gift this year, Natalie. There's only one thing I want from you.

"I want you to give Damian to me."

At that, Natalie went silent for a long time. Just when Cheryl thought that she wasn't going to be getting a response from her anymore, Natalie said, "Okay."

Cheryl smiled with tears in her eyes.

"Since you're giving him to me, then you must give him up completely so that he has absolutely no more feelings for you."

After saying that, Cheryl released her grip on the staircase railing, closed her eyes, and toppled backward.

The loud noise startled everyone.

Damian's face immediately turned dark when he saw Cheryl lying in a pool of blood on the floor.

"Natalie Underwood! You're really asking for it this time!"

He then hurriedly picked Cheryl up in his arms and ran out the door.

The banquet ended on a sour note, and Damian's bodyguards brought Natalie along to the hospital too.

When Damian heard that Cheryl had lost a lot of blood and that she had the same blood type as Natalie, he immediately ordered that Natalie donate her blood to Cheryl without any hesitation.

Natalie needed to undergo a simple medical examination before she could donate her blood, and that meant her past surgeries and medical history would then be revealed. She couldn't possibly let Damian find out right now that she had donated a kidney to him in the past.

At this, though, she purposely put on a cold, indifferent look and said, "I'm not donating anything. It's not like her blood type is rare. Why are you insisting that I must donate blood to her?"

Damian then grabbed a thick bundle of cash and slapped it in her face.

"You love money, don't you? How much do you want? I'll pay you! Will you finally donate your blood now?"

She stared blankly at Damian, who was still throwing more and more banknotes in her face. She felt as though a knife was slashing right into her heart.

After Damian had impatiently slapped her with six or seven bundles of cash, Natalie finally crouched down and picked up all of the fallen banknotes on the ground. Then, she smiled and looked at him.

"You should have just given it to me earlier instead of wasting my time like that."

Then, she went straight to the blood donation center in the hospital.

After the medical examination, the doctor looked at the report and shook his head, saying, "This young woman has had surgery before and is missing a kidney. She also has a history of severe bleeding. It's highly recommended that she not give blood at all."

Damian frowned hard. "What do you mean by her missing a kidney?"

Before Natalie could say anything, he continued coldly, "What's the point? Are you going to try and lie to my face, saying that you're the one who donated your kidney to me after all, just so that you can try to extort more money from me?"

Natalie felt her heart clench in her chest. Yet, she forced a smile and nodded.

"Bingo. But I didn't think you'd see right through it."

Damian's face turned even darker than before. He grabbed the doctor by his collar and gritted his teeth in anger.

"I don't care how much she paid you to lie to me, but I will pay you double that amount. Draw as much blood from her as Cheryl needs."

The huge needle pierced into Natalie's vein, making her tremble involuntarily. Blood slowly drained away, and she could feel her body grow colder and colder.

Her vision began to blur. Natalie didn't know how much blood she had given, but she eventually couldn't hold out anymore and fainted.

When she finally woke up, the sun had already set, and it was dark outside. Yet, there was a warm chocolate chip cookie waiting for her next to her hospital bedside table.

In the past, Damian would always brave the wind and rain to buy her favorite chocolate chip cookies for her if she wasn't feeling well, just to cheer her up.

He once told her that he didn't have a lot and could only afford to buy her cheap cookies like these. However, he promised that he would buy her more premium and luxurious ones in the future when he could afford them.

Natalie recalled how he used to hug her and comfort her gently, and she felt her heart throbbing painfully in her chest. It hurt so badly that she could barely even breathe.

She reached up and took the cookie, biting into it robotically until she finished the whole thing.

When she went out, she happened to see Cheryl in the ward next to her, lying in Damian's arms while flirting and speaking coquettishly with him.

"It's too warm, Dam. Cool it off for me, please?"

Damian then brought the spoonful of soup to his lips, blew on it gently, and brought the spoon back to Cheryl's lips.

She took a small sip and pouted hard. "This tastes horrible."

Damian didn't look the least bit impatient or offended by her words. He just smiled at her and retrieved a piece of candy from his pocket. He tore off the wrapper and popped it into her mouth.

Cheryl blinked again and said, "This still tastes bad."

This time, Damian set down the bowl, cupped Cheryl's face in his hands, and kissed her softly and gently on the lips.

A short while later, they separated, and Cheryl leaned into his arms, speaking in a soft, coquettish voice.

"Dam, can't you stop loving Natalie and love me instead?"

Damian happened to look out at that moment and met Natalie's eyes outside the door.

There was a moment of silence in the air. He stared at Natalie, his eyes cold and indifferent.

"I won't love her anymore. Not for the rest of my life."

Natalie didn't say anything. She just smiled bitterly to herself and turned to leave.

During Cheryl's stay in the hospital, everyone was well aware of how much Damian doted on her and spoiled her to bits.

Yet, not a single person came to visit Natalie as she stayed alone by herself.

An intern thought that Natalie was single and brazenly asked her for her contact number one day. By sheer coincidence, Damian happened to witness it when he asked.

He glared at the two of them and didn't say another word. However, the look in his eyes was frighteningly frigid.

That night, Natalie saw the fireworks show that Damian set up for Cheryl.

The bright fireworks display lit up the entire night sky, and everyone in the hospital couldn't help but come out to admire the show.

Natalie stood under the fireworks, admiring the display of beauty that bloomed, though it wasn't for her.

The fireworks were fleeting, just like her happiness.

After that, she realized that the intern who had been attending to her previously had disappeared. She never saw him again, even until the day she was discharged from the hospital.

On the day Natalie was discharged, Cheryl insisted on bringing her back with them.

"Let's just bring Natalie back with us, Dam. It's going to be very inconvenient for her to get a cab on her own."

Damian just glared at her and said in a hostile manner, "Don't be too kind to her, Cheryl. People are only going to step all over you if you keep doing that.

"Also, she's an expert at seducing other men into doing her bidding, too. There are plenty of men queueing up to bring her home."

Natalie didn't say a word but still got into their car anyway.

Halfway home, Damian suddenly got a work call. He said that he had to attend an important networking lunch that he'd been putting off for far too long.

When Cheryl heard that, she immediately begged him to bring her and Natalie along as well because she wanted to see what these networking events were like. Also, she claimed that she was bored to death after staying at the hospital for days.

Damian didn't reject her suggestion, so the three of them ended up attending the networking lunch together. When everyone saw him entering the venue holding Cheryl's hand, they naturally assumed that she was his wife instead of Natalie.

The businessmen's eyes immediately shifted to her.

"And who may this be, Mr. Abbott?"

Damian barely glanced at Natalie before answering coldly, "Her? She's our nanny, here to take care of Cheryl."

Natalie felt her heart shudder, but she didn't fight back.

Some of the businessmen tried talking to her and offering her drinks, and Damian just coldly beckoned Natalie toward them.

"Go ahead and keep them entertained. You're not here for leisure. But don't worry. You'll get paid for this as well."

Natalie smiled and immediately accepted the drinks from the businessmen, finishing glass after glass of alcohol.

When the crowd realized that Damian didn't seem the least bit interested in her, they began coming over to her and pouring out more and more drinks for her, urging her to finish every drop. Meanwhile, Natalie didn't refuse any of their requests either.

Somewhere along the way, one of the middle-aged businessmen began groping Natalie in secret. She pushed him off a few times, but he got even more brazen and draped an arm right around her waist in public.

Damian watched everything from a dark corner. His gaze was dark and thunderous.

After her umpteenth glass of alcohol, Natalie felt dizzy and nauseated and could barely even walk in a straight line.

She excused herself to the washroom to freshen up. When she came back out, she saw the middle-aged businessman from earlier taking slow, sure steps toward her.

At once, her guard went up as she had a bad feeling about this. She hurriedly backed away from him, but he was quicker as he grabbed her and covered her nose and mouth with a towel soaked in a solution.

Natalie felt her body becoming heavier and heavier. Her blood seemed to begin boiling at that instant as well, and she struggled hard as she was dragged away into a secluded corner.

Just before she was forcefully dragged into a room, she used the last of her strength to kick the man in the balls. Then, she took advantage of the moment he loosened his grip in pain and shoved the man off her body before staggering out toward the door.

She found a random room to hide in, feeling her body heat up quickly as the drug began taking effect. She knew then that the drug from earlier must have been an aphrodisiac, and she was now suffering from it.

In her haze, she saw the room door being pushed open as a tall man walked into her field of vision.

She couldn't see his face clearly because of the backlight and assumed that he was just a waiter. So, she hurriedly rushed toward him and grabbed him by the arm, crying, "Quick, get me a man!"

The "waiter's" voice was cold and indifferent.

"Do you even know what you're saying?"

Natalie bit down on her lip, forcing herself to stay sober.

"I… I can't die… Please, you have to help me…"

The man laughed coldly again and said, "Why are you asking me to look for a man for you when I'm already standing right here?"

The voice was very familiar to her, and Natalie suddenly sobered up a lot more after recognizing him. She forced her eyes wide open and saw that it was Damian. Then, she pushed him off with whatever strength she had left in her body.

"You… You won't do… I can't…"

Damian's face turned dark and thunderous again. He rushed up to her in fury and grabbed her by the neck, choking her hard.

"Why won't I do? Weren't you the one who said that you'd never leave me as long as I was rich? I'm rich now! So, why won't I do?"

Natalie was stunned for a while. Tears began falling from her eyes a short while later. Her voice shook as she said, "Because… Because you're Damian… Because you're my Damian…"

Her words were like a tidal wave, making Damian completely lose his control as he forced her back against the wall and kissed her deeply.