Chapter 165

Zoe smiled and patted Natalie’s shoulder. The warmth and her voice were both genuine. Zoe stepped back, smiling at her, noticing how much weight she had lost. Zoe was really happy because she didn’t see the usual sadness in Natalie’s eyes. Her eyes were bright, just like when they first met.

“Natalie, I just knew one day you’d realize, like I did, and stop letting them push you around.”

But Natalie’s eyes teared up because, for Zoe, it was about cutting losses in time. But for her, it felt like she had to transport back to finally realize it.

“Yeah! Zoe, I’ve left the Simpson family and I’m divorcing Easton. I’m never going back to the Simpson family, and I’ll never love Easton again.”

She suddenly decided to come here because Maurice had something come up unexpectedly and couldn’t make it back in time. Since she wouldn’t see Maurice tonight, she thought she’d drop by and check on Zoe.

Zoe was thrilled to hear that. Seeing her truly let go of the Simpson family made her quite happy. “Natalie, it’s good you left. You’re amazing and shouldn’t let them wear you down. Cooking and cleaning for a man is fine, as long as he’s worth giving up everything for.”

She looked at the calm and serene ocean during the sunset, saying, “You know, I’ve liked Jason since I was 12 years old. In middle school, I was running after him, becoming the biggest joke in our circle. I did all kinds of silly things for him before finally realizing that he didn’t love me, no matter what. That plan a few months ago made me completely give up on him. You once asked me why I left so decisively even though I loved him so much.

“Back then, I really wanted to tell you something because I saw how kind you were to Easton, just as I used to be to Jason. People like us, who lack self–love and are full of insecurities, won’t find happiness. Since that night, whenever I look at Jason, all those intense feelings just faded away. I don’t love him anymore and won’t cling to him.

“I have been pursuing him for over a decade. Others mock me, calling me a simp, but I’m simply chasing my own happiness. As for the gossip, I just shrug it off. He often seeks out Jasmine. I think someone like her isn’t worthy of his love. One day, he’ll realize that and return.”

“But how can a childhood friend compete with a sudden romance? His heart has always been with Jasmine,” Zoe said.

The setting sun fell into Zoe’s beautiful big eyes as if it spoke of relief and acceptance.

Natalie understood as well, and facing the ocean, she said with a smile in her voice, “Zoe, thank you! I’ve come to realize that letting go isn’t as hard as it seems. It’s ourselves who make it tough.”

Zoe saw that she understood and smiled knowingly. She looked down at her round belly and chuckled, “I know you can’t resist staying busy, but you need to keep my secret. The baby is due soon. There’s a hospital on this beautiful island, but I don’t want the Simpsons to know I’m expecting. Jason doesn’t like me, and he probably wouldn’t love this child either. It’s better if he doesn’t know about him.”

She’s expecting a boy. The doctor who took care of her check–ups is a classmate of hers and didn’t keep it a secret from her.

Natalie understood her pain, “Zoe, I’m not going to let Jason know either.”

She hasn’t told Zoe about Jason’s accident yet. That was what she had hoped for, but she knew it wasn’t what Zoe wanted. Even though Zoe resented Jason, she still wished for his safety.

This was Zoe’s way of loving someone. She might not love or hate, but she didn’t want Jason to get into trouble. That’s why her family moved quietly without a fuss. She decided to leave because she didn’t want to ruin Jason’s life. She let Jason go, but that didn’t mean Jason would let her off the hook.

Jason’s fate was already sealed. Without Jennifer’s meddling, he and Jasmine couldn’t have lasted long either. If the two of them lived together, chaos would surely ensue. Jasmine loved having fun and often stayed out all night, while Jason lacked real skills and their fragile love couldn’t handle the strain.

Zoe knew this very well. She neither punished him nor sought revenge, yet Jason was destined for a difficult marriage. Indeed, Zoe’s prediction turned out to be correct. Currently, there’s already a gap between the two of them.

Natalie smiled and said, “Zoe, that night’s incident was orchestrated by Jennifer and Jasmine. Once Jason discovered the truth, I’m not sticking around to get the blame. But I didn’t do much, really. I just revealed Jennifer’s disguise. Then Jason called to apologize, but I didn’t accept it.” Zoe smiled softly, her smile was beautiful and gentle, but deep down, she was incredibly resilient.

Also, once she made a decision, she wouldn’t change it easily. She didn’t love Jason anymore, and unless there was a miracle, that was not going to change.

“You’ve done really well. Seeing your changes now, I know you are destined for greatness,” Zoe said.

Zoe grabbed Natalie’s hand. “Natalie, come on, let’s go have some tasty food. The seafood here is really fresh, and I love the shells and lobsters. The weather should be nice tomorrow. You can go diving and maybe catch some lobsters. Isn’t lobster meat your favorite? This time of year, you can find them in water just three feet deep once the tide goes out.”

Natalie was thrilled and agreed to stay and enjoy herself for a few days. Maurice wouldn’t be back for a while anyway. This was a perfect chance for her to unwind a bit.

In a few days, Vance would be back, and there will be some trouble to deal with.

Zoe took Natalie to the beach night market, where there were lots of snacks, all fresh seafood. Zoe took Natalie to her usual place, and they ordered lots of lobster and grilled fish. The fish was all fresh, caught from the sea earlier that day. The grilled lobster without anything on it was still really tasty.

The beach was filled with people having fun. Not far away, a group of men were swimming, wearing only beach shorts. Even in the twilight, you could see their broad shoulders and slim waists, a perfect V–shape, with toned abs and chest muscles. They had long legs and a healthy tan. Natalie couldn’t help but take a few extra looks. She thought, “The men on this island are such a sight for sore eyes!”

Zoe noticed her enchanted look and smiled. “Those are the island’s diving instructors. Tomorrow, I’ll find one I know well to take you diving. If you want some lobster, he can catch it for you. He’s really good at catching fish.”

Natalie nodded. “Great, I’ll stay with you here for three days, and I’ll come back when you have the baby.”

“Great!” Zoe said happily, “Oh, by the way, Natalie, have you and Easton finalized your divorce?”

Natalie thought about Easton, who was so reluctant to finalize the divorce. It was frustrating–he was the one who wanted it, she agreed, and now he didn’t want to go through with it.

She shook her head. “We only signed the divorce agreement, but haven’t finalized it.”

Zoe looked at her intently and said firmly, “When it comes to you and Easton, I’m all for the split, not encouraging you to stay together.”