Chapter 563

"You blame it on drunkenness?" Natalie retorted coldly. "Is that your reason for not wanting a divorce? Jeremy, no matter your excuse, you're tainted in my eyes. Tainted, do you understand?"

A sharp pain shot through Jeremy's chest, his face paling. "Natalie, you've drunk too much. You're not thinking clearly."

"No, I did drink, but I'm not drunk. I'm clearer than I've ever been. Jeremy, from the day you cheated, we were done. Completely done."

Natalie's face was pale, too. Each word she spoke cut into both Jeremy and herself. His lips tightened, his presence growing colder. "We'll talk when you're sober. Get some rest."

With that, he left, gently closing the door behind him. The moment it shut, tears streamed down Natalie's reddened eyes. She crouched, burying her head in her knees and crying silently. She hated him, deeply. All their happiness was shattered; the love she'd once been so proud of now seemed a cruel joke. And now Jeremy had the nerve to offer excuses, claiming it wasn't what she thought, a mere physical betrayal, even suggesting a drunken mistake. Natalie wondered if he understood what he was saying. Drunkenness didn't absolve him of cheating; his inability to resist temptation didn't negate his fault.

Chapter 563

When Rowan arrived at Mystic Bar with his friends and spotted Joe drinking alone, his suspicions were confirmed. "Damn it! It really is Joe. Doesn't he rarely come to places like this?" someone asked.

Rowan raised an eyebrow. "You said he rarely came here, not that he'd never been here before."

For Joe, the place was indeed too noisy. Though he was drinking alone, several women tried to approach him. Anyone could see Joe wasn't an ordinary man. However, it was clear he wasn't there for fun; he looked like he was drowning his sorrows.

Rowan walked briskly over and sat beside him. "What made you come to a bar?"

"To drink," Joe replied, handing Rowan a bottle.

Rowan looked at the bottle and twitched his lips. "Just drinking like this? Didn't you ask me to bring people?"

He had brought both men and women. The men looked uneasy upon seeing Joe, while the women blushed, their hearts quickening. This was Joe Martin—someone they'd never dreamed of meeting.

Chapter 563

If one of them could catch Joe's eye, their social standing would surely rise. Rowan knew what the women were thinking and didn't stop them. Joe wasn't as resistant to people approaching him as he used to be.

Felicia Ingram sat beside him. She had a delicate, almost angelic appearance, maintaining a respectful distance. "Mr. Martin, we've actually met twice before. The last time was just a few days ago at a charity gala," she said softly, her voice gentle and pleasant. She even resembled Skylar somewhat.