Chapter 679

The plane took off after a while. Turbulence had been rampant for the past few days, making for a rough flight. Natalie felt uncomfortable. Jeremy, sitting beside her, gently consoled her as he often did. “Don’t be scared. I’m here for you.”

His familiar words transported her to a past memory. For a second, Natalie thought she was dreaming. She relaxed, then calmly nodded. “Okay,” she replied, adding, as she used to, “I’m not scared.”

Jeremy’s eyes glinted with surprise. He had waited a day just to fly back with her. He believed their problems would fade with time, that the effects of the affair would eventually lessen.

“I brought a book. Would you like to read it?” He produced a book after the plane leveled off.

Natalie looked down. It was a romance novel, filled with cliché tropes. She thought about how girls often harbored unrealistic dreams, fantasizing about being the heroine in a passionate love story. She and Jeremy, however, had been together for decades, deeply in love for years. He knew her better than she knew herself. Her eyes often irritated after looking at her phone, but reading wouldn't have the same effect.

“Thank you,” she said, taking the book. She hadn’t read such novels in a long time. Once, she’d been captivated by them, believing their stories mirrored her own relationship, that the romance would somehow spill from the pages. Now, though, she no longer liked to dream.

Looking at the embracing couple on the cover, she hesitated. She couldn't bear to read it, yet she couldn't refuse Jeremy's kindness. She flipped through the pages. It felt strangely familiar; she felt as though she had read an online version before, even crying over the couple's plight, promising to buy a physical copy upon its release. She wondered if this was coincidence or if Jeremy remembered.

Jeremy intently watched her distracted expression. He sensed her distance, her self-doubt around him. How could he miss it? Meeting him at the hotel and sharing this flight to Jipsburg had only intensified her fear; there was no joy in her surprise. The woman he loved couldn't tolerate imperfections.

“Nath, we’ll get better. Believe me,” Jeremy said softly, a pleading undertone in his voice.

Natalie felt a painful tightening in her chest. She wanted to escape, but rationality prevailed. She nodded. “Alright, I believe you.”

She knew her belief meant little. Broken trust is difficult to rebuild. Perhaps she was selfish and headstrong.

Austin, seated nearby, overheard their conversation, sensing their unusual dynamic as a married couple. He knew Jeremy must have done something to make Natalie compromise her principles, to overlook the imperfections in their marriage, forcing her to confront and ultimately yield to his will.

Though the flight was only three hours long, it felt like an eternity. Natalie couldn't maintain the pretense of reading; she knew the words but couldn't process them, her mind clouded, unable to think.

When it was time to disembark, Jeremy took her hand. She tried to pull away, stiffly jerking it, but his grip remained firm.