Drifting Apart With Time

A loud clatter came through the receiver. It was several moments later when she heard Allen Lang exclaim in pure excitement, "Natalie, you finally accepted the role! I've been keeping it for you! Our production will definitely win an award with you joining the cast."

Before Natalie married Lester, Lester's mother had asked her to stop acting and focus on family after the wedding.

For the past three years, aside from attending necessary events as Lester's partner, she had no longer been active in the industry.

She had almost forgotten how it felt to be the youngest Best Actress three years ago.

Thankfully, she'd receive the divorce certificate in a month and return to the acting industry she was passionate about.

"Natalie, when will you be coming to Echalon? I can't wait any longer!"

Natalie checked the calendar. Then, she answered softly, "I'll be there on the 6th of next month."

That was the day she could obtain the divorce certificate.

Once she received the document, she would fly to Echalon.

She spoke with Allen briefly about her upcoming role before ending the call.

Just as she entered her car, a notification sounded on her phone, a special ringtone she used for certain news.

She checked her phone and saw Lester's latest Twitter post.

"I'll do anything for you to be with me."

Alongside the caption were a photo of the divorce papers and another of his and Irene's hands clasped, their fingers intertwined.

Lester started his Twitter account seven years ago. Since then, he'd only posted three tweets.

The first was when Natalie agreed to make their relationship public.

The second was a celebratory status update when she won Best Actress.

The third was a flashy post announcing his love for her on their wedding day.

Now, he'd deleted those tweets. The latest tweet was the only one left on his account.

In the comments section, Irene's fans were in joy.

"Wow! A CEO and a gorgeous actress, what a couple!"

"Our Reenie is worthy of his affection! About time that old hag gets dumped!"

…

Later on, Natalie's name appeared on the trending list for the first time in a long while with hashtags like "#FormerBestActressNatalieShermanDivorced and #ExemplaryCoupleDivorcedAfterThreeYears

When she married Lester, she'd never imagined their relationship would end up like this.

Their love survived the Garrison family's massive disapproval, yet ended with Lester falling for someone else.

Suppressing the ache in her heart, she commented on his tweet, "Congrats on finding your new love, Mr. Garrison."

She had just posted it when she received a call from Yvonne Hall, her former manager.

"Nat, you and Mr. Garrison…"

Yvonne witnessed Natalie's rise to fame every step of the way. Even though Natalie had stopped acting after getting married, they remained friends.

Aware of Yvonne's hesitation to speak, Natalie replied, "It's true, Yvonne. Lester and I have signed the divorce papers."

Yvonne fell silent. When she spoke, she sounded regretful. "I saw how sincere he was back then and thought he was different from other wealthy men."

The sunlight shone through the trees overhead, leaving patches of shadow on Natalie's face.

When she married Lester, she had also thought he was a rare specimen among the rich, someone who stayed loyal.

Now, it seemed he was just a good actor.

If he were in the acting industry, he would easily win Best Actor.

After all, his performance even deceived her, someone who had once been Best Actress.

"Let's forget about him. Remember to be at the awards-giving ceremony on time. I'm already here."

Before her marriage, Natalie was the female lead in her last movie, "Before the End".

As the post-production process was demanding, it had only been aired last year. Nevertheless, it had already won several international awards.

Her role in the movie also earned her a nomination for Best Female Lead.

The award-giving ceremony was today.

After ending the call, she drove straight to the venue.

She had just found her seat when a commotion stirred at the entrance.

Looking toward the source of the noise, she saw Irene entering the hall, arms linked with Lester's.

Many reporters approached them as soon as they appeared.

"Mr. Garrison, do you regret ending your three-year marriage with Ms. Sherman just like that?"

"Ms. Sterling, Mr. Garrison divorced his wife for you. Do you think your actions are morally inappropriate?"

Irene replied to their ruthless questions confidently, "I will never be a mistress. Les and I started dating only after their divorce. Their relationship was already turbulent in the first place. I'm not at fault."

Lester gazed dotingly at her. "I don't regret my decision. If love is no longer present in a relationship, their marriage would only feel like a chain that restricts their freedom. Divorce will then be the best solution."