After I Stopped Loving Him (Isabella and Ethan) novel Chapter 409

“My mom has zero tolerance when it comes to marriage. Jackson cheated on her, so she wants a divorce. I support her.” Isabella’s voice was calm, almost detached. “Tell me, Natalie, if your husband cheated and had a child with someone else, could you just ignore it as long as he didn’t bring the mistress home? Could you act like nothing happened?”

“Of course not! I… Jordan would never cheat on me,” Natalie blurted out, almost on instinct.

Isabella let out a dry laugh. “Exactly. Most wives could never accept that kind of betrayal.”

She continued, “I’m not going to interfere in my mom’s divorce, and I’m definitely not going to persuade her to move back in. She and Jackson will just go their separate ways peacefully.”

Cynthia wasn’t arguing or making a scene, which left Jackson without much to say. After Deborah started pressuring him about the divorce, Jackson was already starting to waver.

Natalie shook her head, still not convinced. “You guys are being ridiculous. Once they’re divorced, Cynthia’s going to lose a lot.”

“My mom isn’t greedy.” Jackson would give Cynthia a decent settlement.

Natalie muttered under her breath, “Just giving away what’s yours…”

Isabella nodded, her tone suddenly sharp. “Yeah, you’re right. Why just give away what’s yours?”

“That’s what I’m saying. If something belongs to you, you hold on to it. Don’t just hand it over. Even if you have to ruin it, don’t let someone else take it. Isabella, think about it and try talking to Cynthia.” Cynthia probably wouldn’t get much of the Lane family fortune, but she still enjoyed a pretty comfortable life. That’s what Natalie really meant.

“Technically, those gifts should be mine. But after we got married, all I actually received was the townhouse at Elysian Fields and the car I’m driving now.”

“You kept everything else for yourself. And just now, you said that no one should just hand over what belongs to them. I agree. Why should I?”

“If it was my mom or Jackson who asked to keep some of those gifts, I’d understand. They’re my elders, they raised me. I’d want to do something in return, to help them enjoy their later years.”

“But you? You never raised me. You have no claim on me at all. So what gives you the right to take my wedding gifts?”

“Natalie, don’t you think it’s time you gave back what’s mine?”