"Mom, my father wants to talk to you."
Natalie took a deep sigh before she responded to Bella.
"Did he trouble you?" Natalie starts to feel angry with Lucas. "Bella, if he refused, let it be. I don’t care about my status with him. I’ll be fine if he doesn’t force me to return there."
"No, Mom. Dad didn’t trouble me. He has actually changed a lot. Since yesterday, I’ve felt like I met someone else; he looks so different."
"What do you mean he has changed a lot?" Natalie asked, confused. "A monster will never change, Bella. What you see is probably just his mask."
"Mom, I know. But he has indeed changed," Bella said. She knew it was impossible to change someone’s attitude, at least not quickly or even in the blink of an eye. However, after meeting her father yesterday and today, Bella could see something change inside him. He is now different from what she had imagined before meeting him the last time.
"Bella, I’ve seen that side of him too often. But believe me, he will definitely return to being the way he was before. A temperamental and cruel man who would lose his rationality and caring when angry."
"I understand what you’ve been through with him. That’s why I know what I asked is a lot for you. I’m sorry I had to ask this, but I hope you can at least hear what he wants to say for one last time. You don’t need to say anything if you don’t want to...And I will be there the whole time, Mom."
"Uhm, Bella, what do you think your father wants to say to me?" Natalie finally asked after a short silence.
"He told me he wanted to apologize and speak to you for the last time before he signs the divorce papers."
Once again, silence hung in the air.
Natalie was at a loss for words when she heard that Lucas had agreed to sign the divorce papers. "Are you sure he will sign it?" she asked.
Bella’s hand gripped her cell phone tighter upon hearing her mother’s doubt.
"Mom, if my father lies to me, I promise you, he won’t be able to return home. He will end up in the worst place he could imagine for the rest of his life. I will throw him in prison to pay for all his sins." Bella answered calmly and softly, yet her eyes glowed with fire.
Natalie felt doubtful and confused. ’Should I talk to Lucas?’ she wondered. She was too afraid to talk to him now, not even just hearing his voice.
Hearing her mother seem reluctant to speak to her father, Bella smiled. She fully understood her, and she had predicted this.
"Mom, it’s fine if you don’t want to talk with him. My father promised to sign the paper even if you refused to see him. So, his request to see you is not a condition. He tried to convince me more than once that his request was nothing but to show his regret for ever hurting you, and he was ready to pay the consequences."
"Na-Natalie," Lucas’s voice sounded shaky. He felt his heart racing, "I really miss you..."
"Straight to the point, Father!" Bella chimed in, her intimidating eyes narrowing at him enough to give Lucas chills in his veins.
Lucas Donovan cleared his throat, clenching the cell phone before expressing his thoughts.
"Natalie, I understand what I did to you in the past can’t be forgiven." Lucas’s voice trembled. "However, for the first time since we married, I want to apologize for what I did to you. Please forgive me."
After a few seconds, Lucas didn’t hear any reaction from Natalie; he started to feel worried.
In a hurry, he continued, "Natalie, my dear, if you can’t forgive me now, I hope you can forgive me in the future. Alright... I won’t say anything else, or take your time." He paused with a bitter smile. "Please take care of your health and be happy. Goodbye, Natalie. Thank you for everything..." Tears flowed from the corner of his eyes.
After waiting for a few more seconds and not hearing anything from Natalie, Lucas wiped his tears before pulling the phone away from his ear and turning to look at his daughter.
He said nothing but handed the phone to Bella, then took a white envelope from his pocket and placed it on the table.

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