Reclaimed By My Ex-husband-Chapter 299: Giving up

Chapter 299: Giving up
Zara studied the dress more closely. The fine thread work, the crystal beads—everything complemented the diamond necklace he had given her earlier.
’So he chose this dress with the necklace in mind,’ she realized.
She became so absorbed in examining it that she completely forgot she wasn’t alone.
Three pairs of eyes were fixed on her, waiting for a response. But Zara remained silent, gazing at the dress.
Gracie and Paulina exchanged a concerned glance.
"You don’t like the dress?" Gracie asked gently.
"It’s alright, dear," Paulina added quickly. "If you don’t like it, we can always change it."
Zara snapped out of her daze. "No... I like it. It’s beautiful."
A collective sigh of relief escaped them.
"That’s good, then," Paulina said. "You should go try it on. See if it fits. If it doesn’t, we can get it altered."
Zara knew without trying that it would fit her perfectly. Nathaniel had always known her size. At that moment, the dress hardly mattered to her. All she wanted was to see him, to talk to him.
"He went shopping with you?" she asked, ignoring the suggestion to try it on.
Paulina nodded. "Yes, he did."
"Then where is he?" Zara asked, impatience creeping into her voice. "He dropped you home, didn’t he? Why didn’t he come inside?"
"Oh, don’t ask me," Paulina waved her hand. "After dropping us off, he went straight back to the office."
A knot of unease twisted in Zara’s stomach. She could tell that he was deliberately keeping his distance. ’He must have seen my car outside,’ she thought. ’He knew I was here. That’s why he didn’t come in.’
An impulse to call him, to stop him, to speak to him right then and there rose sharply within her.
"I..." She began to stand.
"Mommy, look..." Zane’s excited voice cut in. He proudly held up a navy-blue suit. "This is my suit. Daddy bought it for me. Will you help me wear it?"
Zara hesitated. She wanted to call Nathaniel, but as she looked at Zane’s eyes, full of excitement, she couldn’t bring herself to refuse him.
"Come on. Let’s go to the bedroom."
Zane hopped happily, clutching the suit as he followed her inside.
Gracie watched them disappear down the hallway. "I don’t know what the future holds," she said quietly, her shoulders dropping. "But I truly want Zara and Nathaniel to find their way back to each other."
Paulina rested a reassuring hand on hers. "They will," she said with certainty. "They love each other, and they love their children more than anything. That bond will bring them back together. I’m sure of it."
Gracie wasn’t as confident as Paulina. She had witnessed the cold distance Zara had kept from Nathaniel. Yet, despite her doubts, she clung to Paulina’s words, wanting them to turn into reality.
"I hope you are right," she whispered, her gaze distant.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Instead of returning to the office, Nathaniel went to a bar. For three long months, he had waited, day after day, for a call or even a message from Zara. He kept hoping she would contact him, but nothing ever came. Her silence had wounded him, yet he had refused to give up.
He had convinced himself that her love hadn’t disappeared, that she was still angry and needed time. So he had waited, willing to give her as much space as she wanted. But as the days dragged on, his patience slowly began to erode.
Every day, he found himself standing outside the Moore mansion, yearning to go in and see her. Fear stopped him—fear that his presence would only upset her further.
He had spoken to Bree occasionally, asking about Zara, taking updates on her health, but he could never gather the courage to call her himself.
When his parents’ wedding anniversary drew near, he saw it as a chance to reach out, to see if she would finally talk to him. He had bought her a necklace and sent it over, hoping it would prompt some response. But there was nothing.
Still unwilling to give up, he had gone shopping and selected a dress for her, certain that this time she would reach out.
She didn’t.
Each unanswered gesture chipped away at his heart. His hope dimmed, his patience thinned, and even his determination to mend their broken relationship began to falter.
What if Zara never forgave him?
He was afraid that she wouldn’t take him back. The thought tore him apart.
He lifted his glass and drained it in one gulp.
"No... she can’t just stop loving me," he muttered, slamming the empty glass onto the counter.
"Another," he demanded.
The bartender silently refilled the glass.
Nathaniel swirled the glass in his hand, staring into the amber liquid. He couldn’t tell whether it was the light or his own mind betraying him, but Zara’s face seemed to surface in the drink.
Liam’s words suddenly echoed in his head. ’Her happiness should come first.’
A hollow chuckle slipped from his lips.
Nathaniel nodded slowly as if he had realized something. It was painful yet inevitable.
"Alright... I get it now," he murmured bitterly. "You don’t want me anymore. Fine...If you are happy without me, I’ll step back. I won’t disturb you again."
He pulled out his phone and dialed Liam’s number. When the call connected, he forced his lips into a smile, but it never quite formed. The ache in his chest was unbearable, almost suffocating.
"Hello," Liam’s voice came through.
"Hey... my dear friend," Nathaniel said hoarsely. "Are you free?"
Liam immediately sensed something was off. "Are you drunk? Where are you?"
"Come have a drink with me," Nathaniel replied. "There is something I need to talk to you about."
There was a brief pause. "Send me the address."
"Moon’s Bar."
"Stay there. I’m coming." Liam pushed back his chair, grabbed his suit jacket, and headed out.
Within half an hour, Liam arrived at Moon’s Bar. The moment he stepped inside, his eyes locked onto Nathaniel sitting at the counter with a drink in hand.
His brows knitted together in concern.
Nathaniel had sworn off alcohol ever since he had suffered severe gastritis after losing Nora. Seeing him drink again immediately alarmed Liam.
He walked straight up to him. "Stop drinking." Liam snatched the glass away before Nathaniel could take another sip. "Do you want to end up in the hospital again?"
Nathaniel lazily waved a finger at him. "I’m just celebrating," he said with a hollow chuckle. "I finally learned how to let go. Now I understand what true love really means. It’s about letting go."
"What are you even saying?" Liam asked, frowning in confusion.
"Didn’t you once say my love was selfish?" Nathaniel scoffed. "That I only cared about my own comfort? That I treated her like a possession, someone meant to satisfy me and take care of my family?"
He shook his head. "I don’t want to be that man anymore. I truly want her to be happy."
Liam couldn’t follow his train of thought. He assumed Nathaniel was far too drunk to speak rationally.
"You’ve had too much," Liam said firmly, grabbing his arm. "You need rest. Come on, let’s leave. I’ll take you home."
"Relax, I’m not drunk," Nathaniel said dismissively, brushing his hand away. "I know exactly what I’m saying. I’ve never been this clear-headed."
"Nathaniel..." Worry clouded Liam’s face.
"I’m not done yet," Nathaniel cut in. "I’m going to have a divorce agreement drafted. This time it’s real, not an act."
"What?" Liam stared at him in disbelief. "You are divorcing Zara?"
"I’m setting her free," Nathaniel said quietly. "I won’t bind her to me anymore—not with obligations, not with responsibilities. She deserves the freedom to go wherever she wants and find her own happiness. I won’t stand in her way."
"Have you completely lost your mind?" Liam snapped, irritation flaring. "You are talking about divorce again, knowing how badly it hurt her last time. She couldn’t forgive you for that so-called fake divorce. And now you want to make it real? Are you even thinking straight?"
He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "You are not in the right state of mind. You are drunk—completely. Enough of this nonsense. You are coming with me right now."
He grabbed Nathaniel’s arm again, ready to pull him up. But Nathaniel stopped him, gripping his wrist.
"She doesn’t want me anymore," Nathaniel rasped, locking his gaze with Liam’s. "She won’t see me. She won’t talk to me."
Liam’s face fell into confusion. That couldn’t be right. Zara loved Nathaniel. How could she give up on him?
"It’s been three months," Nathaniel continued. "Three long months, and she hasn’t reached out even once. I thought time would ease her pain, that she’d eventually forgive me. So I stayed away. I gave her space. I kept my promise and never went in front of her, never contacted her."
His voice wavered. "But I couldn’t wait anymore."
The weight in his chest grew heavier as he remembered all the days he had spent waiting, hoping for a single message.
"I finally tried," he whispered, his head dropping. "I bought her a diamond necklace and sent it with a note. She didn’t respond. Then I bought her a dress, hoping she’d at least text me— say anything. But there was nothing."
He let out a hollow laugh, pain twisting his features. "It’s obvious now. She doesn’t need me anymore. It doesn’t matter what I give her or whether I reach out. She is happier without me."
Liam remained conflicted. Yet he couldn’t completely ignore the truth—Zara did seem better than before. In all these months, he had been in constant touch with her. Zara hadn’t spoken Nathaniel’s name even once. It made Liam wonder if she truly had moved on.
"I just want her to be happy," Nathaniel went on, pulling Liam back to the moment. "That’s why I’m stepping aside. I’m letting her go." He paused, then added, "But I need your help."
Liam’s heart thumped. He wasn’t sure he wanted to hear what came next.
"You still love her, don’t you?" Nathaniel asked. "I want you to be with her. Take care of her. Give her the love and happiness she deserves."