As the tension between the two men reached a breaking point, a confrontation seemed inevitable.

I quickly tugged at Nathan’s sleeve, signaling him not to get into a verbal spat with Julian—it was pointless. Nathan looked back at me and offered a gentle, reassuring word.

"It’s okay, don't worry. As long as I'm here, I won't let this ex-husband of yours bully you!"

Every minor interaction between us was caught by Julian. His face grew even paler; he swayed slightly, looking as if he could barely stay on his feet.

"Clara... so is this the reason why you won't agree to reconcile with me?"

I didn't know what had triggered Julian to suddenly act like a completely different person. The look of obsession in his eyes was starting to scare me. I couldn't help but recall my former mother-in-law’s words:

"Julian is stubborn to a fault; he won't stop until he gets the answer he wants."

At this moment, Nathan spoke up again.

"Julian, stop trying to pin labels on Ms. Clara just because you can't get your way. I’ve only known her for three days. We're having dinner together simply because we're partners for this study program."

"Her refusal to get back together with you isn't some childish fit of pique or an act of revenge; it’s a result of deep and careful consideration."

He paused, a strangely mischievous smile playing on his lips.

"Besides, you’ve been divorced for six months. Isn't it normal for her to have several suitors? You aren't the only person in this world who appreciates her. You were just luckier than the rest of us—she happened to notice you first."

Upon hearing this, Julian’s expression turned utterly desolate. He didn't even bother to argue with Nathan, but took a direct step toward me.

"Clara, you loved me for six years. Can you truly just let go like that? I know what matters to you now. I promise I won't ever cross social boundaries with another woman again. I won't ignore you or neglect you anymore."

His words became hurried and desperate. "I know now that you're allergic to daisies and that you're lactose intolerant. I’ll agree to let you keep cats and dogs at home. I won't demand that your schedule matches mine, and I won't let you be the only one putting effort into the relationship..."

"That’s enough!!!" I couldn't listen to another word.

I stepped out from behind Nathan and looked coldly at Julian.

"Except for the part about my allergy, you’ve known all along exactly which straws were breaking the back of our marriage, haven't you?"

"Julian, I used to wonder why you were gentle and considerate to everyone except me, why you were so harsh only to me. But then I realized—I was the one who made a mistake at the very beginning."

I tightened my grip slightly, my voice becoming even calmer.

"Because I took a lowly stance before you from the start, you—as the one enjoying all the benefits—took it as tacit permission for all your bad behavior. But it shouldn't be that way. Love should be equal."

"I am a person—a living, breathing human being. I was raised with the utmost care and protection by my parents. I will not allow anyone in this world to trample on me or hurt me in the name of love. I have given no one that right."

"...Even if I truly, truly, truly loved you once."

After saying that, I turned to Nathan. "Let's go. Don't we have outdoor activities tomorrow?"

Nathan pursed his lips and quickly followed my lead. Neither of us spared another glance at Julian, who stood frozen on the spot, as we walked straight back toward the hotel.

Back at the hotel, just as I was about to open my door, Nathan suddenly called out to me. "Clara."

"Yes?" I turned around.

Under the dim lights of the hallway, Nathan’s expression was earnest.

"What you said just now... it was really cool."

The tips of his ears turned a subtle shade of red, and his speech suddenly became hesitant.

"...When I said earlier that I admire you, I meant it with all my heart."

"If you really have a lot of suitors at school... could you let me be first in line?"

——————————

Hearing this, I suddenly burst into laughter again. This time, I laughed so hard that I bent over, clutching my stomach, with tears almost pricking the corners of my eyes.

Nathan seemed a bit piqued. Holding my arm to steady me, he gritted his teeth and said, "Why are you laughing again? I’m being serious. I had to mentally prepare myself for so long before I summoned the courage to say that."

Looking at his slightly puffed-out cheeks from his annoyance, I found him more adorable than ever.

So, I composed myself and said, "When we get back, accompany me to adopt a puppy. I feel like you’d be very experienced with that."

Nathan pointed at himself. "Me?"

"Yes." I suppressed my smile and nodded solemnly.

Nathan frowned slightly, half-doubting. "Are you serious?"

Just as I was about to speak, a teacher we knew walked toward us. "Ms. Clara, Mr. Nathan, what are you two chatting about? You look so happy."

His loud voice immediately drew the attention of other teachers, and soon a group of people gravitated toward us. A flurry of voices filled the air.

"I heard you two went out to eat? What did you have? A candlelit dinner?"

"I haven't asked yet—was the atmosphere in the car harmonious on the way here? Do you need me to swap with Ms. Clara for the drive back?"

To this question, Nathan and I replied in unison: "No need."

After the words left our mouths, Nathan and I locked eyes, both seeing the amusement in each other's gaze. Seeing our reaction, the teasing from the other teachers grew even louder.

I really couldn't handle this kind of scene, so I gave Nathan a shove into the crowd, then quickly turned around and shut my door in one smooth motion. Listening to the enthusiastic questioning Nathan was enduring outside, I couldn't help but curl my lips into a smile.

At that moment, my phone rang.

It was actually Seraphina.

I didn't want to pick up, so I blacklisted the number immediately. Then, another unknown number called. One after another, it seemed she wouldn't stop until I answered.

I let out a heavy sigh and finally picked up the call, losing track of how many different numbers she had used. The person on the other end didn't seem to expect me to pick up this time; there was only the sound of heavy breathing for a moment.

Then, Seraphina’s raspy voice rang out. "Clara, did Julian go to see you again today?"

I had no desire to answer her "know-it-all" question, so I simply set the phone aside and opened my laptop to deal with some work. Seraphina continued to ramble on.

"I don't know why Julian and I ended up like this."

"Do you know? After we met at the café that day, he actually told me we should go our separate ways and never see each other again. I don't understand—we were so good together in the UK..."

"Clara, I don't know what to do anymore. I really owe a lot of money now. I can't afford to lose Julian too."

I typed the final character on my keyboard, picked up the phone, and asked flatly, "So, are you trying to ask me for a loan, or are you looking for some kind of secret to love?"

I even admired myself a little for being able to crack a joke at a time like this. Seraphina seemed stunned and didn't speak for a while.

So, I added, "Even though I got a fair share from Julian in the divorce, it was all what I deserved. I’ve put it all into a fixed-term deposit now, so I really have no money to lend you."

"As for love secrets, I don't think my experience would be of any value to you. You’ve truly called the wrong person."

Seraphina hurriedly said, "I'm not trying to borrow money, nor am I..."

"Then what do you want?" I interrupted her.

"Seraphina, I’m telling you for the last time: Julian and I have nothing to do with each other anymore."

"And as a fellow woman, I want to say—relying blindly on a man is useless."

"Men are the most unreliable things in this world."