Chapter 21\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ethan sat alone in his cold, empty office as his assistant delivered the news of the Bennett family\u2019s bankruptcy and James\u2019s escape.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t feel any satisfaction at all. Instead, his heart felt even emptier.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He had personally severed her last, fragile tie to the past, and at the same time, completely blocked any path for her to return.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He stared at the digitally restored scan of Natalie\u2019s signature on their divorce agreement. Her crisp handwriting looked, in hindsight, like every single stroke was filled with resolve.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A torrent of regret and despair crashed over him, threatening to drown him, making it hard to\u00a0<\/p>\n
breathe.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ethan\u2019s condition was deteriorating rapidly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The once unshakable, aloof leader of the Fletcher Group was now a shadow of himself: gaunt, hollow-eyed, with a dark cloud of fatigue and gloom hanging over his brow.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Because of his recent out-of-control behavior-his rash moves against Natalie Bennett, the Bennett family, and even in his showdown with Derek-the Fletcher Group\u2019s stock price kept swinging wildly, and morale within the company was shaky.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Calls from family elders poured in one after another, all full of doubts and accusations. Business rivals circled like sharks. Ethan ignored it all.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The pressure from outside and the relentless torment inside gnawed at his mind and his strength like two venomous snakes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He often spent sleepless nights, either staring blankly at the old, taped-up family rulebook- the family code Natalie left behind-or watching over and over the bits of news his private investigator sent about her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He\u2019d watch her smile, see her career take off, and watch another man standing protectively by her side each time, his heart felt like it was searing on red-hot iron.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He couldn\u2019t keep living like this.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He realized, finally, that all his force, threats, and attacks had only pushed her farther away. The pride he once valued so much was worthless now that he truly feared losing her forever.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A wild idea took shape in his mind.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ethan called together the core members of the Fletcher Group\u2019s PR department, along with his inner circle of advisors. When he calmly shared his plan, everyone in the room froze\u2014they\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 21\u00a0<\/p>\n
thought he\u2019d lost his mind.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHold a global press conference. I want to apologize to Natalie Bennett, publicly.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
213\u00a0<\/p>\n
Stunned silence filled the conference room. The head of the Fletcher Group-known for his authority, composure, and never backing down-was going to humble himself on the world stage and apologize to his ex-wife? The same woman who\u2019d once blown up the Fletcher family\u2019s old estate?\u00a0<\/p>\n
This was pure self-destruction. The company\u2019s brand and his own reputation would take a massive hit!\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Fletcher, please think this through! This\u2026 this is way too risky!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are other ways, more private\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ethan raised a hand, cutting off their protests. His eyes were unnaturally calm, full of grim determination.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDo as I say. That\u2019s an order.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
As soon as news of the press conference broke, it sent shockwaves across the globe.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Reporters swarmed the venue, cameras aimed from every direction. Everyone wanted to know\u00a0<\/p>\n
what the business titan would do.\u00a0<\/p>\n
On the day of the conference, Ethan wore a tailored black suit, but even that couldn\u2019t hide how\u00a0<\/p>\n
tired and thin he looked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He stepped onto the stage, stood before the sea of cameras and lights, let his eyes sweep the crowd, then looked straight at the camera. He began to speak-slowly, clearly, each word pressed out from deep inside.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t look at any teleprompter. Every word felt heavy, squeezed from his soul.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cToday, I\u2019m standing here not as the head of the Fletcher Group, but as myself, Ethan Fletcher.\u201d His voice filled the room, faintly hoarse. \u201cI want to publicly apologize to my ex- wife, Natalie Bennett.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The audience broke out in a wave of shocked gasps and whispered chatter.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ethan ignored it and went on, his voice steady but carrying deep pain and remorse: \u201cFor three years of our marriage, I made unforgivable mistakes. I was blind, selfish, fooled by lies and appearances. I used her feelings for me, enabled and even took part in the harm she suffered. I ignored her pain, crushed her dignity, and bound her with cold rules-while giving all my patience and protection to someone who never deserved it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He named Vivian Grant. He spoke of the dove. He talked about the family chapel, about the surgery, and all the crimes that had never been hers\u2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 21\u00a0<\/p>\n
30\u00a0<\/p>\n
He laid every single wound he\u2019d inflicted on Natalie Bennett out in public-no excuses, no shifting blame, only the full weight of his guilt and sorrow.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI let down the trust and love she gave me so freely. I was never a good husband. I\u2019m not even worthy to be called a man.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His voice trembled, his eyes reddening as tears threatened to spill. \u201cNatalie, I\u2019m sorry. This was all my fault. Terribly wrong.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He drew a deep breath, facing the camera-the direction he guessed she might be watching from\u2014and, with a voice almost pleading, spoke words that made the room erupt again:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI know that now, I may not even have the right to say I love you. But my feelings are real. Natalie, Ethan Fletcher\u2026 the man you knew is gone. Now, standing before you, is just someone who finally understands his mistakes and loves you humbly. I\u2019m not asking for instant forgiveness. I only hope you\u2019ll give me a chance, even if it\u2019s just as strangers. Let me spend the rest of my life making amends for my sins.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He bowed deeply toward the camera, holding that posture for a long, long time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For a moment, the room was utterly silent-then chaos broke loose, with camera flashes like a\u00a0<\/p>\n
thunderstorm.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The head of the Fletcher family had just confessed, repented, and humbled himself-all to win\u00a0<\/p>\n
back the woman he lost.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was a bombshell-enough to rock both the business world and the entertainment world.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ethan didn\u2019t know if Natalie Bennett would see his message; but he was betting everything he had-\u00a0<\/p>\n
His status, his reputation, his dignity-just for the tiniest glimmer of hope.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Woke Up and Left the Cage of My Marriage 21 Chapter 21\u00a0 Ethan sat alone in his cold, empty office […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20187","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-woke-up-and-left-the-cage-of-my-marriage"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20187","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20187"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20187\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20187"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20187"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20187"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}