"So Natasha, how are things with Dom?" asked Lia as soon as she was sure that Joy was out of earshot.
She brought up the topic as carefully as she could, so as not not harm Natasha, she picked up her glass of water and she drank it.
"Things are alright" replied Natasha with a quick short answer, she did not say too much, neither did she say too little.
"Oh umm I see" said Lia as she was a bit taken aback, usually Natasha would end up ranting on and on about how unfair Dom was treating her, but she seemed rather calm and collected like nothing bothered her at all.
"Because I asked Dom how things were going on between you two, and he refused to tell me, because you know how stubborn he is" said Lia.
"I know" replied Natasha.
"And if he did not tell you anything, that means that there is nothing to tell" replied Natasha as she drank her red wine, it was non alcoholic so there was no way that she would get drunk.
With the reply Natasha just gave her, Lia was sure that something must have definitely happened for Natasha to talk this way, because last time she checked, Natasha loved Dom a lot, and she meant a lot, to the extent that she decided to push herself on him.
Which to her dismay caused Dom to despise her even more, and hate her with all of his soul, no this was not Natasha, this was someone else, no, no Natasha was replaced with another woman, this was not the Natasha she knew.
"Natasha, did something happen?" asked Lia carefully, she was sure that something was wrong somewhere.
"No, nothing happened, why do you ask?" asked Natasha as she looked at Lia.
Natasha was not annoyed at all by Lia's questioning, she knew that she only meant well, she was her friend after all, but still with that, something told her that things were not as they seemed.
"Well Natasha, it's with the way you talk about Dom, as if you don't love him anymore" said Lia as she observed Natasha carefully.
At the moment Lia mentioned the word Love, and indescribable emotion passed through Natasha's eyes. Love?? no she had realized now that what she felt for Dom was not love, she only had gratefulness for him, and she had misinterpreted all his actions, which caused her to be obsessive towards him.
The thought that she wasted ten years of her life obsessing over a man that did not love her, just made Natasha chuckle, she really was stupid in her last life.
"That is because I don't" replied Natasha leisurely.
"You don't what??" asked Lia.
"I don't love him anymore" said Natasha as she was a hundred percent sure.
"In fact I never loved him, I only felt gratefulness towards him and nothing more" she said.
Lia was shocked, no she was not shocked she was beyond shocked she was mortified, yes this sealed it, something happened to Natasha that made her give up on Dom so easily, and Lia did not like it one bit, something felt off and suspicious.
"Look Natasha, I know that it might seem that I am being nosy" said Lia.
"But I am your friend and I am also Dom's friend, I care for you and I do not want you to get hurt" said Lia as she put her hand on Natasha's hand that was laying on the table.
"I know you do Lia" said Natasha.
"And that is why I am telling you this" said Natasha.
"I realized that I have wasted a lot of time on Dom, and I need to move on" she said.
"But what about Joy, you two have a child together, I am sure Joy would not like that" said Lia.
"Haha, me and Dom both love Joy unconditionally, but that does not mean that we need to be together to raise her, we already do what we can alone, and we never give Joy any reason to feel like we do not love her" said Natasha.
"I know, but a child needs both their parents together, you don't want Joy to suffer because of your problems do you?" asked Lia.
"Who said that we were not together, we are, we just are not in love, in fact we never were, we do not act like other couples, but that does not change anything, he is her father, and I am her mother" said Natasha.
"But Nat, are you sure of this?" asked Lia.
"I mean, are you sure, I do not think that Dom will believe you" said Lia.
"Well he can think whatever he wants to" said Natasha as she did not care at all.
"But Nat, I mean after what you did, after that horrible incident, the least you owe Dom is to be honest with him" said Lia
At that moment as soon as Lia uttered that sentence Natasha pulled her hand away from Lia's.
"Look Lia, you are my friend, and you are entitled to have your own opinions and thoughts about a certain matter, that is only your right" said Natasha as her face looked serious.
"I understand if you are part of those who do not believe me" said Natasha.
"But that does not give you the right to bring up that topic, even though I know and I will always know that I am innocent" she said.
"I never ever in my entire life, did such a thing, I was framed, and I do not care if no one believes, what matters is that I am sure of my innocence, which I am" she said with confidence.
"So do not make me get angry at you Lia, so just drop that topic, I do not want to hear it" said Natasha as she looked angry.
"I am sorry Nat" said Lia as she looked down.
"That is alright" said Natasha as she calmed herself down, Lia was just saying what was on her mind, and it was not her fault that she was framed.
"Anyway" she said as she sighed.
"Are you going to stay the night here or??" asked Natasha as she looked at Lia.
"Oh no, no" said Lia as she looked at Natasha.
"I am going to go home, I have not seen my parents since I returned, so I will go and see them" replied Lia.
"Well okay then" said Natasha.
"Do you need a car?" asked Natasha.
"Because I am sure that you did not bring a car over here" said Natasha.
"Oh no, Thank you Natasha, but Dom gave me his car in the afternoon, he said that he would take one of the office cars home" said Lia.
"Alright, I see" said Natasha.
"Please greet your parents for me" said Natasha.
"I will" said Lia as she smiled softly.
"I will be going now" said Lia as she stood up, she did not feel so good, and Natasha's sudden change was part of the reason she felt the way she did.
"Oh alright then" said Natasha.
"I wish you a safe journey home" said Natasha.
"Thank you Nat" said Lia as she smiled before she left.
"Madam, where is Miss Cecilia?" asked Alfred as he entered the room.
"She left, she is going home, I think she misses her parents" said Natasha as she drank her water.
"Oh that is understandable Madam" said Alfred.
"Mhmm" said Natasha.
"Madam, can I clear the table now or...?" asked Alfred.
"You can do that Alfred" said Natasha.
"Oh Madam, the young Master called, he informed me that he would not be coming home early today" said Alfred as he just remembered.
"Oh Thank you Alfred, Lia already informed me of that" said Natasha.
"Oh well alright Madam" said Alfred as he began to clear the table.
"Goodnight Madam" he said as he carried all the plates.
"Goodnight Alfred" said Natasha as she smiled at him and he smiled back at her.
As soon as Alfred left, Natasha was let alone with her thoughts, what just happened with Lia right now, some certain parts of their conversation proved something to her.
In her last life Lia also declined to stay the night, she had said the exact same thing, that she wanted to go and see her parents.
That confirmed to Natasha that things were bound to go more or less the same way that they did in her last life, which gave her the confidence that she did have the upper hand, which was a good thing for her.