Knowing My Ex-Wife After The Divorce Novel by Yetta Horace

Natalie understood that Maddie suggested they leave together just to avoid her feeling awkward alone, but she didn’t want to go that far.

“Don’t wanna leave? Why don’t you play the piano instead?” Karen jumped in.

“You’re just trying to make things difficult for her,” Maddie said, shaking her head at Natalie. “Natalic, you don’t have to do this; they just want to humiliate you.”

“It’s fine. I’ll give it a shot,” Natalie replied.

As soon as she said that, Karen clapped her hands in delight. “Ms. good-for-nothing is going to play the piano! Just don’t try to trick everyone with T**kle, T**kle, Little Star;’ that won’t fly.”

“What should I play instead?” Natalie raised an eyebrow, curious.

“Why not go for the ‘Third Piano Concerto’ that Elle has been working on lately? Sounds good, right?” Karen suggested with a sly smile.

A lot of the ladies gasped when they heard the name. That piece was known as one of the hardest piano compositions in the world. Even famous pianists would prepare for ages before attempting to play it. No one was expecting someone to try such a tough piece today, and they certainly didn’t prepare the sheet music.

“Alright, I’ll play that,” Natalie replied calmly, surprising everyone.

Karen barely held back her laughter. “Great! I’ll get someone to grab the sheet music for you right now.”

Karen was convinced that Natalie had no idea about piano and didn’t understand how difficult that piece was. Otherwise, there was no way she would have agreed so casually.

Elle smiled softly. “Thanks, Karen; you’re a real sweetheart.”

Karen smile along, feeling a bit more relaxed. She wasn’t oblivious; she knew Elle had been keeping her distance today because of the drama with the Sullivan family. Clearly, she needed to do something to turn the situation around. She was aiming for the right target here. There was no way she was letting go of the support that Elle represented.

Maddie frowned, looking tense. “Let me play for Natalie!”

“Maddie, you can’t just play for her. If that were allowed, everyone would start bringing their friends in this way,” Karen shot back with a smirk.

“You’re just trying to make Natalie look bad!” Maddie snapped.

*

Natalic gave Maddie a reassuring look. “It’s okay I can handle it.”

“Ugh, Natalie, stop trying to make me feel better Do you even know how hard that piece is? I still can’t get it right,” Maddie said with anxiety.

As they were talking, the sheet music had just been printed and delivered. Natalie placed her fingers gently on the keys and settled herself comfortably.

Karen sneered, “Wow, you’re picking up that pose pretty fast. Guess it’s the only time you can look good.”

The nearby girls couldn’t help but laugh at her remark.

Maddie, clearly anxious about what was about to happen, clenched her hands tightly.

Natalie ignored the taunts, her slender fingers beginning to dance over the piano keys. Smooth notes flowed continuously, filling the room with a beautiful melody.

Elle and the others quickly went stiff with disbelief. ‘How is this possible? How could Natalie actually play the piano? And she is really tackling the Third Piano Concerto?’ they thought.

Maddie’s eyes widened in shock as she watched Natalie at the piano; it was as if she was radiating light.

When the performance ended, silence hung in the air, everyone in a daze. Slowly, Natalie stood up, wearing a modest smile. “Sorry if that wasn’t good enough.”

Karen’s face paled dramatically. Seeing Elle beside her looking equally shocked made her realize she had messed up big time. “That was definitely not good enough,” Karen bit out through clenched teeth.

“That was incredible!” A gentleman in a stylish tailcoat strolled in, his golden curls cascading over his shoulders, radiating an artistic vibe.

“That was a fantastic performance; wouldn’t you agree, Mr. Reese?” The man was the famous pianist everyone had been waiting for, Rex Emerson, and standing next to him was Tobias.

Natalie took a small step back, feeling a strong urge to leave. ‘Why do I have to run into him again?’ she thought.

Tobias casually said, “That was really good.”

“Was that Ms. Lightman playing? That was impressive! I heard from Tobias that you’ve been practicing this piece a lot. Honestly, I wouldn’t reach this level without proper prep,” Rex commented.

Elle’s smile looked shaky. “It wasn’t me; it was Ms. Natalie Guzman,” Elle corrected.

*

Tobias’s eyes zeroed in on Natalie right away. “You can play the piano?!” His tone was cold, but there was a hint of surprise.

“Even Mr. Reese is surprised? Honestly, we couldn’t believe it either. This illegitimate daughter can actually play the piano, and she tackled one of the hardest pieces, Karen chimed in, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Images from the past flashed through Natalie’s mind.

“Can you play the piano?” Tobias asked her.

“No,” she lied.

“That’s okay. I’ll teach you,” he said gently to her.

“You are the best.”

It had been a beautiful, quiet evening. He had his arm around her shoulder, his graceful fingers resting on her delicate hands, eventually intertwining with hers. They shared a kiss, and everything felt so romantic and perfect.

Snapping back to reality, Natalie lowered her gaze. Just then, a shadow loomed in front of her, blocking the light completely.

“Let’s play a duet,” Tobias said slowly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Natalie felt an instinctive urge to refuse. “No, I…”

“Young lady, please play with Tobias. I’d love to see your skills. I didn’t catch the full performance earlier,” Rex chimed in gently.

Natalie’s lips curved into a reluctant smile, not really eager to agree. But then Maddie chimed in, “Come on, Natalie. Just say yes! This is an awesome chance to show off your talent! You can’t pass it up; if you do, I won’t forgive you for lying to me!”

Natalie thought silently, ‘I already told you I could play; you just didn’t believe me.’

At that moment, Tobias gestured for her to sit down. If she flat out refused, she’d definitely draw attention in this circle, so she reluctantly took her seat.

Tobias sat right next to her. His demeanor was less intimate than before, but the sight of his hands brought back a flood of memories.

“Let’s begin,” Tobias said, his voice steady.

Natalie pressed down on the keys. He did the same, and soon a beautiful melody filled the air, louder than it had been before.

*

“Why did you lie and say you couldn’t play the piano?” Tobias leaned in, speaking in a quiet voice that only she could hear.

Natalie shot back c**lly, “Is it really that hard to get? Don’t you like women who are clueless? So, that’s why I thought I’d just use all my charm to get you into bed and be that hot wife you enjoy.”

Tobias said casually, “I actually do like that.”

Natalie rolled her eyes. “Typical guy, she thought.

Suddenly, Tobias took her hand. Natalie froze, wondering, ‘What is he up to?!!

Just then, the lights dimmed around them. Taken by surprise, she found herself pulled closer, and his lips gently pressed against hers. No shocker there-it was the same guy sitting next to her, and his familiar scent enveloped her.

With her left hand held captive, only her right hand was free to play, and coincidentally, this segment required one hand from each player. Tobias’s left hand joined in on the melody.

The sound of the piano covered the tension between them, perfectly blending with their subtle flirtation.

Natalie’s heart raced, and she nearly lost her timing on the keys.

After breaking the kiss, she scolded him, “Tobias, don’t go too far!” If it weren’t for her pride, she would’ve shouted it out for everyone to hear

Tobias leaned in closer, his voice low and teasing. “Don’t you know me well enough? Don’t you know I really like who you are right now?”