Sinclair appears, and staying calm, makes it clear that he knows what has happened. On finding her, the two have a fight, then return to the gathering disheveled. He attends with his colleague Jessica, but abandons her to search for Natalie. She invites him to the going-away party, on the condition that he not attempt to renew their affair. He attempts to commit suicide with sleeping pills, but Natalie arrives unexpectedly at his apartment. Some time later, after learning that Sinclair and Natalie plan to move to America, Richard has an emotional breakdown. He questions Richard, believing Richard knows who Natalie's lover is. They meet a few more times and eventually Sinclair begins to suspect that Natalie is having an affair.
They attempt to resist their attraction to one another, but eventually they succumb to their desires and have sex. Shortly after Richard's visit to her home, Natalie goes to Richard's apartment. When Richard visits Natalie, he is introduced to Sinclair and the two get along well. Six years pass, during which Richard achieves success while Natalie's career stagnates she marries a powerful and rich stock analyst named Sinclair Bryant. Richard seems stunned, but not disturbed. She immediately apologizes, making the excuse that she just wanted someone to hug. She's extremely depressed, and Richard's attempts to lighten the mood are ended when Natalie pulls him into an unexpectedly passionate embrace, kissing him on the lips. Natalie has recently split with her boyfriend and is unhappy with her job. In 1985, town planning student Richard Gillespie visits his older sister Natalie, whom he is not very close to since they grew up separately.