Even though she couldn’t see his face, Natalie didn’t miss the frustration in his voice.
Forgetting her usual patience, she continued pushing, “Pereira Group has plenty of employees. Are they all incompetent? Is there really no one else who can handle this besides you?”
Jason yanked his hand away immediately, his face hardening. “What’s with you today? I’m just going to deal with a work emergency. Why are you making this so difficult? Being pregnant doesn’t mean you get to control everything.”
His temper got the better of him, and his mask came off.
Later, the car engine rumbling downstairs sent a sharp pang through Natalie’s heart.
She understood why Jason had married her. She knew there was no love between them. Still, the truth cut deeper than she wanted to admit.
Ten minutes passed in silence before she finally reached for her phone, her resolve hardening. She dialed a number.
“Hello, is this Nexridge Hospital? I’d like to inquire about abortion procedures.”
…
Natalie hung up the phone, her expression turning cold. If she was ending things with Jason, she had to make it clean. It was the only kindness she could offer their child.
As expected, Jason never came home that night.
…
The next morning, just past 9:00 am, Chandler Jamison, Pereira Group’s chief assistant, arrived to see Natalie.
He offered her a finely made red velvet box. “Mrs. Pereira, Mr. Pereira asked me to deliver this. It’s a necklace made with pearls from Southelia.”
Natalie took it, her fingertips tracing the smooth, perfect pearls. Something like this had to be worth a small fortune. Wordlessly, she set it down and gave a faint hum in reply.
Chandler was caught off guard. Every other time he’d brought her a gift, she’d always been delighted—ecstatic, even. This cool indifference was something new.
“Mrs. Pereira, are you feeling alright?” he asked.
Natalie’s face was unreadable, her voice dull when she replied, “Yeah, I’m fine.”
If she had to guess, Chandler was the one who’d picked this gift, just like all the others before it.
Now that she thought about it, Jason had given her plenty of presents over the last three years, but not once had he actually handed her one himself.
Sometimes, Chandler dropped them off, and other times, the driver did, or they’d just appear on her doorstep via courier. Anyway, nothing had ever come to Natalie straight from Jason.
But it didn’t matter now. She was already over him, wasn’t she? Besides, she’d be gone soon.
Just then, Chandler spoke up, “Mrs. Pereira, Mr. Pereira wanted me to remind you about the Spencer family dinner tonight. He’ll pick you up so you can both go together.”
Natalie had almost forgotten today was the Spencers’ monthly dinner, and she and Sienna were expected to attend.
In all three years of their marriage, Jason had never missed one of these dinners, no matter how busy he was. He’d been more reliable about showing up than even her, who was the one the Spencers had raised for years.
She used to joke about it, saying people would start thinking he was the Spencers’ real son. Looking back, it was clear his eagerness had only ever been about seeing Sienna.
Natalie had already decided she was leaving. She wasn’t going to suffer the Spencers’ disdain another day. But there was still one person she couldn’t just walk away from—her grandmother, Vera Chamberlain.
The Spencers had never been kind to Natalie, but Vera was different.
Tonight, Natalie would swing by the Spencer residence to drop off the targeted medication. That way, Vera wouldn’t run out of her medication too soon.
“Alright,” Natalie said.
“I’ll be on my way now, Mrs. Pereira.”
And with that, Chandler left.
…
Later that evening, Mary helped Natalie pick something to wear. “Mrs. Pereira, how about that emerald-green fitted gown?”
Natalie paused before answering, “Anything except a fitted gown.”
Mary blinked in surprise, unsure how to respond.
“Is something wrong?” Natalie asked.
“No, not at all,” Mary said quickly. “Mrs. Pereira, you’re so lovely. Honestly, anything would suit you perfectly. Let me find you something else elegant.”
Natalie stayed quiet, waiting on the couch without another word.
A soft chime went off when a voice message came in. She tapped play.
“Babe, just grab a cab and come over. I’m a little tied up here.”
Her fingers tightened around her phone.
After a beat, she replied, “Got it.”
By the time Natalie was ready, the car had already pulled up outside.
Mary walked her out, muttering anxiously at her side, “Mrs. Pereira, are you sure you should go by yourself? Mr. Pereira should know better. It’s not safe for a pregnant woman to travel alone.”
Then, she caught sight of Natalie’s bloodless face and immediately regretted her words. She clamped her mouth shut.
…
Natalie arrived at the Spencer residence by 6:00 pm. The sunset painted the sky a fiery red, but she couldn’t see it.
She had just gotten out of the car when she heard a familiar voice. “Natalie, what are the odds? You got here at the same time?”
Natalie turned toward the sound. Two sets of footsteps meant Sienna wasn’t alone. As Sienna got closer, Natalie recognized the other person.
Sienna linked her arm with Natalie’s. “I drank way too much last night, so my stomach’s been a mess. Jason gave me a ride since he was already coming this way.
“We actually tried to pick you up, too, but the traffic was crazy, so we couldn’t make it. You’re not mad, right?”
Jason stood beside Sienna. Before Natalie could respond, he cut in, “Natalie doesn’t get hung up on stuff like this. It’s just a ride. Taking a cab here is pretty much the same.”
How absurd.
Jason couldn’t be bothered to pick up a blind woman, but he had no problem going out of his way for Sienna, who was perfectly fine.
Natalie tightened her grip on her bag handle and let out a quiet scoff. She brushed Sienna’s hand aside before moving on, tapping her white cane as she went.
Sienna sulked, her voice edged with hurt. “Natalie’s mad at me, Jason. Even after all this time, she’s just as petty as ever.”
Jason frowned, his brows pulling together in clear disapproval at Natalie’s earlier behavior. “Just ignore her.”
Natalie had been the first to enter. She’d barely stepped into the living room when she heard someone grumble, “Ugh, it’s you? I thought it was Sienna.”
Without another word, Daphne Burke, who looked every inch the high-society wife, pushed past Natalie, craning her neck until she spotted her beloved daughter.
Her face lit up instantly. “Sienna! I’ve missed you so much! Come here. Let me see you.”
Natalie swayed slightly but caught herself, her lips twisting into a thin, bitter smile.
Nobody in the Spencer family wanted her around, except Vera. In fact, when Sienna first came home, the Spencers were ready to throw Natalie out for good. Luckily, Vera stepped in and stopped them.
That was why, after all this time, Vera was the only reason Natalie ever thought about coming back.
Just then, footsteps came pounding down the stairs. Someone shoved past her and barked, “Move it, blindie. You’re in the damn way.”
It was Victor Spencer. He hurried over to his younger sister, Sienna, his tone shifting instantly to something warmer. “Sienna! Finally! Mom’s been talking about you all morning. I swear, my ears are about to bleed.”
Everyone in the Spencer family doted on Sienna. She was the center of their universe and basked in all the attention. It fed her sense of superiority.
So, of course, her favorite hobby was taking whatever Natalie loved. If Natalie treasured something, Sienna made it her mission to steal it.
Natalie would never forget that sketchbook—a birthday present from Daphne years before. When Sienna yanked at it, the pages tore as they wrestled over it, sending Sienna tumbling to the ground.
But Natalie was the one who suffered for it. The Spencers locked her in a pitch-black room for three straight days. When they finally remembered her, she was already unconscious.
Eight years ago, not long after Sienna returned, something happened. Natalie had a dog she’d raised from a puppy. They were inseparable.
Then one day, Sienna tried to grab the dog, and it bit her. The next morning, Natalie found the dog’s body hanging from a tree in the yard.
Sienna looked at Natalie with a chilling smile. “Your dog disobeyed me, so it deserved to die. Natalie, you stole 18 years of my life, so I’ll take the rest of yours. From now on, I’ll take anything you love from you.”
After that, such occurrences kept happening.
The Spencers always took Sienna’s side without even hearing the full story. Every single time, Natalie was the one who got blamed and punished brutally. The worst incident left her hand barely usable.
And in the end, Sienna took Xavier and Natalie’s corneas. Now, it seemed like even Jason wouldn’t be spared.
