“That’s right,” Natalie replied, looking levelly into Annie’s eyes.
Instantly, Annie’s features contorted in disdain. Raising her voice, she demanded, “What about Dr. Quinn? Isn’t he your boyfriend? How did it end up being Mr. Shane?”
At Annie’s question, Shane turned to look at Natalie, his gaze unfathomable.
Shane knew that Natalie had only been pretending to be in a relationship with Stanley when they attended Antony’s wedding together.
However, he couldn’t shake the feeling of uneasiness that filled him whenever that matter came to mind. After all, Natalie’s name would always be linked to Stanley’s in some way, just as it was now.
Mercede was similarly baffled by Annie’s statement. Peering at Natalie, she asked carefully, “My dear, you refused to date while you were here, even when I asked you to. I didn’t expect you to be so quick when you got home. You’ve even gotten two boyfriends!”
Shane’s handsome face looked somewhat downcast. Deep inside, he felt a mixture of frustration and hurt.
I’m clearly Natalie’s first boyfriend! Yet, in everyone’s mind, I’ll always come second.
Natalie could sense the wave of resentment that radiated from Shane. In that instant, she could thoroughly taste the bitterness of regret.
If I’d known that I would eventually be together with Shane, I would not have attended that wedding with Stanley!
Annie, in the meantime, had grown impatient. She reached forward and grabbed Natalie’s arm, pressing, “So? What’s going on between you and Dr. Quinn, then?”
“Annie!” Andre was alarmed by his daughter’s sudden bout of violence. After all, Shane was present, and the Hills couldn’t afford to offend him.
Before Annie could react, however, Shane had already leaped forward and pulled Natalie over to his side. He fixed Annie with a frigid glare, saying icily, “Don’t touch her!”
Mercede, who had been spectating the scene at the side, nodded heartily.
Annie turned to Shane with a troubled look on her face. She gulped, then stammered, “W-What happened to Dr. Quinn?”
“Nothing happened. Stanley and I broke up, that’s all,” Natalie replied shortly.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Feel the Way You Feel, My Love