After I Stopped Loving Him (Isabella and Ethan) novel Chapter 176

After hanging up, Natalie yanked out a handful of her own hair, making sure the roots were still attached. She wrapped the strands in a tissue, set it on the coffee table, and headed to her closet to pick a purse.

Her collection took up a whole wall. Some bags were limited editions. Some she bought for herself, some were gifts from Jordan, and ten of them had originally been part of the wedding gifts Ethan gave Isabella. Natalie had purposely told Jordan to hold back the gifts, then quietly helped herself to the jewelry, designer purses, and all the other fancy stuff meant for Isabella.

Last night, at the party with Jordan, she wore earrings that Ethan had picked for Isabella. Ethan noticed, but he didn’t say a word. That was enough to reassure Natalie. She didn’t worry about him calling her out. Lots of girls left their wedding gifts at home when they got married. The Lane family had raised Isabella, so Natalie figured keeping Isabella’s gifts was just payback for everything they’d done for her.

Choosing a bag took forever. After some indecision, she finally made her choice, then picked out a simple and classy outfit. She got dressed, sat at her vanity, and took her time with her makeup.

By the time Natalie was ready to leave, she had her bag on her arm and her look perfectly set. Right at the door, she remembered the hair. She spun around, grabbed the tissue packet from the coffee table, tossed it into her purse, and walked out.

She didn’t notice there was another wad of tissue on the floor. The paper was so light, a breeze could move it easily. Every morning, Natalie turned off the AC and cracked open the window for fresh air, so it was no surprise a gust had knocked one tissue to the ground. She had no idea if the sample she picked up was hers or Cynthia’s.

When she arrived at the Adams’ house and saw Ethan, she pulled the tissue from her purse and handed it over quietly. “Ethan, Jordan asked me to bring Cynthia’s hair. You can use it for a DNA test with Isabella’s.”

“I found these on Cynthia’s pillow and bed, but I’m not sure if they’ll work.”

Ethan’s voice was low and steady. “I won’t let her disrespect you.”

Natalie smiled a little. Ethan always took her side.

“But she swears she didn’t spill juice on you. She’s totally refusing to apologize.”

Ethan studied her face. If he was being honest, Natalie wasn’t as beautiful as Isabella. But he’d known Natalie for years. Their friendship went way back, long before Isabella appeared in his life. Even after Isabella showed up, they hardly spoke.