The Ash Queen's Return: Reclaiming Her Crown novel Chapter 2

At the thought of the humiliation she had suffered over the past five years, Natalie was so angry that she wanted to kill someone.

It turned out that after she had recovered and returned to the Lunsford family, Walter had treated her with disdain for becoming useless. He then immediately brought his mistress and illegitimate daughter, whom he had been raising outside of the family, back to the Lunsford residence.

The mother-daughter duo—Hailey and her mother, Audrey Summerfield—had not only seized Seraphina's belongings for themselves but also slipped Natalie hormonal drugs. The drugs had caused her weight to increase to almost 220 pounds.

Hailey, nurtured by Walter, quickly outclassed Natalie in every aspect. She disparaged an amnesiac Natalie, calling her worthless and reducing her to a good-for-nothing plump woman ridiculed by the entire city.

While Natalie remained amnesiac, Morris approached her with false tenderness and gradually groomed her into an obedient lapdog.

Natalie clenched her hands tightly around the bedsheets, her eyes flashing coldly.

How bold of him to plot against her!

Just then, the door of her hospital ward was violently kicked open.

Morris yelled angrily, "Did you do it on purpose, Natalie Lunsford? Did you deliberately plan to ruin the engagement party between Hailey and me? Stop dreaming! You're used goods—broken and discarded! I'll never marry you!"

Hailey walked close to Natalie and added smugly, "That's right, Nellie! You've already brought shame to the Lunsford family by conceiving out of wedlock! Stop assuming that Morrie will change his mind about you just because you've become thinner!"

Natalie suddenly asked with a sneer, her tone as cold as ice, "Are you saying I want Morris to change his mind?"

There was a hint of coolness to her tone that made one shudder involuntarily.

Before either Morris or Hailey could react, she slapped Hailey with all her strength. The sound of the slap rang out loud and clear, echoing through the entire ward.

Hailey, caught off guard, stumbled back a few steps from the blow. She cupped her face as her eyes went wide in disbelief. "How… How dare you hit me?"

Natalie sneered, her gaze as piercing as knives. "That slap was to remind you that I, Natalie Lunsford, am not someone to be trifled with. Over the years, you've poured ice water onto my bed, slipped laxatives into my food, and sold my designs to competitors.

"The most despicable thing you've done was to drug me and put me in a stranger's bed. Each of these things you've done is completely unforgivable!"

Natalie sounded like a vengeful demon who had crawled out of hell. The temperature in the ward seemed to drop to freezing point in an instant.

Morris' expression twisted, and he immediately stepped forward to hold Hailey steady. "Have you gone insane, Natalie?"

"You teamed up with Hailey to scheme against me, Morris, yet you have the nerve to point the finger at me now?"

Natalie slowly got up from the hospital bed. Although her body was still weak, it didn't take away from her imposing demeanor at all.

Her sharp gaze was filled with a coldness that caused Morris' breath to catch in his throat.

Was this still that same Natalie Lunsford who used to listen to his every word? She had a dark expression on her face, and she looked like an envoy of hell.

Morris was taken aback by her sudden intensity. For a moment, he found himself at a loss for words.

Hailey was so frightened that she almost burst into tears. She hurriedly tugged on Morris' sleeve and asked in a choked voice, "D-Did… Did something set Nellie off, Morrie? Should we call for a doctor to take a look at her?"

Morris came back to his senses and clutched his dislocated arm. Even then, he still exclaimed with false bravado, "Just ignore her! Since she's showing that much backbone, she'd better not regret this!"

He then strode away angrily, pulling Hailey along with him, and slammed the door behind him. The ward finally fell silent once more.

Seeing Morris and Hailey leave, Natalie was prepared to leave as well. She stood where she was, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.

Now that she had regained her memories, she was going to get everything back with her own hands—everything that had been snatched from her, as well as the child that the Lunsfords had taken away!

Natalie pulled the IV needle from the back of her hand, causing blood to seep out instantly. She then casually pressed a cotton swab against it before grabbing her coat and walking out.

As soon as Natalie stepped out of the ward, she was assaulted by the smell of disinfectant, which momentarily dazed her.

In that instant, she suddenly felt someone grab the hem of her clothes.

"You can't leave yet!" a childish voice piped up from her side.