The Year She Stopped Being Crazy for Him novel Chapter 119

His tone was dangerously flat. "I only married you out of pity. For all I know, you and the Thornton family orchestrated that entire pathetic act just to play on my sympathies."

The air instantly trapped in Natalie's lungs, a suffocating knot lodged tight in her throat. Her upper body trembled uncontrollably, and her knuckles turned a bruised, icy white as her fingers dug into her palms. She stared at the man before her in utter disbelief. He was actually accusing her of staging a performance with the Thornton family to gain his pity.

He knew perfectly well that she had been brutally kicked out of the house by the Thorntons.

He knew her stepmother was a mistress who had connived her way to the top, and that she had nearly died at that woman's hands.

He knew all of it, yet he still looked her in the eye and delivered those agonizing words without an ounce of remorse.

It felt as though an invisible hand had plunged into her chest, crushing her heart with a slow, sickening ache. A sharp stinging flooded her eyes, but she swallowed down the surging tide of bitterness and humiliation by sheer force of will.

Ignoring the soreness radiating through her body, she slipped out of bed, threw her clothes on, and walked out of the room.

Laura had already prepared breakfast. Cecily was sitting in the living room, playing fetch with the dog.

"Natalie, I had the kitchen brew some soup for you. It's keeping warm on the stove. Make sure you have a bowl."

Natalie felt a wave of profound mortification. Waking up at this hour meant everyone in the house likely knew exactly what had gone down between her and Hassan last night.

Forcing a composed facade, she replied smoothly, "No need. I have somewhere to be. I'm heading out."

Cecily stopped playing and looked at her. "Once you're pregnant, you need to quit that dance troupe. It's too demanding, and honestly, it's not a proper job anyway."

"Is staying home to monitor my husband's infidelities considered a proper job?" Natalie shot back, no longer bothering to play the dutiful wife. Her voice was ice. "Please show me some respect."

Cecily was visibly taken aback, clearly not expecting her to snap with such venom today.

Without another word, Natalie walked out the front door.

Watching from the dining room as she arranged the plates, Laura secretly reveled in the tension. She actually hoped the couple would fight. If Cecily finally had enough, maybe they'd finally get divorced.

When Hassan emerged from the bedroom and realized Natalie was gone, he casually asked, "Where is she?"

"She had something to take care of at the dance troupe, sir," Laura replied.

The moment he heard 'dance troupe,' Quinn Harper's face flashed in Hassan's mind. Frowning slightly, he tugged at his tie. "Pack a lunch and deliver it to her."

Laura was stunned. Hassan had never, ever done something like this before. She mentally cursed Natalie for being such a siren, capable of bewitching a man like him after just one night.

Keeping her thoughts hidden, she nodded respectfully and agreed.

Natalie was at the lab when she received the text from Laura. She found it completely bizarre that the housekeeper would go out of her way to deliver food to her. Especially after she had just thrown a sarcastic jab at Cecily. Why would she order someone to bring her lunch?

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