The Year She Stopped Being Crazy for Him novel Chapter 123

Natalie was indeed in the pool. She was wearing a sleek, black one-piece swimsuit, and when she climbed out, toweling off her hair, Jessica actually froze in her tracks.

She hadn't expected Natalie to have such an incredible figure. Glancing down at herself, a wave of insecurity hit her. But then she reminded herself that she was younger and smarter, which quickly patched up her bruised ego.

Natalie didn't even spare Jessica a glance. She changed into her loungewear, twisted her hair into a messy bun—leaving a few damp strands loose—and didn't bother drying it completely.

She walked downstairs, casually rubbing hand cream into her skin.

Hassan's gaze lingered on her neck for a second, but he said nothing.

At the dinner table, as Natalie leaned over to take a sip of her soup, she felt a sudden tickle against the side of her neck.

She turned her head and realized Hassan was holding a napkin, gently dabbing the water droplets falling from her damp hair.

The warm lighting cascaded over him, softening the sharp, cold lines of his face. For a fleeting second, she felt a sense of daze, almost as if his betrayals had never happened. But the illusion shattered instantly. The thorn of his infidelity was buried deep in her heart, impossible to extract.

The kinder he acted, the deeper the thorn twisted, and the more it hurt.

Jessica watched the exchange from the living room, completely bewildered. Hadn't her mother said these two had zero feelings left for each other? Weren't they supposedly discussing divorce and living separate lives? This didn't look like a couple on the brink of divorce.

Natalie flinched away from his touch, grabbing a napkin to dry her own hair.

Hassan's fingers paused mid-air. His expression remained unreadable as he slowly withdrew his hand.

When he finally picked up his silverware to try a tofu dish, Laura seized the moment. "Jessica made that one. It's her specialty. How is it, Mr. Carlson?"

Hassan tasted it and gave a perfectly objective review. "It's pretty good."

Laura beamed, shooting a pointed look at Natalie. "I've always raised her with this mindset—a woman must know how to cook. Otherwise, when she gets married, her husband won't even have a hot meal to come home to after a long day of work. What kind of wife would that be?"

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