The Year She Stopped Being Crazy for Him novel Chapter 290

Gardenia was the first to speak up. "Hassan, you're always joking around. How can you call Natalie your 'plus-one'? You two are married, after all."

Since Natalie rarely attended corporate events, the only people who actually recognized her were the immediate Carlson family members.

The employees were genuinely shocked to learn she was his wife.

For a man to introduce his own wife merely as his "plus-one" spoke volumes about how fractured their marriage was.

The chatter in that section of the hall instantly died down, and the gazes directed at Natalie took on a subtle, pitying edge.

Gardenia offered a magnanimous smile. "I rarely see you at these kinds of events. I always assumed you just didn't like them. What put you in the mood to join us today?"

Natalie shot her a deeply meaningful look. Tightening her grip on Hassan's arm, she replied, "My husband asked me to come, so I came. Given how close you two are, I figured you would have known I'd be here."

Somewhere along the line, she had learned how to play this hypocritical, passive-aggressive game too.

And it was surprisingly effective.

As soon as the words left her mouth, the onlookers' expressions shifted.

The air was thick with tension.

Hassan cast a sideways glance at her, his voice cool. "Let's go say hello over there."

She raised an eyebrow, flashing a brilliant smile. "Of course."

They walked away together.

One of the employees leaned in and asked, "Ms. Sutton, are they really married? Mr. Carlson seemed so cold to her. I get him being strictly business with us, but treating his wife like that?"

Swirling the wine in her glass, Gardenia replied smoothly, "They're getting a divorce soon."

She leaned a bit closer to the employee and added softly, "But since the papers aren't finalized yet, they still have to keep up appearances. Don't go spreading that around, okay?"

"Oh! Got it. Don't worry, Ms. Sutton, my lips are sealed."

Gardenia then made her way toward Hassan.

Hassan was currently speaking with three of the company's major shareholders.

Natalie exchanged pleasantries and clinked glasses with them.

One of them even tried to smooth over the earlier boardroom incident, subtly implying that their harsh accusations had only been out of concern for the company's best interests.

She raised her glass to him. "You are all shareholders. It's perfectly natural for you to prioritize the company's profits."

The tall, thin executive chuckled. "Mrs. Carlson is very understanding."

"Ms. Sutton," someone greeted as Gardenia approached.

She glanced at Natalie and flashed a polished smile. "Am I interrupting?"

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