The Year She Stopped Being Crazy for Him novel Chapter 296

Cecily set down her porcelain spoon, frowning.

"What Natalie did wasn't entirely right—she shouldn't have hit someone in front of that massive crowd. But are you telling me Gardenia can't even tell truth from a lie? Was she not deliberately targeting Natalie? Even if Natalie had actually bullied those three employees, Gardenia had no business publicly humiliating Natalie to defend them, not with all the board members and executives present."

Cecily sneered. "And she still wants an apology? If she hadn't forced herself into the middle of it, would this have escalated into such a mess?"

The more she spoke, the angrier she got. "Hassan, when did you lose all sense of boundaries? And going up on stage—how could you bring someone else up there while your wife was present? What do you take your wife for? Even if she was delayed, you shouldn't have taken Gardenia up with you. Don't you realize what message that sends?"

The man didn't utter a word in his defense. He pressed his long fingers to his temples, massaging them, exhaustion heavy in his eyes.

His voice was a bit hoarse. "Grandma, I'll handle it. Please don't..."

"As long as Natalie is still Mrs. Carlson, she is not apologizing today," Cecily declared firmly.

The room fell into a long silence.

Cecily then looked at Natalie. "However, hitting someone in front of all those people was wrong. You need to reflect on your actions."

A trace of a smile appeared on Hassan's handsome face. "Since she was a kid, has she ever known the meaning of the word 'reflect'?"

Natalie retorted, "Why should I reflect when I did nothing wrong?"

Hassan went quiet and pulled her into their bedroom.

"So you think you're entirely in the right?" His voice dropped low. "How do you explain your frequent meet-ups with Jude lately? And you've been getting awfully close to Cora as well."

Natalie narrowed her eyes. "You're investigating me? Having me followed?"

"Answer my question first."

"Who I choose to be close with is none of your business. What gives you the right to demand answers?"

Hassan stepped out onto the balcony and made a phone call.

Natalie frowned. A moment later, her phone buzzed with a message.

It was from Jude.

[What is your problem? You told Hassan about our arrangement?]

Natalie gritted her teeth and glared at Hassan. "What exactly did you say to Jude?"

"What do you think I said? You thought I didn't know? You and Jude have been intentionally getting close, haven't you?"

Natalie sat down on the sofa and lowered her head, hiding her expression from him.

He had always been too perceptive; a single glance was all he needed to read someone's mind.

Hassan walked toward her, tilting her chin up. "Since we're getting a divorce, why put on this little act?"

Natalie kept her eyes lowered, turning her face away to lean against the sofa. "Why do you care what act I put on?"

Grabbing her phone and a nightgown at random, Natalie retreated into the bathroom.

Irritated, she shot off a text to Jude.

[You're an idiot.]

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