The Year She Stopped Being Crazy for Him novel Chapter 39

"Hassan, the teacher said we need to head out to the lawn to start the activities." Gardenia stood up, giving him a poised, perfectly elegant smile.

Hassan immediately pulled his gaze away, cutting off their conversation entirely, and stood up to follow her.

Natalie sat rigidly in her chair, her nails digging so hard into her palms they almost broke the skin. She desperately wanted to scream at him: *If she's not the mistress, then am I?* When he married her, he had never once mentioned there was someone else he loved!

"Natalie! We're gonna win first place today!" Mia grabbed her hand, practically dragging her toward the activity zones.

Just as she stood up, Natalie heard a man's voice sneering right behind her. "Did you see that? That woman was practically throwing herself at the father in front of us, whispering god-knows-what. It's absolutely disgusting, doing that right in front of the kids."

The woman next to him chimed in immediately. "I saw it. Look at her, dragging a kid here all by herself. Ugh, women without men are all like that—desperate and thirsty. And that dad is gorgeous and obviously loaded. Honey, you need to watch out for tramps like her."

"I wouldn't give trash like her the time of day. In front of the kids, no less! Vile. Thank god that couple's bond is so strong."

Without missing a beat, Natalie grabbed the untouched glass of iced water from the table, spun around, and threw it directly in their faces.

"Ah!" the couple shrieked in unison. "Are you out of your mind?! You psycho!"

The woman frantically wiped at her face, her expensive makeup instantly ruined. Seeing the dark water stains soaking into her designer silk blouse, she lost her mind.

"We just made a comment! Were we wrong?! Weren't you just trying to seduce another woman's husband?! Who goes around whispering to another family's dad? You think just because you have a pretty face, you can get away with this trashy behavior?!"

The screaming drew a massive crowd. Even Hassan, walking a bit further ahead, paused and looked back.

He was just about to turn around when Gardenia gently caught his sleeve. "The activities are starting. This is Adrian's first time participating."

He stopped, glanced down at Adrian, and said, "Let's go."

The two of them led the boy toward the lawn.

He swept a gaze over them, a reckless, half-smile playing on his lips. He oozed a feral, untamed arrogance, every inch of him radiating pure danger.

There wasn't a single soul in Kingswood City who didn't know Jude Sheridan.

Unlike Hassan, who operated in shadows and kept a low profile, Jude lived in the spotlight.

As the sole heir to the Sheridan family, he had been spoiled into absolute lawlessness. He was the city's most notorious playboy, landing in the tabloids almost nightly. He had burned through more girlfriends than anyone could count. He was also infamously ruthless; dark rumors constantly whispered that his 'games' had cost people their lives.

"M-Mr. Sheridan... What are you doing here?" The couple jumped back in pure terror, their faces turning ashen.

Jude's striking face twisted into a predatory smirk. He looked like a man who thrived on destroying people. "That is my daughter. And you're calling her an illegitimate brat? My wife—whom I legally married—birthed an illegitimate child?"

"N-No... We didn't know she was your wife!" The man was so crushed by Jude's overwhelming aura that his voice shrank to a pathetic squeak.