"So you feel that you haven't done anything wrong? Do you know why I hated you ever since we were kids? That's because I knew that you liked Julian for a long time! He's mine! You have no right to steal him from me!" Cora said.
Natalie's face paled. She didn't realize that Cora knew about it all along.
If she knew about it, why didn't she say anything about it? Instead, she would always call her along when she had a date with Julian.
Why would Cora do that?
Did she intentionally want to show how loving they could be so she could inflict pain on her?!
Even if she did have a crush on Julian at the time, even if Cora was Julian's girlfriend at the time, she didn't do anything to her!
She had to say something! She could not simply let her walk all over her!
"If you really love him, why did you leave four years ago?"
"Do you think that I'm someone like you? That all I care about is love and romance? I was at my career's peak four years ago! I couldn't simply marry myself off and have kids!"
As Cora continued, her tone got more and more agitated. "You're so despicable for marrying Julian when I was away, Natalie! You used him to increase your status when you're just a mere country girl! Everything from where you live to what you eat… They're all supposed to be mine! Not only are you not grateful to me, but you also think you're much better than me! It's alright. Julian will leave you. The person that he loves is still me!"
Natalie was speechless. For the past four years, she did enjoy a life of luxury.
Julian would buy her expensive clothes, handbags, and jewelry. Even when she refused, he would convince her using the excuse that she was Mrs. Howard already, and she couldn't shame him by dressing shabbily.
She also had to always remind herself that she was Mrs. Howard. Wife of Julian Howard. That was why she would dress up whenever she had to be in public… Because she didn't want to bring him any shame.
She did her best to be a wife worthy of him, but in the end, it simply became something that Cora could use to attack her.
"You're as useless as your sorry excuse of a mother, Natalie Jones! No wonder her man left her, and you ended up with no father!"
"Shut up! Don't bring my mother into this!" Natalie could feel her blood boil.
"I'm simply telling the truth that your mother had brought shame to the Jones family name! All our uncles are getting headaches by just mentioning the names of you and your mother. Not only are you still with the household, you two even want to fight for the family inheritance! I wonder what Grandmother is thinking… And why didn't she get rid of you two!"
"Shut up! My mother and I weren't fighting for anything!"
Natalie lost control after being accused once again and pushed Cora away.
"If your mother isn't fighting for the family inheritance, why did Grandmother give the house that was part of her bride token to your mother?! My mother and yours are both her daughters, so why did she show favoritism to yours?!"
"I…"
Natalie could not say anything. She didn't know anything about what happened between the members of the previous generation.
However, Cora was right. Her grandfather passed away a long time ago and her grandmother did show favoritism toward her mom.
"Luckily, God is fair. He didn't give your mother a healthy body since she's being so shameless and she has to survive on medicine. She has to be almost dead by now, right?"
"Don't you dare curse my mom!"
Natalie had a very close relationship with her mother as she grew up solely in her care.
Cora's curses made Natalie completely lose her cool and she pushed her with all her might.
"Ah!"
Cora fell down in a pretentious manner and struck her head on a metal bench in the corridor. Instantly, a bump formed on her forehead. Her right wrist landed on the bench too and was showing some swelling.
"Ah, it hurts!"
She cried out in agony.
If someone was truly in love with another person, that someone could identify even that person's footsteps. Natalie heard the firm and anxious footsteps of a man running toward them. She looked at the source of the sound and saw Julian running over with a dark face, a lady's bag in his hand.
"What are you doing, Natalie?!" He yelled with a stern voice as he glared at her. He then helped Cora up by holding her waist.
"Are you alright, Cora?"
"I'm fine. I'm just feeling a little bit of pain on my forehead and right hand."
Julian looked at the swelling on Cora's forehead and wrist and then said, "I'll take you to the doctor."
Before he left, Julian glared at Natalie.
Natalie trembled as she chased Julian and pulled the bottom of his shirt.
She shook her head and then explained, "It's her… She cursed my mother first."
"And what did she say?" He asked her in a cold tone.
"She said that my mother had a premarital affair, and…"
"Isn't that the truth?!" he replied loudly.
Natalie couldn't believe what she heard and simply let go of his shirt.
During their four years of marriage, he treated her mother very well to the point that her mother thought that he was already completely in love with her.
Her mother was glad that they were married.
But now he said that everything Cora said was the truth. The coldness and sneering in his voice… All the softness and understanding in the past were gone.
"Julian… You've always looked down on my mother and me?"
Julian could see that something had shattered in the woman's eyes. He wanted to say something but Cora's painful moans cut him off.
"Julian, I'm fainting. My wrist is in a lot of pain too. I don't think I can play anymore either." Cora began to sob in his arms.
As Julian held her and patted her back soothingly, he glared at Natalie in a cold demeanor.
"Do you know that Cora's right hand had just gone through surgery? She's a pianist! If her hand is injured, it's a death sentence to her!"
Natalie was in shock as she looked at Cora's limp right hand. "I… didn't know that."
"Alright. Enough. I have to take her to the doctor. You can go back on your own!"
Natalie laughed at herself as she looked at Julian leaving together with his childhood friend. After a few steps, he even swept Cora off her feet and carried her in his arms.
"Look. That's your so-called happiness. All of it was just your own wishful thinking."
She left the hospital dispirited, only to meet up with Julian's personal assistant, Silas Whitley, at the entrance of the hospital as he rushed over.
"Madam, I'm here to take you home."
"Alright."
Silas could see how sad she was, but he couldn't ask too much about it because of his role as Julian's personal assistant. He was simply doing what he should.
"Silas, I don't want to go home."
"Where do you want to go?"
"I want to visit my mother."
Silas put on his Bluetooth speaker and then said, "Let me call Mr. Howard."
"No need. He doesn't have time to care where I go."
Silas was silent for a moment before calling Julian anyway.
"Alright. Understood."
He hung up and then said, "Mr. Howard said that if you're in a bad mood, you can stay with your mom for a few days."
Natalie had on a lonesome smile. In the past, he would never let her stay overnight at her mom's place.
But now… His childhood friend was back. His old flame had returned. Everything had changed.
It didn't matter if she went back anymore.
Lucy Jones opened the apartment door and forced out a smile on her pale face. She then welcomed Natalie into her home.
"Why did you come all of a sudden without even a call? Hm? Why is Julian not here today?"
"He's busy in the office and doesn't have the time."
"That's rare. Every time you come to visit me, he always comes along."
"He's really just too busy."
"That's fine then. We can have some girl talk."
Natalie didn't want her mother to see her sorrow and so, she faked a smile on her face.
She went over to the kitchen to wash the grapes and cherries she just bought, put them in a bowl, and then walked over to where her mother was sitting and sat next to her.
Meanwhile, Lucy took out a red file from a box next to her.