She tried to make out her features from the silver metal walls to check if her face looked presentable, and then attempted to clean off the already dried tears from her cheeks. Thankfully, she wasn't wearing her makeup today. She would have been a horrible mess.
The elevator stopped, and she followed Samuel out. They were in the underground parking lot. Thank heavens! She wasn't ready to face anyone, not after all she had been through today.
Samuel walked her to a sleek Rosso Corsa Ferrari and opened up for her to get in, which she gracefully did. She didn't say a word; somehow, she had a feeling Samuel knew where she lived, and Jake Morton was no ordinary man."
She stared at her phone; the only calls she missed were her dad's and her best friend Kayla's. She sighed, making a mental note to call them when she got home.
Home. That was no home. It was once her home, but it hadn't been for a long time now. She had been blinded by her feelings for Daniel and hung up on the man she fell in love with. She thought back to when they met and the love they shared, those memories each cut off by multiple episodes of cruelty, lack of affection, and gaslighting.
He was her world; she sadly thought she was his. Maybe it was work, she thought, then maybe it was his mother, but then, she never thought to look at him. All she saw was her love for him and her need to be perfect for who he was in society.
She had given all of herself to him, and for what? It did hurt so much, but she was exhausted. She used to be so happy and lively; she couldn't remember the last time she had been happy.
She had mentally clocked out and looked detachedly as the Clays' mansion came into view.
The prison she accepted.
She didn't immediately step out. Samuel didn't push either. She just sat in silence for about 5 minutes, then inhaled deeply, clutched her purse, opened the door, and swung out of the vehicle without forgetting to word a 'thank you' to Samuel before facing the building.
Natalie took slow, deliberate, controlled steps as she walked through the doors. The sitting room was alive with the chandeliers all lit, displaying opulence. She barely responded to the butler and maid who greeted her. She just paused at the edge of the stairs and took off her sandal she had worn shopping.
From the corner of her eyes, she saw her mother-in-law's movement, but was emotionally detached and unbothered.
The few helpers on the ground floor looked at each other, stunned.
Something was wrong with the young Mrs. Clay. She came home past midnight, which was unlike her; no shopping bags, no effort to placate the Senior Mrs. Clay.
Did she forget today was the Senior Mrs.'s birthday? They had stayed up late to put up the decorations and make some arrangements, as they would be busy in the morning with the cooking.
"Natalie," Julian called out, but she got no response. "Natalie," she called out again. Everyone stopped their chore mid-way as Natalie still didn't respond, but continued up the stairs.
"You wretched girl. I called you. How dare you walk away while I speak? Are you deaf? What an insolent good-for-nothing! Useless woman who does nothing but feed off my son's wealth." Julian continued her rants.
Natalie had initially wanted to ignore, but as soon as the insults wore on, she turned back and walked down the stairs, staring right at Julian. She took the steps one after the other and calmly spoke back.
Coldly and calmly, she responded.
"You know, I used to wonder if it was me, Julian, but then again, you must have a very shitty kink." A collective gasp was heard from the spectators.
'I mean.' She continued. "No sane person would derive so much pleasure from unleashing so much hate daily."
"How dare you!" Julian shouted, seething in rage, her manicured fingers quavering at her sides as she made a fist.
'How dare I what Julian!' Natalie shouted as her hair flung back in anger. "How dare you, Julian? I allowed you into my home, cared for you, submitted to you as a child does to a mother, but how have you treated me? You insult me, you belittle me in my home, you insert yourself between my relationship with my husband, you encourage his cheating ways, you are happy, so happy, you turn me into a maid, and I"….she paused and laughed dryly, "I allow you". She nods as she sees how much of a pathetic person she has turned into. She looked around and turned back at Julian.
"I allowed you, Julian, not because I was weak or stupid or foolish. I loved your son, your pathetic bastard, a cheat of a son who was raised by a –" She stopped in time to control her anger.
"Don't you dare raise your voice at me ever again! I am so done with your despicable self." She continued, then looked around, noticing the maids and butler staring at her.
"What in the hell are you all looking at?" Nobody could respond as they were all stunned. They had never seen this side to her before; she was always accommodating, always apologizing, always careful. The silence was irritating to Natalie, and she snapped.
"Are you all deaf or something?" She looked back at Julian to see that she had walked to the far end of the sitting room on the call, wailing, no doubt to her son.
Then she looked around and saw the decorations.
"I asked a question, or have you all also forgotten who your master is in this house?"
A maid hurriedly responded. "It's, well, er, it' the Senior Mrs. Clay's birthday arrangement. We are trying to have a head start so we would be able to focus on the dish early in the day for the guests.
Natalie suddenly laughed. She laughed and laughed so hard.
"Guests, you say, in my house. Hmmmm. Well, I'm sorry to make all your arrangements for nothing, but there will be no party here." She responded, then moved her attention back to Julian.
Julian must have been in between her conversation with Daniel and listening on to the conversation between Natalie and the maids, so she could report live as she sprang up and said,
"You wouldn't dare! You wretched girl!" walking towards Natalie with so much fury and force as though ready for a fight. Natalie simply turned around and faced her with a smirk on her face.
"Try me". Natalie responded coldly.