Chapter 110
Claire shot back, "Yeah, right, how can you take them down with your needles? Are you some kind of superhero now?"
Then she turned and shot Sean a sharp look.
She asked, "Why didn't you give me a heads-up? Josie must've been scared out of her mind. Instead of letting her get some proper rest, you still brought her to school for the competition? Is the competition really worth all that?"
"Claire," Josie said quickly, afraid she'd start scolding Sean again. She hurriedly tugged Claire back down into her seat. She explained, "This really isn't Sean's fault. I was the one who insisted on coming to school. It's my first school competition since I left Professor Lawson's team. There was no way I was going to miss it. And look at me. I'm totally fine. Seriously, not a scratch on me. Those guys couldn't scare me even if they tried!"
Claire felt both relieved and proud. "Alright, Josie, you're the best! Come on, have a drink to settle your nerves."
She called it a drink, but Sean just poured juice into Josie’s glass instead. Josie gave him a grateful smile, then raised her glass to clink it with Claire’s.
The food was delicious. Josie ate a ton, and even though Sean didn’t say much, he still responded to everything she said. Halfway through the meal, they got a call from the school telling them they’d made it to the next round. That news made everyone even happier.
By the time they were heading back, Josie’s stomach was round and full, her cheeks rosy and plump. She looked absolutely adorable, with a touch of delicate allure. Sean and Claire walked her to the dorm building before finally saying goodbye. Josie practically skipped up the stairs, her mood as wonderful as the food they’d had tonight. She was truly over the moon that day.
On the other hand, Natalie couldn’t have been more miserable!
Natalie took the last name of her mother, Audrey Kinberg. Her father was unknown. The Kinberg family had a respectable status in Aloville. Her grandfather was a university professor, and Audrey was the deputy director of a research institute. Audrey was an only child, so everything the Kinberg family had would eventually belong to her and Natalie.
When Audrey was young, she was a socialite in Aloville, with countless suitors. But she seemed to look down on all of them. No one knew that, behind closed doors, she was actually quite the party girl, with a long list of boyfriends. Eventually, her family sent her overseas to study.
When she came back, she landed a job at a research institute and showed up with a three-year-old daughter in tow. She told everyone she’d gotten married abroad, but got divorced before coming back. But the truth was, she was already pregnant when she left the country. She didn’t want to get married, and had no idea who the father was, so she just used studying abroad as a cover to have the baby.
When they got back, Natalie took her last name. Her career took off, and she still did whatever she wanted, living as wild and independent as ever.
When it came to raising Natalie, Audrey was all demands and no companionship. She only cared about the results, never the process. Natalie was never short on material things, but when it came to emotional support, there was basically none. Audrey only had one expectation of her: Natalie had to be exceptional, no matter how she managed it. Because of this, Natalie learned from a young age that she had to do whatever it took to meet her mom’s standards. Otherwise, she’d get a beating.
After finishing a call with Reynard at school, Natalie couldn’t stand the thought of going back to the dorm. She was scared that she might overhear her roommates gossip about Josie’s team making it to the next round. So she just grabbed a cab and headed straight home instead.
As soon as she walked in, Natalie realized Audrey was home too. Before she could even greet her, Audrey stood up and smacked her right across the face.
"You disgraceful girl!" Audrey snapped while landing another slap on her cheek. She asked, "How many times have I told you not to contact that man? Why can't you just listen to me?"
Natalie felt a jolt of panic. "I didn't. I swear I didn't contact him, Mom. Please, don't hit me. Please!"
"He just called me! And you still dare to lie to me?" Audrey snapped, slapping her again. She asked, "What happened at school? Are you going to tell me, or do I have to go ask your teachers?"
Natalie’s knees buckled and she dropped onto the sofa. She said, "Nothing happened. I can handle it, Mom. Please, just trust me. I promise I’ll take care of everything, I—"
"What now?" Audrey shot back with a mocking sneer. "Are you still thinking about contacting him?"