Chapter 15
Natalie slipped into the chair facing Wendy, her movements unhurried. “Mrs. Simpson, have you gotten the paternity test back?” she asked, her tone casual.
Wendy’s temper sparked. “I have, and let me tell you, you’re barking up the wrong tree. Jennifer is not your father’s daughter.”
As Natalie held Wendy’s stare, she sensed a deep sorrow for Wendy, who had been caught in a web of deceit. But she wasn’t about to involve herself further in Wendy’s affairs.
The Simpsons had chosen Jennifer over her during the kidnapping. Natalie had been the one to leave those who genuinely cared for her. In this life, she was resolved to shield those who loved her and let the Simpsons face their own destiny.
Natalie stood, her voice icy. “Shagrity has three major medical centers, one a Garcia–Simpson partnership. They all know you. A test here won’t keep secrets. Do you really expect a genuine report?”
Her voice filled with disdain, she added, “It doesn’t matter if you believe it. We’re finished. I don’t need a mother who favors an adopted child over me. You’ve chosen another child over your own, and I won’t stand in the way of your tragic destiny.”
A sense of relief washed over Natalie as she spoke, “Soon, your tragic fate will begin, and it won’t just be you. Your four sons and your parents will suffer too.”
Wendy’s eyes, a reflection of Natalie’s, narrowed as she accused, “Natalie, how can you be so cruel? How can you speak so viciously to your own mother?”
Natalie rolled her eyes, unmoved by the drama. “Being my biological mother doesn’t give you a free pass. You always took Jennifer’s side when I was wronged. If you’d shown me even a shred of sincerity, I wouldn’t have cut ties so easily. But you didn’t.”
She paused, her voice softening slightly. “I get why Jennifer means so much to you. You’ve had her since she was little, and it’s normal you don’t feel the same about me. You wanted me out of your life, but I’ve always done my best as a daughter.”
Natalie felt a deep sorrow, as the mother she once longed for only brought her heartache. Now, embraced by the Shawn family—her grandfather and three brothers—she felt fulfilled.
Wendy was trembling with fury, her anger spilling over. She called out to Natalie’s disappearing form, “Natalie, you’re not clear of the Mrs. Spencer incident. Murray is after you, and he’s not going to let this go.”
Natalie turned to look at her, her eyes cold as ice. “I’m already aware of that. Don’t worry. My problems won’t affect your Simpson family or that jerk Easton.” With a nonchalant smile, Natalie turned and walked away.
As Natalie left, Wendy’s heart ached with doubt. ‘Could I have been wrong about Natalie? I’d made Jennifer exceptional, and she was my pride. Despite Natalie’s constant targeting of her, I looked away. But now, Natalie has the nerve to say she doesn’t need me, her own mother.
‘Every time she got caught bullying Jennifer, she’d claim it was all a setup. No apologies, just excuses. Even after Jennifer explained what happened at her birthday party, she wouldn’t let it go.
‘She’d set Jennifer up so many times, yet Jennifer was accused of doing it just once. Couldn’t she show a little more sense and move on?’ Wendy thought. Frustrated, she followed Natalie, only to watch her being led away by two suited men at the elevator.