Chapter 154

Natalie took a sudden step back, smiling brightly. “Easton, I’m sorry, your plan has failed again! Hurry back to comfort your little childhood sweetheart. Knowing that I’m safe and walked out of the police station, she’s probably throwing a fit, crying for milk again.”

Easton’s handsome face was cold and solemn as he looked at her, asking, “Natalie, what are you talking about? I’m worried about you…”

“Worried about me getting out? Sorry, but this time you all plotted against me and failed!” Natalie said.

“Easton, do you remember what I said that night when I woke up? I said I would never endure it again. If you’ve forgotten, I’ll remind you each time: however you provoke me, I’ll retaliate in kind.” Her good mood vanished the moment she saw Easton.

The more she experienced, the more she feared getting hurt. Whose youth hasn’t been through pain? But she just couldn’t let it go.

“Do you really hate me this much?” Easton stared deeply at her, the hatred in her eyes glaring back.

“Heh…” Natalie scoffed, looking at the bright morning sun. “Easton, I now feel my previous understanding of you was wrong. Calling you scummy is really unfair. Saying you like to entrap others and play with their feelings is a huge mistake. Claiming you can’t tell friendship from love is utterly ridiculous. Now I finally understand: you’re selfish; the only person you love is yourself.”

“And who are you showing your wronged expression to? After over eighty plots against me, it was all of you working together. I’ll retaliate each time. You’re the last one; just wait.” With that, Natalie turned to leave, but Easton stepped forward to block her.

“I can explain; I wasn’t involved in this.” Easton’s voice was persistently low.

Natalie didn’t believe him. She smiled brightly, mocking. “Easton, I will never forget the scene where you let Jennifer hurt me. Even if you didn’t, your money was what she used to hire someone to hurt me.”

Now, Easton felt he wasn’t wronged at all.

“Natalie.” James, wearing a white baseball jersey, looked fresh and handsome under the sunlight. He walked over with a smile, reaching out to pat her on the head. “Natalie, you’ve really grown up and learned to protect yourself. I can finally relax even when I’m on a business trip.”

Natalie’s eyes felt a bit warm. “Sorry, bro, for worrying you.”

“Yeah! You worried me, but not like before. You used to silently suffer and wouldn’t fight back, which allowed others to plot against you repeatedly. Now you’ve learned to take revenge and fight back; I’m really relieved. Let’s go home; Grandpa is waiting for us to have breakfast.”

Natalie linked her arm with his, smiling brightly. “Hehe… Let’s go.”

Easton stepped forward, his tall figure blocking the way. “Natalie, come back with me; Grandma wants to see you.”

James pulled Natalie behind him and glared at Easton. He’d seen Easton earlier but ignored him. “Easton, my sister has signed the divorce agreement with you, and you forced her to do it. As a man, you should go with Natalie to get the marriage certificate.”

Easton knew he was being a jerk. “I don’t plan to divorce. Natalie will always be my wife.”

James was furious, wanting to hit him. “Easton, you’re shamelessly tying up Natalie while Jennifer comes and goes with you. How could there be a scumbag like you?”

“Sorry, this is a matter between husband and wife. I’ve made my decision; I won’t divorce Natalie. I was wrong before…”

Natalie interrupted him. “Easton, stop with the nonsense; I definitely want a divorce. Even if I don’t divorce now, I will in two years. It’s already been half a year, and there’s still a year and a half left. I can wait.” Natalie and James left without looking back.

Easton frowned and took a deep breath, thinking, ‘No matter what I do now, she won’t believe me. Just like before, he wanted to explain but had never given her a chance.

Thinking of her hesitant expression and the pain shining in her eyes made him feel uncomfortable. But with busy work and Jennifer’s whining, he didn’t want to deal with another crying Natalie.

Easton couldn’t understand what had made him so gullible before, why he had believed Jennifer and hurt her. If she hadn’t retaliated, he wouldn’t have seen the other side of Jennifer, who could be so malicious and disgusting.

Easton pressed his lips together and also left the police station.

In the car, James handed Natalie a bag of breakfast. “Natalie, the mini bread from this place is really delicious. Have some, and there’s hot water in the thermos; drink that before you eat.”

Natalie felt touched and warm inside; James had always truly cared for her.

“Okay!” She took the thermos, poured herself a cup of hot water and only then did she eat the mini bread. When she was hungry, anything tasted good, but the mini bread was really delicious.

Natalie looked out the window at the bright and blinding sunshine, thinking, ‘What a beautiful day. Her current state of mind was clearer.

In the past, she felt so much pain but never expressed it. Now, if she felt pain, she would whine to her brother and grandpa or vent to her friends. ‘Does this mean I’ve managed to defeat my once cowardly self and grown stronger?‘

After finishing the mini bread, Natalie said, “Let’s go to the hospital. I want to see what happened to Jason. I can’t shake off my guilt for leaving him hanging for so long just for this day.”

James chuckled. “What are you going to see him for? Just to make yourself feel worse?”

Natalie shook her head with a smile. “No, I’m just going to see the joke. In the past, they stood on a moral high ground and kidnapped me. Now that I’ve cut ties with them, I naturally want to watch the show.”

She added, “Isn’t the biggest malice in life just not being able to see others do well? I want to unleash my malice to the fullest.”

James smiled, took out his phone for navigation, and Natalie told him the address.

Twenty minutes later, Natalie arrived at the ward alone.

Inside the ward, the strong smell of disinfectant filled the air. Wendy was also in the room.

Jason was awake, leaning against the headboard. In just one night, he seemed to have gone through a life–or–death calamity - dejected and devoid of the will to live.

Natalie walked in, and Wendy, seeing her, was very excited. “Natalie, you’re here!”

Natalie smiled coldly. “Yeah, I came to see the joke.”

Wendy froze, her eyes dimming.

Jason looked at her smiling face with mixed feelings. Six months ago, it was Jennifer and Jasmine who plotted against him, not Natalie. Waking up this morning, he still couldn’t accept the truth. He thought, ‘Why did Jennifer, whom I’ve cared for since childhood, treat me like this?‘

Seeing his paralyzed legs, he suddenly shouted angrily, “Natalie, was this deliberate?!”