Chapter 3
Jennifer couldn’t contain her excitement as Natalie signed the divorce papers. It was the moment she’d been waiting for—Easton was about to be hers.
Natalie, seeing Easton’s signature, felt a strange sense of relief. With newfound confidence, she handed the papers back to him.
Easton, closer than he’d been in their entire marriage, found himself really looking at her for the first time. Her skin was as delicate as porcelain, her eyes clear and deep, her black dress both elegant and languid. But the love that had once filled her gaze was gone.
Easton’s heart raced, like something precious had slipped away. His grip on the papers tightened.
Natalie turned to Jennifer, her gaze cold. “Are you happy now, Ms. Simpson?”
Jennifer was more than satisfied. She’d schemed and manipulated to drive Natalie out in front of everyone. “Natalie, you mustn’t say that. I never meant to blame you.”
“Yes, you never blamed me,” Natalie retorted, her gaze sweeping over her parents and four indifferent brothers. “You just made sure my loved ones turned their backs on me. Congratulations, you’ve won.”
With calculated timing, Natalie walked away with grace and composure, her mind already plotting her next move.
The Simpson family’s extravagant birthday party for Jennifer had turned into a nightmare when she was kidnapped and assaulted.
Linda, their longtime maid, shockingly accused Natalie of planning the attack. Blind with rage, Easton knocked Natalie out. His childhood friendship with Jennifer fueled his fierce defense of her.
As Natalie walked away, she counted down under her breath, “Five, four, three, two, one,” just before the screen behind her flashed to life, revealing a conversation that would change everything.
“Ms. Simpson, to get rid of Natalie and have Easton divorce her, we have to fake a kidnapping and blame Natalie,” Linda’s voice urged. “Everyone will back you up.”
“But what if we get caught?” came Jennifer’s voice.
“Trust me, everything will be fine,” Linda reassured her. “Easton’s never taken Natalie seriously. He’s got eyes only for you. You’re his golden girl, and he’ll stand by you no matter what.”
“But Linda, I…” Jennifer’s voice trailed off.
“No buts about it,” Linda cut Jennifer off firmly. “I’ve got this under control. We just need to catch Natalie off guard, get her out of the house early, and then let the family do the rest. Once they turn on her, she’s done for.”
The crowd gasped in shock. “Unbelievable! We’ve been fed a whole story, and it turns out Jennifer schemed the whole thing,” someone exclaimed.
“This woman is crazy. To get rid of Natalie and win over her sister’s husband, she’s capable of anything,” another one echoed.
Amidst the buzz of outrage from the guests, Easton’s eyes widened as he stared at Natalie’s cold features. She seemed changed, detached from it all.
Jennifer’s face paled, the electronic screen meant to showcase her dancing now exposed her schemes against Natalie.
“No, this isn’t true! Natalie, why are you framing me? Even as you leave, you have to do this to me?” Jennifer cried out, trying to regain the upper hand.
Natalie responded with a thin smile, “Even if I am framing you, wouldn’t these people who love you still believe you? They’d defend you no matter what you say, even if you claimed to have committed murder.”
Jennifer’s eyes fell, and she couldn’t accept that her secret had been exposed.
Easton stepped forward, defending Jennifer. “Natalie, don’t make false accusations. Jennifer is kind-hearted; she wouldn’t do such a thing. Natalie, is this your doing?”