Chapter 20

Wendy was haunted by the sting of Natalie’s words: “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.”

These thoughts weighed heavily on Wendy. Jennifer, whom she’d raised to be kind and considerate, was her pride. But Natalie, who had just re-entered their lives, was a different story.

Wendy had always favored Jennifer over Natalie, her own daughter. The more she thought about it, the more her discomfort grew.

“Wendy, Wendy,” Nick called, pulling her from her thoughts.

She looked at him, her brow furrowed. “What’s up?”

Nick stood, his voice gentle but his concern seemingly forced. “You’ve seemed off lately. Maybe we should get you checked out by a doctor tomorrow?”

Wendy was a bit surprised. “Is it that obvious? It’s all because of Natalie. What she said has been bothering me,” she wondered to herself. “Do I look sick to you?” she asked Nick, a bit defiant.

Nick frowned, mimicking her expression. “Well, you’ve been zoning out a lot. Menopause is a thing, you know. Maybe you should look into it.”

Wendy felt a rising resentment, her eye twitching at his insinuation. “You think I’m going through menopause? That I need to be in a hospital?”

Natalie’s ominous warning echoed in her mind: “Soon, your tragic fate will begin, and it won’t just be you. Your four sons and your parents will suffer too.” She couldn’t avoid considering the grim fate Natalie had spoken of.

Anger surged through Wendy as she confronted Nick. “Nick, don’t you get what’s bothering me?”

Nick’s eyes betrayed his unease, though he stayed quiet. “Has she found out something? Could she finally be suspicious after years of not knowing?”

“Nick, didn’t you hear? Lance Group cut us off. We’re losing deals left and right. I’m worried about our business, and you’re worried about my hormones? As my husband, shouldn’t you be supporting me through this?” Wendy snapped.

Nick sighed in relief as he approached Wendy, hugging her tightly. “I promise, I’ll be up early to take you out for some fresh air tomorrow. I have a social event tonight, so I’ll be home late.”

Wendy, her usual composure marred by fatigue, nodded. “Fine. I’m going to bed early. I have a crucial meeting with Lance Group’s GM in the morning, and I need to figure out how to approach their CEO about a partnership.”

Nick knew Lance Group well; its boss had sought a partnership with them two years ago. Their sudden falling out was strange, but he didn’t dwell on it.

Business was fickle, and he suspected it might be a misunderstanding. He had no desire to get entangled in it and was happy with his current life.

After Wendy went upstairs, Nick headed to the garage. From her window, Wendy watched his car disappear. With a determined look on her face, she sent a message to someone: “[Track him and report everyone he meets.]”