Chapter 460
Skylar had always been toned and curvy, but lately, she'd become even thinner. It was as if she'd defied the laws of physics, losing weight without sacrificing her figure. Her waist, especially, seemed impossibly defined. Yet, Skylar herself remained oblivious to the change.
"Have I lost weight?" Skylar asked, a hint of surprise in her voice.
"Have you been hitting the gym?" Natalie asked enviously, eyeing Skylar's figure. Her physique surpassed that of many female celebrities; no one could hold a candle to Skylar.
"Absolutely not," Skylar replied, her gaze flickering away. "The gym scene just isn't for me, you know that."
Despite her denial, she'd been working out every day.
As they chatted and entered the cinema, Natalie shared her own news. "I've reconciled with Jeremy! He's not as busy anymore and comes home every night. The problem is, I'm so swamped with work that I get home late."
This late schedule strained their intimacy. Whenever Jeremy initiated anything, Natalie was too exhausted. The next morning, seeing his frustrated expression, she felt a pang of guilt.
"That's good to hear! Did you clear up the misunderstanding?" Skylar asked.
While happy for her friend, a nagging suspicion about Annabelle lingered in the back of her mind.
"He did lie about something, but I don't think it's worth pursuing anymore. Maybe it was unintentional. I'll wait for a more suitable time to ask him about it." Natalie's tone was casual, unconcerned.
Perhaps her busy schedule had dulled the impact of the lie, or maybe it was simply a relief to have Jeremy home more often, a return to their old routine.
Skylar didn't press further. They found their seats as the movie began. Skylar became engrossed, while Natalie, prone to tears, sniffled throughout the emotional scenes.
One scene, in particular, pushed Natalie over the edge. The male supporting character, after betraying the female lead, had the audacity to play innocent. Even when the truth came out, he tried to shift the blame, accusing her of being petty and unreasonable for not forgiving him. He claimed his mistake was insignificant and "something every man does." He'd even called off their wedding!
Natalie found the character irresponsible. Sniffling back tears, she vented to Skylar. "Ugh, some men are the worst! They cheat, then blame the woman? I've never seen such a despicable man! Wait. I have seen one. Christopher is just like him!"
"Skye, you need to set your sights higher. Just like when the male lead meets the female lead later, look at Mr. Powell—he's so charming! The female lead deserves better, and so do you."
"If I were the female lead, I would give that scumbag two hard slaps! Knocking out a couple of teeth would really satisfy me," Natalie said.
Skylar chuckled softly. "Thanks, Nat. You're right. I should set my sights higher." In her heart, she'd already decided on a simple, peaceful life with Joe. That, she believed, was more than enough.
Natalie beamed with pride. "That's my girl! Strong and decisive!"
Meanwhile, Joe had just finished a basketball game. As he wiped the sweat from his brow, he noticed a WhatsApp message on his phone. It was from Skylar. He paused, his attention focused on his phone.
Rowan walked over and saw Joe engrossed in his phone. Realizing Joe might be leaving, he approached immediately. "Aren't we supposed to play a few more rounds today? No one leaves early. We finally got everyone together. Let's play until we've had our fill. Joe, put your phone down. Even if someone offers you a multi-billion dollar contract, you still have to set it aside."
"I'm just replying to a message," Joe curtly replied, typing a reply to Skylar. "I was playing basketball. What's up?"
He sent it immediately, then regretted it; it sounded too cold. After a moment's hesitation, he called Skylar.
The phone rang for a long time, but Skylar didn't answer.