Chapter 17 Some Kind of Cheap Woman
Finished
Nathaniel reflected on the past and realized that he had never celebrated a holiday with Estella.
Actually, she had celebrated his birthday once. But that time, he got it and smat
the cake.
After that, she never celebrated his birthday again. From then on, she quietly avoided mentioning any holiday.
Nathaniel suddenly felt a twinge of guilt.
He had always thought he treated Estella decently, but he hadn’t even spent a single holiday with her.
“Well, let’s book a restaurant,” he said.
“Okay, Mr. Hartwell.”
Nathaniel had planned to call Estella and invite her to dinner on Christmas Eve.
But remembering that she had just hung up on him, he changed his mind. He figured he would just pick her up from work that day instead.
Isabelle entered the office and overheard her assistant, Whitney, booking a restaurant for Christmas Eve. She couldn’t help but feel a spark of hope.
Could Nathaniel be asking me to spend Christmas Eve with him?
She pretended not to hear and walked into the office.
When Nathaniel saw her, his expression softened slightly. “Belle, what brings you here?”
Isabelle sat beside him, speaking affectionately, “Nathaniel, how about I come home with you tonight and have dinner with Madam Madeline? I haven’t seen her in a while, and I really miss her.”
Nathaniel thought about how his mother didn’t get along with Isabelle, and he didn’t want them to meet.
He gave a casual reply, “My mom’s been abroad lately. We’ll do it another time.”
Isabelle bit her lip. She had run into Madeline at the mall earlier today.
Why is Nathaniel lying to me?
She had assumed that once Nathaniel and Estella divorced, their path to marriage would be smooth.
But for some reason, Nathaniel always avoided discussing marriage.
Could Nathaniel still be thinking about Estella? Doesn’t he love me?
Isabelle began to feel anxious.
She grabbed Nathaniel’s hand and asked, “Nathaniel, do you still love me?”
Nathaniel kissed her hand gently. “Silly girl, what kind of question is that? Of course, I love you.”
Isabelle couldn’t help but ask, “Then why won’t you marry me?”
Nathaniel looked at her in confusion. “Belle, before you went to Edinland, you told me you wanted us to be soulmates for life. It didn’t matter whether we get married or live together, right? Isn’t this fine?”
In the past, Nathaniel had suffered because of her departure. He had been heartbroken when she briefly loved someone else.
But now, he had let go of those feelings.
After all, Isabelle would come back to him, and he could still keep Estella.
Isabelle clenched her teeth in frustration, but she couldn’t argue with him.
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Chapter 17 Some Kind of Cheap Woman
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Finished
She had once believed she could control Nathaniel, so after going abroad, she kept good friendships with many men. Nathaniel had suffered, but he still hadn’t given up on her.
Now, when she was ready to return to marriage, Nathaniel seemed to want a polyamorous relationship.
But she couldn’t accept sharing Nathaniel with anyone else.
However, it didn’t matter. Nathaniel was still attached to Estella, and all she had to do was figure out a way to get rid of Estella.
On Christmas Eve, Estella finished work early and planned to wait for Jonathan at Luminary Partners & C
She had barely stepped out of the building when Nathaniel, holding a bouquet of flowers, approached her.
“Estella, join me for dinner.”
Nathaniel was dressed in a suit, his posture impeccable, with a handsome face wearing a gentle smile.
He had rarely smiled at Estella before. Now, in an attempt to win her back, he was lowering his pride.
Estella wasn’t swayed by his tactics.
After three years of marriage, she had long since understood what kind of man he was.
“Mr. Hartwell, your girlfriend is Isabelle. You should go have dinner with her. I’m not interested in eating with you.”
Nathaniel was rejected but remained calm, insisting, “Estella, stop pretending. I know you still love me. That contract may require you to take care of me, but it doesn’t say you have to love me. Over those three years, I could feel you had feelings for me. I don’t believe that after just a month, you’ve completely let go of me.”
Nathaniel had many women fawning over him.
He was exceedingly confident in his own appeal.
This was the first time Estella saw his utter lack of shame.
She scoffed, “Mr. Hartwell, do you think I’m some kind of cheap woman in your eyes?”
She paused, giving him a disdainful glance, sizing him up from head to toe.
“Why would I reclaim someone who’s nothing but trash and is cheating on me? Why would I tolerate the disgust of dining with garbage?”
Nathaniel was so enraged he could almost feel physical pain. “Estella, you’re really pushing it, aren’t you? I’m here trying to be nice, and you should be grateful. If you keep this up, I’ll never give you another chance to remarry me! Don’t regret it when it’s too late!”
Estella sneered, “Don’t worry, I’ll never regret it!”
Without another word, she turned and walked away, not even sparing him a glance.
Nathaniel, seething with rage, threw the bouquet to the ground, his face dark as he got back into his car.
Estella arrived at Luminary Partners & Co.
Upon hearing she was looking for Jonathan, the receptionist immediately gave her a knowing smile and invited her to sit on the couch to wait.
Estella thanked her and waited for Jonathan.
As the workday ended, men and women in suits began leaving the law firm in succession.
Lana arrived at the front desk with some documents to copy and, seeing Estella, smiled and greeted her.
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Chapter 17 Some Kind of Cheap Woman
Estella returned the smile with gratitude. “Thanks for your help last night, Lana.”
Lana waved it off casually. “No worries. We’re friends, and I didn’t really do much.”
Estella handed her a small gift. “This is just a little something. I hope you’ll like it.”
Lana opened it to reveal a pair of butterfly brooches.
Finished
She was quite taken with the design and, without hesitation, said, “I’ll accept it! Next time, Selene and I will take you out to dinner!”
“Sounds great.”
Lana, seeing Estella was there to meet Jonathan, leaned in with a smile and whispered, “Our boss is single, Estella. You should make your move.”
Estella hadn’t realized that both she and Selene had misunderstood her relationship with Jonathan, and she felt a bit embarrassed.
Not long after, Estella
Saw
w Jonathan emerge from the office with a young woman.
Jonathan was being extremely polite to the strikingly beautiful woman. “I’ll have my assistant contact you about the details.”
“Mr. Bennett,” the alluring woman, clearly interested, flipped her wavy hair and said, “How about dinner tonight?”
Her gaze was filled with a woman’s unmistakable flirtation.
Jonathan remained unaffected, maintaining his composure. With polite but distant manners, he responded, “Sorry, I have plans with a friend.”
The woman wasn’t the type to press further. Looking disappointed, she said, “Such a shame.”
She gave one last lingering glance at Jonathan’s perfect features and physique, sighed softly, then slipped on her sunglasses and walked away.
After escorting the woman out, Jonathan turned around and noticed Estella. His face softened as he smiled. “Please wait just a little longer. I’ll be right back.”
Estella quickly reassured him, “Take your time. I’m not in a rush.”
Jonathan gave her a smile and went back into his office.
The receptionist soon brought Estella a fresh glass of lemonade and winked at her. “Our boss rarely smiles at women. You’re the first.”
Estella realized she had been misunderstood and, though embarrassed, smiled awkwardly without saying anything.
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