Chapter 35 On Par With Samuel
Samuelâs gaze darkened, and she could see the faint outline of his veins under his shirt.
âIt looks like he has an important place in your heart.â
âObviously. I call him Sweetheart,â Natalie sighed.
Xavian and Clayton were the two most important people in her life. She was willing to give up anything
for them.
Samuelâs gaze turned cold. âIf you have an opportunity to meet someone next time, what kind of man
would sweep you off your feet, Ms. Nichols?â
She remained silent.
Natalie sensed that he was unhappy, but she wasnât sure of the reason.
She was still wearing the hyper-realistic mask that was ugly enough to make people cry. How jealous
did Samuel have to be to still feel that way?
The first thing Natalie did when she returned home was to take off the mask.
Although it was made to look indistinguishable from a real face, ultimately, it was still a mask. Wearing
it day and night made her feel stifled. She replaced it with a hydrating sheet mask and slumped on the
couch.
Xavian brought an iced coke and sat down beside her. He watched her with wide eyes.
âMommy, could you tell us what our stepdad is like?â
With her sheet mask on, Natalie couldnât speak properly. She replied awkwardly, âWhat⦠What
stepdad?â
âI heard his voice on the phone last night! Donât treat me like a dumb three-year-old!â Five-year-old
Xavian looked as if he understood everything. âClayton and I have always been very supportive of your
relationship, but⦠I have a small request. Stepdad has to at least be on the same level as Samuel!â
Natalie was caught completely off guard. She choked on her drink and started coughing aggressively.
âWhat does this have to do with Samuel?â
âIf our stepdad is worse than Samuel, then you might as well choose Samuel.â He continued, âSure,
you donât really know him yet. But with your real appearance and help from Clayton and me, I donât
believe you canât get him!â
Natalie felt a shiver down her spine.
Could she tell him that she actually knew Samuel? And that she actually stayed at the Bowers
residence last night?
Glancing at the little boyâs cute, elated expression, Natalie decided against it for the time being.
It was a rare day off for her. She decided to take Xavian to the supermarket.
Natalie picked up whatever she was craving.
Wanting to eat Tom Yum soup, she picked out the soup base. They then wandered the rest of the
aisles.
There was a chubby salesman organizing the products, and Natalie didnât want to get in his way. She
pushed her shopping cart back by a few steps. Just then, she accidentally stepped on another
womanâs white shoe.
âAh!â A cry of surprise was followed quickly by the womanâs shrill voice. âCanât you see where youâre
going?â
Natalie was at fault, being the one who suddenly moved backward. She didnât even see the other
partyâs face before she started apologizing profusely. âSorry! Iâm sorry! I really didnât mean to! Are you
hurt?â
Although she apologized, the woman didnât calm down at all. Instead, she lashed out even more.
âYou donât seem blind, despite how hideous you look! What do you mean you didnât mean it? I bet it
was intentional!â
She continued, âWhatâs the point of apologizing anyway? Do you have any idea how much this pair of
shoes cost? Theyâre more valuable than your life!â
The more the woman spoke, the more familiar the sound of her voice was. Natalie looked up carefully.
I canât get any unluckier than this.