Chapter 317 Natalie, Are You Jealous?
Natalie lowered her gaze and smiled.
‘Does she think she’s the host of the party?’
By now, Susan had already turned her back to them.
Unexpectedly, Oliver called out, "Susan..."
"Yes?" Susan turned around as her smile brightened even more.
"You should treat Natalie with more respect. Especially since I’m hosting the gathering today, and she’s my wife.”
Susan's smile froze immediately.
The room descended into an uncomfortable silence.
Until now, most had only focused on Susan's earlier seemingly gracious concession. However, Oliver's remark suddenly made them realize that Susan’s words to Natalie earlier had been rather insulting.
Everyone’s eyes instinctively darted between Oliver, Natalie, and Susan.
Natalie looked at Oliver, surprised. She did not expect him to defend her so openly.
Oliver, appearing unfazed, rested his hand on the back of Natalie's chair and gently ruffled her hair, asking, “What’s wrong?”
"Nothing."
Natalie redirected her attention to Susan and said graciously, “Please enjoy yourself.”
"Thank you."
Susan struggled to keep her smile from faltering and hastily excused herself from the poker table, making her way to a quieter corner.
After a deep swig of her drink, Susan barely managed to quell the rising anger.
‘What’s Natalie trying to imply? Is this some sort of provocation?! And why does Oliver rush to her defense? Doesn't he see how this makes me feel? No, it can't be like that. Oliver probably meant nothing by it. He was simply stating the obvious, without any underlying intent.’
…
"You..." Natalie started, then hesitated.
Oliver, sitting beside her, raised an eyebrow inquisitively. "Hmm?"
"Aren’t you worried about hurting Susan’s feelings with your words earlier?” Natalie asked in a voice only audible to the two of them.
"You’re overthinking," Oliver responded nonchalantly. In his opinion, the person Susan liked was Arthur. He did not think Susan would be upset just because of this.
…
After the poker game ended, another game commenced.
They played a board game, and the loser had to draw from a stack of penalty cards that had questions like who did you lose your virginity to, when was your first time, what color is your underwear today, kiss someone here, and so on.
Susan wished she could draw the kissing penalty card so she could ask for Oliver’s ‘help’. Alas, her wish did not come true.
Finally, Barrett could not endure it anymore and said, “Alright, enough. Susan is here, but you’re all playing such a crude game.”
“What else can we do? We’ve already played most of the games here, and they’ve gotten boring,” someone said.
“How about going for a car race? Not everyone has drunk.”
"I'm in!"
…
The group excitedly made their way to a racing track.
Natalie did not want to be a wet blanket, so she tagged along.
Those who drank earlier joined the cars of those who were sober.
Susan, eager to be by Oliver's side, promptly opened the passenger door of his car.
Natalie, trailing behind, stopped moving. Her gaze changed from warm to icy when she saw this.
"Natalie, get in the car," Oliver urged, having just settled into the driver's seat. Noticing Natalie's hesitation, he exited the car to find the two women in a standoff.
Natalie's expression was unmistakably cool and displeased.
With an air of innocence, Susan proposed, "I… I’m used to being by Oliver’s side. This has always been the case before I went abroad, so I'm not really comfortable in cars with others... Perhaps you can ride in someone else’s car?"
‘Does she expect me to sit in another person’s car? Did she really suggest that someone’s wife should sit in a stranger’s car?’
However, Susan had said those words so innocently that not many people questioned her intentions.
"Oliver..." Susan looked at Oliver, mentally going over her previous statement, ensuring it was flawlessly reasoned and justified. She anticipated Oliver to ask her to get into the car and send Natalie away.
However, Oliver narrowed his eyes and said without hesitation, “Susan, go with Wyatt.”
Then, turning to Natalie, he said, "Get in the car."
"Huh? Oh, okay."
Natalie was momentarily taken aback. She did not expect this.
Following her initial shock, Susan clenched her hands, struggling to hide her anger. After a moment, she smiled stiffly and said to Wyatt, “Thanks for letting me ride with you.”
Wyatt responded with a distant smile as he opened his car door, saying, "You're welcome."
His smile, however, did not reach his eyes.
Having known each other for years, Wyatt's feelings toward Susan were lukewarm at best, with their interactions remaining strictly formal.
Meanwhile, Barrett observed the scene with a frown. Susan's inability to recognize her identity puzzled him. He could not understand why Susan would try to rob the seat from Natalie when it was clearly inappropriate.
Although Oliver had previously taken special care of Susan, he was single at that time, and she was his childhood friend. However, now that Oliver was married, Barrett, despite his feelings toward Natalie, found Susan’s behavior inappropriate. Had he not known Susan to be proud, he might have mistaken her actions for those of a homewrecker.
…
Upon entering the car, Natalie was immediately enveloped by the warmth of Oliver's coat, his masculine scent surrounding her.
Oliver wrapped her in his jacket, his fingers deftly turning on the heater. He then held her cold before he asked with a frown, "It’s so cold outside. Why were you standing outside for so long like a fool earlier?”
His words carried a mix of rebuke and concern, as he contemplated buying her a hand warmer.
Noting her silence, his expression turned confused and concerned.
"I thought you were going to let Susan into your car,” Natalie said, bracing herself for a reprimand.
As expected, Oliver's expression turned icy, looking at her as though she was an idiot.
“You’re my wife. Why would I let you ride in another person’s car?”
"But Susan..." Natalie began, then honestly added, "Your relationship with Susan seems to be… special…”
Oliver’s eyes suddenly shone with a rare hint of excitement as he asked, “Are you jealous?”
Natalie’s eyes widened, and she immediately denied, “No!”
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