Chapter 335 Darling, Will You Pick Me Up?
"Natalie, the person originally engaged to Oliver…” Lilian struggled to finish her question.
“It was Hailey, not me,” Natalie confessed sadly.
"So what Hailey said is true?” Lilian asked in disbelief. Her expression was one of disappointment, and she looked like she was on the verge of tears.
Natalie’s heart felt heavy at the sight of Lilian in such distress. She feared Lilian’s disappointment that was directed at her as well.
At this time, Sophia looked at Lilian with a hint of mockery and interjected, “Does it matter even if it’s true?”
Lilian recoiled, at a loss for words. For some reason, she felt like Sophia really wanted to beat her up at this moment.
"Indeed, it doesn’t matter,” Emily concurred, smiling at Sophia before she said, "This matter is related to Oliver, not us. Moreover, since I know Natalie, I choose to trust in my judgment of her. Why bother listening to what other people say? Who can tell what’s true or false?”
Emily gently placed her hand on Natalie's shoulder and said reassuringly, "Natalie, as I said before, you’re Natalie to me, first and foremost, and then Mrs. Windsor.”
"Thank you," Natalie expressed her gratitude. Then, she glanced at Lilian for a brief moment before she walked to the side to call Oliver.
Oliver was aware of this matter, so she knew he would stand by her side now that this news had broken out.
Lilian, biting her lip, stole cautious glances at Natalie. She wondered if she had offended Natalie? However, if Natalie truly stole Hailey’s marriage, she could not, in good conscience, treat it like it was nothing. She always thought Natalie was gentle and kind; her only apparent shortcoming was her background.
Lilian was engulfed by a sense of discomfort and confusion.
Oliver was aware of this matter, so she knew he would stand by her side now that this news had broken out.
Lilian, biting her lip, stole cautious glances at Natalie. She wondered if she had offended Natalie? However, if Natalie truly stole Hailey’s marriage, she could not, in good conscience, treat it like it was nothing. She always thought Natalie was gentle and kind; her only apparent shortcoming was her background.
Lilian was engulfed by a sense of discomfort and confusion.
"Hello."
A steady male voice rang out from the other end of the line.
"Oliver..."
Hearing Oliver's voice caused Natalie's facade of composure and resilience to crumble, leaving her feeling deeply hurt.
Sensing Natalie's distress, Oliver's tone softened immediately as he asked, “What’s wrong? Did someone make things difficult for you?”
"No, it’s not that,” Natalie quickly responded, "It’s about the audio clip circulating online. Hailey…”
Before Natalie could finish, Oliver cut in, "Natalie, this isn’t a big deal. Why are you so upset? Don’t worry, I’ll deal with it."
For Natalie, Oliver's reassuring words were the greatest solace. Her spirits lifted considerably upon hearing his words. She swiftly shifted the conversation, saying, "Oliver, I’m about to board the flight and will arrive at three in the afternoon."
"Do you want to pick you up?" Oliver understood the meaning behind her words and asked playfully, “Say something nice to me, Mrs. Windsor.”
In the past, Natalie would have shied away from such teasing. However, at this moment, she played along with him, asking, “Darling, will you pick me up later?”
The word ‘darling’ seemed to cast a spell on Oliver.
Natalie awaited his reply, but silence followed. She checked the phone, wondering if the call had been disconnected.
"Hello? Oliver?"
"I’ll… I’ll be there to pick you up.”
Oliver’s voice was deep and rich.
The corners of Natalie's mouth lifted in a smile, and her heart brimmed with a sense of comfort and joy.
Meanwhile, unnoticed by the others, Sophia discreetly sent a text message to Roger, briefing him about the current developments.
Roger seldom responded to Sophia's texts, but on this occasion, he replied with several messages.
Upon reading his response, Sophia frowned, and she looked at Natalie with a troubled and concerned expression on her face.
…
After consecutive days of relentless work, Natalie was utterly spent, and buoyed by Oliver's assurances, she drifted to sleep shortly after boarding her flight.
Four and a half hours later, after the plane touched down, Natalie eagerly scanned the crowd for Oliver or any of his employees but found no sign of them at the arrival gate.
A flicker of disappointment appeared in her mind as she wondered if Oliver was stuck in a traffic jam or if he had been held back by an urgent commitment.
As she proceeded toward the exit while retrieving her phone to contact him, she was suddenly encircled by a swarm of reporters, who rushed over from every direction, besieging her with questions.
The relentless barrage of camera flashes made it nearly impossible for Natalie to keep her eyes open amid the onslaught of queries from the press.
"Natalie, did you orchestrate your marriage to Oliver? Was it an act of vengeance against Hailey, the legitimate daughter of the Watson family, or do you merely covet the position of Mrs. Windsor?”
"Natalie, have you always had malicious intent toward Hailey?"
"Did Oliver know at all that you deceived him and married him in Hailey’s place?"
"Natalie, did you ever like Adrian? Or were you only using him to retaliate against Hailey?”
Each question was like a dagger, aimed straight at the heart.
‘What sort of questions are these? Why are they spouting nonsense?’
"I never..."
Natalie attempted to clarify, only to be interrupted. The reporter’s words caused her to freeze.
"Natalie, Oliver didn’t come to pick you up today and attended Susan’s fashion show instead. Did your relationship have a breakdown because of Hailey’s revelation?”
Natalie stood immobilized, her composure momentarily shattered.
‘Oliver’s not here because he’s gone to Susan’s fashion show? Why is it Susan again?’
Seeing the change in Natalie after Susan was mentioned, the reporters began to launch a barrage of questions again.
“Natalie, did Oliver’s affair with Susan start when he picked her up from the airport previously?”
“Natalie, what do you know about Oliver and Susan?”
"Natalie, will the unraveling of your relationship with Oliver affect your career negatively?”
"Natalie, in light of these revelations, will you consider getting a divorce?"
Natalie's mouth felt parched, her thoughts a whirlwind of confusion. The notion of Oliver attending Susan's fashion show haunted her. The incessant questioning from the press, their encroachment, and the cameras thrust into her face left her reeling. As she stumbled backward, a reporter pressed forward, his microphone colliding with the corner of her mouth.
"What are you doing? Stand back!" Emily's voice cut through the chaos.
"Natalie!" Lilian called out anxiously.
Surrounded by the press, the women, lacking physical strength, found themselves unable to reach Natalie to protect her.
On the verge of collapse, as the crowd pressed in, an unexpected savior pulled Natalie to safety, eliciting gasps and exclamations of surprise from those around them.