Chapter 393 I Care
Moreover, these past couple of years had been challenging and busy. Jane and Flora encountered difficulties one after the other, and Lucas was diagnosed with a serious illness. She had neither the time nor the inclination to think about birthdays.
It's just around her birthday last year when she had married Oliver.
At that time, there was still some animosity between them. Natalie felt momentarily lost. Had more than a year already passed? Time seemed to move with unbelievable speed.
Oliver sat there, expressionless, neither speaking nor acting, resembling a sulking child waiting for someone to offer comfort.
Natalie looked at him in confusion, puzzled by his foul mood.
…
After dinner, as was her custom, Natalie settled into the comfortable sofa in the study to read, while Oliver attended to his work. Suddenly, her phone vibrated. It was a message from Isaac.
Isaac: [Natalie, I heard you'd be attending Susan's birthday banquet? What about your own birthday? Has it already passed?]
Natalie was perplexed by Isaac's sudden mention of her birthday.
Natalie: [Why?]
Isaac: [Oliver has arranged many surprises for you. He began preparations a long time ago. Three months prior, he commissioned a design sketch for your dress, personally approved the draft, and even organized a small party. He intended to send invitations to your close friends and colleagues today, but then he learned that you'd be attending Susan's birthday…]
Natalie abruptly looked up and glanced at Oliver.
He was diligently working. When he spent extended periods in front of the computer, he wore glasses with a thin gold wire frame, primarily to shield his eyes from blue light and radiation. For some reason, he looked even more distant and unapproachable with his glasses. However, he was undeniably attractive.
Issac: [Not only that, but he also learned how to bake a birthday cake for you. He's been practicing for nearly half a month.]
The meaning behind Isaac's messages was very clear.
Natalie thanked Isaac, and he responded with a smiley emoji.
Meanwhile, Oliver was also looking at Natalie as he worked. He saw her typing on her phone for a while before she set it aside and approached him. When they were in the same room, he found it hard to ignore her presence.
"Are you unhappy?" Natalie stood with her hands clasped behind her back, tilting her head to look at him with a barely concealed smile on her lips.
Oliver remained silent, his gaze steadfast on the email before him.
Natalie clicked her tongue and pointed at his screen, saying, "You can finish reading a document like this in one minute. I've been here for quite a while, and you haven't even touched the mouse."
Oliver turned his chair around, staring at Natalie without saying a word, as though he was willing her to point out the truth.
"Are you unhappy because I’m attending Susan's birthday?"
"What's the point of attending her birthday party?" Oliver asked.
It was not uncommon for people to share the same birthdays or have birthdays close to each other.
However, almost without exception, in their circle, those who had their birthdays later would be compared by some people. There was no doubt that they would talk about Natalie.
If Natalie attended Susan's birthday party and it turned out to be a grand affair, they would compare it to Natalie's birthday celebration. If there was no party, people would definitely talk. However, if there was a party, she would have to invite Susan. Otherwise, it would only invite criticism, considering Susan invited her.
In short, no matter what, Natalie would be compared to Susan.
Perhaps due to her unknown origin, compared to Susan, who was from the prestigious Hastings family, Natalie looked rather pitiful in comparison.
Oliver did not care about what others thought or said about him, but he could not bear it if others spoke ill about Natalie.
"Honey, we don't even know if that's my real birthday. It doesn't matter if we celebrate it or not," Natalie said with a sigh, placing her hand on his shoulder. "I don't care."
"But I care," Oliver blurted out.
Natalie had originally planned to tell Oliver that she did not agree to attend Susan's party but was forced to do so. However, she decided against it at the last moment.
What difference would it make if she told him? She did not want to involve him. Considering Oliver's personality, he probably would not let her go to Susan's party, which would lead to a lot of gossip.
Plus, Susan's relationship with Natalie could not be easily severed. They were all part of the fashion industry, and as long as Susan wanted trouble, she would be able to find the opportunity.
In conclusion, Natalie knew she had to face this matter.
Oliver looked at the carpet before finally saying, "I didn't celebrate your last birthday."
Natalie was momentarily stunned. Then, she crouched down beside him, tilting her head and smiling as she asked, "So what gift did you plan to give me?"
Oliver looked at her.
"Here is an idea. How about you celebrate my birthday with me, just the two of us."
…
The next morning, Oliver had already dressed himself properly before Natalie woke up.
"You're leaving so early?"
Natalie groggily opened her eyes and saw that the man was already dressed and ready to go.
Normally, he would exercise first before going to the company, so it was unusual for him to be dressed like this at this hour.
Oliver paused in his buttoning motion and said, "There's something I need to take care of."
He walked to the side of the bed, smoothed down a few stray hairs on Natalie's head, and kissed her cheek.
"I shouldn't be back late…."
"I haven't brushed my teeth!" Natalie covered her mouth.
Oliver laughed. "I don't mind."
Natalie's slow-waking brain gradually cleared, and she said, "You're definitely hiding something from me!"
Oliver was someone who always kept track of time, and he rarely used such vague expressions like 'probably won't be back late'. Moreover, his expression was a little strange.
Natalie sat up straight, studied Oliver, and looked at him with an expression that seemed to say, "You're not cheating on me, are you?"
Oliver could not resist her unintentionally cute and domineering side.
"Didn't you say you want to celebrate your birthday just the two of us?"
"Hmm?"
Isaac's text from yesterday quickly flashed through Natalie's mind.
"What are you preparing for me?" Natalie became even more certain of her guess.
"Since it involves my birthday, I want to go with you!" she said.
'Why does he leave so early?' she thought.
Natalie hooked her arm around Oliver's neck and asked, "Are you going to make me a birthday cake?"
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