Chapter 489
When Oliver was away, Mr. Liam was charged with sending detailed reports on Natalie's well-being, including what she had for lunch and the precise portions of each dish.
Oliver sat before his lunch, his appetite nonexistent.
Ironically, Natalie, who had once cured his anorexia, was now the reason he found himself battling with a loss of appetite.
"Oliver, what exactly is going on between you and Natalie?" Mr. Liam inquired with concern.
Had he not witnessed Oliver nightly retiring to the master bedroom, and emerging from it each morning, Mr. Liam might have suspected the couple had begun a quiet separation.
The atmosphere between the two was peculiarly odd—there were no arguments, yet there seemed to be something subtly off about the whole situation.
It was too calm, like the eerie stillness before a storm.
"It's nothing," Oliver replied, promptly switching the topic to inquire more about Natalie's activities at home before ending the call.
The more Mr. Liam pondered, the less he understood, and the less he understood, the more disconcerted he became.
Natalie was visibly regaining her health at a remarkable rate.
It was mostly because she had been so thin before; now, any slight weight gain was conspicuously noticeable. Everyone at the Rosewood Estate was delighted by the improvement in their mistress's condition—everyone, except Oliver.
To him, Natalie's renewed appetite and physical recovery were an implicit declaration that she desired to leave him. Her body had once subconsciously rebelled against his stubbornness and constraints.
She was too kind-hearted to cause hurt, preferring to suffer quietly rather than speak out against him.
Natalie had forgotten about her monthly cycle and was caught off guard when it started.
One night, Natalie dreamt that her menstruation had started. Amid a foggy slumber, something felt amiss. Startled awake by a jolt, she reached down and felt warmth and dampness; the sensation seemed to pour out without end.
Natalie licked her lips, staring at the slowly brightening sky, sensing the onset of her period.
"Oliver… Hey Oliver." She gently nudged the slumbering man beside her. With a groggy "hmm," Oliver slowly turned half asleep.
He had this habit of holding Natalie in his sleep, unchanging even when they fought. Now that Natalie was hurt, he was careful, just wrapping an arm around her.
"Oliver, wake up," Natalie sighed, reluctant to disturb him. It was both a bother and awkward.
"What's up?" Oliver’s eyes fluttered open, his brow furrowing as he saw Natalie’s troubled expression. She wouldn’t have woken him up if it weren’t for something serious.
"I… it’s that time of the month," Natalie said, awkwardly putting it out there.
"What?" he asked in confusion.
“My period!” she exclaimed embarrassingly.
Oliver sprang from the bed with the intention of carrying Natalie to the bathroom. Yet as he steadied himself, a laugh burst from her.
Natalie looked at him with a peculiar expression, trying to stifle her laughter, her face swathed in apologies. "I... might have gotten some on your pants."
His light gray sleeping pants were now stamped with dark brown patches on the thigh area.
Oliver, already annoyed at his dream being interrupted, now looked as if he’d been dragged out of murky waters, standing there with splayed legs, utterly befuddled.
Natalie, who just felt a bit woozy before, was now struggling to breathe properly, caught between remorse and an uncontrollable urge to chuckle.
For the first time in days, she felt a natural ease and lightness.
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