Chapter 631 Running Away
"Natalie, you’re pursuing your dreams, not just a career. It’s unlikely that you’ll give up on having a child just solely for your career.”
Oliver understood Natalie well. She often used her career as a reason to avoid pregnancy, concealing the true reason she did not want to get pregnant. The truth was, she did not trust him enough. Without children, she retained the freedom to leave whenever she chose. However, with a child, the dynamics would change. A child would represent a bond, a tie that binds them together.
"Natalie," Oliver said, drawing her into his embrace and resting his head on her shoulder, "I have my fears too."
"What do you fear?" she asked, following his lead.
"I fear you’ll leave me," he admitted. "For me, having a child feels like a form of security."
‘So, Natalie, you’re not the only one who feels insecure… I do too…’
Natalie regarded Oliver with disbelief.
‘He wishes to use a child as a means to keep her close? He’s no different from Arthur, that jerk!’
Before Natalie could express her indignation, Oliver interjected, "But last night’s incident wasn’t intentional. It was an oversight on my part. I promise to be more cautious in the future. And if it happens, we’ll consider it fate, okay?"
Natalie grasped the implied message about the pills and their effects. Nonetheless, she silently reassured herself by recalling her menstrual cycle, relieved to find she was in her safe period. Eventually, she nodded at Oliver, "Okay."
…
For lunch, they had mashed potatoes, chosen by Oliver as a light option to soothe his stomach.
Feeling hungry, Natalie noticed Oliver's attention on her as he served the mashed potatoes. She initially dismissed it until she noticed that the potatoes were not completely cooked. Some parts were undercooked.
She frowned slightly, tasted a few more bites to confirm her suspicion, before she looked up to meet Oliver's intense gaze. It appeared he was anticipating a reaction. She had a hunch and asked, “Did you make this?”
"Of course not!" Oliver scoffed, his expression conveying that there was no way he would cook. "You can check if you don’t believe me."
She knew well there would be no evidence of his cooking. She stirred the mashed potatoes and commented, "Given the quality, no establishment would serve this. And considering your standards, you’d never settle for mashed potatoes if they were bought."
In moments like these, Oliver wondered why his wife had to be so perceptive.
Natalie, always rational and astute, was not easily deceived.
"Is it really that unpalatable?" he asked, trying to sound indifferent.
"Do you want the truth or a pleasant falsehood?"
Oliver slid the plate toward himself. "I have my answer."
Despite his suspicion that his cooking endeavor might not succeed, he had risen at dawn, ruined three pots of food. He had ingeniously combined the least damaged portions. At a glance, it seemed passable. Unexpectedly, Natalie saw through it so quickly.
"Natalie, couldn’t you have pretended it was delicious to encourage me?” Oliver sulked, clearly upset.
"Who told you such a thing?” Natalie asked skeptically.
He would not disclose that it was an old saying of his grandmother: even if the dish was dreadful, one should praise it for the thought and effort, not solely the flavor.
Natalie could not contain her amusement. Her initial chuckle soon evolved into boisterous laughter.
"Natalie!"
Ignoring his protest, Natalie laughed uncontrollably.
"Even if I wished to spare your feelings, the truth would be evident soon enough. Honestly, Oliver, you might want to give up on cooking. Lucas could make better mashed potatoes at the age of nine.”
Oliver narrowed his eyes and said meaningfully, “Natalie, you’re not the only one who’s hungry. I’m hungry too…”
And they both understood the nature of his hunger.
Natalie quickly suppressed her laughter and feigned seriousness before she pulled the plate toward herself and said, “I mean, it’s not entirely inedible.”
“No, let’s go out to eat,” Oliver said, pulling her up.”
"Where do you want to go?" Natalie was not inclined to cook today either.
"Granny's Diner."
Before leaving, Natalie washed the dishes and noticed Oliver had not used her cooking pots.
“Where did you cook, if not in my kitchen?”
Oliver gestured toward the wall.
Natalie looked puzzled.
"The unit next door. It belongs to me,” Oliver said nonchalantly.
Natalie had chosen a duplex for its security. She knew the adjacent unit was vacant. Its owner was overseas for business and bought the unit only for investment.
"You bought it? When?”
"After I learned you had bought this place," Oliver said. As they stepped outside, he messaged Jamie to inform Granny's Diner of their impending arrival, ensuring their meal would be ready upon their arrival.
After sending the message, Oliver noticed Natalie eyeing the neighbor's door skeptically. He entered the code; the lock emitted a beep, a green light flashed, and the door swung open. He then closed the door again, simply to make a point.
"Did you think I’d allow anyone else to live next to my wife?" Oliver stated.
Natalie, at a loss for words, responded, "When you have money, you call the shots. If this makes you happy, then so be it.”
As they entered the elevator, Natalie pondered the code Oliver had input. Was that not her birthday?
"Oliver, is the security code my birthday?"
He hummed in confirmation. "I set it up for you. If you ever feel like running away again, consider this your refuge. It spares me the effort of tracking you down."
After a moment, he asked, "Are you interested in another place? Let me know so I can buy it for you in advance.”
Natalie thought to herself, ‘Who buys a hideout like they’re buying takeouts? Ridiculous!”
…
Oliver and Natalie were no strangers to Paykston's exclusive members-only eatery, Granny's Diner. The staff were familiar with the duo, and when they saw the duo, they were stunned.
‘Aren’t they divorced?’
‘Have they gotten back together? Remarried? What’s the situation?’
‘Can exes just be friends?’
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