Chapter 634 Natalie, Do You Like It?
When Natalie saw what was in the trash, she was no longer particularly shy about it anymore. Out of a sense of propriety, she tied the trash bag up. As for the others, there was no need to bother. She was sure Oliver would arrange for someone to clean and change the sheets.
Upon leaving her room, Natalie ran into Oliver, impeccably dressed and engrossed in his work on a laptop in the armchair.
He noticed the sound of footsteps coming down the spiral staircase and looked up. Indeed, it was Natalie. He closed his laptop, approached her, and lifted her in a bridal carry down the stairs.
Compared to walking, she preferred this method. After all, going down the stairs on her own would have been painful, given her legs were unsteady.
"Why didn’t you sleep a little longer?" Oliver gently kissed her, his gesture laden with concern and affection.
"I have an appointment."
Natalie detested the idea of being late, even if it was just to meet her best friend. Observing the laptop amidst the chaos of emails and a few documents scattered around, it was evident he had been working for a considerable duration.
Natalie had managed only a few hours of sleep herself; by that comparison, Oliver might have barely slept an hour, if at all.
"How are you so energetic?" Natalie asked, genuinely puzzled.
Oliver teased with a hint of mischief, "You should know better than anyone how energetic I am, right?”
"Oliver, enough!"
Natalie packed lightly, just her phone charger, pajamas, and a few casual outfits. Flora had everything else prepared. The main objective was to ensure she and her mindset were ready.
Oliver picked up her duffle bag, placed an arm around Natalie's waist, and guided her out the door.
Outside, a Pagani supercar awaited them.
Oliver scanned his fingerprint scan and helped Natalie into the car.
For official trips, Oliver usually opted for sedans, but for personal drives, he preferred SUVs or sports cars.
"You're driving? Aren't you supposed to be at the office? Aren't you busy?" Natalie asked when she realized he intended to drive.
There was no way Oliver was not busy. He took a break for the summer camp, and he had skipped so much work. If it was not urgent, Charles wouldn’t have needed to bring work to the restaurant for Oliver yesterday.
"Isn't the advantage of being a boss to take a break whenever I desire?"
Natalie considered once more that Charles and Jamie were unfortunate to have a boss like Oliver. Poor fellows!
On the way to the convention center, Natalie relaxed, closing her eyes in the passenger seat. Suddenly, she was troubled by a thought—the trash can. The contents... seemed less than she remembered. Were there fewer items than she had noted before?
Natalie tried to recall but could not piece it together. Initially, she remembered clearly that Oliver had certainly used protection. But afterward, she lacked the strength to keep track.
Opening her eyes, she saw Oliver concentrating on the drive, the car swiftly advancing toward the city's boundary.
"What’s wrong?” Oliver reduced his speed slightly, looking over at Natalie.
"It's nothing."
Perhaps she was just overthinking.
…
Upon arrival at their destination, Oliver kissed Natalie passionately before releasing her.
Feeling her lips slightly swollen, she retrieved a mask from her bag and wore it.
The convention center was alive with activity as Flora had secured the venue for ten days. Today was the commencement of the setup, for which materials had been prepared for well over a month.
Her debut show boasted the grandeur of a seasoned professional, challenging even the elite designers. A success here could render this show Flora's most distinguished achievement.
Flora was staying in the adjacent five-star hotel, indulging in the opulence of the presidential suite.
Jane had arrived earlier and was now having breakfast with her.
"Amazing!" Natalie exclaimed as she entered and saw several haute couture pieces displayed on mannequins in the living room. The piece that truly caught her eye had a white base with black designs—it appeared almost paper-like at first glance but was actually made of silky satin. The black designs were intricately hand-sewn with pearls and diamonds.
"There's a showstopper here just for you—can you guess which one?" Jane asked, placing her coffee down. She knew which outfit Natalie would wear, having discussed styles and details with Flora.
"Do I even need to guess?" Natalie chuckled, walking toward the stunning gown that had captured her attention. "The most beautiful one must be the one Flora saved for me."
Flora smiled as she informed Natalie, "That piece is called 'Mortal Beauty,' and it's reserved for the finale. There's a different one for the opening."
Natalie examined the other dresses, each a testament to craftsmanship, but one, in particular, caught her eye—a golden gown with cut-out details and embroidery that featured two distinct patterns, ingeniously hiding the ends of the threads beneath the design.
"That one." Natalie guessed correctly again.
"Do you like it?" Flora inquired, her voice filled with anticipation.
"Absolutely," Natalie responded with a smile.
"Try it on, so I can make any necessary adjustments," Flora suggested, concerned about any recent changes in Natalie's measurements, like her waist or hips, that might affect the fit of the gown.
The curtains of the suite were drawn for privacy, which made it easy for Natalie to change with the help of her friends. After all, it would be difficult to change into the elaborate gowns alone.
Natalie hesitated for a moment as she reached for the dress, knowing she would have to undress.
"Whoa!"
Jane and Flora Lee were stunned when they saw the marks on Natalie’s body.
Jane's gaze on Natalie was as though she were evaluating a piece of exquisite art. “Have you reconciled with Oliver, or did you find someone else?”
Natalie did not plan to conceal anything. She said, “Let’s change first, and I’ll fill you in on the details.”
Flora assisted Natalie with the fitting, and indeed, adjustments were necessary; Natalie's waist was slimmer than before, so it needed to be taken in.
Once the fitting was complete, Natalie recounted the absurd story of her divorce to Jane and Flora.
Flora Lee commented, "Oliver must have done that deliberately. To be frank, that's quite despicable."
Jane agreed.
Flora said, "I had envisioned Oliver to be this suave gentleman, especially based on Tina's descriptions and the general consensus about him."
"Forget it," Natalie dismissed it quickly, saying, "To be honest, gentleman is a word that doesn’t apply to him."
"It seems all men are fundamentally the same!"
It was easy for women to find common ground in their critique of men.
…
Meanwhile, Oliver was buried in work at RK Corporation, completely unaware that his wife and her friends were criticizing him.
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