Chapter 165 Married Couples Can Sleep Together
Nathaniel froze as Christina’s breath and the sound of her alluring voice encapsulated his ear.
The coy manner in which she was behaving disarmed him immediately, causing the anger he harbored inside to dissipate.
He was attracted by her smarts, but it was her coy demeanor that made her irresistible to him.
As they locked gazes with each other,‘ sparks could be seen flying in every direction.
Lifting her chin with his fingers, Nathaniel broke into a devilish smile before planting his lips on hers.
His warm breath subsequently enveloped her, heating up the atmosphere around them.
The next day, rays of the morning sun flooded the room.
The warmth it brought gradually woke Christina, while its light accentuated the beautiful silhouette of her body.
As Nathaniel had already gotten out of bed, she decided it was time for her to do the same.
The early winter breeze that blew felt particularly refreshing.
After Christina got herself changed and left the room, the housekeeper had already prepared breakfast for her.
As for Felicia, her routine was to rise early and have breakfast after her morning meditation.
Once Christina was done with her food, the housekeeper led her to a small pavilion in the courtyard.
Felicia was enjoying her coffee there. The sight of her relishing her golden years brought a sense of stability to anyone who saw her.
However, there was a lanky figure right beside her.
“Good morning, Grandma,” Christina greeted respectfully.
Felicia nodded in acknowledgment. “Please have a seat and make yourself at home.”
Upon coming forward, Christina saw the figure who had his back facing her turn around. The moment he saw her, a smile emerged across his face.
Francis poured a cup of hot coffee for her. “Today’s coffee is excellent. Why don’t you give it a try?”
The sight of him took Christina by surprise. Why is Francis showing up now instead of Felicia’s birthday yesterday?
After Christina took a seat beside Felicia, the latter and Francis continued their chat.
Francis was telling her interesting stories from the entertainment industry. The eloquence in his storytelling naturally delighted her.
Despite the peace in the courtyard, the atmosphere in the house was anything but that.
Linda stormed into the room in her red gown.
When her gaze fell upon the bed, it was clear that two had slept in it.
Holding Charlie’s wrist, she complained, “Did you sleep with her last night?”
Julia, in the midst of tidying up her hair, snorted in response. “We’re a married couple. Sleeping together is well within our legal rights, unlike someone else.”
“You…” Linda’s eyes widened in rage. “Charlie, she’s mocking me. You have to stand up for me.”
Charlie had been in a good mood since the night before. While spending time with Julia, he realized how elegant and genuine she was.
Truth be told, he liked the manner in which both of them interacted. In comparison, Linda’s demanding behavior triggered a sense of resentment from him.
Not wanting to spark another argument, Charlie comforted her softly, “Enough. Since you’re here, why don’t you spend some time with Mom.”
The mention of Felicia caused Linda’s expression to darken. “Your mom doesn’t like me. Talking to her is just asking for trouble. Every year, she would forbid me from showing up on her birthday. I would only be allowed to come once it was over and all the guests had left. Do you know how miserable that makes me feel?”
Felicia never accepted Linda for all these years, resulting in their dysfunctional relationship.
The latter was not allowed to attend her birthday and all other family gatherings.
It was clear from her actions that she would never approve of Linda.
Cognizant of the fact and not wanting to anger his mother, Charlie would always choose to console the latter.
However, in recent years, he grew increasingly frustrated with her every time she brought the matter up.
Upon putting her comb down, Julia got to her feet. She looked particularly elegant in the gown she was wearing.
“You are indeed asking for trouble. Since you know Mom doesn’t like you, you shouldn’t have come in the first place,” Julia a*serted with her arms on her hips, flaunting her authority as the lady of the house.
Linda’s eyes reddened in response. Despite the fact that Charlie had spent more time with her, she would always be humiliated on special occasions.
On top of that, she was unwilling to continue living under Julia’s shadow.
She wanted to stand by Charlie’s side in public, welcoming guests with him and being acknowledged by
everyone.
Unfortunately, Charlie never had the intention of providing her such recognition despite the many years they were together.
Thereafter, Julia walked toward the door. She threw Linda a glance and mocked her, “Your striking red outfit shows how clueless you are to protocol. I think Charlie must have been blind to fall for an imbecile like you.”
Just like that, she strede out the door and subsequently heard Linda’s exasperated voice behind her.
“Charlie, look at how she insulted me. You have to say something!” Linda whined as tears rolled down her
eves.
With his hand holding his forehead, Charlie now found Linda’s usually melodious voice to be particularly jarring.
Sometimes, he would question himself on who he actually liked, for there was a need to make a decision.
Spending time with both women had begun to grow tiresome.
Linda looked up at him with her eyes brimming with anticipation. “Charlie, I have been by your side for so many years. Didn’t you promise to officially recognize me?”
Even being a second wife was acceptable to her.
She just didn’t want to stay a mistress who was kept from the public eye.
The growing frustration within Charlie caused his eyes to darken. “Come out first. We’ll talk about that some other time.”
With that, he walked out of the room, leaving Linda dumbfounded inside.
The sight of his disappearing silhouette made her feel as if she was being abandoned.
Whenever she raised the issue previously, he would always rea*sure her. However, he paid her no heed this time.
From the way they interacted with each other recently, she could sense that Charlie had changed. He was no longer as gentle and patient with her compared to the past.
Julia is the one behind this!
Upon collecting herself, Linda walked out to the courtyard.
The entire family was sitting at the pavilion, enjoying coffee. As she approached, she ordered the housekeeper to bring over the gifts she had prepared.
“Old Mrs. Hadley, these are the gifts I prepared for you. Even though I can only present them to you after your birthday, my sincerity is not diminished in any way,” Linda explained in an obsequious tone.
Nonetheless, she insinuated the fact that she wasn’t allowed to attend Felicia’s official birthday dinner still.
As Felicia glanced at the golden embroidery on Linda’s striking red dress, she broke into a faint smile. “Thank you. You would come dressed to the nines every year. For those not in the know, they might think that we were celebrating your birthday.”
The comment elicited a snigger from Julia.
When her
gaze fell
upon Linda’s
gown, she could tell that the tailoring was outstanding. Unfortunately, the design was just too flamboyant. The striking red fabric used made Linda look like a gaudy vase.
Despite the gown’s gorgeous design, it simply looked terrible on Linda.
Felicia’s words naturally caused Linda’s expression to darken. Yet she didn’t dare retort for fear of sounding rude.
After the housekeeper behind Felicia accepted the gift, everyone continued sipping their coffee.
After that, Julia would shut Linda down every time the latter attempted to make conversation.
Both of them would stare daggers at each other whenever they made eye contact.
“Mrs. Hadley, isn’t it rude for you to interrupt me all the time?”
Julia raised her coffee cup with elegant poise. “There’s no way you can participate in anything we talk about. When it comes to the art of being a lady, you know nothing about the protocol involved. If we were to talk about work or life, you’d be equally clueless, as dressing up is the only thing you do all day.”
