Chapter 47 No Chance for the Johnson Family in the Future
Over the next two days, Natalie and her team camped out in a coffee shop across the street from the
Financial International Center to save time.
Karina boldly reserved the entire place to provide the team a quiet workspace. Once they made the
necessary modifications to the designs there, Natalie would deliver the drafts to Apex Global Group for
Irwin’s review.
After his review.
she would return to the coffee shop for any further revisions.
The process wasn’t as smooth as Natalie had initially thought. Irwin turned out to be exceptionally
meticulous. After multiple revisions, Natalie realized she had been wrong about him.
He was more demanding than she could have imagined.
“No matter how I look at it, it doesn’t match the previous excellence. The same specific areas need to be improved,” he said as he returned the drafts to her.
Natalie’s heart raced, realizing that tonight would likely be her final opportunity!
If she didn’t hand in the perfect draft by tomorrow morning, her cooperation with Apex Global would come to an end.
She couldn’t let this chance slip through her fingers!
Once Cedric got involved, she would definitely face additional obstacles in her business…
Back at the coffee shop, it was time to get off work. The team watched Natalie with bated breath. Karina’s anxiety levels were rising as well.
After all the effort they had invested, they were eager for a breakthrough.
“There are revisions,” Natalie uttered, and the entire team slumped in response.
Natalie slumped into her seat with the same dejected feeling.
Karina approached her, offering words of encouragement. “Don’t lose heart. Our team is just getting started, and working with Apex Global can provide us with valuable experience.”
While the words were reassuring, Natalie’s frustrations increased.
If they couldn’t produce a satisfying draft after tonight, it would only be the b
Natalie took a deep breath and said, “He wants us to revise the same specific areas. Let’s get to it!”
The pressure weighed heavily on her, as Apex Global was now a significant client for her budding team!
Karina nodded and gathered everyone for a meeting to discuss what specific changes they needed to make this evening and how to go about it.
Natalie hadn’t been in the workforce for many years, and facing
feel a bit overwhelmed.
Uch an obstacle at the start made her
n this journey.
But she knew that Stephen expected success from her once she embarked on this
As they delved into their discussion, her phone buzzed on the table.
It was a call from Cedric.
Natalie closed her eyes briefly, her petite face filled with irritation.
Still, she answered, “Hello.”
“Are you still working overtime?” Cedric asked.
“Yes,” Natalie replied.
“I’m outside the coffee shop, Cedric said.
Natalie’s heart skipped a beat.
She knew that a man who hadn’t even agreed to a divorce wouldn’t easily let her go, but she hadn’t
anticipated him keeping such a close watch on her.
She felt like she was constantly being monitored,
Annoyance welled up inside her!
“Is there a point to this?”
She was already having a tough time at Apex Global. With Cedric showing up like this, Natalie couldn’t hold back her frustrations any longer.
The man on the phone seemed to sense her exasperation, and his tone changed.
“Come out!” Cedric said forcefully
“I’m busy!”
“Do you want me to come in and drag you out?” Cedric threatened.
Natalie was furious. Karina obviously sensed that something was wrong and walked over.
“Hey now, everyone’s working here,” Karina said.
Tension was running high, with everyone working overtime and stressing out. Karina didn’t want Natalie to disrupt the team’s focus.
Natalie initially didn’t want to leave. But when she saw her colleagues all on edge, she eventually stood up and stepped outside.
She exited the coffee shop to see Cedric’s extravagant car parked conspicuously by the curb, its windows
halfway down.
The man’s refined profile momentarily left Natalie entranced.
“Get in,” he commanded coldly, snapping her out of her reverie.
She walked up to the car door. But before she could speak, the man said disdainfully, “It’s aready been a
few days, and you still haven’t given up?”
Clearly, he was referring to Irwin’s excessive demands.
She had the opportunity now. But if she failed to secure a chance from the start…
It would be impossible for her to continue, regardless of how hard she tried.
Natalie’s breath caught in her throat.
“I don’t give up on feelings so easily, but once I does…. it will never return,” she replied, thinking of her
relationship with him.
Her heart was utterly dead now. Thus, over these past few days, she had chosen to ignore the startling.
media attention and the constant reports trying to tie her to Cedric.
In the past, she could spend days reading reports about them.
However, now…
She couldn’t be bothered to even glance at them. She disregarded the attacks on herself and focused entirely on her work.
The media’s frenzy continued, but she was only focused on navigating this deal with Apex Global.
Cedric’s expression darkened at her words.
“Get in.”
+15 BONUS
“I have a lot of work tonight!” Natalie protested.
“Do you still not understand? Irwin isn’t interested in the trash you’ve designed!” Cedric said disdainfully.
Natalie fell silent at his words.
Her gaze turned cold and hostile.
Over the years, he had rarely resorted to profanity, but now he used it liberally!
That made sense. After all, they had both changed.
But in this aspect, it was hard to say who had changed more.
“I may design what you call trash, but at least with others, I have a chance to improve it,” Natalie retorted.
That was right. At least she had a chance here!
Cedric used to say she wasn’t suited for a job because she’d be unable to tolerate others‘ criticism. However, he had never given her a chance.
She was a designer, after all.
She could endure others‘ critique of her work, but this direct denial was intolerable. So, she retorted.
without holding back. She watched as the man’s face grew progressively darker.
Natalie turned away and said, “If that’s all you came to say, you can leave now!”
“Stop right there!” Cedric shouted.
Natalie halted but didn’t turn around.
Cedric said, “Come with me to the Johnson Manor in a couple of days. It’s Grandma’s seventieth
birthday…”
Natalie was stunned.
That was right. Elizabeth’s birthday was in a few days.
In previous years, there had always been many guests for her birthday celebrations. So, for her upcoming seventieth birthday, a grand celebration was to be expected!
She closed her eyes, her mind filled with memories of the roles she had played at the Johnson family’s various birthday parties. Her thoughts revolved around Elizabeth, Rebecca, and even Cedric.
On each of their birthdays, she had spent her time in the kitchen because she found it suffocation to be
“What would I go back for? To make desserts for everyone?” she asked.
Yes, she had been in charge of desserts every year.
Rebecca thought that Natalie wouldn’t survive without Cedric. She assumed Natalie was a helpless young mistress of the family. She never suspected Natalie had exceptional talent in dessert–making, surpassing even professional pastry chefs.
If you don’t want to, you
don’t have to-
“Hah! Of course I don’t want to go! Rather than dealing with those condescending people, I’d rather stay in
the kitchen! But the Johnson family will never have the chance for that again.”
With that, she walked away without looking back, leaving the brooding man behind.
Three years of marriage had been a nightmare, and the only relief had been this recent period of
confrontation.
Reflecting on it now, she had been such a fool!
Why had she wasted so many years of her life for a man?!
