Deceiving Her Ears: Ignoring Your Call-Chapter 34: Husband

"She, she, who is she?"

Vanessa’s eyes nearly popped out.

Isaac chuckled, pulling the person behind him over, "Your daughter-in-law, Mom. You just met her, didn’t you?"

Vanessa frowned and stared harder.

That day her hair was pink-gold, but today it was smog-blue.

Last time it was sunglasses, today it’s a face mask.

She folded her arms, sounding displeased: "She looks different every day, how am I supposed to remember?"

She muttered, "And what’s with wearing a mask inside the house?"

"She caught a cold," Isaac said, pinching Natalie’s slim waist.

Natalie played along, coughing twice.

Vanessa pouted, "Got a cold but dressed this thin."

Natalie was only wearing one of Isaac’s shirts, barely long enough to cover her butt.

Totally just to maintain that same "provocative" style as last time.

Isaac smiled, looking at Natalie: "Mom’s just concerned about you."

Vanessa wanted to retort, but a soft voice said "Thank you, Mom," blocking whatever she was going to say.

"Your grandpa found a doctor in Janton, wants to transfer your uncle to a hospital over there. We’ll go deal with the paperwork, then head back to Janton."

"Oh."

Vanessa pulled out some documents from her purse and placed them on the coffee table. "I tried calling Nat’s cell, couldn’t get through. You give this to her."

Isaac’s eyes flickered, nonchalant: "Got it."

"Then I’ll be heading out. When you wrap things up here, come back to Janton quickly. Your dad finally agreed to let you join the company, don’t mess up."

"Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll walk you out."

Isaac let go of Natalie and walked toward his mom.

Vanessa hesitated, looking at Natalie, "Later, have Isaac give me your contact info."

Mother-in-law and daughter-in-law not having each other’s number—ridiculous, isn’t it?

Isaac escorted Vanessa to the door; she whispered, "Keep an eye on Nat. Once she signs, bring it back when you come again." 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

"What even is it?"

Vanessa’s face looked odd, kind of embarrassed. She said, "It’s... it’s a proxy agreement for the shares."

Isaac’s face darkened at that.

After seeing his mom off, he went back to the living room and found Natalie holding the share proxy agreement.

He walked over and pulled the agreement out from behind her.

"What are you doing?"

Natalie turned, surprised, and looked at him.

Isaac quickly skimmed through it. His tone was unreadable—he asked, "You really plan to sign it?"

First it’s a proxy, then it’ll be a full transfer.

By then, that ten percent of Beckett Group shares really will have nothing to do with her.

She truly doesn’t want it, isn’t bothered, doesn’t want to push back, huh?

Natalie didn’t answer, just stretched out her hand, "Give it to me."

Isaac stared at her for a long while, then slapped the agreement into her palm.

But Natalie suddenly slipped both arms under his, pressed up against him, and hugged him.

Isaac froze, his arms hanging by his sides, oddly at a loss.

She held him for a moment and then let go.

She found her backpack and shoved the proxy agreement inside.

Isaac leaned against the doorway watching her, eyes deep and unreadable.

When she finished stowing her things, she turned and looked at him, "I’m hungry."

She looked at him hopefully, "Can I have pasta?"

For some reason, Isaac felt choked up. He shot her a dark look and said coldly, "Go eat your stupid crackers."

Natalie’s eyes dimmed with disappointment.

——

After only eating dry crackers for breakfast, Natalie’s stomach was off all morning. At lunch in the cafeteria, she got a bowl of sour soup noodles.

Jessica walked over from afar, boy on her arm—yet again, a new one.

Natalie kept her head down sipping soup, but suddenly a tray landed across from her.

She looked up and met Jessica’s smiling face.

"Mind if I sit?"

"Do whatever you want."

Jessica sat down and used her chopsticks to pick the cilantro out of her beef noodles.

The two sat quietly, harmoniously, and finished lunch together, then walked side by side out of the cafeteria.

Jessica asked, "Where you headed?"

Natalie replied with something completely unrelated, "Not in the same direction."

Jessica snorted in amusement.

She looked at Natalie, a smile on her lips, but her eyes were cold behind it.

"Really wish I could be friends with you. But I suppose it’s pretty much impossible, huh?"

"Mm, impossible."

Natalie turned and walked away.

Jessica watched her leave, thought for a moment, then lowered her head and sent a message.

Natalie only saw Jessica’s message after she got to the library.

Five short words.

[Don’t trust him.]

Who’s ’him’?

If she guessed right, Jessica meant Isaac.

Natalie deleted Jessica as a friend without any expression, opened her references, and buried herself in work.

——

"We agreed only weekends or the night before no early classes..."

Natalie was pinned face-down on the bed by Isaac.

Isaac scoffed as he bit at her ear, "Those bullshit rules were from back then—why should I follow them now? We’re married, I can have you whenever I want."

Natalie was both comfortable and uncomfortable, lucid one moment and swept away the next.

Whenever she was clearheaded, she’d wonder if Isaac only married her so he could do this to her.

When she was so exhausted she almost passed out, Isaac came at her again.

Natalie slapped his face, pissed off, "Get off me!"

Of course she had no strength—more like a kitten pawing, soft as a marshmallow.

Isaac leaned in and kissed her eyelids, "Little Ear, don’t sleep yet. Got something for you to see."

Natalie half-squinted, watching him get up to fetch something.

Freak.

He didn’t even bother with a pair of boxers, just paraded around stark naked.

"Isaac Vaughn, are you some kind of exhibitionist?"

Isaac tutted, pulled on some pants, and scooped her onto his lap.

"Sign here."

He shoved a pen in her hand.

Natalie turned her head, confused.

Isaac grabbed her face gently to make her look at the papers in his hand: "Why you looking at me? Look here."

They were property transfer documents.

He was giving her three houses, two cars, and some investments—all under his name. Sign it and they were hers.

"Why..." Natalie’s voice came out rough, "Why...are you giving me all this?"

"Why not?" Isaac said, "Just sign."

"That’s too much. I can’t take it."

"It’s still way less than your Beckett shares." Isaac held her hand, firm.

So that’s it.

All because of the share proxy agreement this morning.

He was feeling bad for her.

Natalie blinked, eyes feeling ready to overflow.

"I’ve long since gotten used to it." She bit her lip gently, "I don’t care anymore."

She really meant it.

She was used to being disrespected.

Used to not being loved by anyone.

So it’s not so sad anymore.

And even when it is sad, it’s just a little.

"Mm, you don’t care. Then you don’t need to care about this stuff either. It’s not anything that special. Take it—I’ll give you better stuff next time."

Not anything special?

This stuff was amazing.

She’d never gotten anything this good, ever.

She looked at Isaac, raised her face, and sought out his lips.

When their lips touched, hers trembled a little.

Isaac deepened the kiss, but didn’t lose himself in it.

After they parted, he asked, "So do you want it or not?"

"I want it."

Because it’s from him.

She wants it.

Natalie got off Isaac, hopped down from the bed, and took the transfer documents to the desk.

She was solemn, serious, and properly signed her name on the transfer papers.

Finished, she looked up at him.

"You gave me all this—do you have anything left?"

Isaac smiled wryly, "All? You really underestimate your husband."

Natalie almost overheated at those words "husband."

Isaac walked over and gripped her jaw.

"Say it."