The Viral Post That Exposed My Husband’s Five Women Chapter 03
Ryan paused, then his expression hardened. “Mom’s condition is acting up again. You may not care about her, but she’s my mother. Of course I came.”
I didn’t care?
I almost laughed. “I give your mother fifteen thousand dollars every month. And you call that not caring?”
Deborah scoffed from behind him. “Fifteen grand and you think that makes you some saint? No matter how much you give me, it’s Ryan’s money anyway!”
“You’re a useless freeloader who does nothing but sit at home. Without Ryan supporting you, you’re nothing!”
I turned to look at Ryan.
Back then, I’d kept quiet about the company being mine because I didn’t want to bruise his pride. His family had never known.
But Ryan knew.
Instead of correcting his mother, he simply pulled me aside, his face cold. “My mom has a heart condition. Stop upsetting her.”
Then he snatched the papers out of my hand.
A second later, he looked up in disbelief. “Natalie, what… what is this?”
Before I could answer, he drew a sharp breath, tore the papers apart, and tossed them into the trash.
“Natalie, why won’t you listen? Why do you insist on going through all this just to get your body ready for pregnancy?”
His face twisted with disgust. “Those herbal tonics you drink every day? The smell alone makes me sick.”
I glanced at the papers he had torn up.
They were for the health regimen I’d been following. The doctor had just handed them back after I said I was stopping it.
When I said nothing, Ryan grew even more impatient.
“Didn’t I tell you the company’s growing fast right now and we should wait before having a baby?”
“Why can’t you just let this go?”
A critical growth phase?
That hadn’t stopped him from getting Chloe pregnant.
I stared straight at him and gave a short laugh. “Ryan, are you scared that once I get healthy again, have a baby, and go back to the company?”
“What are you so afraid of? Is there something at the company you don’t want me to know about?”
He froze. Something flickered across his face before he forced himself to look composed and answered as though his reaction were perfectly reasonable.
“What are you talking about?”
“You’ve been away from the company for five years. Even if you went back now, what would you know about running it anymore?”
“Natalie, why can’t you just stay home, take it easy, and enjoy being my wife?”
Deborah gave my stomach a contemptuous look.
“Even if she keeps doing all that, there’s no guarantee she can even have a child.”
“Ryan marrying a woman like her has brought this family nothing but bad luck!”
I stared at her for a moment. “If that’s how you feel, let’s get divorced.”
Ryan went white and stumbled back a step. “Have you lost your mind?”
Deborah, on the other hand, nodded emphatically, a flash of excitement in her eyes.
“I’ve wanted you two to split up for a long time. If you’re the one asking for it, even better.”
She lifted her chin. “Natalie Ashford, if you can’t give your husband children, that’s your failure. You want a divorce? Fine. You walk away with nothing.”
“You won’t take a penny of the money Ryan worked so hard for!”
Ryan panicked.
He spun around and grabbed Deborah’s arm. “Mom, stop talking!”
“I am not divorcing Natalie!”
Of course he was panicking.
He knew better than anyone that without me, he was nothing.
Deborah tried to argue, but Ryan dragged her outside and practically shoved her into the car.
“Mom, it’s time to go. Head home.”
“I’ll handle things between Natalie and me.”
Deborah glared at me through the open car door. “I don’t know what kind of spell you’ve got Ryan under!”
She spat the words at me, then pulled the door shut with a scowl.
Ryan visibly relaxed.
When he turned back to me, his voice softened. “Natalie, ignore what Mom said.”
“I’ve just been under too much pressure at work. That’s why I said those things.”
“Give me a little more time. Next year, we can try for a baby again.”
In the past, a promise like that would probably have had me nodding happily.
Now it only made me nauseous.
I didn’t want to say another word to him.
Just then, a message from Maya came through.
Maya: [Ms. Ashford, the presentation you asked for is ready.]
Maya: [It’ll run on schedule tomorrow night.]
Satisfied, I turned and walked away.
Ryan hurried after me, but before he’d gone more than a few steps, his phone rang.
“What? The house was sold?”
“How is that possible?!”
