Chapter 18

Natalie's tears stopped abruptly. Her arms fell weakly to her sides as she stared at him, stunned. She couldn't make sense of the sudden shift in his attitude. Before, he'd be more worried than anyone else whenever she cried. But now, his eyes were full of indifference, like it wouldn't even faze him if she cried herself to death. She couldn't bring herself to admit that she had intentionally provoked Kelly or schemed behind the scenes. Pressing her lips together, Natalie pleaded with a voice full of desperation, "Hughie, I swear I didn't do anything. You have to believe me. Ms. Kessler is such a good person, and you've done so much for me. "I'm so grateful to both of you. Why would I ever hurt her? Yeah, she's never liked me and has been throwing a fit for a while, but Hughie, you can't just turn your back on me because she left." As she spoke, she managed to squeeze out a few more tears. She knew Hugh had always been softhearted. Right now, that was the one thing she could rely