Could she be the one grappling with fertility issue? This notion led to Natalie’s knees buckling, and she tottered backward a few steps. “Watch your step!”
Johanna, fortunately, was swift enough to catch her before she tumbled.
“It’s me…”
Natalie trembled, her voice a bare whisper.
“I am the one who’s flawed…”
Noticing Natalie’s pallor, Johanna gently guided her to sit on the couch, her voice laced with worry.
“Natalie, are you feeling alright?” Natalie had the vacant look of a puppet, her gaze unseeing, locked onto some distant point. A lengthy stretch passed before she could gather herself.
“Mom, I’m alright.”
Not wanting to add to Johanna’s worries, Natalie mustered a smile that looked more painful than soothing and queried, “How did you stumble upon this?” Having been framed several times, Natalie’s instinctual radar was up; she detected an oddity in Johanna’s information source. The fact that she was oblivious to her condition until now spoke volumes about Brandon’s skill in concealing it. Johanna’s brows furrowed as she dredged up her memory.
“A couple of days ago, an anonymous individual reached out to me, claiming your womb was defective, rendering you infertile.
He offered a cure, but demanded an astronomical nine-figure fee for treatment.”
On hearing this, Natalie’s suspicions were piqued.
“Who’s this enigmatic individual? Did you dig into it?” Johanna shook her head, voicing her mystification, “Post the call, I promptly set someone on it, yet the number turned out to be unregistered.
Our people drew a blank.”
7 Natalie’s brows crinkled.
“The origin of the call remains a mystery? You didn’t fall for his claims, did you?” Johanna was quick to retort, “I wouldn’t readily accept a stranger’s call as truth.
My initial thought was that he was a scammer, trying to defraud us with false claims of a cure.
However, given it concerned you, I ensured our people looked into it post-haste.
It appears that Frank has indeed been delving into infertility cases lately.” As she relayed the findings, Johanna noted Natalie’s distressed visage.
“As of then, there was still no definitive proof that you’re the one with the issue, but last night our people unearthed some intriguing details.
Brandon and Frank have been convening in secret.
Uncovering this required a fair bit of sleuthing.
Furthermore, a couple of experts Frank engaged were only accessible through the Larson Group’s network.”
The fact that Brandon was personally devoting so much time and energy into investigating fertility issues was intriguing in itself.
Even as Natalie wrestled with denial, she had to concede that these converging lines of evidence were far from happenstance.
Natalie’s spirits plummeted.
Her lips clenched as she tried to dam the tears welling up in her eyes, yet they defied her, tracing wet trails down her cheeks.
At this juncture, there was little left for her to misconstrue.
It was she.
She was indeed the one grappling with this ailment.
Natalie felt as if the world around her was spinning wildly and found it hard to breathe.
She stiffened herself up to stop her body from trembling, and after a while, she asked through gritted teeth, “Are you sure… it’s my own problem?” Johanna was frightened by her daughter’s pale appearance.
She quickly poured her a glass of water, patted her back, and comforted her gently, “Calm down, my dear.
Don’t be afraid.
You still have us.
We will always give you our full support.” After gulping down a mouthful of water, Natalie finally calmed down slightly.
A wry smile appeared on her lips.
“Mom, is it possible that the fertility issue is with Brandon? He was drugged by Charis before and lost his memory. Perhaps there are other side effects of that drug that we still don’t know about?” Upon hearing that, Johanna also recalled that incident and said hesitantly, “It is possible. Frank might have mixed up the details to keep the matter confidential since the information he gathered involved both men and women.
I assumed it was your problem because of the anonymous call.” Don’t be too nervous now.
Things aren’t confirmed yet, and it might just be a minor problem.”
Heaving a sigh of relief, Natalie smiled bitterly and said, “Actually, I am not afraid of an illness.
If it turns out to be a serious disease, I will be glad that Brandon won’t have to go through this, but… She covered her face in despair, her voice choking.
“Not being able to conceive a child… Well, I don’t want that to happen to me because Iam afraid… I’m afraid Brandon will despise me for it.
Mom, am I being selfish?” Joanna could understand her as a woman.
She hugged her tenderly and said, “Don’t think too much.
Let’s go and check again.
What if it was just a mistake? It’s probably not as serious as you think.
Even if it is, you should believe in Brandon.
We can all see how sincerely he loves you.
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Don’t you see it?” Natalie leaned on her mother’s shoulder, her smile growing more bitter.
“It’s precisely because I feel his sincerity and kindness that I’m more afraid of losing him.” Johanna touched Natalie’s head gently and said, “You’re amazing! If Brandon dares to let you down, he will have to deal with me!” Natalie finally managed to pull herself together under her mother’s comforting words.
“Even if it really is my problem, I still won’t be discouraged.
And if Brandon leaves me because of this, it shows that he is not a good man.”
Johanna sighed with relief after seeing her daughter strong and confident again.
“I’m glad you think that way.” Then, she ruffled Natalie’s hair and asked tentatively, “Anyway, should we go for a check -up first, just in case… As one of the wealthiest families in Barnes, we have access to many impeccable medical resources.
If something is indeed off, we can surely find a solution.” On the way to the hospital, Natalie leaned against the car window, took out her phone, typed a message to Brandon, but erased it.
She did it a few times, unable to bring herself to send it.
She didn’t know what to say to him.
Was she supposed to question him for not telling her the truth? Nevertheless, she knew that even if he hid the truth from her, it was for her sake, so how could she question him? Moreover, if it was really his problem, wouldn’t he get hurt all over again if she were to ask him about it so rashly?
Natalie neared the hospital, her turmoil grew.
She was torn about whether to message Brandon, and if so, what to say. “What should I do?”