"Please, listen to me. Our relationship is not what you think!" Mandy protested, feeling her palms start
to sweat at the sight of Nathan on the verge of losing it. At the moment, she was lost for words, feeling
as if whatever she said would just add more fuel to the flames.
"Was your dear Mr. Xu the one you've been calling in your dreams?" Nathan sneered, emphasizing on
the word 'dear.'
Mandy sat on the sofa, feeling a sense of defeat rush over her. Even if she continued to defend herself
for Bruce, it seemed that Nathan was already fully convinced that she was having an affair with him.
She'd be wasting her breath.
Besides, the man already knew that she had been calling Bruce's name in the dream. It must've meant
that Nathan had done plenty of investigations beforehand. He was just looking for confirmation. At the
thought, she couldn't help but shudder. He was truly a man who shouldn't be messed with.
"Think whatever you want," Mandy said stubbornly.
"If you continue being like that, I assure you Bruce won't be seeing the sunrise tomorrow!" Nathan
snarled out. He grabbed the tablet in front of him and threw it to the wall, the crash resonating across
the room. He stalked to Mandy, step by step, like a grim reaper readying his scythe for another soul.
Mandy immediately stood up, but she felt weaker in comparison. If Nathan were the grim reaper, she
was the guilty child he was preparing to collect. She shook, feeling his shadow getting closer and
closer, his tall figure shrouding her completely.
"Bruce is just my friend! It's really not what you think," Mandy stepped back as she explained. Though
her heart felt like it wanted to leap out of her chest in fright, she needed to do something, anything, to
ensure her friend's safety.
However, despite her assurances and explanations, it seemed as if it just made him angrier. To him,
though she called Bruce a friend, he was still the man she called out for in her dream.
From the time they'd been together, she only ever called him Nathan, but in her dreams, the man she
called her friend was 'Dear Bruce.' As if their relationship couldn't get any more obvious than it already
was for him.
"I said, tell me the truth!" Nathan raised his eyebrows, clenching his hands into fists. "What's your
relationship with him?"
He pulled her closer into his arms. As a result, she staggered and fell, finding herself interlocked in his
grip.
"We… we've been great friends since we were little. He was a childhood friend. It was purely that."
Mandy's heart started beating fast as he moved closer. If there was something she knew about him, it
was that he was a possessive man, and this wasn't the right time to provoke him any further.
"One of your good friends? Hmm?" Nathan stared at her in disbelief.
"Yes! We are," Mandy stressed out, nodding repetitively.
"Since he's such a good friend, why didn't you tell me that when we last saw each other? Are you really
that close?" He whispered dangerously. The look on his face was getting darker and darker, fit for any
horror movie, and his eyes were turning blood red. He was a devil out for blood, and this time, it might
be hers.
She was lost for words. Mandy hadn't told him who Bruce was because she was afraid that Nathan
would misunderstand their relationship. After all, she had called another man's name in her sleep, so
she had no choice but to lie. If she had known they'd all be in this situation, she would've already come
clean about it.
"You… You have to trust me. If you don't, then you can investigate. I swear on it!" Mandy raised her
head.
With things like these, she couldn't explain anything clearly now. Though it was something so simple, it
seemed as if everything was blown out of proportions.
Mandy had always remained faithful to Nathan, having no thoughts of being with any other man. If she
really wanted to participate in any affairs, then she could've seduced Bruce earlier in their lives.
"Investigate? You're not worth being investigated!" Nathan bellowed. The look in his eyes was
becoming deadlier. He already knew that Mandy and Bruce were close friends, even best friends if he
wanted to take it a step further. It was ridiculous that Mandy would be so arrogant as to let him go
through with it.
"Do you really think I'm that kind of woman? That I'll seduce any man I meet?" she snapped, having
had enough of his tantrums. She laughed at the ridiculousness of it all.
The tears were already rolling down her cheeks. If this was what he thought of her...she couldn't
believe he'd hate her that much!
"Yes! From the bottom of my heart, you're a hussy, a slut! Any man could've had sex with you if they
wanted to!" He let go of Mandy, making her stumble back. "Dirty!" he spat.
At his words, her blood started to boil. 'Dirty?' She was dirty? If she were, then it would be his fault
alone!
Mandy's hands shook at his words, feeling an overwhelming surge of emotions. How dare he? Of all
the words he'd describe her with, of all the things he'd thrown at her, she had never fought back, she
never...She couldn't have been any more humiliated by the man!
Without another thought, she raised her hand and slapped him right through the face.
Nathan clasped his cheek, eyes widening in shock. He didn't expect Mandy to hit him. In fact, he had
never been slapped since his childhood!
Lillian had been hiding around the corner since the moment she had heard them quarreling. However,
the moment Mandy's hand hit Nathan's face, her jaw dropped.
She couldn't believe it even though it happened right in front of her own eyes.
"Nathan, we're enemies even in our previous lives. If I knew things would be like this, then I would've
still been with Daniel! Better to be with him than to be insulted by you like this! You always looked down
on me as if you're at the top of the world. Since you hate me so much, just let me get out already!"
Mandy roared. She had enough of his crap.
"You know, I never beat a woman...but now." Nathan pulled her wrist, baring his teeth. "You're making
me reconsider. If you ever hit me again, I'll make your life a living hell!"
"What else can you do besides threaten me, my family, and anybody?" Mandy cried out.
"Do you really think that's all I can do?"
There was an unknown coldness in his voice, and it made Mandy shiver. There was something about
Nathan that always made people nervous.
"All you know is how to manipulate people."
"Let me show you tonight how despicable I am, how much of an asshole I can be. You said you wanted
to be with Daniel instead of me, then so be it!" Nathan grinned viciously. There was a strong hint of
playfulness in his voice, like the devil playing with his victims. Mandy gritted her teeth, feeling the hairs
in her arms standing up in fear.
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