Turning Of the Tide by Diana Sander

Chapter 68

The heavy rain was accompanied by a subtle touch of snow, resulting in a bone chilling coldness that

permeated the atmosphere, penetrating every cell in the body and sending a shiver down the spine.

Growing increasingly impatient as Sherri Landor continued to take an eternity to arrive, Natalie headed

upstairs to fetch a cigarette and a lighter.

Perched on the sofa, Natalie delicately cradled a cigarette between her slender fingers, igniting it with

the flicker of a lighter. The swirling smoke wistfully concealed the complexity of her emotions. Despite

finishing a cigarette, her inner turmoil refused to dissipate. Retrieving another from the box, she lifted it

to her lips, poised to light it anew. At that very moment, the blare of Sherri incessantly honking the car

horn outside could be heard.

Natalie extinguished the half-smoked cigarette and rose to her feet, making her way toward the door.

As she moved, her hand instinctively picked up a conveniently positioned black umbrella before

entering Sherri’s Mercedes-Benz passenger side.

The rain poured relentlessly, drenching the seat. Sherri inquired, her voice laced with curiosity, “Please,

do tell me, what is the reason behind summoning me to pick you up? And where exactly are we

headed in this weather?”

Sherri knew Natalie well enough to know that her friend would not go out of her way to request

assistance unless necessary. The fact that Natalie had asked for her to pick her up from Adare Manor,

Trevon’s residence, indicated a compelling and crucial reason behind her presence there.

Natalie playfully quipped, “Let’s go to Lovers’ Cafe to meet Trevon’s awful lover.”

Sherri turned around in shock and asked, “What do you mean?”

Observing Sherri’s perplexed expression, it became clear that she did not grasp the underlying

meaning of Natalie’s remark. “Don’t zone out. Come on, take me there. Once we arrive, everything will

become clear,” Natalie urged.

As Natalie’s words resonated, Sherri slowly met Natalie’s eyes before shifting back to face forward.

She ignited the engine, stealing another glance at Natalie before focusing on the road ahead.

Natalie was dumbfounded and wondered, “Is she going for a confrontation?”

This time, Sherri drove relatively quickly while Natalie navigated from the passenger seat.

Following the instructions provided by the unfamiliar individual, Natalia pushed the door open and

entered the private room with Sherri trailing closely behind her.

As they entered the private room, their attention was drawn to the presence of a woman with flowing,

milk tea-colored curly hair. She exuded an air of elegance, adorned in a limited-edition Chanel suit that

accentuated her style. Her white down jacket hung gracefully on the coat rack near the entrance.

With graceful poise, the woman elegantly stirred her coffee. Her nails, meticulously adorned with black

sugar caramel tea-inspired nail art, shimmered and glimmered, capturing attention effortlessly. Clearly,

she had invested considerable effort into her appearance, perhaps intending to overshadow Natalie.

In contrast to the woman’s lavish presence, Natalie’s down jacket, valued at a few hundred dollars,

appeared relatively modest and inexpensive.

When Sherri entered the room, she was visibly taken aback by the sight of the woman seated within.

She exclaimed in surprise, “Mia, what brings you here?”

Maintaining her composed demeanor, Mia responded amusedly, “Miss Landor, I see you’re also here.

Did Miss Foster bring a protector because you perceive me to be?”

The remark did not sit well with Sherri, and she took a step forward, “You…”

Sensing the need to intervene, Natalie gently placed her hand on Sherri’s arm, leaning closer to

whisper in her ear. “Sherri, wait for me downstairs. Your presence here might restrict her actions. I want

to assess her capabilities,” she murmured.

Sherri was hesitant as she was apprehensive about leaving Natalie alone in the presence of Trevon’s

ex-girlfriend. Uncertain of Natalie’s feelings towards Trevon, the unexpected arrival of his former

partner stirred unease and discomfort within Sherri.

Noticing Sherri’s lingering reluctance, Natalie gently pushed Sherri, urging her friend to leave. Sherri

finally relented and stepped

After the door closed, Natalie chose not to order coffee, opting for a simple glass of plain water. She

held the glass in her hands,

feeling the warmth radiate through her palms.

Natalie did not immediately acknowledge Mia. She paused before speaking slowly. “May I know how

you want to be addressed?”

Mia, displaying a hint of displeasure at Natalie’s perceived aloofness, responded with an air of

arrogance, “You may address me as Miss Mia.”

“Oh, Miss Mia, what is the purpose of our meeting today?” Natalie asked, cutting to the chase.

Mia’s faint smile persisted, and she wasted no time. Exuding even more incredible arrogance, she

replied in a commanding tone, “Leave Trevon Wilson.” As she spoke, Mia placed a check on the corner

of the table and pushed it toward Natalie.

Maintaining her calm demeanor, Natalie nodded in agreement while holding the glass of hot water to

warm her hands. She picked up the check from the table, her eyes widening with surprise at the

substantial amount. However, instead of accepting the offer, she placed the check back down. Natalie

then posed a counterquestion with a steady voice, “Miss Mia, while I appreciate your generous offer of

200,000 dollars. But, I must inquire about the basis on which you are now making this demand of me?”

Mia’s confidence remained unshaken as she reiterated her earlier statements, “Mr. Wilson’s feelings

towards you are nonexistent, and even if you were to leave now, you would still be rewarded with

200,000 dollars. It’s a rather generous offer. Do not think that a physical relationship with him entitles

you to assume Mrs. Wilson’s position or allows you to ascend from poverty to wealth. In every aspect,

you pale in comparison to him.”

Natalie maintained her composure despite Mia’s assertions, and a brief scene played out in her mind.

She took another sip of water, the warmth soothing her hands, before responding with a calm yet

probing tone, “Hmm, you speak as if you are the sole person deserving of his affections. I’m curious to

know what gave you the confidence to think that every aspect of yourself is deeply ingrained in Trevon

Wilson’s heart?”

Visibly taken aback by Natalie’s sharp retort and refusal to be swayed, Mia found herself at a loss for

words. Frustration twisted her facial expression, and she stammered, “You…”

Natalie swiftly interjected, confronting Mia head-on. Her voice conveyed indignation, “First and

foremost, who are you? You’re making such demands without even figuring out your own identity. What

gives you the right to speak when you have not even figured out who you are to Trevon? Let me help

you: Are you an ex-girlfriend, a casual fling, or a mistress? Which category do you believe you fall

into?” Without waiting for a response, Natalie continued, her tone laced with sarcasm, “Secondly, it

appears that you may be lacking a few brain cells. If I were clinging onto Trevon Wilson, who

possesses substantial wealth, do you truly believe! would be interested in your paltry check? Do you

possess some misguided notion of Trevon Wilson’s worth?”

Mia, perceiving Natalie as nothing more than a bold and outspoken woman, grew increasingly

frustrated. She clenched the check tightly and fixed a piercing gaze upon Natalie. “So it appears that

your true motive is simply money, isn’t it?” she retorted, her tone laced with disbelief and disdain.

Observing Mia’s evident anger, Natalie could not help but feel a sense of satisfaction, prompting her to

press on. “Isn’t that the case?” she asked rhetorically, a hint of amusement in her voice. “You’re

cunningly attempting to make me leave Trevon Wilson, all in the name of true love, or so you claim. But

do you even believe that yourself? You had the audacity to arrange this meeting with me today,

indicating that you must have dug into the true nature of my relationship with Trevon, Well, let me

remind you, based on our legal status, regardless of who you may be, you’re nothing more than a

mistress. Do you understand that? It’s bad enough being the third party, but to proudly announce it to

the world? How utterly despicable! Do your parents know what you’re doing?”

Mia’s attempt to engage in a battle of wits with Natalie proved futile, leaving her visibly frustrated and

causing her words to stumble. “You… You’re just a crude woman from the streets. Don’t assume you’re

the only one who has had a relationship with Mr. Wilson. I have also been intimate with him!” she

exclaimed.

Fueled by her desire to argue, Natalie fired back, “So what? Are

you attempting to assert yourself as the esteemed high-society mistress? Do you take pride in counting

the number of times you’ve slept with Trevon Wilson? Is being a mistress considered a prestigious

status now? By the way, are you insinuating that you slept with him the same day you purchased

contraceptives from the pharmacy?”

Vice, “Yes, it was

on that day,”

Caught off guard by Natalie’s verbal attack, Mia responded with a it

Natalie burst into laughter, mocking Mia with a hint of sarcasm. “Oh, Miss Mia, you overestimated

Trevon’s physical prowess. Believe me, after sex with me in the morning. He can miss his target while

peeing. So, do you think his ‘equipment’ is made of cement or reinforced steel? It wouldn’t last the

entire night without collapsing. Before you go around spreading lies, maybe you should use your brain.

Save these fantasies for when I’m divorced, will you? I no longer have the time or energy to argue with

you.” Her words dripped with a sense of dismissal, indicating she had no interest in prolonging the

conversation.

As Natalie approached the door, she paused momentarily, turning back to face Mia one last time. She

said, “Oh, and one more thing- In the future, please refrain from contacting me with these trivial

matters. I have a busy life and won’t waste my time arguing with

you any further. Goodbye.”

With that, Natalie left without giving Mia a chance to speak. Consumed by a seething rage, Mia swept

everything off the table, sending the items crashing to the floor in a chaotic symphony of destruction.

Mia had intended to persuade Natalie to abandon Trevon so that she could secure her status as Mrs.

Wilson. However, she was. caught off guard by Natalie’s unstable mental state. Mia thought, “This

woman lacked any semblance of a filter, freely spouting nonsensical and audacious remarks that defied

reason. She even claimed that Mr. Wilson could not do it.”

As Natalie walked out the door, she noticed Sherri laughing uncontrollably, unable to compose herself.

It was evident that Sherri had. been eavesdropping on the conversation.

Rugging Sherri’s wrist in disdain, Natalie said, “Let’s go! Do you still think there’s a show to watch?”

Sherri, who failed to contain her amusement, burst into laughter,

“Sherri, don’t you care about your reputation? Do you want to be seen as a lunatic? Be mindful of your

ladylike image,” Natalie remarked.

Unable to contain her amusement, Sherri doubled over in laughter, placing her hands on her hips. “And

here you were lecturing about being a lady, but look at how you were just now…”

Not wanting to be a spectacle, Natalie turned and walked away alone.

“Wait for me. I will stop laughing, alright? You’re too adorable. I can’t believe you said Trevon has poor

stamina and would collapse. Tell me, how did you become so talented with words?” Sherri laughed.

Natalie didn’t want to dwell on the topic and nudged Sherri Landor. “Hurry up and drive; I’ll treat you to

pizza.”

Hearing that, Sherri rushed to the car.