Chapter 141: "I was already married seven years ago.

Chapter 141: Chapter 141: "I was already married seven years ago.

Silence fell over the surroundings. Estelle Lockwood turned her head instinctively, her thoughts scattering for a second. Nathaniel Sloan?!

"Who do you think you are? How dare you stop me from teaching this mistress a lesson! Let me—"

Rose Lowell hurled abuse, but upon seeing who had intervened, it was as if an invisible hand had clamped around her throat. She swallowed the rest of her words forcefully.

Nathaniel Sloan lowered his cold eyes slightly. "Is this Mrs. Lockwood’s upbringing?"

Rose’s face flushed a deep crimson. The pain in her wrist made her grit her teeth, her features twisting into a fierce grimace.

"Nathaniel." Noelle Lockwood’s expression shifted slightly, tears welling in her eyes. "My mom was just a little too impulsive just now. I apologize to Yara. Could you let go of my mom first, please?"

Nathaniel released his grip. His gaze, heavy with oppression, swept slowly over Noelle. "Impulsive?"

He wasn’t deaf to the slurs Rose had just spewed. How could they have the audacity to blame such physical aggression on being merely "impulsive"?

Noelle bit her lip, her eyes rimmed red. She wore an expression of forced restraint, looking as though she had suffered some monumental injustice.

"I’m sorry, I’m truly sorry... My mom was just worried that my body wouldn’t be able to handle the shock. So, seeing Yara, she inevitably got a little too agitated."

Estelle’s gaze flickered. Noelle’s words carried a heavy implication. What did it mean that seeing her would make her mother worry about Noelle’s health? She was simply playing the innocent victim to tell everyone that Yara’s presence upset her and worsened her condition. With just a few simple words, her manipulative act was on full display.

Estelle was just about to speak when Nathaniel flatly retorted, "Your ward is over ten floors away from here. If you know your body can’t handle the shock, why did you go out of your way to shove yourself in her face?"

Noelle’s expression stiffened. Tears instantly sprang to her eyes, leaving her on the verge of weeping. "Nathaniel, I didn’t mean it like that, I just..."

She choked on a sob at this point, forcing out a frail smile as she turned to look at Estelle. "Yara, I didn’t expect you to be here just now. I haven’t even had the chance to say hello."

The crowd was entirely stunned! Just how shameless was this Yara for the rightful partner to act so subserviently toward a mistress like her?

Estelle’s eyes rippled with amusement, one eyebrow raised slightly. She knew exactly what Noelle was trying to do. It was nothing more than her usual trick—acting utterly humble so onlookers would think Estelle was the unreasonable one. Since Noelle insisted on branding her with the label of a homewrecking mistress, it would be a shame not to live up to the insults she was taking.

Estelle smoothed her hair, speaking lightly. "Well, it’s not too late to say hello now. Go on."

The smile on Noelle’s face was struggling to hold on. She was mocking Yara! Didn’t this bitch hear the sarcasm? How could she have the nerve to accept it!

"Yara, you really know how to joke..."

"It’s not really that I love making jokes." Estelle remained completely unfazed. "After all, Miss Lockwood crossed two inpatient buildings and came all the way to the pediatrics department just to say hello to me, despite being sick. It would be utterly unreasonable not to let you give your greeting."

She paused, casting a meaningful look. "Mr. Sloan, wouldn’t you agree?"

Nathaniel nodded apathetically. "If that’s the case, then give her your greeting."

Noelle’s expression froze. Her face turned pale as she looked at Estelle unwillingly. With so many people present, Nathaniel actually refused to give her any dignity!

"Mr. Sloan, isn’t this a bit too much?" Someone nearby couldn’t stand watching any longer.

Yara was acting so outrageously. They originally thought Mr. Sloan had stepped in to protect Miss Noelle, but to their surprise, he was actually defending the mistress right in front of his fiancée! Meanwhile, Noelle hadn’t done anything wrong, yet she was forced to endure such humiliation. She was still sick, and even after seeing her partner protect the mistress, she couldn’t say a word and could only weep in silence.

The person who spoke couldn’t help but frown. "Mr. Sloan, your own fiancée is being provoked by a mistress, yet you’re actually taking the mistress’s side. What kind of logic is that? Miss Noelle loves you so much. Do you think it’s fair to treat her this way?"

Another voice from the crowd began to sneer at Estelle. "She’s pretty enough, but who would’ve thought she’d have such a venomous heart? If I were the real partner, I’d die of anger!"

"Exactly! Being sick and getting provoked by a mistress... it’s suffocating just thinking about it..."

Noelle’s gaze shifted slightly, her complexion improving a little as a flicker of gratification flashed through her eyes. Yes, this was exactly it. It would be best if they cursed Yara so much that she’d never dare step out of her house or show her face in public! After all, this was exactly how Estelle had been verbally abused into a mental breakdown in the past, wasn’t it?

The mere thought brought Noelle immense pleasure. Back then, even if Estelle had married Nathaniel, what good did it do? No one recognized her status. Whenever she came looking for Nathaniel, she would be chased out and labeled as the mistress, while Noelle, on the other hand, would forever hold the title of Nathaniel Sloan’s fiancée. Curse her! The harsher these people cursed her, the better!

"Miss Noelle, don’t be afraid. We all support you! You absolutely cannot show a mistress any mercy. Otherwise, if she’s provoking you now, what will you do later when she gets pregnant and shows up at your door to force you out?"

"Mr. Sloan, Noelle has been by your side for so many years. As her fiancé, you need to take some responsibility!"

Rose also chimed in with a timely reminder. "Nathaniel, Noelle saved your life back then, after all..."

Noelle exchanged a glance with Rose, adopting an appearance of total frailty. No matter what, she was Nathaniel’s lifesaver. With things pushed to this point, Nathaniel would have to acknowledge it whether he wanted to or not!

Thinking of this, Noelle smiled shyly. "Thank you all for your kindness. I believe Nathaniel will eventually figure things out. Nathaniel, let’s..."

"Noelle Lockwood." Nathaniel suddenly cut her off, narrowing his eyes. "It turns out the title of my ’fiancée’ is so incredibly useful. But... are you?"

An overwhelming silence descended upon the hospital corridor. The crowd seemed entirely unable to comprehend the meaning behind his words.

Rose was the first to react. Her expression shifted sharply as her eyes darted around. "Na-Nathaniel, what are you talking about? How could Noelle not be your fiancée? Back then... back then, your parents had already agreed to it! Are you abandoning Noelle for this woman? Oh, my poor daughter!"

Noelle couldn’t hold it in any longer. She covered her lips and burst into heart-wrenching sobs.

Only then did the onlookers realize what was happening. Oh my god! It turned out that to protect Yara, Nathaniel was actually willing to lie and draw a clean line with the fiancée who had accompanied him for so many years.

Seeing Noelle cry, Dr. Walsh’s heart ached terribly. He gritted his teeth and roared in anger. "Mr. Sloan, you would actually deny your relationship with Miss Noelle for this mistress? Everyone knows that Miss Noelle bore you a son, and you two have been engaged for seven years! She’s been by your side for seven years, and you’re abandoning her for a mistress. Do you even have a conscience?!"

Nathaniel’s eyes instantly darkened!

Estelle couldn’t help but laugh. Engaged to Nathaniel seven years ago? The whole world knew that Noelle was Nathaniel’s fiancée, but no one knew that seven years ago was the day she herself married Nathaniel!

Dr. Walsh spoke with impassioned fury, but upon meeting Estelle’s eyes, he grew even more enraged. "You still have the nerve to laugh?! This is all because of you! Why don’t you just die, you wretched mistress! Mr. Sloan, good women like Miss Noelle are rare these days, you just..."

"Noelle Lockwood, I gave you a chance." Nathaniel tapped his fingertips lightly, interrupting with a calm voice and a placid expression. "Others might not know, but you, Miss Lockwood, shouldn’t be ignorant of this."

He paused, then suddenly parted his lips, uttering a sentence that shocked absolutely everyone present!

"I was already married seven years ago."