Chapter 21 She Rejected Him Estella rejected him outright . Finished Nathaniel was visibly upset . Rubbing his forehead in confusion , he said , " You're angry with me , and you want a divorce . I can't argue with that . But my mom has always treated you well . She's always seen you as her own daughter . Don't you think you should be grateful ? Estella , how can you be so cold - hearted ? " Madeline's illness had only made her more difficult and demanding . No matter what the servants prepared , she was never satisfied . In the past , only Estella's cooking had been able to please her . Nathaniel was already juggling his responsibilities at the company and caring for Madeline , leaving him feeling helpless . So , he hoped to persuade Estella to look after Madeline . Estella found Nathaniel's words utterly bewildering . " Nathaniel , I entered the Hartwell family because I signed a contract . I cared for you and showed respect to your mom to be a good daughter - in - law . Now that the contract has ended , I have no interest in involving myself in your family affairs . And as for you saying that your mom treats me like her own daughter , don't you find that absurd ? Compare how Madam Madeline treats me with how she treats Naomi . Does she make Naomi work like a servant ? Does she restrict Naomi's freedom , trapping her in the house ? You claim Madam Madeline treats me well , can you even tell me specifically how ? " Nathaniel was struck silent by her words . He had always thought his mother was different from other wealthy ladies who harshly criticized their daughters - in - law . She was always so kind to Estella . He had believed that his mother was the ideal mother - in - law and that Estella's marriage to the Hartwell family was a blessing she had earned in a past life . However , when asked to point out specific ways his mother had treated Estella well , he couldn't recall a single example . Estella scoffed , " Mr. Hartwell , is that all you've got ? Then I'll leave . " Nathaniel , still unwilling to give up , persisted , " Estella , even if my mom hasn't done much for you , we've been together for three years . Can't you show some sentiment for the past ? " Estella mocked him , " The past three years with your family have been nothing more than a business arrangement . What sentiment are you talking about ? " Her cold , unfeeling words felt like a blow to Nathaniel's chest , making it hard for him to breathe . Estella , unwilling to engage further , turned and walked away . Jonathan drove Estella home . Noticing her troubled expression , he asked , " Are you alright ? " Estella , exhausted , replied , " I'm fine ." She couldn't understand why , after making herself perfectly clear , Nathaniel still insisted on relentlessly pursuing her . Jonathan glanced at her , his concern flickering in his eyes . Seeing his silence , Estella suddenly asked , " Do you want to know what happened between Nathaniel and me ? " Jonathan shook his head . " If you don't want to talk about it , I won't ask . Whenever you're ready , you can tell me . " Though he was curious about the nature of her relationship with Nathaniel , he respected her wishes . If she didn't want to share , he wouldn't push her . Estella felt deeply moved . Jonathan may have appeared distant , but he was truly a reliable and considerate friend . 1/2 Chapter 21 She Rejected Him The day of the Monroe family's banquet soon arrived . Finished Estella wore the high - end dress Jonathan had gifted her , accessorized with jewelry worth the price of a house . She felt a sense of unease . " Is this too much ? " Estella worried she might overshadow the host of the event . Though she didn't care for Isabelle , she didn't want to cause any conflicts with her in such a setting and embarrass Jonathan . Jonathan placed her hand on his arm and smiled . " This dress and jewelry suit you perfectly . Relax and enjoy the evening . " Encouraged by his words , Estella slowly began to ease her nerves . Jonathan checked his phone and saw a message from his eldest brother . He smiled at Estella and said , " I'm going to meet someone I know . Wait for me here ." Estella nodded . " Okay . " Jonathan entered the private room , where his eldest brother Jeremy was video chatting with their mother , Shannon Young , and his sister - in - law , Mia Roberts . Jonathan smiled and greeted them , " Mom , Mia . " annon inquired about him and then got straight to the point . " Jon , Jeremy and Mia have been married for eight years now . You should start thinking about it too . When will I get to see you bring a girlfriend home ? " " There's no rush , " Jonathan responded calmly . Shannon sighed , clearly frustrated . She couldn't understand why her two sons had such different personalities . Jeremy and Mia had been childhood sweethearts . They started dating in high school and got married right after graduating from college . They were clearly a perfect match ! In contrast , her youngest son had neither a girlfriend nor even any close female friends in all these years . She sighed again . " You've spent years avoiding blind dates , running off to Javerton to become a lawyer and only coming home to Kingston twice a year . It's really disappointing . I don't care anymore . If you haven't figured out your future by the end of this year , I'll personally go to Javerton and pick a wife for you ! " Send Gifts 19 546 目