Chapter 150: Demanding His Credit Card
Isabella suddenly realized just how abnormal Nathan's attitude had been, and how hesitant he'd sounded when the call first connected.
So he did know how completely out of line his words had been that afternoon?
But he'd still called anyway.
And when he did speak, it was in a commanding tone—he hadn't even bothered with a single "please."
Isabella almost wondered if she somehow owed him something.
"The autograph Laura got me is fake. I already fought with her about it. Even if she wanted to fulfill my wish quickly, she shouldn't have bought a counterfeit to fool me with." Nathan paused slightly.
"But now all the kids in my class know I have Victoria's autograph. If they want to see it again later and I can't produce it, I'll be humiliated!"
Young as he was, Nathan already understood shame and what it meant to lose face.
Isabella kindly reminded him: "Screaming at your own mother in front of everyone, even declaring that you only want Laura as your mom—now that's what you call humiliating."
As for whether Nathan actually had a real celebrity autograph, what kid would know the difference? Who would even care?
It was like someone wearing head-to-toe luxury brands—even if they had on fake shoes, no one would suspect anything.
With William's status backing him up, Nathan could draw a signature himself, and no one would question it.
"Don't come to me with this—I'm not your mother anymore."
After dropping that line, Isabella decisively hung up.
Nathan heard the cold dial tone, staring dumbfounded at his smartwatch for quite a while.
Mom had never talked to him like that before.
How had she changed so much?
Annoyed, Nathan tried calling back. After three consecutive calls went unanswered, the fourth attempt got an automated message saying the phone was turned off.
Isabella hadn't directly blocked Nathan—that was only because he was still her son, after all.
If it had been William, he would've been blocked ages ago.
The next day at lunch, Isabella was about to head to the employee cafeteria with Emily when they walked out of the lab to find Richard waiting outside.
He looked particularly formal today, even wearing a hint of cologne, with Nina following behind him, also dressed up.
Emily politely greeted him: "Mr. Spencer."
Isabella also said hello, but added, "Do you have a business function this afternoon?"
It sounded more like something you'd ask a friend. After the words left her mouth, Isabella worried she'd overstepped—talking like that at the company might make people think they were unusually close.
"Yes, there's a lunch meeting with a business partner. Change clothes, and we'll head over together," Richard nodded.
Isabella gave Emily an apologetic shake of the head, went upstairs to take off her lab coat, and grabbed her jacket.
The restaurant was chosen by their partners, a famous place downtown that always had long lines at lunch.
A server came out to escort them to a private dining room. Isabella took the opportunity to ask Nina about their business partners' background.
She wanted to avoid saying anything wrong that might affect the collaboration.
Suddenly, Laura's voice came from behind them.
"Isabella, what a coincidence! I never expected to run into you here!"
Isabella's entire body tensed. She truly hadn't expected to encounter Laura here either.
But she felt no joy at the meeting—mostly just annoyance.
Their relationship could hardly be called anything but hostile. Laura haunted her like a persistent ghost, so how could Isabella be happy about this?
Nina looked at Isabella with concern: "Who is that?"
Though the woman was smiling, her posture clearly indicated she was here for trouble.
Isabella shook her head lightly, about to say it was nothing, when Richard also walked over, ordering Nina, "Go in first. We'll be right there."
Laura's eyes glinted with mischief, darting back and forth between Isabella and Richard.
She wore the expression of someone who'd finally caught Isabella in some compromising situation, smug and self-satisfied.
Nathan's face immediately darkened upon seeing Isabella. He pouted unhappily and demanded, "Why did you hang up on me last night?"
Once he no longer needed anything from Isabella, he reverted to this arrogant attitude.
Isabella almost wanted to laugh—who exactly had been begging whom for favors last night?
When Nathan made his request, had he never considered she might refuse? Or did he think Isabella was someone who only said 'yes' and never 'no'—that whenever he had a demand, she was obligated to give him whatever he wanted?
Either way, Isabella found it absurd.
"Nathan, don't blame your mother. I heard Victoria's autographs are really hard to find now. There are lots of fakes being sold online. I've already told my friend to keep looking, and if he finds something suitable, he'll buy it immediately."
Laura put on an understanding act, seemingly explaining gently to Nathan while deliberately glancing toward Isabella.
Mentioning overseas purchasing suddenly reminded Laura of something.
"I looked online yesterday, and I was shocked to discover Victoria's autographs are selling for such outrageous prices! They've been inflated to astronomical amounts, and lots of people want to buy them but can't. Isabella, you probably haven't gotten your paycheck yet, right? You're still using William's card, aren't you?"
After all that circuitous talking, Isabella finally understood what Laura really wanted to ask.
She hadn't even married William yet, but was already acting like 'Mrs. Montague,' even concerning herself with where William's money went.
If the Montague family saw Laura calculating like this, what would they think?
Isabella frowned: "That's none of your damn business."
Laura waved her hands repeatedly, her smile deepening: "Although you and William used to be married, you're both going through divorce proceedings now. When it comes to money matters, you should keep things clear to avoid losing dignity."
"You probably still have one of William's additional cards, right? He's probably too embarrassed to ask for it back, and I imagine you don't want to keep spending your ex-husband's money, so why don't you return the card today?"
She'd finally revealed her true purpose.
Richard's gaze turned ice-cold, his look of disapproval toward Laura practically lethal.
What right did Laura have, and in what capacity, to demand William's card from Isabella?
To everyone's surprise, Nathan nodded seriously after hearing this.
"Laura's right. Since Mom is already divorcing Dad, she shouldn't be spending Dad's money anymore. She should hurry up and return the card!"
Nathan remained steadfastly on Laura's side.
Isabella stared at the two of them, her expression gradually growing blank.
"Who gave you the authority to demand my credit card?" she asked.