Chapter 2

To maintain his pride, I transferred twenty thousand dollars per month to his bank account with the dividends as the excuse.

As a result, he showed off before his first love and her kid with my money. Back at home, he belittled me, called me a good-for-nothing, and saw me as a snob.

"Fine." I took a deep breath and hugged Eden tighter. "Alfred, continue the life you like since you are so virtuous and have insights into education."

I didn't mind the dirt on Eden. I pressed my cheek against her cold forehead, turned around, and walked to my bedroom.

"Stop!" Alfred felt that his authority was challenged when he realized that I intended to go back to my room instead of making dinner.

With a few strides, he caught up with me and pulled my arm. "How dare you! Olivia, how dare you give me that attitude! Do you know how difficult Isla Carter's life is?

"Arthur is from a one-parent family. His heart is fragile. You are a grown-up, so can't you show him some compassion? Do you have any conscience left?"

At the mention of Isla, his first love, my stomach churned. He always said that Isla was tough in her rough life.

"Yep, I have no conscience." I glared at the self-righteous Alfred and said word by word, "And so does the ingrate I raise."

"Are you saying that I am ungrateful?" Alfred raised his hand to slap me.

For a happy family and Eden, I had swallowed my pride, yielded, and apologized, but not today.

My gaze shifted from the frostbites on Eden's hands to those eyes similar to Alfred's.

I didn't flinch. I coldly stared at Alfred and said, "Once you slap me, Alfred, you will have to move out of this house tomorrow."

His hand came to a halt in midair. He was shocked.

In the past seven years of marriage, I had been docile, dutiful, and flattering to him.

For the first time in his life, he saw my menacing and chilly gaze.

His Adam's apple bobbed nervously as he awkwardly pulled his hand back. At the same time, he cursed, "You are insane. I will let you off this time. Now, transfer six thousand dollars to my bank account.

"Isla is having surgery, and she needs money to pay the medical bills. You got your travel allowance, didn't you? Give me the money. We are saving a person's life."

I was so furious that I chuckled. "I have no money." I carried Eden into my bedroom, slammed the door behind me, and locked it.

Outside my bedroom, Alfred started kicking the door and cursing, "Olivia, you are heartless. You are a miser. Do you want to take the money to your grave?

"We are talking about a person's life. Just you wait. After I become a professor, you will regret what you did today."

With my back against the door, I slowly slid down to the floor.

In my arms, Eden shuddered with fear. She clutched my collar, and her tears hit the back of my hand drop by drop. "Mom, don't argue with Dad. I will shine the shoes. I will make them shiny... Don't drive Dad away..."

With both hands, I wiped the tears off her face. "Eden, don't be scared. From today on, I will allow nobody to boss you around. I will make them bow to you."

That night, I locked the door and slept in the master bedroom with Eden in my arms.

Alfred took Arthur to the guest room after he had exhausted himself with curses.

I had carefully furnished the guest room for Eden, and Alfred forcibly let Arthur move into it with the excuse that boys needed a rich life to broaden their horizons while girls would be tough after hardships.

In the middle of the night, I heard a faint voice coming from the living room.

Barefoot, I quietly tiptoed to the door and pressed my ear against it.

"Isla, relax. I have that fool's money in my hand... Yes, she was a bit weird tonight. Perhaps she got criticized at work... I will think of ways to get six thousand dollars...

"Don't worry. Didn't I just buy a Mercedes-Benz G-Class? I will drive it to pick you up when you are discharged from the hospital tomorrow. I believe that your friends will envy you..."

A Mercedes-Benz G-Class? My grip on the doorknob was so tight that my knuckles turned white.

Alfred had said that he needed a car for his volunteer projects in tough schools. His so-called used and financed truck turned out to be a Mercedes-Benz G-Class.

Ironically, I had sold the house my mom left me to pay the down payment for him. Back then, I had genuinely been supportive of his career and worried about his safety in the mountainous areas.

It turned out he had bought the car for Isla's vanity.

Early in the morning the next day, I was woken by the hasty knocks on the door.