Chapter 4
Phoebe never kept any money in her mobile payment apps. They were just payment tools, all linked to Lewis's cards.
But just last week, because Phoebe bought an extra pair of shoes for 100 dollars, Lewis blew up and immediately unlinked all his cards.
He said, "If you want to spend money, use the cash I give you every week! Don't even think about taking another cent from my cards!"
Lewis meant to teach Phoebe a lesson, to let her know what it felt like to be broke.
But he never expected that the lesson would come back to bite him so soon.
Now, Phoebe was truly broke.
And for him, even getting her to order takeout had become an impossible task.
Lewis's cheeks burned with shame.
He felt like a fool who'd carefully set up his own stage, only to end up humiliating himself in front of everyone.
Angelina was left speechless.
She glanced at the solitary plate of cabbage on the table, then at Phoebe, who looked totally unbothered. Angelina opened her mouth, but couldn't get a single word out.
The awkwardness in the restaurant was off the charts.
In the end, Lewis gritted his teeth and reluctantly took out his phone.
He clumsily opened the takeout app, his face stormy as he began scrolling through the menu.
He'd never done this before.
Phoebe always handled everything.
All he had to do was sit back like a king and wait for the food to arrive.
Now, he had to squint at his phone, scrolling through endless menus to figure out which place had the best grilled salmon.
For Lewis, the whole thing felt so stifling he could barely stand it.
Angelina leaned in, pointing at the screen.
"Hey, this steak looks pretty good."
"Whoa, why is the lobster so expensive!"
"Lewis, order a couple more veggies to balance things out."
Lewis's head was pounding from all her chatter. He snapped, "Got it!"
He just tapped randomly on the screen, spending over 170 dollars before finally placing the order.
While they waited for the food, nobody said a word.
Phoebe had already finished her meal. She got up and started clearing her own dishes.
She washed her own dishes and put them back in the cabinet.
As for the untouched plates and utensils belonging to Lewis and Angelina, she didn't even spare them a glance.
Once Phoebe was done, she headed back to her room.
"Where do you think you're going?" Lewis called out, stopping her.
"I'm going back to my room to rest," Phoebe replied.
"Aren't you going to eat?" Lewis asked.
"I already ate," Phoebe said, pointing at her empty plate.
Lewis glared at the plate, so clean it practically sparkled, and felt his temper flare up for no reason.
"The takeout's almost here, you..." Lewis started to say.
Phoebe interrupted. "That's your order, not mine. My dinner was just that plate of cabbage, and I'm already done.
"Anyway, I don't have any money to pay for your takeout."
She didn't even bother with Lewis's dark look, just headed straight for her bedroom.
The door slammed shut with a loud bang.
The door closed with a click, and Phoebe locked it from the inside.
Lewis and Angelina both flinched at the sound, their hearts skipping a beat.
They exchanged glances, shock and disbelief written all over their faces.
'Did she lock herself in? What's that supposed to mean? Is she really trying to cut us off for good?' they both wondered.
Lewis was shaking with rage. He stormed over to the bedroom door and started pounding on it.
"Phoebe! Get out here! Make yourself clear! Is this your way of rebelling now?" he shouted.
Inside, the room was dead silent. Not a peep from Phoebe.
Angelina hurried over, knocking and calling out through the door.
She said, "Phoebe, come on, don't do this! Let's talk, okay? Don't lock yourself in!
"Why are you making such a fuss with your husband? You're his wife, aren't you? Come on, Phoebe, open the door! Let me handle it for you!"
But inside, it was still dead silent.
Phoebe leaned against the door, listening to all the yelling and coaxing outside, her mind completely at ease.
Rebelling? This was not rebelling.
'No, this isn't rebelling.'
This was just taking back what was rightfully hers. Her dignity and boundaries.
Phoebe closed her eyes, and the reply from Jessie floated into her mind.
"Phoebe, I'm always around. If you need anything, just say the word."
At last, a real smile tugged at Phoebe's lips.
She knew the real battle was only just beginning.
Outside, Lewis kept banging on the door, relentless.
"Phoebe! I'm counting to three. If you don't open this door, you'll regret it!" he shouted.
"One!"
"Two!"
Right as he was about to yell "Three," the doorbell suddenly rang.
"Hey, your food delivery's here," the delivery guy said.
Lewis's angry shouting stopped cold.
He glared at the locked door, fuming, but had to turn and answer the door instead.
The table was piled high with lavish dishes.
Pot roast, grilled salmon, garlic lobster... The air was thick with mouthwatering aromas.
But Lewis and Angelina had absolutely no appetite.
They just stared at the feast, every bite tasting like cardboard.
This meal was even harder to stomach than that plate of plain cabbage.
After dinner, Angelina looked at the table and the kitchen. They were a total mess. She frowned.
"Lewis, who's supposed to wash all these dishes?" Angelina asked.
Before, Phoebe always took care of this.