Chapter 4

If I got involved in Luke's school life and we divorced again, it would be hard for Luke to explain.

I had no idea if Lucas actually took it to heart, but he slunk off, looking totally bummed.

After I dozed off on the couch for a bit, Edward woke up too.

He was dressed to the nines in a sharp suit, sitting right next to me. The moment I opened my eyes, he whipped out his phone.

"Unblock me and add me back, and I'll send you some living expenses," Edward said.

At the mention of money, my mood instantly lifted. 'Now we're talking,' I thought.

Without a second thought, I did as he said.

Then I changed his contact name to "Husband, Edward Shaw."

That actually made him laugh, even though he was a bit exasperated.

"What's this? You used to call me 'Honey,' 'Jerk,' or 'Mr. Cold-Hearted.' Now you're all formal. Did you finally break up with your side piece?" Edward teased.

He was obviously joking, but I still jumped.

I waved my hands frantically. "No, no, I wanted to show some respect. After all, you're my husband."

And honestly, he was my meal ticket.

Edward's smile froze on his lips.

I couldn't tell if Edward picked up on how nervous I was acting.

After we got married, he handed me a card and said there was about 333,000 dollars on it. He told me to go shopping and treat myself.

Once he left, I linked the card to my phone and checked the balance. I had all sorts of mixed feelings about it.

I never used to think 333,000 dollars was a lot of money.

The Sutton Family wasn't filthy rich, but we never wanted for anything.

After marrying Edward, buying designer stuff was like picking up groceries.

That was why I never really cared about status or class. When we divorced, I walked away with nothing, like it was nothing.

After I got scammed out of my savings, tens of thousands of dollars, I had to hustle to get by.

I tried being a secretary, but when I refused to sleep with the boss, he made my life hell.

Then I tried sales, but a client started harassing me. I slapped him, and got fired for it.

Finally, with no other options left, I heard delivery riders made good money, so I gritted my teeth and learned to ride a motorcycle.

I kept mixing up the brakes and the gas, and ended up skinning my knees more times than I could count.

Rain or shine, I was out there every day, scraping by on about 1,300 to 1,700 dollars a month, and most days I barely had time to grab a bite.

Now Edward handed me about 333,000 dollars like it was pocket change. It's money I'd never see in a lifetime of hard work.

I felt both frustrated and amused, and couldn't help but give myself a slap.

'That's what you get for acting all holier-than-thou, Claire Sutton,' I thought.

'You thought you could tough it out, but now you know who's really in charge,' I told myself.

I checked the balance again and remembered Edward telling me to buy some skincare stuff. I figured I should be frugal and save most of it. Even if we got divorced again, as long as I was careful, I wouldn't have to suffer.

So, out of that 333,000 dollars, I bought a cheap bottle of moisturizer and two outfits. The rest went straight into my own account to collect interest.

That night, when Edward got home from work, he saw me rubbing something on my face and looked a bit surprised.

"What are you putting on your face?" he asked.

"Just some drugstore moisturizer. It actually works pretty well. Want to give it a try?" I said.

He shook his head, frowning as he glanced at the table. "Where are all your fancy bottles and jars?"

"They expired," I replied.

"Didn't I give you money for that?" he asked.

I flashed him a sweet smile. "I'm naturally beautiful. It doesn't matter what I use."

Last night, I was so exhausted that I passed out the moment I got into bed. I never noticed Edward sitting at my bedside, watching me for most of the night, his heart aching as if it were being pricked by needles.

Three years after the divorce, Edward still remembered how, when they first got married, Claire had her vanity overflowing with skincare bottles and jars.

Foundation, lotion, lip masks, serums, each had its own purpose.

Whenever Edward tried to kiss her, Claire would dodge him.

She'd pout and say, "Hold on, I'm not done with my skincare yet. What if I get wrinkles?"

Her eyes glistened with moisture and mischief, like a sly little fox.

'What made her stop caring about her looks?' Edward wondered.

'Was it because I didn't give her enough money?' he thought.

For once in his life, Edward paid attention to something besides work. He checked the card and realized all the money had been moved out.

He quietly watched Claire sleeping for a while, said nothing, and then added another 667,000 dollars to the account.