Their blurred reflections on the metal doors suggested nothing

but estrangement.

His ck Maybach was parked outside thepany entrance.

As they approached it, she reached for the door to the back seat.

Meanwhile, he sat in the driver’s seat.

Till now, she still remembered that humiliating day. Shortly

after their marriage, Tamera Townsend, his grandmother, had

asked him to bring her back home for dinner.

He had locked the door to the passenger seat when she was

about to get in the car.

It was the most embarrassing moment of her life.

From then on, she never rode in his car again.

Tonight was purely an ident.

After he started the car, she crossed her left arm over her chest

and lowered her head to browse news on the phone in her right

hand.

She didn’t look at him, let alone chat with him.

The atmosphere in the car was so quiet.

In the past, she had been so eager to share every moment in her

life with him, always wanting to tell him first whenever

something interesting happened.

But the day she realized he had been deliberately ignoring her

calls and messages, she learned to shut up.

Ellsworth didn’t say anything either.

Silence hung between them until he pulled into the courtyard.

Patsy walked toward them with a grin, and only then did the

tension in the air ease a little.

“Hara, hey. I made some soup for you. Come and eat it while it’s

still warm,” Patsy said to Harriet lovingly,pletely ignoring

Ellsworth.

“Alright, Patsy,” Harriet smiled.

Meanwhile, Ellsworth walked into the dining room, pulled a

chair, and sat down.

The servants brought dishes onto the table.

Patsy sat down next to Harriet. “Hara, I wanna stay here for a

couple of days. Is that OK with you?”

Harriet quickly said, holding a fork and a knife in her hands,

“Of course. Patsy, stay here for as long as you want.”

Patsy beamed at once.

Then she turned to Ellsworth. Noticing the grim look on his

face, she said, “If you have any objections, keep them to

yourself.

“From now on,e back after work. Have dinner at home.

You’re Hara’s husband, and you should act like one.”

Her real purpose of staying here was to keep an eye on

Ellsworth.

She wasn’t going to leave before Harriet got pregnant.

Kelsey wouldn’t stand a chance to sabotage Harriet and

Ellsworth’s marriage-not under her watch.

Ellsworth looked up and said nonchntly, “How am I

supposed to make money then? Or you’re fed up with those

Chapter

designer bags already?”

She spat, “Not working overtime won’t change anything. Stop

with the excuses. Just do as I say!”

Her tone dripped with dominance. Apparently, she wouldn’t

take no for an answer.

Ellsworth couldn’t be bothered to talk back. Hermanding

words meant nothing to him.

Harriet, however, nced up at him after hearing Patsy’s

words.

He’d suffer unless they had a divorce.

After dinner, Harriet and Ellsworth sat with Patsy in the living

room for a while. Soon, she urged them to go upstairs to rest.

After walking them back to the bedroom, she turned to leave.

Ellsworth closed the room door. Then he took off his suit jacket,

tossed it onto the couch casually, and rolled up his shirt sleeves.

His fair skin made his blue veins stand out even more.

Just then, his phone rang.

He didn’t pick up immediately. Instead, he lit a cigarette before walking over to the floor-to-ceiling window with his phone in

hand.

Blowing out a smoke ring, he said, “Mom’s here. I won’te

over tonight.”

“Alright. Get back earlier to rest.”

“OK. I see.”

“Alright.”

His voice was all gentle and soft-a privilege Harriet had never

enjoyed.

And he didn’t mind that Harriet was right behind him.

After hanging up, he walked back to the coffee table and

casually stubbed out his cigarette.