“Amelia, shut up!” Ethan’s veins stood out on his forehead. “I told you – I’m taking care of them because of Jack! You misunderstood all of this, and that’s why you hurt Isla, isn’t it?”
“You can think whatever you want.”
Amelia threw the words behind her and tore her arm free from his grip. Without looking back, she walked straight out of the room.
Ethan watched her leave, chest rising and falling with anger.
“Ethan, please don’t be mad,” Hannah said softly, stepping forward. She looked guilty. “It’s our fault. We didn’t mean to make you and Ms. Harlow fight.
“And when you said you’d freeze her cards … that must have hurt her. She is your wife. It’s normal for her to spend your money. You shouldn’t really … “
The more reasonable and gentle she acted, the angrier Ethan became at Amelia.
In his mind, Amelia had only become this spoiled and unreasonable because he had let her. It was time she learned a painful lesson. She needed to understand that the only way to keep what she had was to be a good, obedient wife.
His expression darkened as he pulled out his phone and called his assistant.
“Contact the bank. Freeze every account under Amelia’s name. Now.”
He didn’t see the quick, victorious smiles Hannah and Isla exchanged behind him.
…
Amelia dragged her tired body back to her studio and handed the stamp – the cause of all the trouble – to Amanda, who was already waiting.
“Thank you, Amelia,” Amanda said, taking it carefully. She didn’t ask about Amelia’s pale face.
Amanda left for the Department of Commerce, while Amelia stayed in the empty office. Outside, the city’s neon lights slipped through the blinds and scattered across her.
Everything that happened at the hospital replayed in her head like a dull knife cutting her over and over.
A heavy, suffocating anger sat in her chest, going nowhere.
But she knew that silent anger was the most useless thing in the world.
After sitting for a moment, she stood and walked into the sewing room.
On the cutting table lay a soft bolt of silk, ready for a custom gown for a long-time client.
She picked up a needle and thread and began sewing tiny pearl flowers along the collar and cuffs.
The needle slipped through the fabric, pulling the thread tight, anchoring each small pearl in place.
It was delicate work. It demanded absolute focus.
No matter how shattered her emotions were, she could always calm herself stitch by stitch.
This was her own world. A place where no one could twist the truth or step all over her.
She didn’t know how long she had worked, but when the last pearl was finally secured, her mind had settled.
When she walked out of the sewing room, she felt almost steady again.
Her phone lit up. There was a new follow request on Instagram.
The note said only two words. “Your landlord.”
Amelia accepted it.
Then she tapped into his profile, curious what kind of person he was.
To her surprise, the landlord’s profile had almost no posts. Only a few photos – mostly flowers and plants. Nothing else about his personal life.
Amelia figured people with this kind of hobby were usually older.
A moment later, a message popped up. “Have you been taking care of my plants?”
Amelia replied. “Not yet. I’ll officially move in the day after tomorrow.”
He didn’t answer again.
It made Amelia feel he was probably an older man who liked to keep to himself.
After thinking for a moment, she politely changed his contact name to Landlord Uncle.
Morning sunlight spilled across the road as Amelia drove toward her studio. Halfway there, Amanda called her in a panic.
No Sex for Six Years Because of Her? I’m Done!
“Amelia, something’s wrong! We tried to pay the final balance to the fabric supplier, but the system keeps saying the payment failed! I asked them. They didn’t get the money. They said if they don’t receive it today, they’ll sell the custom silk to someone else!”
Amelia’s heart dropped. She pulled the car to the side and frowned hard.
She immediately called the bank manager. The voice on the line was cold and formal. “Ms. Harlow, I’m sorry. We received instructions to freeze all accounts under your personal and business name.”
Amelia instantly thought of Ethan’s threat in the hospital yesterday.
She hadn’t expected him to actually go this far.
Just to please Hannah and Isla, he had cut off every source of money she had.
Right then, Ethan’s name lit up her phone.
Amelia took a slow breath. When she answered, her voice was completely calm. “You did this?”
“Yeah,” Ethan said, as if it were nothing.
Then, arrogant and loud, he added, “My offer still stands. Apologize to Isla and Hannah, or this is the price you pay.”
Amelia suddenly laughed.
“Ethan, dream on. I’d rather divorce you than apologize for something I didn’t do.”
“Amelia!” He snapped, furious. “Going against me will bring you nothing but trouble!”
Then he hung up with a sharp click.
Amelia gripped the steering wheel and drove the rest of the way to the studio in anger.
As soon as she stepped inside, Amanda rushed up to her. “Amelia, did you find the problem?”
Amelia glanced at the rows of finished gowns in the studio before she spoke. “There’s a personal issue. My account was temporarily frozen.”
Amanda went pale instantly, and Amelia knew what she was worried about.
The silk was custom-ordered for Harper Laidlaw, one of the city’s top socialites. She needed it for her birthday party next month.
If they couldn’t deliver on time, not only would they have to pay a huge penalty, but their newly built reputation would take a massive hit.
Amelia touched Amanda’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’ll find a way to fix the money problem.”
Her own accounts were locked.
Amanda, being a small shareholder, still had a personal bank card they could use in the meantime.
But the most important thing now was getting enough funds into Amanda’s empty card – fast.
Amelia scanned the finished gowns ready for delivery.
She decided to deliver them herself and ask the clients if the remaining payments could be transferred directly to Amanda’s card.
After giving Amanda a few instructions, she carefully packed the gowns and headed out alone.
The first stop was the home of Isabel Dalman, daughter of a major real-estate tycoon.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.