After work one day, I found the girl crouched outside my door.
She was curled up, looking utterly pitiful..
Hearing footsteps, she spoke tearfully, “Mike, you’re finally back…”
Before finishing, she realized it wasn’t him and immediately lowered her voice by eight degrees. “Oh, it’s you?
Her facial expression changed as quickly as Mike’s did.
I rolled my eyes. “You’re crouching outside MY home, and you’re asking why it’s me? If you’re suffering from brain atrophy and can’t find your way home, I’d be happy to call the police for you.”
“This isn’t your home, it’s Mike’s home!”
She stood up, like an agitated little beast. “Did you say something to Mike to make him refuse to lend me money? He works hard to earn that money–what right do you have to interfere?”
Talk about blaming others for your own problems.
23.16
23.15
Chapter 1
From childhood until now, I’ve never had someone point fingers at me like this.
“Oh, so you know the money is earned by YOUR ‘Mike,’ and has nothing to do with you?”
With Mike not around, I completely let loose.
“I wanted to curse you out yesterday but held back. Now you’ve actively come looking for more? Even a mo- nkey performing for money knows to ride a unicycle, but you just show up with an outstretched hand. What,
you think your face is worth more than a monkey’s?”
“Young and not working, just thinking about getting handouts without lifting a finger. And ‘Mike this, Mike that‘–does your father know you’re out here claiming random men as your brothers? Have you counted how
many hats you’ve put on your father’s head?”
“You…”
“What ‘you‘? If you can’t even speak clearly, go home and learn how before coming back to beg.”
Just then, the elevator doors opened.
Mike stepped out.
Emily looked like she’d found her savior, and two streams of tears immediately rolled down her cheeks.
“Mike, you have to stand up for me…”
П
I turned my head and met the man’s cryptic gaze.
I wasn’t sure how much of our conversation he had heard.
My heart sank a little.
The original Sarah had been gentle, shy, and timid.
That was the main reason Mike had chosen her as his contract wife years ago.
Worried about breaking character, I’d been very careful with my words and actions since arriving, afraid Mike
would notice something was off.
Today I’d probably ruined everything.
But I quickly calmed down–after all, I didn’t want to continue this life anyway.
Whatever happens, happens.
What I never expected was Mike’s immediate mockery: “Do you think I’m some kind of judge? I’m exhausted from working all day, and now I come home to play mediator for you? How much overtime are you paying. me for bossing me around like this?”
Then he pulled me behind him and asked softly, “Are you okay? Did she bully you?”
Emily was the one crying, yet he was asking about me.
Chapter 1
Hearing this, Emily became even more devastated. “Mike, she insulted me…”
“What insult? My wife was just stating facts.”
