Chapter 4

Listening to him spout this shameless nonsense, my anger hit its peak.

"You took your wife's wedding gold to help scrape together your brother's wedding gift money, and you call that a head for money?"

Alvin sighed and started in on me like he was the reasonable one.

"Narelle, you used to be so sensible. What's gotten into you these past couple of days?"

"We're family. Do we really need to keep such careful accounts?"

"Fine, when my brother's doing well down the road, I'll have him buy you a few more pieces of jewelry."

"Think it over. Tomorrow's my brother's engagement dinner, and I need to stay and help out, so I won't be coming back. While you're at it, pack up the stuff at home. In a couple of days we'll be moving in with my parents."

"The bride's family insists on a house, so I've decided to give ours to my brother. Once the engagement dinner's over tomorrow, I'll bring them by to see the place."

"Babe, don't act out this time, or Mom and Dad really will make us divorce."

With that, he hung up on me.

Listening to the dial tone buzzing in the phone, I suddenly laughed.

I used to think Alvin was just too devoted, too tied to his family.

Only now did I understand. He was simply a leech with no limits at all.

He thought I had no head for money, did he?

Then I'd show him exactly what a real head for money looked like.

I opened my phone and called my best friend right away.

"Hey. Do me a favor."

I hung up and started packing my things like a woman possessed.

Clothes, skincare, my laptop.

Anything that was mine went straight into the suitcase.

As for Alvin's junk?

I got on a local app and called a junk collector.

In less than half an hour, the old man showed up on his three-wheeler.

"Miss, all these clothes and shoes, and these old game consoles too, you're selling all of it?"

He looked at the stuff spread across the floor, hardly able to believe it.

"All of it. Give me whatever you think is fair. Mainly I just need it hauled away fast."

The old man was thrilled. In the end he transferred me five hundred bucks and swept every last thing of Alvin's clean out of the place.

Money in hand, I dragged two big suitcases out and took a cab straight to my mother's.

The sight of me like that gave my mom a start.

"Narelle, what's the matter? Did you and Alvin have a fight?"

I pushed the suitcases aside, sat down on the couch, and poured myself a glass of water.

"Mom, I'm getting a divorce."

I told my mom everything that had happened these past two days, start to finish.

Including how he handed his whole salary to his mother, including how he sold my wedding gold.

When she'd heard it all, she was so furious she slapped her own thigh.

"That ungrateful wretch! I told you from the start his family wasn't up to much, but you had to marry him!"

"Divorce him! We're doing it right now!"

The next day, my mom made a point of going to the grocery market to buy the fattest crabs she could find, a welcome-home meal for me.

I sat at the table, gnawing on rich, dripping crab roe, in the best mood.

Just then my phone rang.

Alvin's name flashed on the screen.

I wiped my hands, taking my time, and pressed answer.

The second the call connected, Alvin's frantic roar came through.

"Narelle! What the hell are you playing at!"

"Why won't the front door unlock? The bride's whole family is out here waiting!"

"And why is there a stranger talking inside!"

Listening to him falling apart, I couldn't keep the corner of my mouth from lifting.

"Oh. I forgot to tell you."

"I rented the place out. It not only covers the mortgage every month, it earns me a little extra on top."

"And that pile of junk of yours, I sold that to the junk collector too. Got five hundred bucks for it."

"So? Don't I have a head for money after all?"