Chapter 2

"What kind of talk is that?"

"Who curses her own husband like that?"

Julia rushed to shield her son.

Then she shot me a vicious glare.

"Your older sister-in-law is quick-witted, she has a wide network, and she's got a steady temperament on top of it."

"We give her the money to invest."

"You basically can't lose."

"We're only asking you to invest. Nobody said we're taking your money away."

"What are you getting so worked up about?"

I couldn't be bothered with my mother-in-law.

My eyes were fixed straight on Aria Fox.

"You know how to invest?"

Aria nodded, all haughty. "Before I married Brad, my whole job was managing investments for other people. Annual returns of around twenty percent."

Val chimed in from beside me. "Wife, you should have some faith in your sister-in-law."

"We put in three hundred thousand."

"Do nothing at all, and we clear sixty thousand a year."

"And that's just the floor."

"Aria says that when the market's good—"

"—we could make over a hundred thousand."

I laughed right then, and looked at Val the way you'd look at an idiot.

"Whatever number she says, you just believe it?"

"Of course I believe it. We're family."

Soon after.

Anthony and Brad came home.

The whole family was behind letting Aria handle the money.

Anthony even said it plainly.

"How much do you even make a month?"

"I even handed over my own funeral savings to your sister-in-law."

Hearing that.

I sat back down and went on eating my durian, and said mildly, "If you want to give her money to invest, that's your business. It has nothing to do with me."

"Amber Mason!"

My mother-in-law glared at me. "You married my son, so you do as I say."

"You make twelve thousand a month now."

"Every month you hand eleven thousand five hundred over to your sister-in-law."

"You throw money around."

"Even your fruit costs a fortune."

"All those clothes and pieces of jewelry."

"You buy them and never wear them."

"To keep you from drowning in debt down the road."

"You'll do exactly as I say!"

Aria looked at me, smug.

Brad tried to talk me into it. "My little brother's already agreed. What is there left for you to object to?"

My brows knotted together. "And if I'm not willing?"

"If you're not willing."

"Then I'll have my son divorce you!"

The second Val heard that, he panicked. "Mom, everything's fine—why are you talking about divorce?"

Julia glared at him.

"A disobedient wife will be the death of you sooner or later."

"Better to end it early."

Val scratched his head and didn't argue any further.

I looked at Val.

"You agree with this?"

Val came over, smiling to smooth things over. "Wife, your sister-in-law is only doing this for our own good—and it'll cure that bad habit of yours, spending money all over the place."

"Just hurry up and say yes."

I set down the durian and pulled out a tissue to wipe my hands clean.

Then I stood up and held out my hand to Aria Fox.

"Give me back my money."