“Don’t scare her off! That brat’s never around when it matters. She’s here, and he’s still abroad. When he gets back, we have to punish him accordingly to make up to Yvonne.”
I dropped my gaze and stayed quiet.
Joseph Blackwell, who was now my husband in name, hadn’t even shown up. He claimed he was too busy with work. Even the
marriage certificate and the ring were delivered by his assistant.
But maybe that was for the best.
After all, at this point, all I wanted was a quiet and peaceful life.
Mrs. Blackwell noticed my silence and mistook it for hurt. She hurried to place a black card into my hand.
I looked at her in confusion, but she just smiled playfully and patted the back of my hand.
“In this household, wives manage the money. This is Joseph’s card,” she said with a smirk.
I jolted in surprise and quickly declined.
“Mrs. Blackwell, I really can’t-”
“Call me Ava! Why not? You’re the lady of this household in the future. The whole Blackwell Corporation will be yours! A mere
card is nothing!”
Her words struck me like lightning. The Langston brothers used to say things like that, too.
Back when they first made bank, they opened a bank account just for me and transferred funds into it, saying we’d share
everything from then on.
It wasn’t a huge sum, but I was overjoyed. I even started depositing my own paycheck into that account.
And in the end? Queenie drained every cent from it.
It turned out I was the only one who actually invested feelings into it.
The reminder of the past stung my nose, and tears nearly spilled over.
Mrs. Blackwell panicked, thinking she’d upset me, and quickly shoved the card back into my hands.
“Sweet girl, my idiot son’s the one who wronged you. From now on, no one’s going to hurt you again. A young woman like you
deserves to be spoiled like a princess.”
I quickly forced a smile and shook my head.
Their kindness far exceeded anything I had expected from a first meeting.
2/3
Mrs. Blackwell patted my shoulder, telling me not to worry about managing any family business right away. She told me to focus on getting better and to take time to build a bond with Joseph.
Everything else would go according to my preferences.
If I wanted to keep practicing medicine, I could freely choose to work in any of the hospitals under the Blackwell Corporation.
“We chose you not because of some political alliance. Despite what the rumors say, we picked you because you’re a candidate. Besides, Joseph is… well…”
She trailed off as if there was more she wasn’t saying. But no matter the reason behind this marriage, all I wanted now was a simple, peaceful life.
After meeting Mr. and Mrs. Blackwell, the wedding preparations began in earnest.
