In the evening Emily and Alex went to a restaurant. Both remained silent but deep down Emily was struggling to come up with words to thank Alex.

“Thank you for earlier,” Emily mumbled, her gaze fixed on the wineglass. She hesitated, then continued, “Look, I know you don’t have a lot of money. So let’s not waste it unnecessarily.”

Surprise flickered across Alex’s face as his eyebrows shot up. “What made you think that?” he asked, leaning back in his chair to hear her wife's explanation.

Emily struggled to find the correct words. “I mean… the rumors,” she stammered. “People say things—about you. That you can’t hold a job, that you hang out with thugs, that you’re an outcast from the Griffin family, a… a bastard child.”

“You also heard the rumors and it seems like you believe them also”, Alex cuts her off with his icy tone.

Emily’s guilt was obvious. She did not want to hurt Alex as he helped her earlier, “I don’t mean to say it like that I don’t care what people say. But I want you to have a good life. We need to plan our finances.”

“I have some job interviews lined up,” Emily announced, “I’ll be making money soon.”

His curiosity grew. “And you’ll support us?” Alex asked, sounding surprised.

“Of course,” Emily replied instantly. “This is your house, our home. I have to pitch in somehow. Besides, we’re married now.”

But then, suddenly Emily’s phone rang— she received a message from the hospital.

“Is something wrong?” he asked

“It’s nothing,” Emily replied

Alex nodded, not pushing further. He knew there was something wrong but he would figure this out in his way.

She was very tense through the night tossing and turning and the first thing she did was rush to the Walker residence regarding the text she received from the hospital that revealed that bills were still unpaid.

Grace, the symbol of artificial beauty, sat arrogantly on the sofa, doing something on her phone. Emily approached,

“Where is Dad?” Emily asked, her eyes locked onto Grace’s face loaded with tons of makeup but Grace's answer was unconcerned and Carefree.

“He’s not here,” Grace replied, “Why are you even here? Who invited you?”

Before Emily could respond, Grace showcased her limited-edition bag for her to see. “Look,” she bragged, “Dad got this for me. It’s limited-edition.”

Unimpressed by her bragging, Emily came to the main point. “You guys promised to pay my mother’s medical bills once I married Alexander, Why are they still pending?”

Mrs. Walker stepped forward. “I did say I’d pay,” she said coldly, “but I never specified when it’s for me to decide so why rush?”

Emily lost her patience. “What’s the rush?” she mocked. “Do you know I’m drowning in debt, struggling to cover those medical expenses?”

Grace interrupted. “Sounds like your problem, not ours.”

Emily’s frustration boiled. “I married Alexander for you,” she shot back. “How is this not your problem?”

Realizing that getting money from these two was impossible, Emily could ask for help only from her father. “Where is Dad?” she demanded. “I need to talk to him.”

Mrs. Walker roared. “He’s at work,” she declared. “Working tirelessly to provide for us—unlike you, who just leeches off our money.”

Hearing the word leeches off money triggered Emily “Leeches off your money? My mother never asked for child support, I worked tirelessly to put myself through college.”

Turning to Grace, Emily’s anger flared. “And while she shows her limited-edition bag, I’m drowning in debt.”

“JUST GIVE ME MY DAMN MONEY!”

She screamed at the top of her lungs.

But Mrs. Walker’s response was brutal.

— SLAP across Emily’s face, the sting of betrayal and humiliation

“How dare you raise your voice in my home?” The intensity of Mrs. Walker's fury was clear. “You ungrateful brat. Get out of my house right now.”

And so, Emily left the Walker residence, her heart heavy with disappointment and resentment. She would find a way to pay those bills, even if it meant facing humiliation.

In the dimly lit apartment, an apron wrapped around Alex as he stood by the stove. He was flipping the pan to showcase his skills as he was drizzling the vegetable. He was fully focused on his cooking as his life depended on the outcome of the meal.

Emily entered the apartment and she was welcomed by the aroma of drizzling vegetables which made her stomach growl. Emily was stunned to see Alex wrapped in an apron like a gift before her. His veiny arms were busy which made Emily blush.

Emily approached him, and Alex greeted her with a smile, “Hey! Finally!! You are here, we will have dinner together tonight” he said with a warm smile.

Taking the plate from his hands, Emily mumbled. “Let me do that,” Their hands barely touched, her fingers lingering against his but Alex pulled away his hand “I think we should share the chores as we are living in the same apartment,” he replied, his knife slicing cheese with precision.

“I’m cooking tonight,” Alex declared.

Emily tilted her face, unaware of the bruise mark on her cheek. “Who did that to you?” he demanded, his eyes darkening.

She shook her head and whispered “No one”.

She further added to make herself believable, “I wasn’t paying attention and banged into a door.”

But Alex wasn’t fooled. He knew the difference between an accident and an intentional blow.

“I’m gonna take a shower, then I’ll have dinner,” she retracted toward her room to prevent Alex from further questioning.

After she left Alex wiped his hands, then reached for his phone. He dialed a number.

At the dinner table, Emily was lost in her thoughts, absentmindedly moving her spoon around her plate. Not wanting to disappoint Alex, she said, “It’s very good. I can’t believe you made these.”

“Yeah,” Alex replied with a proud look. It’s the first time he cooked for someone. “Where did you learn to cook?”

Taking a bite of his food he remembered something, Alex answered, “My mother taught me.”

Emily was intrigued “Well, your mother must have been a good cook.”

“Yeah, she was,” Alex said, his voice softening. “She died when I was in middle school.”

“Being the illegitimate son of the Griffin family, we didn’t have the privilege of servants and all that,” he added with a joking tone, taking a sip of wine.

A wave of sympathy washed over her. “I know what that’s like,” she said softly. “But it’s okay. You have me now. I’ll cook for you.”

These words struck Alex deeply. He had never had anyone who genuinely cared for him. He felt a surge of happiness but tried to hide his excitement. “Hmm,” he replied, trying to sound nonchalant.

“I’ll do the dishes since you made dinner,” Emily announced.

“Umm, oh, thank you,” Alex said

Emily got up to do the dishes, leaving Alex alone with his thoughts. Suddenly, his phone dinged with a text message from his secretary, Richard. Alex went to the room to call him.

“Boss, from the traffic cameras, it seems Ms. Walker went to her home,” Richard reported.

“Her own family hit her,” Alex thought to himself, anger boiling inside him. “Put some pressure on her father’s business. I want to teach him a lesson.”

With that, he hung up the phone.