Chapter 2

Linda froze. She clearly hadn't expected me to raise conditions like these.

She read the added clauses carefully, and her expression darkened.

"Gabriel Cole, what's this supposed to mean? You're a grown man, and you're calculating this clearly? Does that look like a family to you? Mason calls you Uncle. You're not even going to care about him?"

I looked at her coldly.

"Didn't you say this was to keep our marriage pure and keep money from contaminating our feelings?"

"Don't sign it, then. We'll go to City Hall tomorrow."

The moment Linda heard the word divorce, she panicked.

She only made seven thousand a month. She spent freely on cosmetics and bags, and she couldn't afford the six-thousand-dollar mortgage by herself.

She'd proposed financial separation to trick me into helping with the mortgage and serving her and her son for free.

She thought I was only throwing a tantrum. She snorted.

"Fine. I'll sign! Don't regret it."

She picked up the pen, signed her name, and pressed her thumbprint down.

I looked at the now-effective agreement, and a mocking curve tugged at my lips.

Regret? Linda Frost, this life, the one who'll regret it is you.

On the first day the agreement took effect, I got off work on time for once.

In the past, to rush back and cook for this mother and son, I'd always squeezed onto the subway in a hurry, stopped by the market, and bought discount vegetables and cheap pork.

Today, I drove straight to a high-end imported grocery store downtown.

I picked out a top-grade M9 Wagyu steak for myself, bought a live Boston lobster, added some imported organic vegetables, and chose a bottle of red wine.

At checkout, it cost fifteen hundred.

When I saw the balance deduction message, I didn't feel a bit of pain. I felt unbelievably refreshed.

In my last life, that money had all gone to Mason's useless model aviation class.

When I got home, it was already seven in the evening.

Linda was sprawled on the couch watching TV. Mason was beside her scrolling through short videos.

When she saw me come in, she didn't even lift her eyelids. She only pointed her chin toward the kitchen.

"Why are you back so late? I'm starving. Mason's still growing. He can't go hungry. Hurry up and cook. I want braised ribs tonight, and Mason wants shrimp."

I carried my grocery bags straight into the kitchen.

Soon, the sizzle of steak and the rich smell of butter drifted out. The sweetness of lobster slipped through the crack in the door too.

The TV volume in the living room lowered. I heard Linda swallow and Mason shout excitedly.

"Mom, Uncle Gabriel's making a feast today! It smells so good!"

Half an hour later, I carried out the perfectly seared steak and the bright red lobster.

Linda and Mason were already sitting at the dining table, forks in hand, impatient to start.

Without looking sideways, I walked to the far end of the table, sat down, poured myself a glass of red wine, and cut a piece of steak into my mouth.

Delicious.

Linda froze with her fork hanging in midair. Her face darkened immediately.

"Gabriel Cole, what's this supposed to mean? Where's our dinner?"

Mason panicked too, glaring at me.

"Uncle Gabriel, why did you only make food for yourself? Are you trying to starve us?"

I set down my knife and fork, pulled out a napkin, wiped the corner of my mouth, then took out the photocopied financial agreement and slapped it onto the table.

"Linda Frost. Mason. Do you two have bad memories? We signed this agreement this morning. Absolute financial separation. Absolute household labor separation."

I pointed at the steak and lobster in front of me.

"I bought these ingredients myself after work. They cost fifteen hundred. You want to eat? Sure. According to the agreement, pay half the ingredient cost first. That's seven hundred fifty."