Coming Back Home

It was a Saturday morning in Ashwood. The kids were in school for social activities, men were at their companies, and the stay-at-home wives mostly met up for a cup of coffee.

It was known that most women in Ashwood knew nothing about business. They believed hard work was for the men, while they took care of the homes and flaunted their riches. This was one of the reasons the economy of Lukewood was higher than Ashwood’s.

In Lukewood, the number of working men was directly proportional to women, but that wasn’t the case for Ashwood.

In a corner of a teahouse, several CEOs’ wives occupied a table sipping their tea, playing mahjong, and gossiping.

By the door stood Shelby Orion, Aiden’s aunt and also the daughter-in-law to the Green family.

She was a 45-year-old woman but looked nothing like her age—money had such an effect on people. Ever since her brother was killed, and the Martins took over their family home and company, she hardly joined the other women for tea because she knew they simply wanted to gossip. But her husband urged her to stop staying indoors and head out.

They won’t gossip in front of you, he said, and she finally decided to join the women for tea.

She walked over, her long black hair held in a neat bun and adorned with light jewelry. The women instantly stopped talking once they noticed her presence.

Her closest friend in the group, Alice Wystan, stood up and hugged her. “I am so glad you joined us, Shelby.”

Shelby nodded and sat next to Alice before she was served her tea without sugar. Alice rubbed her arms and smiled at her. “I heard Lylah has an event coming up soon. Get me tickets, okay?” Alice said, and Shelby chuckled. Her daughter, Lylah, loved poetry and organized a poetry event for her ten thousand followers to attend, selling tickets only to adults.

Shelby nodded. “She will be glad to have you there.” After all, Alice was the closest person Lylah had to an aunt. Her poor eighteen-year-old daughter was so heartbroken about her uncle’s tragic death and the fact that the older sister (Luna) she looked up to is now termed a villain.

“I read a few poems your daughter wrote, and I must say—they are amazing,” Mrs. Stevenson commented before pushing her mahjong tile.

“It’s so sad she chose it as a career, though. I mean… who does poetry for a living?” Mrs. White laughed, then cleared her throat when Alice glared at her. “I mean, it’s fun now but not a promising future.”

“Hmm,” Alice chuckled. “How I wish your opinion was valid.”

Mrs. White frowned at her before her eyes lit up when she spotted a figure at the entrance—it was the lady who was bent on taking Aliyah’s spot in the community.

The lady whose son had taken over the Orion company.

Judy Martins stood there, dressed in Selene’s latest designer gown. Her hair was pinned with a diamond clip, and the necklace around her neck screamed nothing but luxury, though some people at the café wondered if it didn’t weigh her neck down.

Her cologne made a few cough, but she didn’t mind. She strolled toward the table at the end, occupied by the so-called billionaire’s wives.

As she approached, Mrs. White instantly shifted, creating space for her. “Judy Martins, it’s a surprise to have you here,” she said with an excited look—not that she loved or got along with Judy, but she simply hated Alice and Shelby’s guts.

Mrs. Stevenson turned to Shelby. “I didn’t invite her,” she felt the need to explain at once. Why would she want to invite the woman who had taken over the Orion home, spending their money like she wasn’t poor months ago?

Shelby nodded and sipped her coffee, choosing to ignore Judy for the rest of the time. “In the past, I thought you never invited me for tea because of my status, but now my son owns Nova Therapeutics—so tell me, don’t I deserve to join you all?” Judy asked with a pout before she sat next to Mrs. White and ordered her tea.

Alice Wystan laughed. “Own? Did you just say your son owns Nova? Does he have any idea how that company came about?”

Judy rolled her eyes, threw her expensive car key on the table, then squinted at Alice.

The top families in Ashwood, in order of hierarchy, were the Orions, Wystans, Greens, Stevensons, and Joynes. So Judy always respected Alice and tried to garner favor from her, but Alice preferred being friends with Shelby.

Now that her son had taken over the Orion assets, didn’t that make her the most powerful woman at this table? So how dare Alice talk to her in such a way?

“It’s not my son’s fault that Paul didn’t even trust any of his relatives enough to hand his assets to. He handed everything to my son because he is a filial person,” Judy bragged. Her tea finally arrived, and she kept throwing glances at Shelby, who obviously didn’t need her family (Orion) money to grow—after all, she was married to the heir of the Green family.

“And it’s not our fault that we didn’t find you worth having tea with us,” Mrs. Joyne finally spoke out with a frown. She couldn’t believe how sharp-tongued Judy was.

Judy chuckled in disbelief. “I am not worthy? Tell me, Shelby, am I not worthy to have tea with you all?”

Everyone’s gaze turned to Shelby, who had kept a calm face all along. She shrugged and sipped her tea. “If she thinks she is worthy, then she is.” That was Shelby’s nonchalant reply.

She tilted her head to have a clearer view of Judy. “But if you think you are worthy just because your son is managing my family’s company, then think again.”

Judy clenched her fist as the other women kept laughing and completely ignored her.

At that moment, Shelby’s phone flashed, signaling a new message. She picked it up and quickly sat up when she realized it was a text from her nephew, who hadn’t written her back in four months.

Aiden: I am coming back home, Aunty.

Her eyes lit up and she sighed heavily. “Great, now everything will go back in order,” she muttered and smiled at Judy, who had a confused look, wondering what it was Shelby had just read.