How Much Do I Owe You Again? のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 1 - チャプター 8

The guests quickly stepped up to show their support for Mary.“Ben, you men are just too easily fooled by women like her.“Your mother is doing this for your sake.”That came from one of Ben’s aunt.“You’re out working all day. Who knows where your wife’s spending all your money?“We’re all here to support you.“If she runs off with your money and another man, you’ll be left with nothing.”Another aunt chimed in.Everyone was talking at once, all speaking with utter conviction.Listening to his relatives, Ben’s face turned from pale to flush.The whole thing was downright laughable.Right at that moment, Chloe’s sharp eyes spotted my phone sitting on the shelf.She snatched it right up.“Mom, stop wasting time on her.“The money was ours in the first place. Taking it back is only natural!”With that, she smugly unlocked my phone to check my account balance.The surrounding relatives crowded around to get a piece of the drama.The second she caught glimpse of the balance, Chloe froze de

Ben’s expression turned pitch dark instantly.He barked at me:“What sorta idea are you having?“You want people coming to me asking for handouts?”Mary chimed right in:“Payslips have to be kept confidential nowadays.“You never had a real job. That’s why you’re so ignorant.”A relative of his piped up from the side:“We believe what Ben says.“If he says twenty grand, then twenty grand it is. He has no reason to lie to us.”I almost laughed out loud.And what reason would I have to lie?Anyone with eyes could see what kind of life I’d been living these years.I hadn’t bought a new outfit in years, and the socks on my feet had holes in them.This crowd of people were blind as bats.Either that or they chose what they wanted to see.“If he won’t do it, I will.“I have every single transfer right here on my phone.“Take a look yourselves at how much money he actually gives me each month.”Mary grabbed my phone, eager to take a look, but Ben snatched the phone away before she could.He s

Just as Mary was about to kick up another storm, a fit of hurried coughing suddenly echoed from the bedroom doorway, cutting her off.“Stop arguing…”My father-in-law, Henry, leaned against the doorframe, his face as pale as a sheet of paper.Evidently disturbed by the commotion outside, he had forced himself to crawl out of bed.Bedridden for years and mostly silent most of the time, he suddenly became the focal point of the entire room.Mary reacted first, rushing forward to help him, a trace of imperceptible panic in her voice.“What are you doing out here? Go back in and lie down. This has nothing to do with you.”He gently pushed her hand away, his gaze sweeping slowly across the room before finally landing on Ben. He spoke his words with deliberate weight:“Ben’s salary really is five grand a month.”The color drained entirely from Mary’s face in an instant. She stared in sheer disbelief at her husband, her voice trembling.“What nonsense are you spouting? It’s twenty grand! Have

The divorce proceedings went much smoother than I had expected. Ben scraped together the twenty thousand in compensation as agreed.He also promised to pay a thousand a month in child support on time.Perhaps terrified that a bigger scandal would ruin his remaining scrap of presentable public image, he didn’t try to drag things out or cause trouble.I packed up and moved back to my parents’ place with Mason.Mom and Dad’s hearts ached for all the hardships I’d endured over the years. They refused to let me lift a finger with chores, telling me to rest and take time to rebuild my life.“Weren’t you trained in accounting back in the day?”Dad sat on the sofa, handing me a warm glass of water.“While you’re still young, pick it back up. Find a job you actually like instead of spinning around a household all day.”Mom chimed in from the side as well.“That’s right. I’ll help take care of Mason. Go out there and chase your dream.”Encouraged by my parents, I started working to boost back my