"You don’t even know," she said, her voice calm but heavy with disappointment. "She earned that money by winning the Dangerous Land car competition... so she could buy a house for all of you."
Her words hit like a hammer, and the room fell into silence.
Adrian’s eyes flickered, and his posture straightened slightly. His arms slowly fell to his sides as he processed what she had just said.
Karl’s baby-blue eyes widened, and Milo’s mouth hung open in shock.
"W-what?" Milo stammered, stepping closer to Angeline. "Wife did... what?"
Angeline sighed softly, her arms dropping to her sides as she looked at each of them. "You all keep doubting her... but she’s doing everything for this family. That money she earned—she risked her life for it."
Adrian’s jaw tightened, and his gaze fell to the floor. His heart pounded in his chest, but he refused to meet her eyes.
Karl shifted uncomfortably, rubbing the back of his neck. "I... I didn’t know..." he muttered.
His heart sank deeper as Angeline’s words echoed in his mind.
The Land Car Competition.
He had heard about it—one of the most dangerous races out there. The kind where even the smallest mistake could cost a life. Karl knew firsthand how risky driving could be. After all, he had driven an ecto-bike once... well, he drove it for a day, but that still counted.
His baby-blue eyes softened with guilt as he sat quietly, chewing on his lower lip. Stupid Wife... why didn’t you tell me? he thought. If she had just mentioned it, maybe he could have driven for her. Sure, he wasn’t exactly experienced, but the one time he drove, he felt pretty good at it. Maybe he had a natural gift for driving.
But then Angeline added, "Not only that, she won the race. First place."
Karl’s eyes widened as he stared at her.
His mouth hung open slightly.
"Oh my God..." he muttered, blinking in disbelief. "Stupid Wife doesn’t even know how to drive... and she still won?"
His eyes began to sparkle with pride, and suddenly, it all made sense to him. Maybe she was inspired by me... Maybe she saw how well I handled that ecto-bike and thought—
Karl wiped a tear from his eye. ’When wife comes back, I’ll hug her,’ he thought.
Julian heart felt heavy with guilt, and his gaze remained downcast.
He did trust Ruby. But when Adrian was shouting and accusing her, he hadn’t said a word. He just stood there, uncertain, watching it all unfold.
I should have stood by her more... Julian thought, rubbing the back of his neck.
Milo, on the other hand, looked like he was ready to throw a party. His brown eyes sparkled with excitement, and he could hardly stay still.
"Brother Adi!" Milo tugged on Adrian’s sleeve eagerly. "Did you hear that? Wife didn’t steal anything! She’s amazing. Let’s go find her now!"
Before Adrian could even reply, Kenji approached the porch with a hugo, max and others, drawn by the noise. Kenji crossed his arms and his sharp eyes flickering between the brothers.
"I’d let her cool down if I were you," Kenji said calmly, shaking his head.
He heard the sound of arguing coming from Miss Ruby’s house. The voices were loud, but he couldn’t make out exactly what was being said. Still, it was clear something had happened.
Not long after, he saw Miss Ruby storm out of the house. Her steps were fast and hard, like she wanted to get away quickly.
Milo frowned, clearly unhappy with the suggestion. "But—"
Kenji raised his hand lightly, cutting him off. "Miss Ruby doesn’t seem like the type to run away forever. Give her some space. She’ll come back when she’s ready."
Julian exchanged glances with Milo.
Kenji sighed and straightened up, glancing at Adrian and Karl.
"Look, I don’t know exactly what’s going on," he admitted. "But as someone who’s been around for a while, let me tell you this—relationships aren’t about keeping score or pointing fingers. Marriage, family... it’s about balance. You pick each other up when someone stumbles, not kick them while they’re down."
His tone softened slightly, but there was a firmness in his words that made Milo and Karl quiet down.
"You think trust is built just by saying ’I trust you’?" Kenji asked, raising a brow. "No. Trust is built by actions. Standing by someone even when you’re not sure what’s happening. Defending them when they’re not around to defend themselves."
Julian’s lips pressed together tightly.
Kenji’s eyes flicked toward Adrian. "If you doubt her every step of the way, you’ll end up pushing her away. And let me tell you... once that trust is gone, it’s hard to rebuild it."
Karl’s head dipped, and Milo looked down at his feet, fidgeting with his fingers.
Kenji let out a quiet breath and gave them all a faint smile. "I heard She risked a for you guys and brought house... and instead of appreciating her, you let your doubts take over. That’s something you’ll need to fix when she gets back."
Milo glanced at Julian nervously. "Brother... we will apologize, right?"
Julian nodded slowly, exhaling softly. "Yeah. We will."
Adrian leaned against the wall, his gaze distant.
Kenji’s words echoed in his mind long after he left the porch, and though Adrian didn’t say it out loud...
He knew Kenji was right.
When they married her, all of them thought things would get better. Even if they didn’t have much—no proper house, barely enough to get by—they believed that having Ruby in their lives might bring some stability.
But reality had been far from what they expected.
Instead of taking care of them, Ruby started ignoring them. She didn’t ask how they were doing, didn’t try to make their lives easier. Most days, she hardly even acknowledged their presence.
She stayed drunk all the time. Day and night, 24 hours out of 24. If she wasn’t drinking, she was passed out somewhere. And when something triggered her...
Adrian’s grip on his arm tightened as the memory flashed in his mind.
At them. At the walls. At the sky.
His breathing grew uneven.
That day, she didn’t just shout.
—To be continued...🪄