Vivian Lee recoiled in pain.
She silently cursed her misfortune.
‘Oh, for heaven’s sake.’
‘Don’t be fooled by the gift Ian Quincy brought.
His parents forced him; he had no choice.
Tomorrow, he’ll turn on us and take it right back.
Besides, once I marry Felix Flynn, won’t I have as much of this stuff as I want?’
Just then, Lucas Lee came out of a room, clutching a red envelope.
He winced internally at the cost—there were thirty yuan inside.
That was more than half a month’s salary for him.
Enough to cover the entire family’s expenses for a month.
All wasted by this wretched girl.
He suppressed his dissatisfaction and said, “Ian, I’m entrusting my precious daughter to you.
You must cherish her.” As he spoke, he handed over the red envelope.
Ian Quincy said seriously, “Of course, I’ll cherish her.”
Vivian Lee thought, ‘You mean you’ll make her ache all over, don’t you?’
Ian Quincy sat for a short while before announcing his departure.
The family saw him to the door.
Ian Quincy’s gaze swept past everyone and landed on Cecilia Adler.
“Dad, I’d like to have a word with my wife.”
“Of course.” Lucas Lee readily stepped back, pulling May Sutton with him.
May Sutton then yanked Vivian Lee away, sighing with regret.
“Ian is clearly the type to dote on his wife.
What were you thinking, stubbornly handing over such a good match to Cecilia Adler?
And now you’re mixed up with that good-for-nothing Felix, who everyone despises.
Have you lost your mind?”
She had just heard about this from Old Lee.
She was about to explode with anger.
Now, looking at Ian Quincy—who was tall and handsome—she truly wanted to crack open her daughter’s head and see what was inside.
“Mom, Felix Flynn isn’t what you think.”
“How dare you mention him again!
I’m warning you, stay away from him.
You can tell he’s bad news just by looking at him.”
“You’re going too far!” Vivian Lee stormed out in a fit of anger.
Cecilia Adler had just seen Ian Quincy off when she saw Vivian Lee rush out the door, head down.
The next second, she heard May Sutton shout, “If you’ve got the guts, then don’t come back!”
Worried about getting dragged into it, Cecilia Adler headed back inside.
She took out the red envelope.
This was the one Ian Quincy had just received from Lucas Lee.
He had said that all the red envelopes they received for the wedding were for her to keep.
‘Perfect.’
‘I can use this money to start a business.’
She hid the money, washed up briefly, and went to bed.
When she woke, the sky was just beginning to dimly lighten.
She got up, made breakfast for the family, tucked two steamed buns away for herself, and grabbed the bag she used for her window flower cuttings to head to the early morning market.
Once there, she bought a large stack of red paper and headed straight for the family compound to cut her window flowers.
Originally, she had planned to spend one day preparing and one day selling.
But without a bicycle, transport was difficult.
So she changed her plan to preparing for half the day and selling for the other half.
……..
After a busy morning, Cecilia Adler finally finished her work.
She swept up the paper scraps in her room and walked to the black market, bag in hand.
Just like last time, she found a spot to set up her stall that was neither too good nor too bad.
Business was brisk.
In just a short while, she had sold a thick stack.
Just as she was feeling proud of herself…
…a familiar voice rang out.
“Wife?!”
Cecilia Adler’s gaze shifted.
Her pupils constricted, and she drew in a sharp, cold breath, holding it so tightly she didn’t dare exhale.
It was Ian Quincy.
‘What is he doing here?’
She was wearing a different padded jacket today and had her face wrapped up so tightly that only her eyes were showing, yet he had still recognized her.
“I-Ian,” she stammered in reply.
Ian Quincy walked up, his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
He looked at her, then at her stall on the ground.
“Yours?”
“Uh…
yes.” Cecilia Adler couldn’t deny it.
‘In this day and age, people look down on business owners.
They’re seen as speculators and profiteers, people who don’t have proper jobs.
The Quillan family is prominent and respected, yet their daughter-in-law is here running a street stall.
If word gets out, they’ll probably send me back, won’t they?’
At that moment, she didn’t dare look at him, lowering her gaze.
She was so flustered she didn’t even notice a customer trying to get her attention.
It was Ian Quincy who finally spoke up.
“Someone’s asking you for a price.”