Chapter 2

2 　　Whenever she was in front of Alyssa, my wife lost all her backbone.

In her eyes, Alyssa was the smart, educated one, so she rarely dared to argue back.

Her passive attitude made my rage boil over.

I grabbed Alyssa by the arm and shoved her out the front door.

"Get out! Don't you dare step foot in my house again!"

Ignoring her startled shrieks, I slammed the door shut with a loud thud.

The apartment instantly fell dead silent.

Natalie tiptoed over to me, her voice trembling.

"…Wasn't that a bit too harsh?"

"She was literally trying to set you up with another man, and you want me to be nice to her?!"

"So in your eyes, only your precious sister matters, while your husband means nothing?"

"Should I invite her back and pack my bags instead?"

Natalie had never seen me this furious before, and her eyes turned red in a second.

"That's not what I meant…"

Seeing her look so crushed, I realized I had been a bit too harsh on her.

My heart softened, and I pulled her into my arms.

"There has to be a limit to how much you spoil her," I murmured gently. "She's actively trying to tear our family apart. How can I not be angry?"

Tears began streaming down Natalie's cheeks.

"It's my fault. But she's still my sister."

"You dropped out before finishing high school just to pay for her college tuition," I reminded her softly. "Did she ever care about how much you suffered?"

"You only ever think about giving to her, but has she ever thought about giving back?"

Natalie mumbled under her breath, "I never expected anything in return."

I was truly speechless at her martyrdom complex.

"So you're just fine watching her disrespect me?"

"Is my dignity worth less to you than a single strand of her hair?"

She hurriedly protested, "No, no, that's not true! You both mean the world to me!"

"You're my husband, and she's my sister. I just want everyone to get along!"

Her face was flushed with distress.

I knew she genuinely loved me, and I couldn't bear to see her in pain.

"Fine. I'll let her stay here, but you have to make sure she drops those toxic ideas. Deal?"

Natalie nodded eagerly like a bobblehead. "I promise I'll talk some sense into her!"

Alyssa was living alone in the city, so for Natalie's sake, I decided to give her one last chance.

However, Alyssa didn't come back that night.

Since I had confiscated her phone, Natalie couldn't reach her at all.

Just when we were getting desperate enough to call the police, Alyssa showed up early the next morning with her husband, Wayne.

The two of them were hauling several bulky bags and dragging a massive suitcase behind them.

It looked like they were planning to move in permanently.

An overwhelming wave of disgust washed over me.

Yet remembering the promise I made to Natalie, I held my tongue.

Natalie returned Alyssa's phone to her.

Without missing a beat, Alyssa handed it straight to Wayne.

"You're running a business out there, honey. You need to keep up appearances, so take this!"

Wayne didn't hesitate for a second, shoving the iPhone straight into his pocket.

Only then did I take a closer look at Wayne.

Despite traveling on a long-distance bus, he was dressed in a cheap black suit, his thinning hair plastered down with excessive pomade.

Anyone looking at him would think he was a sleazy door-to-door salesman.

"What brings your husband to Florida?" I asked coolly.

Alyssa seemed completely entranced by Wayne's supposed charm, though I couldn't fathom what was appealing about that balding crown.

Hearing my question, she snapped back to reality.

"What kind of question is that? My husband came here to launch a massive enterprise!"

"Unlike someone who―"

Before she could finish her jab, Natalie nudged her firmly with an elbow.

Catching Natalie's warning glare, Alyssa clamped her mouth shut and muttered quietly, "I'm not wrong, though…"

Seeing Natalie finally stand up for me eased my irritation.

I decided to turn a blind eye and let it slide for now.