Amelie felt that getting to her bedroom was out of the question that day. The moment that woman called out her husband's name, Mrs. Ashford turned around and saw Richard walking toward them with urgent steps.
She felt as if her heartbeat resonated with the sound of the man's leather shoes stomping on the marble floor.
'He is supposed to be at his main office. Did he come here just for her?'
In the past, Amelie was always the first to greet her husband when he came home. This time, however, Richard only threw her a passing glance before standing in front of Samantha. He carefully placed his hands on her shoulders, his eyes filled with genuine worry.
"Sam, you troublemaker, what are you doing? The doctor said you should let your leg rest. That sprain was quite nasty. Where is Miss Dell? You were supposed to call her if you needed anything."
Amelie couldn't help but widen her eyes in bewilderment. There had been numerous occasions in the past when Richard would look at her with the same expression. Over time, even the friendly tenderness he once harbored for her had gradually disappeared. She often wondered if he was still capable of worrying about someone as he did before.
Apparently, he was. But now, all his attention was focused on another woman.
"You ordered Miss Dell to look after her? She works for the entire household; she is not a babysitter."
Though she was standing right beside him, Richard ignored her words completely. Instead, he noticed the housekeeper on her way to the kitchen and called out in a loud, stern tone,
"Mrs. Geller, please help Miss Blackwood return to her room and make sure she has everything she needs. I don't want her wandering around the house in such a state."
Every member of the staff, although officially employed by Richard, was selected by Amelie and was used to receiving orders only from her. And since it was about another woman, Mrs. Geller felt confused. She turned to Mrs. Ashford and offered her a look that was a blend of confusion and guilt.
Unwilling to put her in an even more uncomfortable position, Amelie simply nodded, silently indicating that she should proceed as instructed.
Once the housekeeper led Samantha away, Richard turned to his wife and narrowed his eyes in slight annoyance.
"It appears you've been too lenient with the staff recently. I clearly ordered Miss Dell to look after our guest, but she ignored my orders. Do I have to take care of that myself too?"
Amelie couldn't help but frown. She couldn't believe Richard had the audacity to accuse her of neglecting her duties or failing to keep the mansion staff in check. No matter how angry he was, she couldn't allow him to belittle her like that.
"Miss Dell is an excellent maid. There is no way she ignored anything you said. That woman must have simply not called for her. And even if she did, I don't see why she should wait on her hand and foot. As you saw for yourself, that woman is not completely helpless."
Her nonchalant tone and words clearly ticked her husband off. Richard stepped closer to Amelie, his tall body towering over her like a mountain, his dark eyes shining with an unconcealed hint of malice.
"That woman? That woman is my dear friend. Do not disrespect her like this."
Although his voice was quiet, it sent shivers down Amelie's spine. Just like during their dinner, he talked to her as if she meant nothing to him. Or even worse, as if she were beneath him.
At first, Amelie felt like lashing out at him. If he had the nerve to treat her this way, she had the right to act the same. Then, however, something inside her snapped, and all of a sudden, she felt absolutely nothing.
With a subtle smile on her full lips, she said quietly, "A dear friend, huh..."
She used to be his friend too. That was the only thing she could cling to in a marriage without love. Now, there was nothing left to cherish.
She sighed.
"Alright, I will talk to Miss Dell and instruct her to be more attentive from now on. Your... friend will be taken care of."
But Richard was not happy even with this reply.
"Forget it. She is fired effective immediately. Find a new maid today."
Amelie couldn't believe her ears. Her husband had never been so rash with his decisions before, and now his words were simply ridiculous.
"Fired? She didn't do anything wrong! Get ahold of yourself, Richard, this is too much!"
Mr. Clark ran his fingers through his sleek hair and released a heavy sigh. He realized it the moment those words left his mouth, yet somehow, he refused to admit his recklessness.
He couldn't take his words back now. His pride had taken over. But what irritated him the most was his wife's bold attitude, which he thought he had never witnessed before.
He looked his wife straight in the eyes, his voice as cold as ice.
"Cut her salary in half for this month. I will check it myself."
Without allowing his wife to retort or saying anything else, he turned around and stomped toward his study, his heavy footsteps echoing through the hallway with a warning anger.
Amelie silently watched him ascend to the second floor. Only when she could neither see nor hear him did she finally feel like she could breathe again.
"Mrs. Ashford..?"
Miss Dell's careful voice made her flinch. She wondered whether the maid had heard their conversation, but judging from her scared expression, it looked like she was already aware of everything.
Amelie forced herself to smile and said in her usual kind voice, "Miss Dell, let's have a little chat in my study."
_____
It had been almost a week since that horrible interaction with both her husband and his "friend," and Amelie hadn't visited their mansion even once. The mere thought of going through that humiliation again was sickening.
She tried to keep herself as busy as possible, burying her head in work and preparations for the upcoming benefit. Her devotion to work had already alarmed both her friends and colleagues, but Amelie was afraid that if she stopped for even a few hours, she would be pulled back into the relentless chaos of her own mind.
'Nobody gets divorced because of one single mistress anymore...' She set aside her pen and leaned back in her chair as her thoughts continued to drift back to that dangerous topic. 'Even if I do file for a divorce, I have too much to lose. Richard's late father took care of it in his favor.'
An arranged marriage, especially one made for the sake of a joint business venture, was far from straightforward. It was a high-maintenance business deal involving significant amounts of money and assets combined under a union.
Unfortunately, in most cases, such arrangements were not made in the wife's favor.
Amelie was even less fortunate in this regard. As a married woman, she held forty percent of the company's shares. However, if she were to divorce Richard Clark, she would be left with less than ten percent.
"Mr. Clark took care of everything... He wanted to honor my mother's wish for this marriage to last, but to keep me shackled with my own money..."
Amelie closed her eyes; the growing migraine was becoming unbearable.
As she reached for the box of pills in her desk drawer, she heard a light knock on her office door.
"Mrs. Ashford, it's Carrie."
"Come in."
Carrie Wright was one of Amelie's secretaries at JFC headquarters. She was a tall young woman with bright eyes and curly blonde hair, which she always gathered tidily in a high bun.
As she walked into her boss's office, Carrie offered her a timid look.
"Mrs. Ashford, Mr. Ron Lewis is here to see you. Should I ask him to come back another time?"
Amelie released a heavy sigh. Ron Lewis was her husband's executive secretary. Although both Mrs. Ashford and her husband worked in the same building, their offices were on different floors. This arrangement had been made by the late Mr. Ashford, who believed that the young married couple shouldn't get involved with one another too often since their fields of work were different.
It didn't bother either Richard or Amelie, but it did give their secretaries quite a workout whenever they needed to see either one of them.
"Let him in, please."
Whatever the reason for her husband's secretary's visit, it was still better than dealing with Richard directly.
Carrie asked Ron to come in, and when he did, she left the room immediately, leaving the two of them in awkward silence.
Ron Lewis, the same age as Richard, was not only his personal secretary but also his friend. They had met back in high school and reunited when Ron was looking for a job after graduating from a local college. A clever man of many talents, Ron was given the chance by Richard to prove he deserved such a demanding position, and he had been by Richard's side ever since.
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Ashford."
"Yes, what is it?"
"Mr. Clark would like to see you in his office."
Amelie looked at her wristwatch and frowned.
'I was about to finally have some lunch... Ugh, whatever.'
With another heavy sigh, she rose from her chair and nodded at Mr. Lewis. "Alright, let's go."
***
Richard's office was drastically different from Amelie's. He preferred dark browns, blacks, and grays, while she favored lighter tones that invited plenty of sunlight into her space. It was always amusing to compare their offices because they were decorated in the same fashion, with the only difference being the choice of colors.
As Amelie opened the door and walked into her husband's office, Richard didn't even bat an eye. His attention was focused on the paperwork covering almost his entire desk. She interpreted this as a deliberate attempt to hurt her, a way to show that even with his wife avoiding him for so long, he didn't miss her one bit.
'How petty.'
The moment Amelie approached her husband's desk and took a seat on a leather-covered chair standing next to it, Richard immediately handed her a fresh printout and finally shifted his glaring eyes to her.
"So, when I said Miss Dell should have her salary halved for this month, you went against my order and sent her money from your private bank account?"
Amelie looked at the printout for a few moments before replying in a calm tone, "Miss Dell has a younger brother in the hospital. She is his only relative and has to provide for him. I couldn't cut her salary in half just because you had your little tantrum."
"What? A tantrum?!" Richard raised his voice but then quickly calmed down and loosened his tie. With a brief sigh, he murmured, "It's like you're growing more bitter with each passing day..."
His voice was quiet, but Amelie heard it all. Sure, he could sting her as many times as he wanted, but that wouldn't change anything.
Ignoring his subtle insult, she fixed her eyes on his, and Richard continued, "Why can't you just obey my orders like everyone else does?"
His question made Amelie shiver in disgust. He had never shown such disrespect before.
Rising to her feet, she said, "I am your wife, Richard, not your subordinate. I am your companion who holds fifty percent of control over this company and—"
She couldn't finish because her husband also rose to his feet and interrupted her. "Yes, power and control, these are your most prominent features, Amelie. Compared to..."
Richard paused, but Amelie understood it all. He was comparing her to that woman.
With another loud sigh, he fell back into his chair and said carelessly, "Forget it. You should go."