Chapter 5

"Gabriela, you'd better treat him well, or I'll let Leon work for us. Anyway, your husband is just a decoration..."

The woman frowned slightly, her eyes filled with helplessness. "Mom, what are you saying?"

"What nonsense! He's increasingly disregarding me. What's the use of having so much money?”

“All these years, he hasn't produced a single child, making me feel ashamed in the Petersen Family."

"I think he's a jinx! He always dresses up so extravagantly and goes out every day... What if he's having an affair and you're still in the dark—"

Bang!

The vase I threw shattered at their feet.

The woman's scream instantly pierced our eardrums.

Gabriela looked up at me in disbelief, her face contorted with rage, "Julius, are you insane?!"

I crossed my arms and looked down at her, chuckling softly. "Insane?"

"No, I'm more clear-headed than ever before."

Gabriela's face was ashen and her mother was deathly pale, unable to speak.

Only Leon maintained his composure, rising to shield the two behind him.

"Mr. Davidson, it's understandable that your mother, as an elder, would criticize a younger one. How could you get so angry over such a trivial matter? Don't you even respect your mother-in-law?"

I spoke casually, "What's it to you?"

"You came here, giving massages and flattering me. What, is the Gabriela path too difficult? Are you trying to find another way?"

He hesitated for a moment, then Gabriela suddenly spoke sharply, "Julius, what nonsense are you spouting?!"

"I brought Leon home. You slapped him in public this morning and you still owe him an apology. He only chatted with my mother a little and when he heard she wasn't feeling well, he gave her a massage, since he knows a bit."

"His good intentions have turned into something else entirely in your mouth?"

I didn't speak, only coldly glancing at the cups on the table used to serve Leon.

Those were a pair of coffee cups I bought at an Elite auction.

One for me and one for Gabriela.

Leon, his eyes red, picked up his briefcase. "Auntie, Mrs. Petersen, I'm sorry."

"I only wanted to clear up the misunderstanding with Mr. Davidson, but I'm a man of principle. Since I'm not welcome here at all, I don't think I'll ever come again."

He turned to leave.

"Wait." I called after him, throwing the cup and coaster he had used into the trash can. “I hate it when people touch my things without my permission. Since you touched these two items, you'll have to pay for them.”

“If you can’t afford it, have them pay for it.” I pointed to the mother and daughter sitting on the sofa.

Gabriela glanced at the things I had thrown away, a fleeting look of relief mixed with helplessness on her face.

“Fine, I’ll pay.”

Gabriela’s mother finally couldn’t hold back any longer, pointing her finger at me and starting to yell, “You, surnamed Davidson! This is our Petersen Family home. I’m using my own things to entertain guests, why should I pay?”

I ignored her outburst and slowly sat down on the sofa.

“This house was indeed bought by your Petersen Family, but everything inside was furnished and decorated by me.”

From the hard furnishings to the soft furnishings, from small pots and pans to large furniture and appliances.

Everything was designed bit by bit based on my vision of a wonderful married life.

Gabriela’s mother, while feeling that I was extravagant and wasteful, also enjoyed the sense of superiority that came with my luxurious lifestyle.

Gabriela, on the other hand, rarely cared about what I truly cared about.

Even love was pitifully scarce.

I decorated the house to Gabriela's liking and portrayed myself as the kind of understanding and considerate husband she admired.

But an act was still an act.

"You spent money, but no one forced you to! Your things are in my house, shouldn't they be for people to use?”

“According to you, if anyone touches anything in the house, should we all have to pay you?!" Gabriela’s mother became more and more agitated.

Leon, who was standing to the side saying he was about to leave, pretended to be concerned and came over to help Gabriela’s mother.

"Auntie, don't get upset, please sit down."

Seeing that Gabriela’s mother was about to give in, I spoke up, "Excuse me, I bought the sofa. If you want to sit, you have to pay."

Gabriela’s mother's eyes widened and Gabriela frowned, "Julius, that's enough."

"My mother went a bit too far, but you don't need to argue with her, we're family after all."

I leisurely picked up a cherry and put it in my mouth. “It won’t be like that anymore.”

The three people opposite me suddenly fell silent.

The cherries burst sour on my tongue. After a moment, I spat them into the trash.

If something wasn’t right, it could be returned. People were the same.

“Julius, what do you mean by that?” The woman’s voice was low, carrying a hint of impending storm.

I calmly wiped my mouth before answering, “It means exactly what it says.”

“Gabriela, I want a divorce.”