Chapter 5

Mark's frown deepened. "What are you talking about?! We already agreed to sell this house and put extra money down to upgrade, didn't we? You saw the upgrade contract last time! Besides, where would my mom, a stay-at-home mom with no job, get the money?! Alright, alright! I know you're still holding a grudge about what happened earlier!"

"My mom has diligently taken care of you all this time! And just because she said a few words, you're so unforgiving! Fine, fine! I'll apologize for her, okay?!"

Seeing the onlookers pointing and whispering, Brenda's eyes darted.

"I knew it, getting old means becoming a burden! It's all my fault! All my damn fault! For running my mouth and annoying my daughter-in-law! I'll just slap my own mouth off!"

Brenda feigned slapping herself, but Chloe quickly intervened.

"Auntie! Blame me, I'm young and foolish, I spoke out of turn and upset Ashley! Ashley, I'll kneel and apologize to you! Please, for my aunt's sake, she's old! Don't bully her anymore!"

Chloe started to kneel, but Mark quickly caught her.

"Chloe! You're pregnant!"

"You absolutely can't get emotional!"

Mark glared at me. "Ashley! Are you only happy when you make everyone miserable?!"

"Getting a bigger house is for both of us, it should be a happy occasion! You just have to make everyone unhappy!"

As he lectured me, he seemed to forget that I was also a pregnant woman about to deliver, and I couldn't get emotional.

Mark was still holding Chloe's arm, frowning.

"Alright! Stop making a scene! Aren't you embarrassed with all these people watching?! Let's just sign the contract first!"

The sales manager, fearing his commission slipping away, eagerly handed the prepared contract to Mark.

Just as Mark was about to sign, I snatched the contract away.

"How come this purchase agreement only has your name on it?"

Brenda, who moments ago was playing the victim, now glared, eyes wide.

"What kind of talk is that?! Mark is the head of the household, if not his name, whose name should be on it, yours?!"

Mark reached out to grab the contract.

"Everything after marriage is marital property, whose name it's under doesn't matter!"

I held the contract further away.

"If it doesn't matter, then why not put only my name on it?"

Mark's eyebrows furrowed, and he glared.

"Ashley! What is wrong with you today! Can you stop being so unreasonable?! You can't just make the whole family miserable just because you lost your job!"

I sneered, staring into his eyes.

"Your 'whole family' refers to you, your mom, and your mistress Chloe with her bastard child in her belly, right?!"

My words dropped, and the crowd of onlookers erupted in gasps.

Chloe reacted first, shrieking in a high-pitched voice.

"You're slandering my good name!"

"If you don't clear my name today, I'll die here with my baby to prove my innocence!"

Brenda plopped onto the floor, wailing.

"Ashley, I know you despise this old woman, take your anger out on me, I don't mind a little suffering! But you two must be well!"

"To openly slander a woman's good name, you're trying to drive her to her death!"

I watched her thrashing on the ground and shouted back even louder.

"Selling my pre-marital assets! To buy a big house for his mistress and her bastard child!"

"Who's really trying to drive someone to their death?!"

Mark's face went white, his jaw clenched so hard the veins on his forehead pulsed.

"What nonsense are you spewing?! Just because you're out of a job, you're full of suppressed anger with nowhere to vent?!"

"I won't change houses today, is that enough?! Let's go home and talk about this!"

With that, Mark grabbed my arm and tried to drag me out. If he managed to get me into the car today, my fate would be sealed!

I struggled desperately, but Mark's hand was like a vice clamping my wrist. I shouted for help to the people around me, but Brenda yelled,

"This is our family business! Stay out of it! Don't get mixed up in our family drama!"

Just as I was about to be dragged out the door, a panting figure blocked our way, forcefully pushing Mark's grip away, and shielding me behind them.

"Who dares touch my Ashley!"