"Rose, where are you?"
Rose flinched. She had completely forgotten that Houston picked her up from work every day, right on time.
She told him, "I’m at XX clothing store."
There was a short silence on the other end. Then came a low, unreadable sound from Houston’s throat. "Oh."
It wasn’t long before the Marvel pulled up beside her. Houston got out, eyes flicking between Rose’s confused expression and the clothing store behind her.
He chuckled in disbelief. "Why’d you come all the way here?"
Rose walked up to him. "Why did you buy me all these expensive clothes, handbags, and jewelry?"
Houston rubbed her head gently. "You’re my wife. You’re the most important person in my life. What’s wrong with spending some money on you?"
"But that’s not a small amount of money..."
He softly pressed his fingertip against her lips. "Rose, don’t worry about the money. Your husband’s lucky. When my mom passed away, she left me a gold mine."
Rose couldn’t help but laugh. Her tiny fist lightly pounded his chest. "Your mom left you that money because she was afraid you'd starve or freeze. That was her survival fund for you—her love. Don’t waste it again."
Houston wrapped his arms tightly around her. "But what can I do? There’s too much. If you don’t help me spend it, I’ll never get through it on my own."
Rose thought for a moment, then blushed. "Then maybe... I’ll help you by giving you more babies. Let them help you spend it."
Houston beamed with joy. "Rose, do you really want to have kids with me?"
"Yes."
Without warning, Houston scooped her up in his arms. "Let’s go home and make babies."
Rose’s face turned bright red.
…
In a dimly lit bar, Ethan tilted a bottle and chugged down what was left.
His best friend, Jack Brook, walked in and was stunned for a moment at the sight of Ethan slumped at the bar, clearly wasted.
Ethan latched onto a key detail in Jack’s speech—Rose still loved me. She only got with Houston because she’d been hurt badly. She must have lowered her standards and settled for just anyone.
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