Chapter 161: With All Due Respect
Rum, Red, Gin, Vodka, and Tank ended up taking Ashley to a convenience store just one bus stop away from their little neighborhood. The five of them sat around a table outside the store, watching her eat instant noodles alongside a few ready-to-eat items she’d grabbed inside.
Her tears had already dried, and her smile had returned as she started slurping the noodles.
The five of them clicked their tongues and shook their heads.
"You feel better now?" Red asked irritably, only to pause when Gin and Rum elbowed him from both sides. "Ahem! I mean — you eat a lot, huh?"
"Anything free is good," Ashley smiled, drinking the rest of the broth straight from the cup. "That hit the spot!"
She turned her head, eyeing three stacks of empty cup noodles.
"Don’t tell me you want more?" Red opened his mouth again, only to feel hard pinches from both sides. "I mean — would you like some more, Your Highness? I can buy you some."
She hummed and rubbed her chin, enough to make their expressions contort. "I think I’m full..." she trailed off when Tank suddenly held up a popsicle.
"Is that for me?" she asked, snatching it before he could even answer. "Thanks!"
As she unwrapped it, she glanced at Tank. "You’re actually a really nice guy, huh?"
Tank didn’t answer, as if he had already used up all the words he had in him. Meanwhile, Ashley leaned back and bit into the popsicle instead of licking it.
"Doesn’t that hurt your teeth?" Rum winced. "You’re just biting and chewing it like that."
She shrugged and enjoyed it.
For a moment, silence settled over the table as they watched her. Her eyes were still a little swollen, and the tip of her nose was red from all the crying. In the six months she had been here, she had never once shed a single tear.
Even when she caught people talking badly about her, she would brush it off without a word. So seeing her melt down the way she had left them all flustered.
Gin cleared his throat and leaned forward. "By the way, what were you crying about?"
The question made the others lean in too, watching her eagerly.
Ashley turned a piece of a popsicle over in her mouth, eyes moving between them. She pursed her lips, thinking, before letting out a long exhale.
"I was grieving for this marriage," she muttered, while they all exchanged glances. "Your boss is such a stupid piece of shit — that’s why."
"Hey —" Red stopped as Gin cut in.
"But isn’t that what you want?" Gin asked, surprising even himself. But since the words were already out and everyone was looking at him, he pressed on. "If you divorce, doesn’t that mean you don’t have to run anymore? You’d be free."
Vodka nodded. "Besides, the plantation isn’t funded by Dominion."
"Huh? It’s not?" Red and Rum said in unison, then realized they were the only ones in the group who hadn’t known. "Why the heck did no one tell us?"
Ashley smacked her lips, savoring her popsicle, then sighed heavily. The sound made Red flinch as he reached out.
"Hey, don’t cry —" he winced as he accidentally bit his tongue, everyone turning to stare at him.
"I’m not going to cry," she clicked her tongue. "I didn’t even plan to cry earlier, but I was so upset it just happened."
Ashley huffed and smiled. "But I’m glad I did. If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have found out you guys can be kind of cute sometimes. And I feel better after letting it out."
"Cute?" Rum said, pointing at Vodka. "Him? Cute?"
"Vodka is the cutest out of all of you," she commented casually, which pleased Vodka enough that he smiled smugly. "Anyway, Primo’s mom is back, and they’re all together like a happy family."
Ashley gazed at the table. "She said she wants to fix their marriage. They’ve been inseparable, so I’m just waiting for your boss to come back with the divorce papers."
All five of them could only stare at her.
Before she had shown up at their door, they had been glad she would get kicked out. Everyone in Dominion had wanted her to just disappear. Considering all the problems she had caused them, it felt like their prayers were finally being answered.
Lucian was finally fed up with her.
That much was clear to all five of them. And yet, having heard her now and witnessed her tears, something inexplicable stirred in their chests.
"You could just refuse the divorce," Vodka blurted out, making her brows rise.
Gin, for some reason, nodded. "He’s right. Why cry? Even if that woman is Primo’s mom, so what? You’re the legal wife."
"Guys... don’t get carried away," Red muttered, but Rum had already leapt to his feet dramatically.
"They’re right! Why are you sitting here crying like a dog while they’re out having a good time?" Infuriated, Rum planted his hands on his hips. "If you want the divorce, go sign it. But if you’re crying just at the thought of it, then teach your scumbag husband a lesson!"
"Shit," Red held his head while the others stared at Rum in pure horror.
"He’s not wrong — what a scumbag," Ashley chuckled, leaning back. "But no. I’m not doing that."
Their brows furrowed in unison.
"I did a lot of stupid things that hurt Dominion," she explained. "I hurt all of you, one way or another."
She paused, snapping her eyes to each of them. "Besides, I may not know why Lucian and Emma didn’t end up together even after having a child. But if they’re going to fix things and be a proper family for Primo... I don’t think I could stomach being in the way."
"Dominion has put up with me all this time," she added, her smile stretching wide. "So I should step aside. Everyone here has been kind to me."
Kind?
Every one of them furrowed their brows, staring at her incredulously.
When had anyone in Dominion ever been kind to her?
Except for Nolan, none of them could recall a single moment they had shown her any kindness. They wouldn’t even acknowledge her as their madam.
"What I mean is, nobody in the Di Carpio family ever had the patience that Dominion does," she said. "You might say a lot of things, but not one of you has ever hit me. Good thing, too — because I would’ve broken your wrists."
Ashley chuckled and went back to her popsicle, while they all fell quiet, watching her.
Just not hitting her... was already kindness to her?
The thought settled over all of them as they sat there, and somewhere along the way, they found themselves buying her more snacks to stuff herself with.
*****
Meanwhile, in the presidential suite of the Emerald Hotel, Lucian stood before the floor-to-ceiling glass wall. Whiskey in hand, he stared out at the city still buzzing below, his gaze drifting in the direction of their current home.
Then, something on his chest vibrated.
He reached for his phone, expecting Ashley, but his brows furrowed when he saw who it was instead.
[Nolan:
Master, I understand the importance of your presence during the Young Master and his mother’s time together. However, with all due respect, the madam has been completely alone.]