Outside the police station, Effie wiped away the last of her tears. Her hands still trembled, fingers twitching as if struggling to calm down.
Terrence kept his gaze fixed ahead. He hadn't expected things to turn out this way, but his family's anger was misplaced.
Even though his uncle was the criminal, the blame kept falling on both him and Effie.
He'd listen if they apologized. Otherwise, he would stop wasting breath.
'I'm more worried about her.' His attention settled on Effie.
She was crushed under the weight of everything that had happened.
"Let's go home for now. You need to rest." He reached out to steady her, but his hand lingered too long on her shoulder, like he wasn't sure if he was helping or just making things worse.
'Get it together,' he told himself.
Once inside, he set the coordinates, and the car started moving on its own.
Outside, the city lights blurred into streaks as the car glided forward. She traced the passing shadows without focus, her lips pressed tight.
The hum of the engine filled the silence between them. The chill from the ac brushed against their skin, making the moment tense.
He stayed silent, knowing that speaking now could only make things worse.
"Did we—did we actually do the right thing?" she asked.
It took Terrence a moment to answer. "What's done is done. Even if you drop the charges, they'll still come for him."
Effie still looked unsure. "Then what's going to happen to us?"
"What do you mean?" He raised an eyebrow. "You're still his wife, so you'll probably inherit all his assets."
She didn't look relieved. If anything, her eyes grew heavier.
"Terrence… I have to tell you something." Her voice faltered, eyes dropping to the floor.
There was a pause. Then she spoke, and her next words were another big revelation.
"We're not actually married."
"Wait… what?" He blinked, words lost somewhere between shock and confusion.
"Did he lie to you, and you just found out?" he pressed for more answers.
She shook her head and looked back at the road, too embarrassed to meet his eyes.
"It's not like that. He told me from the start. He said he didn't fully trust me… thought I might just be after his money. He had trust issues, and I agreed to look the other way."
Terrence was speechless. He always knew she was kind and a little too submissive, but this was too much. No wonder her last name stayed the same.
He pressed his palms against his forehead, holding back a rising headache.
Everything just gotten more complicated. Taking it to court might not help if she signed anything or agreed to it, the case could fall apart.
After everything that happened, he wanted to stay away from his family to avoid the drama.
"Alright," he finally decided, "tomorrow I'll find us a new place to stay. With how things are going, my aunts and uncles—and probably even my grandparents—will throw us out of the house."
She was taken aback by his sudden decision. "Where are we even going to get the money?"
"Don't worry. Didn't I tell you? I made a lot from crypto currency."
Doubt showed on her face, so he tapped a few keywords on the touchscreen dashboard.
List after list of crypto millionaire stories popped up. Each one told of people who had made their fortunes almost overnight.
One even talked about turning a $10,000 investment into five million. Seeing so many success stories like that made his claim feel more real, more possible.
"No… I can't do this. I don't want to be a burden or take advantage of you."
Terrence sighed. He understood where she was coming from.
Right now, she probably felt like a girl who had just gone from one man to leeching off another.
But he couldn't just leave her. She was a victim too. Even if his feelings weren't as strong as before, that didn't mean he stopped caring.
"You're not a burden. From now on, you'll be my personal assistant, and I'll pay you a salary. I need to focus on investing, so having you around will actually help."
"Besides, it's better if we let them take uncle's assets. That way, they can't accuse us of backstabbing him for money. Don't worry, I'll make sure to become rich enough so no one can bully us again."
She felt a small hope inside, and it made her want to cry again.
Tears came to her eyes, but he shook his head gently to stop them.
"As my new assistant, you don't have to cry over everything, okay? Things will get better from now on."
"Um." She nodded slowly and stole a glance at him.
The image of that quiet kid who spent his days playing games faded. Now, in her eyes, he looked like a strong adult she could count on.