Bianca opened her mouth to argue, but a single withering look from Mrs. Crawford sealed her lips.
The door swung open, and Damien strode in.
Mrs. Crawford didn't waste time on pleasantries. Her gaze was ice.
"Damien. Explain yourself. How exactly have you been caring for Katherine? Starving her? Forcing her to work like a servant? Shoving her into the maid's quarters while this woman lives in luxury?"
Damien stiffened, momentarily cornered. He paused, searching for an excuse.
"It's because... Bianca suffers from severe social avoidance disorder," he said, smoothing over his hesitation. "I couldn't show Katherine special treatment without triggering an episode. I was trying to keep the peace."
His defense was weak, and he knew it.
"Avoidance disorder?" Mrs. Crawford stepped into Bianca's personal space, staring her down. "Is that so?"
Bianca summoned tears on command, her lower lip trembling. "Auntie, really, I—"
"Fine."
Mrs. Crawford snapped her fingers at her assistant. "Hand me the phone. I'm booking the city's top psychiatrist immediately. We're getting a diagnosis right now."
She turned back to Bianca, her voice hard. "If you're actually sick, the Crawford family will pay for your treatment. But if you're faking it? You're out on the street. Permanently."
Bianca's face drained of color. She shot a panicked look at Damien.
Damien stepped between them, blocking his mother.
"Mom, stop interfering. Katherine and I are family. I know how to handle my own wife."
He turned to me, his fingers clamping around my wrist like a vice. To an outsider, his expression looked concerned, but his eyes were dead.
"Katherine. Do you really want to leave with Mom? Are you abandoning me?"
I tried to yank my hand away, ready to nod yes to his mother.
But a cruel smirk touched the corners of his lips.
He pulled out his phone and flashed the screen at me. It was a document titled Cemetery Relocation Application. The applicant: Damien Crawford.
He leaned in, his voice a low whisper meant only for me.
"Your parents are resting in the Crawford family plot. My parents approved it back then to honor our marriage. They said a daughter-in-law's family deserved protection."
His grip tightened, bruising my skin. "If you leave with Mom today, I'll have them evicted. Where they end up... well, that's up to me."
Shock paralyzed me. I stared at him, unable to breathe.
"You wouldn't."
"Try me." His smile didn't reach his eyes. "You went running to Mommy to complain. You clearly don't respect me. Why should I respect your feelings? I hold the deed to the cemetery. No one can stop me."
A tremor raked through my body, but a sudden clarity pierced the fear.
He is a monster.
Mrs. Crawford leaned forward, oblivious to his whisper, her face full of concern. "Katherine, don't be afraid. If you've been wronged, say the word. Mom will stand up for you."
I opened my mouth, desperate to scream the truth, but the words died in my throat.
I couldn't gamble with my parents' peace.
Sensing my surrender, Damien pulled me into a side-hug, locking me against his chest.
"Mom, I know I messed up. I'll fix it. When we go back, I'll take good care of her. Give me a chance to make it up to her properly, okay?"
Mrs. Crawford looked at me, hesitation in her eyes. Despite her anger, she still hoped for her son's marriage to work. She wanted us to be happy.
Silence stretched between us. I didn't know how to play this hand.
Suddenly, a small, clear voice echoed in my mind.
[Mom, tell Grandma to send her own staff. We can't let that woman touch our food.]
The fog lifted. I took a steadying breath and nodded slowly.
"Mom, I'm willing to go home. But since Miss Winters has... such a delicate condition, I can't burden her. Could you arrange a housekeeper to handle my meals personally?"
Bianca frowned, opening her mouth to object, but a sharp look from Damien silenced her.
"Done," Mrs. Crawford agreed instantly. "I'll send two trustworthy staff members over immediately."
She cast one last glare at Bianca.
"If anyone dares to mistreat my daughter-in-law again, I won't be so forgiving."
Damien smiled. It was the look of a man who had won the battle.
