A Wedding Night Gone Terribly Wrong novel Chapter 168

Eleanor's final rant snapped something into focus for Quentin.

Winifred wasn't just throwing a tantrum. She hadn't missed the school notification by accident; she had intentionally ignored it because she was washing her hands of the Adams family. She was actively cutting ties.

Quentin's hands shook slightly as he adjusted his glasses.

The silver lining was that he had managed to dump Shelly Hale just in time. He had successfully pivoted back to Winifred, and last night, she had accepted his roses. She had agreed to build a business with him and eventually get married. He had salvaged the relationship before it was too late.

The bad news was that she was currently "testing" him. That meant he couldn't exactly call her up and berate her for neglecting the school fees and humiliating him. He also couldn't demand she return to her role as the unpaid household manager—buying groceries, paying the staff, and managing his family.

At least not yet. While she was testing his devotion, he couldn't make it look like he only wanted her back so she could be his family's free maid.

He truly did want to marry her and build a lucrative empire together. But that meant, for the time being, the household expenses fell squarely on his shoulders.

And right now...

He let out a silent, weary sigh. Pulling up the app for his third credit card, he transferred a few thousand dollars into his mother's account.

Eleanor's phone chimed. She looked at the screen, her eyes widening in indignation. "This... this is all you're giving me?"

She was furious.

Her fixed monthly allowance was supposed to be a thousand, and the housekeeper's wages were nearly eight hundred. After that, how was she supposed to buy premium rice, artisanal oil, and organic chicken? How was she going to pay for Larissa and Demi's extracurriculars? Was she expected to scrub the floors herself this weekend?

Quentin kept his eyes glued to his phone. "Make it work for now. I'm strapped for cash."

"You own a massive clinic!" Eleanor snapped. "You're making money hand over fist! How can you say you don't have cash?"

"You both know the situation. Ever since Winifred left, all the patients who came for her holistic treatments stopped showing up. I'm a standard physician; my practice is generalized. Business is terrible right now."

Even though it was the truth, Eleanor refused to accept it.

"Who does Winifred think she is? She barely has an undergraduate degree! You're a brilliant medical doctor! The clinic has been booming for three years because of your talent, not hers!"

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Quentin hissed, the vein in his forehead instantly throbbing.

Shelly raised a perfectly arched brow. "Isn't it obvious?"

Hearing the commotion, Eleanor and Albert hurried to the door.

Eleanor's sharp, calculating eyes immediately swept up and down, scrutinizing Shelly from head to toe. The girl was average height, carried a little extra weight, and had ordinary features—not overly beautiful, but not ugly either. Just... remarkably average.

Albert leaned in and muttered into Eleanor's ear. "She's not as pretty as Winifred. Doesn't look as sharp or capable, either."

"I have eyes, I can see that," Eleanor whispered back harshly.

She knew this girl was visually out of her brilliant son's league. However, she was willing to consider the prospect. The ghost of Winifred was still haunting this house, and they needed a swift, brutal severing of Quentin's reliance on her. They needed Winifred gone, permanently.

This new girl could be exactly the tool they needed.