My Second Marriage with the Mafia Kingpin-Chapter 43: Illiterate

Knock. Knock.

Betty perked up from her desk when she heard the sound. Her brows drew together in confusion, unsure who would be knocking on her door.

"It’s not them, is it?"

The thought that the maids had come to harass her again made her heart thud against her chest. Betty gulped nervously as she reached for the knob. Taking a deep breath, she slowly opened the door and peeked through the small gap.

"Hey there!"

To her surprise, Ashley stood outside.

Ashley smiled brightly, holding a bottle of wine along with a few snacks she must’ve grabbed from the pantry. Deep lines formed on Betty’s face as she studied that carefree smile.

"Bet, let’s drink!" Ashley beamed. "The weather’s nice tonight, and after all that work, a sip of alcohol is exactly what we need to wash the tiredness away!"

"..."

Betty’s brows slowly lifted in surprise as she stared at her.

And before she even realized it, the two of them were already sitting on the grass in the half-ruined garden with Ashley casually chugging mouthfuls of wine.

"Woo! That hit the spot!" Ashley hissed in satisfaction.

Meanwhile, Betty could only stare at her side profile, lips pressed together as she assessed the madam’s carefree expression.

After a moment, Betty smiled faintly and took a sip. Her cheeks flushed slightly at the taste.

"It’s good, right?" Ashley leaned closer with a grin.

"Ye—yes, madam," Betty nodded meekly. "It... tastes like juice."

"That’s a ten-grand bottle of wine."

Betty nearly spat it out.

"Ten—ten grand?" she gasped, turning to Ashley in horror. "Madam, this is expensive—I don’t think I should be drinking this!"

Heck, the most expensive thing Betty had ever drunk was probably worth a dollar or two. But her panic only made Ashley laugh.

"It’s fine, it’s fine. Your boss is rich," Ashley paused, thinking. "Actually... this one belongs to the big boss."

Her face scrunched briefly before smoothing out again.

"Your boss is rich, and her husband is super rich. If we don’t drink this, Lucian might just smash the bottle when he’s in a bad mood."

Betty opened and closed her mouth, completely at a loss.

I should be used to this by now... right?

After a moment, her shoulders relaxed, and she let out a small chuckle.

Ashley paused when she heard it, then smiled.

"See? You’re pretty when you laugh," she said, catching Betty off guard. "You should smile more. Relax a little. It’s not every day we get to drink something like this."

Betty lowered her head slightly, but the smile on her lips lingered.

"Thank you, Madam."

"Come on, drink," Ashley winked, taking another mouthful while Betty followed with a smaller sip. "This is really good. First time I’ve had something like this—wow, Lucian really is living the life."

"You too, Madam."

"Hmm?"

"I mean... you’re living the life as well," Betty clarified softly.

Ashley stared at her for a moment, then shrugged.

"Am I?" she murmured, tilting her head up to the night sky. Hugging her knees, a faint smile tugged at her lips. "Maybe... I am now."

Thinking about it, she didn’t feel as suffocated as before. Even with everything she still needed to avoid—or ruin—in the future, she wasn’t as scared anymore.

Maybe it was because...

Aside from saving Lucian and Dominion from disaster, she was finally building something of her own. Something she had never even thought of doing in her first life. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

And somehow... I never imagined planting things like this could actually make money. It’s... nice. Earning clean money.

While Ashley drifted into her thoughts, Betty quietly watched her.

The peace on Ashley’s face was undeniable.

Don’t tell her. Don’t ruin this moment.

Betty took a deep breath, then chugged another mouthful. And just like that, her resolve snapped into place.

"Madam!"

Ashley flinched, pulled out of her imagination where she had been happily swimming in money. She blinked, startled by the determination in Betty’s eyes.

"I think... I think..." Betty’s courage faltered almost immediately. "I think... we should tell everyone that the money you’re using isn’t from Dominion."

"Huh?"

"I mean—it would avoid confusion," Betty quickly added, clearing her throat. "That’s all I’m saying."

Ashley studied her face and tilted her head.

Betty sighed. "It’s just my opinion, Madam. I know it might not matter—"

"You’re my secretary. Of course, your opinion matters."

Betty froze. "What...?"

It was the first time anyone had ever said that to her. But she didn’t even have time to process it.

Ashley leaned back, propping herself up on one hand, still looking at her.

"...Don’t want to, though."

"Huh?" Betty frowned. "But—"

Her words died in her throat as she realized that Ashley had already made up her mind.

Betty bit her lip, thinking Ashley simply didn’t understand what people were saying.

"Madam... if we don’t clarify things, people will assume you’re using Dominion’s funds. It’s better to separate your business from Dominion."

"Fair point..." Ashley nodded. "...but I still don’t want to."

"Why?!" Frustration slipped through Betty’s voice. "People are already saying you’re wasting resources! And rumors like this—once they spread, they only get worse!"

Ashley’s smile didn’t fade, and that only made Betty’s frustration worse.

"Madam, you don’t know what they’re saying! If my opinion matters, then shouldn’t you at least consider—"

"Your opinion does matter, Bet," Ashley cut in calmly. "It’s just that I have a bigger reason for not doing it. Besides, I’m not in a hurry. My husband won’t claim anything that’s mine. He’s not like that."

She tilted her head slightly. "...Is that why you were upset earlier? Did you confront someone who was badmouthing me?"

Betty stiffened. "You... know?"

Ashley chuckled.

"Betty, the walls here might be thick, but people only lower their voices when the big boss is around." She smirked lightly. "And honestly, those weren’t whispers."

"Then why?" Betty pressed, exasperated. "If you know what they’re saying, why are you letting them?"

"Because they’re true."

"Huh?"

"That I was a good-for-nothing. An idiot. A troublemaker. Illiterate. A bitch." Ashley’s lips twisted. "Well... they’re wrong about the last one. I’m not a bitch—I’m a Super B. If I ever become a superhero, that’s my name."

She grinned at her own joke while Betty didn’t.

How could she laugh about this?

But before Betty got distracted, her brows knitted. "They’re... true?"

"Mhm." Ashley nodded. "Aren’t they?"

"But you’re not illiterate."

"I said was," Ashley corrected. "My good-for-nothing father didn’t send me to school. I couldn’t even read until I was almost a teenager. Said it was a waste of money."

Betty stared at her as shock couldn’t even justify her reaction to this. "Really?"

Ashley nodded.

"Don’t worry, though," she added with a laugh, lifting her glass. "I still finished high school on my own. Even got a degree in my past life."

Which was true.

Lucian had practically forced her into studying—dragging her into lessons, shoving books into her hands—just so she’d have something to do.

She finished a course because he promised he’d let her go, but he lied. Still, eventually... he did let her go.

"Now that I think about it..." Ashley hummed, rubbing her chin. "Should I bother getting a diploma again? Should be easier now, right?"

Her eyes slid to Betty, and a slow grin spread across her face.

"Anyway... enough about that." She leaned in slightly, her eyes narrowing with amusement.

"Since you’re my secretary now, I can’t just let anyone bully you." Her smile turned sharp. "So tell me... who are those lowlife bullies?"