Carlos scolded Matthew, "Did you come here for dinner or to make me mad? Keep acting like this, and I'll have you serving the dishes for everyone at our next family dinner."

Matthew put down his chopsticks with a stern look.

Seeing that father and son were about to come to blows, Erica felt sorry for Matthew. Her husband had even been harangued by Carlos. She tried to fix things. "Mom, Dad, it's not what you think. Matthew is a good guy! He treats me like a princess. Really. He cooks for me, watches movies with me and washes my feet... "

She recounted a list of all the good things Matthew did for her.

Everyone at the table was stunned. Matthew wasn't lying. Everything he said was true!

Carlos pondered this for a while. He still didn't believe Matthew was so humble that he'd wash someone's feet. "Why are you covering for him, Rika? He's always been high and mighty. Why would he do all this for you?"

Carlos looked at Matthew and saw his mini-me. The young man had inherited a lot of Carlos' traits, like his icy demeanor and arrogance.

But marriage tempered Carlos, changed him, melted his icy heart. But to his father, Matthew hadn't changed at all.

"Let it go, Dad. It's true. Can we eat now? I'm starving!" Erica urged. She felt guilty and tried to change the topic. If she had stuck up for Matthew, maybe Carlos wouldn't have been so angry. She was full of regret for just doing nothing.

The father and son had been at each other's throats for a long time. The family was used to it, and just accepted it as a normal thing. Erica tried to smooth things over as best she could. And soon, things were a lot less tense at the table.

Hearing everyone talking and laughing again, Erica quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

She also felt that Matthew was put upon. She kept picking up food for him at dinner and tried to smile.

Seeing that, Carlos shook his head. He knew Matthew was lying. Obviously, Rika had been taking care of Matthew, not the other way round.

After a while, Matthew stopped Erica from picking up food for him. "Don't mind me. You need to eat, too!"

"I am eating!"

Matthew glanced at the rice in her bowl. She had only taken a few bites and was busy picking up food for him.

"I'm almost full. Just eat your food and leave me alone."

"Fine! I will!" Erica didn't pursue the matter and started to dig in

d to inveigle him.

Matthew didn't buy it this time. "Enough with the flattery! I can't wait anymore. I'm going to have sex with you! Right here! Right now!" He didn't care how it sounded. He was beyond thinking at this point.

"No, Matthew. Stop! I'm on my period..." she said urgently. It was true.

"Stop with the bullshit. If you really loved me, you'd have sex with me!" Since he heard her say that she married a man she didn't love, finally everything was starting to make sense.

Including why she hadn't slept with him after their wedding! She didn't love him, so she didn't want to have sex with him.

"No, that's not how it is..." she tried to explain.

"Are you trying to say you want to sleep with me?"

"Let me explain..."

historical

"You love me?"

"Just let me— I'm saying I'm not trying to bullshit you. I'm really on my period. Back at the manor, I borrowed a tampon from Evelyn. I'm telling the truth." Erica was so frightened that she didn't stammer anymore and her words tumbled out in a torrent.

After she said that, the car got supernaturally quiet.

Matthew slowly released her. He didn't say a word. Instead, he took something from the glove compartment, opened the door and got out of the car.

Erica saw him walk to the front of the car. Then she saw him touch his mouth. A lighter roared to life, and soon there was a lit cigarette in his mouth. He took a drag and let a cloud of smoke out of his mouth.

Matthew was smoking!

Matthew smoked? Erica was surprised. She had never smelled tobacco on him before. She had never seen him smoke.