Chapter 2

Amanda's POV.

The fatigue made me drowsy, and I was about to sleep a little longer in his arms when Nathan suddenly opened his eyes, he woke up with a somewhat confused expression, and immediately reverted to his usual cold look after seeing my face.

This change also made my heart sting slightly.

Nathan was only passionate when he made love to me, we were so in tune with each other in bed that every time I was held in his arms I had the feeling that we loved each other deeply.

But after waking up as if he strip away all the feelings, last night's ambiguous atmosphere was swept away. He did not say a word to me, he withdrew his hand on my waist, last night's passion, lust are like a tidal wave faded, he did not say anything, stood up and mercilessly rolled out of bed to pick up the shirt thrown on the floor, I can only see his upright back. I felt a little down when he suddenly left me. The ambiguous atmosphere of last night was swept away as he stood up and he then went to the bathroom to wash up. The man's body is impeccable, and the muscles on his back are sexy and powerful, with a few scratches on them. Soon after he finished washing up and came out of the bathroom, his looked sharp and cold in suit, he gave me a look, then before he left he dropped a light sentence: " Don't drink so much next time."

I opened my mouth, but could not say anything. That embarrassed, self-serving emotion wrapped me up, and in front of my husband, I felt so ashamed of how we were getting along.

It's been almost three years, and it's been like this the morning after every lingering moment. But all I could feel was the cold, which seemed to invade my bones one at a time, and made me hug myself tighter as I inclined my head to look out the window and waited for the sound of the water in the bathroom to come on before I let out a soft, careful sob.

......

I didn't have to be sad for long because just as I was about to leave the house, I suddenly received a text message alerting me that a small amount of money had been wired into my account and I checked the remitter and found that it was my mother. I immediately couldn't care less about being sad, I picked up my bag and ran out the door. I was in no position to stay in bed for too long, given the current situation of our family.

Just a few days ago, I received the verdict about my father, who was arrested fo embezzlement and is now waiting for the verdict, and if he cannot return the money my father embezzled, he will spend the rest of his life in jail. It was a very large sum of money and made me realize that all those good lives I thought I had in the past were built on the suffering of others. Not only for my father to get out of prison, but because of the guilt I felt.

That money didn't belong to us, and I had to give it all back.

My mother sold the family property, even her dowry, leaving us with a small house almost in the suburbs, everything that values was mortgaged, and now we were penniless and had to find a way to get money to fill the holes of millions dollars in embezzled money.

My mother should have run out of money. ...... How could she send money to me? She wouldn't do anything stupid, right?

I suddenly had a vague idea in my mind and drove to a fast food restaurant that my mother had mentioned to me before. When I arrived at the door, I saw my mother in dirty overalls cleaning the glass outside the window.

She carried a bucket of water, walked tremulously, and then wiped up the window glass of the fast food restaurant.

She had fallen from an old injury from skiing many years ago, and she had been resting at home, and we had hired several maids just so she wouldn't have to do these housework. But now ...... I saw her back, my eyes were sore, and I hurriedly walked forward quickly.

"Mom!" My tone was a bit reproachful, and I coughed in a hurry, snatching the tools out of her hands: "I told you, I'll find my own way to get the money, your legs can't take this kind of work!"

"Amanda! Why are you here?"

She was a little embarrassed and not knowing what to do, then stroked my hair and touched the tears at the corners of my eyes: "How can you get so much money? I can still work, I can earn money. Did you tell Nathan? What did he say?"

Speaking of Nathan, my mother's eyes lit up with some hope. Nathan's family was well off, and his company seemed to have grown over the years, so maybe my mother thought that if he stepped in, our family's situation wouldn't be so bad.

I laughed bitterly, this may have to let my mother down.

Nathan and I, still like strangers after three years of marriage, plus if things got this bad for our family, Nathan's father, who already didn't think much of our marriage, would be even more disappointed, I think ...... "I didn't tell him...... mom you know, at the beginning we agreed not to interfere with each other's life. But don't worry, I've managed to get some money, you don't go to do these things, come home with me, okay?"

I brought it up vaguely, not wanting to talk much to my mother about Nathan. I touched her hand, they probably soaked in cold water for too long, now it felt like a block of ice.

How she had never suffered like this ......

My heart aches even more, I can't stand for a moment that she continues to do this work here, I took her hand and wanted to go: "Let's go home!"

"Where are you going?" Behind me suddenly came a voice, I turned around to look, the man who spoke to us should be the restaurant owner. He was frowning at me and my mother with an impatient face: "Don't stand in front of the store, you don't work during working hours and chat with others. You still want this job? If you want to quit, hurry up and leave, someone will replace you soon."

I was about to get angry and speak, my mother pressed my hand, kept shaking her head at me, then showed a smile: "No, no, my daughter came to see me." After she finished, she took my hand and whispered, "The salary here is also a lot of money, I am idle at home, I can only spend money, you listen to me, I will look after myself you go back first, I'm fine, your work is important, you should go to the company now!"

I was about to stop her, the boss rolled his eyes: "To act in a drama do not stand in front of the store, working hours do not work properly, but also here to talk about the sky. You still work or not work? If you don't work, you should leave, and someone will replace you right away!"

My anger rose up and I was about to retort to her boss when my mother kept winking at me and kept pushing me with her hand: "Go, I'm fine here, go, do as you're told."

I bit my lip, I was trembling with anger, but my mother was about to cry, and there were passersby looking around, I could see my mother's determination, so I had to hold my temper and leave.

Sitting in the car, the more I thought about it, the angrier I got, I couldn't help but hammer the steering wheel with my hand in anger!

But after that, I gradually calmed down, it's 10 million dollars, even if we sold the properties we still can't get enough money, I tried everything I can do, even Kate have paid out her savings.

I took a deep breath, my dignity is no compare to my father's life. I am going to borrow money from my aunt, before my father was in prison, she has always shown great affection for our family,

and is my father's only relative at the moment, she wouldn't refuse to help. Right?

I had a faint hope, and hurried to clear the mess on my face and rushed to my aunt's house.

When I arrived at my aunt's house, it was almost noon, and the maid told me to wait in the foyer, which took an hour. As time passed, my hopes dissipated. My aunt was late in coming downstairs, and the faint hope in my heart was scattered.

Just as I was about to leave, the maid invited me in and I met my aunt in the dining room where she sat at the table eating an expensive dessert and raised her head at me, "Oh Amanda, what brings you here?"

I don't know how to describe the tone of her voice, she usually revealed an affectionate energy when she called me, and even though I knew she was a shrewd woman, I never thought she would actually call me in such a tone.

She acted as if she didn't know about my father's imprisonment, but there was no way she didn't know, I probably understood her attitude in my heart, but still I held my temper and explained the situation to her with a pleading inquiry, "No matter how much money you lend me, I promise I will pay you back, my father can't stay in prison."

She sneered, holding her arms and trailing off

"I'm not doubting you, Amanda, how are you going to pay me back? With what? How much money do you make a year at this job? That's a whole 10 million dollars? How are you going to pay me back?"

I was so embarrassed by her that I could only reason with my head: "He is also your only brother, you don't want to see him spend the rest of his life in prison, and his health is not good ......"

"Oh yes, he's still not in good health." She coldly lit her cigarette with a lighter and took a deep drag, "And your mother too, does your mother have a job? She hasn't worked for more than twenty years, you have only one job, and you need to pay for the treatment fo her disease, and to support the family, and to pay me back? I know that this is a bottomless pit! You still want to trick me into getting you money? Ugh!"

Her words were so mean and blunt that I clenched my fists. I restrained my trembling body and said softly, "If you don't want to borrow, then forget it."

She stood up and said, "Not only will I not borrow it, but don't worry, you won't be able to borrow it anywhere outside of this door. Amanda, wake up!"

She sneered, her tone painful, and turned around and ordered the maid, "Next time she's not allowed to come to me, such poor relatives, it scares me to come to my door again."

I was blown out, the weather today is not particularly cold, but I looked at their house, but I felt a chill in my heart.

This house is bought by my father before she got married, I was still very young, but my father has only this one sister, so he still bought her this house. At that time, she always invited me to her house to play and bought me many toys. Although I knew she was shrewd and pompous, I never hated her.

But today I felt like she is a stranger, but I had obviously called her aunt for so many years.

I knew that she would never have contact with our family again, and my heart felt cold while I had to despair while having to admit that she was right. No relatives would lend us money. Before my father went to prison, they were all dependent on my father, and when my father went to prison, they all scattered and wanted to get rid of the relationship quickly, so who would lend us money?

I took one last look at the house, and I thought I know what kind of person she is, and no matter how I was doing, I didn't want her to be doing well.

I drove away from the place, I thought things can't end like this, relatives can't borrow me money, I can ask the company again, things have developed to this point, just dignity and face, there is no use