From the day they registered their marriage, Harrison changed Roxanne's contact name in his phone to "My Wife Roxanne", afraid he might forget her name or something.
Among the top guns in the company, everyone was taken aback to find out he was married, apart from Alexander.
Harrison scrunched his face up in annoyance when he got interrupted and hung up the call, "Carry on."
Roxanne called again, worried about Chloe's situation. This time, Harrison picked up, his tone a bit sharp, "Can you quit calling me every five minutes? I'm swamped right now, we talk when I'm home."
People started gossiping that he might not be too fond of his new bride, why else would he keep her a secret and talk to her like that?
Roxanne was an independent gal. Asking her husband for help felt a bit off, even more so when he hung up before she could say anything.
Maybe he really was busy and she shouldn't have disturbed him. Phone in hand, she started thinking of other ways to help Chloe.
Just then, Harrison called her back. Wasn't he busy? Why was he calling again?
Roxanne pondered for a bit before picking up.
"What was it you wanted to talk about?" Harrison asked.
He couldn't fathom why he'd called back. After hanging up on her, he wondered if something urgent had come up that she'd called twice in a row. Normally, he could have easily brushed her off and gone back to his meeting. But he didn't.
Worried she might have run into some trouble, he felt a twinge of anxiety during the meeting, so he stepped out and called her back. Since he'd called back, Roxanne figured he'd made time for her. She didn’t want to waste it, so she cut to the chase and told him about Oliver's situation.
"Oliver's a bad egg. You shouldn't expect me to help him out," Harrison said. People like Oliver deserved what they got. Being in the clink was his own doing.
"I know. Oliver got what he deserved. But Chloe's mother-in-law and sister-in-law said if Oliver doesn't come back, they won't help with the kid, and she can't work then," Roxanne replied.
"Well, she could just stay home and look after her kid, with her husband making money, she doesn't have to work," Harrison retorted.
Roxanne's emotions became agitated, and she said, "So you think women should just stay home and take care of the family and kids? They should be stuck at home being housewives for the kids' sake?"
Harrison calmly responded, "She's the mother, if her mother-in-law won't help, then it's her responsibility to take care of the kid. That's just how it is. I won't pull strings for someone I barely know."
Roxanne felt suffocated. Not because Harrison had refused, but because he thought it was only natural for her to take care of the kids. Were women just meant to stay home and raise kids?
"You're right, you have no obligation to help my friend. But you shouldn't be biased against women. You know nothing about Chloe's situation. She's been busting her hump at home raising the kids, only for Oliver to complain about her being a stay-at-home wife and even have eyes for other women. If Chloe doesn't work and waits until he finds someone else and asks for a divorce, she'll realize she can't even support herself. She has her reasons for working, and she shouldn't just be expected to stay home and take care of the kids, which is also Oliver's responsibility."
With that said, Roxanne was still upset. She quickly regained her composure, her voice cold, "Forget I ever asked for your help, I'll figure something else out."
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