The late afternoon light that drifted in through the window, in Ashley's parents' kitchen turned everything to a soft honey gold hue. But it had nothing on the bills that lay stacked on the table. They looked gray and defiant, despite the afternoon light's effort.
Her mom was smoothing away the same crease in the newspaper for the third time, and her dad's jaw was tight in a way she'd learned to recognize as worry disguised as patience.
"Mom?," Ashley said softly, balancing her phone between her fingers. "What's going on?" She could sense the worry in her voice.
Her mother's lips curved into a thin smile, after exchanging pleasantries.
"Oh, just a few outstanding payments. Nothing you need to worry about, I'm sure we will figure it out." While in actual sense, she meant to be worried sick. As the stack of envelopes, past-due stamps glared in red, staring at her angrily.
Her father looked up and motioned her close, receiving the phone. "It's nothing urgent, Ash. Just running late on the payment on a couple of bills Things have been a little tight & sluggish…"
"Dad," she cut in. "Please."
They'd never hidden things from her and were quite vocal about their needs, since she married Julian.
She wondered why they had unpaid bills this month, as she'd put them on allowance, while she saved whatever she could. Julian had been gracious enough to put her on a good salary as the CEO of Ashford press, even though the bulk of money invested was for the printing press.
He exhaled and pushed his glasses up. "We're a little short this month. Your sister's fee is covered but… taxes on the warehouse property came due earlier than expected."
Ashley felt that old knot of helplessness twist tight. "How short? and what fee is Sophia paying?" Ashley wondered if Sophia had strung her parents along on her next pursuit again and wondered why they kept falling for it.
"A few thousand," her mom admitted. "We'll figure it out."
She walked out of the house, phone against her ear, needing more air. She took out her tablet and opened her banking app. Her personal account wasn't that impressive. She'd offered a little consulting services here and there and was now CEO of Ashford press.
She wondered if what she had saved could cover the immediate need and give them extra to survive on? Her thumb hovered over the transfer button, pride whispering that she shouldn't have to. But pride wouldn't keep the lights on for her parents.
As she confirmed the transfer, a new notification of the balance slid across the screen. At first, she thought she'd misread it. She was a hundred thousand dollars richer.
She blinked. Once. Twice. It stayed there, real as her phone.
"Julian," she whispered, though he wasn't there with her. Did he foresee she would need help at some point? What was the money for or had he made a mistake?
Her pulse ticked in her ears. Hundred thousand was not an accident. It was deliberate, clean, and God, this was generous in a way that unsettled her.
As she stared at the remaining balance, now padded with Blackwood's generosity. She felt both safe and compromised, like she wasn't compromised by him already.
She scrolled to Brooke's name and hit call.
Brooke answered on the second ring, her voice brisk. "Hey, boss lady. You sound like someone who found a spider in her shoe."
"Brooke." Ashley's voice trembled between laughter and disbelief. "Julian deposited a hundred grand into my account."
A pause, then a low whistle. "Ohhh. are you for real?That's… generous."
"Generous?" Ashley hissed. "It's outrageous! I didn't ask for it."
"Well, you did marry him," Brooke said lightly. "Even if it was tequila-induced."
"That doesn't mean he owes me," Ashley shot back. "I was just going to cover my parents for a few thousand. He…" She broke off, pacing the porch boards. "He didn't even mention it."
Brooke chuckled. "You've seen him write checks for helicopters and sports cars like he's tipping a waiter. Hundred grand is lunch money to Julian Blackwood."
"That's not the point." Ashley lowered her voice. "It feels… complicated. Like if I accept it, I owe him."
"You are married to the man, for chrissakes" Brooke reminded gently. "Technically, you already owe him half your last name."
"That's not funny," Ashley muttered.
"It's a little funny," Brooke countered. Then, more serious: "Ash, look. You've been through hell these past weeks. He probably thought, "Why let her stress about bills when I can fix it in thirty seconds?"
Ashley leaned against a tree, looking out at the fading skyline. "But I don't want him to fix me. I want to stand on my own."
"And you will," Brooke said. "Send him a thank you, maybe a sarcastic emoji, and breathe.
This isn't a chain around your neck. It's a rich guy doing what rich guys do when they're half in love and bad at saying so."
Ashley closed her eyes. "Half in love?," she repeated quietly.
"You know what I mean." Brooke's tone softened. "Don't overthink it tonight. Give yourself permission to feel relieved. You've been carrying too much."
Ashley bit her lip. "What if he thinks this means I'm… bought?"
"Then you tell him otherwise," Brooke said simply. "Words exist for a reason."
She couldn't stop looking at the alert, as if the zeroes might rearrange themselves into sense.
By the time she stepped back into the house, her resolve had hardened. She found Julian in the kitchen, sleeves rolled, hair slightly damp from a shower, casually slicing limes as if billionaires did that all the time.
"A Hundred thousand?" she said without preamble.
He looked up, knife pausing midair. "Ah. You noticed, is it enough?."
"Of course I noticed."
"I assumed you didn't check your account, it's been there for a couple of days now. I'd keep sending that monthly as your allowance. You were issued a card, i assume you've dumped it elsewhere"
Her cheeks heated. "I don't get you"
"I am just ensuring my wife doesn't deplete herself," he corrected, tone mild. "Your father's business isn't a lost cause, but short-term liquidity is on hold. Why let you drown for pride?"
She crossed her arms. "You can't just buy your way into fixing my family's problems."
He set down the knife. "I didn't buy anything. I supported the woman I married. Your family is mine now technically and so are their problems" His eyes softened, just a little. "Ashley, you don't have to like it. But you're not alone."
The words disarmed her more than the money did. She opened her mouth, then closed it again. She thought of Brooke's voice: This isn't a chain… It's a rich guy who's bad at saying he cares. She wondered what he meant by the sudden talk of her family, being his family. Wasnt this a contract marriage with an expiring date?
"I don't want your money to become some… bargaining chip going forward," she said finally.
"Then it won't,it has never been one" Julian replied. He stepped closer, gentle but firm. "It's a deposit, not a debt. If you feel you must repay it someday, I won't stop you. But tonight, just accept it."
She swallowed. "You should have asked me first, when next you decide something like this."
"You would have said no," he said softly. "And I would have watched you drown instead of throwing you a rope."
The air between them stretched taut, then softened. Ashley exhaled.
"Thank you," she said reluctantly. "But don't make a habit of it."
His smile was small but genuine. "Too late, that's your monthly allowance."
She wasn't sure if she was angry, grateful, or something more dangerous like hope.