Chapter 66: A Husband’s Responsibility
I let out a long breath of relief when I finally heard that one perfect word.
As the adrenaline faded, exhaustion hit me like a wave. My whole body ached, and all I wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep for a week.
"Helcia, thank you for today." Vivienne approached me after I’d changed out of my outfit. Unlike how she’d been in the studio, she was much more relaxed now, even smiling as she spoke.
It almost made me wonder if the strict, devil-like woman from earlier had just been a trick of my imagination.
"I’m sorry if I was a bit harsh on you today," she said gently.
A bit harsh? She was definitely more than "a bit." I’d even had to reschedule my meeting with Lando an hour later because she was nearly impossible to please.
But still, I didn’t really mind.
"Don’t worry, Ms. Roselle," I said with a warm smile. "I’d never hold that against you. I actually learned a lot today because of your direction. I should be the one thanking you."
More importantly, I had just earned seventeen grand today, so a little shouting and perfectionism was a price I was more than happy to pay.
Vivienne looked at me with a glint of admiration in her eyes. "You’re actually the first model who doesn’t seem bothered by my strict behavior," she said with a small smile. "I can tell, you were truly born for this industry."
After all, her strictness was nothing compared to the things I’d been through before.
"You’re flattering me too much, Ms. Roselle." I picked up my bag, smiling politely. "I’m really sorry, but I still have something else I need to do after this."
"Oh, then I won’t keep you any longer." She reached out her hand, and I immediately shook it. "Once again, thank you, Helcia. I’m truly lucky to have a gem like you as my model. I hope we can work together again soon."
"I hope so too, Ms. Roselle." I smiled at her, wishing her a good night before leaving the Roselle Beauty studio.
As usual, Marissa had already been picked up by her wife, but this time, I didn’t feel the slightest bit jealous, because Lando had come to pick me up as well.
But before I could open the car door, Penny’s voice suddenly popped up in my head.
[Mission of the Week (2/2)]
[Mission: Freeze the Debt!]
[Goal: Make the bank freeze your debt within three days.]
[Reward: $15,000]
[Time Limit: 3 days]
[Note: The time limit starts after midnight.]
I froze for a moment when I saw the mission. How was something like that even possible to complete in just three days? At the very least, Penny could’ve offered me more than fifteen thousand dollars for it!
[Host, you’ve never failed a mission before!]
[That’s why Penny believes you can do it again! Go, Host!]
’Be realistic, Penny!’ I hissed in my mind. ’Do you even know how slow banks move? They’d probably take a week just to read the email!’
A debt of one million dollars wasn’t something they’d freeze overnight. They’d need to discuss it, consult their legal team, maybe even contact their higher-ups, and that could take forever!
[Host, please just believe in yourself! And trust Lando’s lawyer!]
Before I could respond, I heard Lando’s voice from inside the car. "Helcia, what are you doing out there?" he called out. "Come on, get in. My lawyer’s probably already waiting for us."
"Yes, yes!" I said quickly, shaking my head to chase away my worries before getting into the car.
Penny was right, I’d never failed a mission before. But even if I did fail this one ... well, losing $7,500 wasn’t that bad.
Oh no, no, no. What the hell was I thinking?! Even if it was just a thousand dollars, there was no way I was going to give up that easily!
Money was money, no matter how small or big the amount!
Besides, seven thousand dollars was almost the same amount Vivienne still owed me. If I failed this mission, it’d be like accepting a lower paycheck than what I’d worked for!
Sure, I’d already made seventeen grand today, but still ... what was so wrong with being a little greedy?
"I got you a coffee." Lando’s voice startled me a bit, snapping me out of my thoughts about money gained and lost.
When I looked down, I saw he had bought me iced brown sugar coffee, my favorite!
Just like that, all my irritation melted away. How could I stay mad when my husband did something this sweet?
I took the cup with both hands. "Thank you ... husband." Then, lowering my voice, I added, "And I’m really sorry for making you wait so long. I didn’t expect work to run this late."
"It’s fine," Lando said easily. "I just got here too. Work’s been a bit crazy today."
Hearing that made me feel even guiltier.
He had so much work to do, yet he still made time to accompany me to meet his lawyer.
Honestly, I’d told him yesterday that I could meet the lawyer on my own, but he’d refused to let me. He’d said he didn’t want anyone taking advantage of my lack of legal knowledge.
More than that, he’d promised he’d help me settle my debt, so, of course, he wasn’t about to let me deal with it alone.
"Have you known this lawyer for a long time?" I asked after taking a sip of my coffee.
Lando cleared his throat, sounding like he was trying to cover up something. "Back then, he used to work as part of the legal team at the company I worked for. He’s a great lawyer, so I decided to hire him."
I had a feeling the "company" he mentioned was actually his own, Zentra Media.
"Oh ... I see." I nodded, taking another sip before asking, "So, how much do I owe you for hiring him?"
To be honest, I was a little nervous to hear the answer. Lawyers were expensive. That’s exactly why so many people couldn’t afford proper representation in court.
While the rich could afford to hire famous, skilled lawyers, the poor were stuck with government-appointed firms.
It wasn’t that those government lawyers were bad, but let’s be real ... money always tipped the scales.
At the end of the day, money could always buy victory. Even I had been trampled once before simply because I wasn’t rich enough.
"It’s on me," Lando said finally. "You don’t need to worry about it."
I looked at him for a moment, my chest tightening. "Husband ... you don’t have to do that," I said softly. "You’ve already helped me so much."
I knew hiring a lawyer was expensive, and he was probably spending more money than what Marissa earned in a month.
Still, he looked completely calm, like spending that much was no different from buying himself a cup of coffee.
But then again, he was a billionaire. For him, that kind of money really was that small.
"It’s nothing, really," Lando said casually. "You’re my responsibility, after all."
Those words were enough to shut me up completely. I lowered my gaze and sipped my coffee quietly as warmth spreading in my chest.
What kind of good deed had I done in my past life to deserve a husband like him?
I was lost in thought for so long that I didn’t even realize the car had stopped in front of a quiet, elegant restaurant, the place where we were supposed to meet his lawyer.
The place looked private and comfortable, the kind of spot businesspeople used for serious conversations.
When Lando’s aide stepped forward to push his wheelchair, I quickly stopped him and said politely, "It’s alright, I’ll take care of it."
Usually, Lando never complained when I pushed him, but this time he said, "Your hands might get tired if you keep pushing me." Then he added, "I’m heavy."
He wasn’t wrong, Lando was indeed heavy. But honestly, I’d always been able to push him easily because he always helped a little by turning the wheels himself.
Still, what kind of wife would I be if I couldn’t even push my own husband’s wheelchair?
"It’s fine," I said, echoing the same words he’d told me earlier in the car. "You’re my responsibility, after all."
If we were talking about traditional roles, then a husband’s job was to provide and protect, while a wife’s was to care for and support him, especially when he wasn’t at his best.
Since Lando had always provided for and protected me, then it was only fair that I took care of him too.
"Besides, I feel happy because I can take care of you."
After I said that, he suddenly went quiet.
[Lando’s favorability has increased by +3%]
Holy crap, why was he so easy to please?! If his favorability kept rising like this, I’d probably reach one hundred percent before my Nation’s Treasure mission even started!
[Isn’t that a good thing, Host?]
[It means you’ll have his full support when you walk that thorny path!]