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Chapter 138
Chapter 138
Matteo explained the situation to Sofia again.
“She really has gone too far–she doesn’t even listen to you!” Sofia’s face was even worse than before. “And you can’t even control your own wife? What a useless man! How are you supposed to manage your company? If this gets out, what will people think of you?
“Laura’s behavior, you can’t just indulge her. You have to discipline her. You need to show some strength, hit her once if she’s disobedient, hit her again if she doesn’t listen, until she behaves. Let’s see if it’s her temper or her stubbornness that will
break first.”
Sofia had always looked down on Laura. At first, she couldn’t go against her son’s love for her. But when Laura couldn’t have a son, Matteo slowly started to grow cold toward her.
Without Matteo’s support, Sofia bullying Laura became a common occurrence. She would even encourage her son, deepening the couple’s conflict. She just wanted Laura to divorce Matteo and leave the Webb family for good.
“Mom, Laura’s still holding a grudge over me kicking her out of the Webb family–that’s why she hasn’t come back,” Matteo admitted, a little regretful.
“If I had known, I wouldn’t have kicked her out. I should have just let her stay and keep being the free housekeeper. Now it’s even hard to find a housekeeper.
“She didn’t do much at home anyway, and she was disobedient. You’re being too lenient with her. I don’t think you did anything wrong by kicking her out,” Sofia defended Matteo, shifting all the blame onto Laura.
“She wouldn’t come back if Doris didn’t encourage her. Where would she get the guts to not listen to you? Don’t feel soft- don’t give her a penny. Let’s see how long she and Arianna last at Doris’s place.
“They’ll need money for food and clothes, and even if Doris doesn’t mind, her husband might. He’s just a worker; how can he afford to feed both of them on his own salary?
“Watch and see–Doris’s husband will kick them out sooner or later. And when that happens, don’t let her off easily. Make her kneel and apologize, have her sign a guarantee that she’ll obey if she wants to return to our house. Son, you’re a man- show some manly authority!”
“I know, Mom,” Matteo agreed, aligning with Sofia. “James will be back soon, right? Tonight, you two hold the fort. If anything comes up, call James. I’ll contact the agency and make sure they send a housekeeper first thing tomorrow.”
After finishing the call with Sofia, Matteo reached out to the manager at a housekeeping company they always worked with. “Mr. Lloyd, it’s Matteo. Please send a good housekeeper to my house first thing tomorrow. I have elderly, sick, and pregnant people at home–it can’t be delayed.”
“Mr. Matteo, how long has it been? You’ve already gone through five housekeepers. Whenever I mention your family, no one wants to take the job. Even the ones who take it are clueless newbies–they leave after half a day. I can’t help you anymore,” said Andy Lloyd.
Andy was frustrated–he’d never dealt with a family as troublesome as the Webb family.
“Okay, I’ll pay more. I’ll add 300 dollars. 1300 dollars is already a high rate.” Matteo compromised, hoping that the extra money would get someone to come. “Mr. Lloyd, we’ve known each other for a long time. I know you’ve worked hard. I won’t forget this, just help me out.”
“I’ll ask in the group and let you know if anyone’s available,” Mr. Lloyd said. “If I find someone, I’ll inform you.”
“I trust you, Mr. Lloyd. I know you’ll handle it well,” Matteo praised him.
“If this works out, there can’t be any more mistakes. Otherwise, you’ll have to find another agency,” Mr. Lloyd warned, clearly
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exasperated.
“Okay,” Matteo agreed, then hung up and sent Mr. Lloyd some money to thank him.
Mr. Lloyd saw it was only 300 dollars, his smile disappeared. He grumbled, “A boss like him only gives 300 dollars? So stingy. No wonder no one wants to work for him.”
He sent the job offer to the group, offering 1300 dollars per month for a housekeeper with the Webb family. The Webb family was already an unpopular client, but with the extra 300 dollars, not everyone could turn down the money.
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Sure enough, with a generous reward, someone finally took the offer. Mr. Lloyd selected the first person to respond and arranged for her to come by 6 AM the next day.
He didn’t respond immediately to Matteo, calculating in his head. Only 300 dollars–there was no need for him to rush. He’d let Matteo wait a bit, go to bed, and deal with it tomorrow.
After waiting a while and not hearing back from Mr. Lloyd, Matteo sent a message: [Mr. Lloyd, please find a reliable housekeeper.]
Romany brought Matteo a glass of water. “Matteo, have some water.”
Matteo took the cup and drank a couple of sips. He glanced at his watch. “It’s getting late. You should rest.”
“Aren’t you going to rest?” Romany asked, concerned.
“I still have a bit of work to do. You sleep first,” Matteo said, setting the cup down and resting his hand on her still–flat belly. “You’re carrying the Webb family’s most important treasure.”
“Matteo, I can’t sleep alone,” Romany said, leaning in and kissing his chin. Matteo didn’t move, but his hand slid to her waist and held her.
Seeing that he didn’t reject her, Romany boldly moved closer, wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and kissed him, eager to continue from where they left off. Matteo, unable to resist her passion, soon found himself giving in. He lifted her and carried her to the bedroom.
Romany lay in bed, her arms around his neck, her gaze full of affection. Matteo leaned down to kiss her again. She whispered, “Be careful…”
“I know,” he mumbled in response.
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The next day, Lewis dropped Doris off at the coffee shop.
“Drive safely on the way.” Doris waved at him. “And don’t forget to eat, even if you’re busy.”
“Mrs. Hartman, lately you’re busier than I am. I’ll send that message back to you.” Lewis had noticed that since opening the shop, Doris’s eating habits had become irregular.
“Don’t worry, I’ll eat while making the pastries. I’ll make sure to eat enough,” Doris smiled. “Now go, don’t be late!”
Lewis left, and Doris watched his car until it disappeared into the sea of vehicles. Lola arrived and saw Doris standing still at the roadside, her gaze following.
“Doris, you’ve turned into a fool in love,” Lola teased her.
“No, I haven’t.” Doris blushed a bit, then turned and went into the shop.
“See, you’re still shy.” Lola followed her into the shop.
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The staff had arrived a little earlier and were already preparing. Doris stepped into the office, placed her bag down, and tied on her apron.
Lola came in behind her. “Doris, that’s your husband, you can look as much as you want. What’s there to be shy about? If I had such a handsome husband, I’d keep an eye on him even more than you do.”
AD
