Chapter 5 Don't Compare Me to Others

"Mia gave Ava a once-over with a sly grin and said, "You know, I happen to know a few young noblemen who are into you. If you can accept Sophia gracefully, I can turn a blind eye to certain…discretions. Nights can get lonely, after all."

Mia thought she was offering Ava a generous concession. While discreet affairs were common, open acknowledgement made them easier. As long as no inconvenient children resulted, Mia could even offer assistance—perhaps even hand-pick suitable partners.

Suddenly, Mia's eyes sparkled with an idea. 'Instead of letting Ava pick for herself, I should arrange it. That way, I can control her…attributes to forge advantageous connections for the Martinez Family. A beautiful woman is a valuable asset.'

Mia said, "Just ensure you obtain my approval first, especially regarding any gentlemen who could benefit the family."

Ava almost laughed out loud. She asked, "Mother, are you suggesting I emulate Ethan's behavior, or are you trying to turn me into the family courtesan?"

Ava thought, 'I've never even considered taking a lover. And now she expects me to entertain men for the family's benefit? Preposterous.'

Mia didn't expect her "kindness" to be shot down and immediately widened her eyes, saying, "What are you talking about? As Ethan's wife, you can't please him. I'm just securing for your future. As long as you contribute to the family, you won't end up in a nursing home! If you continue this ingratitude, you'll lose your position entirely. See how you manage then!"

Ava's face was calm. She said, "I don't care about that power. I only assumed responsibility because my sister-in-law was seriously ill. Now that she's better, it's time to give the management back to her."

Mia panicked. "How can she manage the household? Besides, her family is only of baron rank; they don't have that much money..."

Seeing Mia hesitate, Ava's lips curled into a mocking smile.

Ava's family was of duke rank. Even though her father had passed away, Skoda's military achievements were significant. To reward Skoda, the king had given the Davis Family almost immeasurable land and treasures.

The Martinez Family had pushed Ethan to marry her because they wanted that wealth. Although the Martinez Family looked glamorous on the surface, they were actually living beyond their means due to their lavish lifestyle. Even with Ethan's salary and the king's rewards, it was hard to keep up.

When Ava first took over, she even saw records of the Martinez Family selling several of their estates and vineyards, with the remaining ones left neglected. If she hadn't used the Davis Family's funds to help out and quickly dealt with the slackers, the Martinez Family would have been bankrupt before Ethan returned with his military achievements.

Ava spoke softly, "Although my sister-in-law's family is of baron rank, as a noblewoman, she has been trained to handle family affairs since childhood. Tomorrow morning, I will hand over the current documents and the treasury keys to her."

"How dare you!" Mia snapped, dropping her fake kindness and pointing angrily at Ava. "You disrespect your elders and can't even win your husband's heart. What will people think of the Martinez Family if you give up the management rights? How will they see you? Do you want to be the joke of the noble circle?"

Ava was done pretending to be weak and easily pushed around. She was born into a duke's family, and her father was a fierce general on the battlefield. How could she be ordinary?

With a cold expression, she stood up and straightened her dress, saying, "If Ethan doesn't care about others' opinions, why should I be the laughingstock?"

As she said this, Ava silently added in her heart, 'No, how could he compare to me!'

"You!" Mia was furious and tried to fake an illness by clutching her chest, but Ava just stood there. The candlelight illuminated half of her body, while the other half of her face was hidden in the shadows. Her cold gaze pinned Mia in place, making her too scared to move.

Ava said, "Mother, since you appear to be well, I'll take my leave."

With that, Ava didn't wait for Mia's response and walked straight out of the room. After a while, the sound of something heavy falling to the ground came from behind. Eliza, who had been waiting outside, anxiously approached and sighed upon hearing the noise, "If that broke, it would add a lot to the expenses."

Ava found it amusing and couldn't help but smile. "Eliza, when we get back, pack up the bills and notes on the desk and hand them over to my sister-in-law tomorrow morning. No matter how much it costs, it won't be our concern anymore!"

Eliza was momentarily stunned but quickly understood what Ava meant and smiled. "Alright!"

Eliza had long been unwilling to see Ava suffer like this! Now it was time for them to figure out their own financial problems!

The next morning, Ava called a few servants to help her deliver the household accounts and keys to James. Her sister-in-law, Terry Taylor, was bewildered by the sudden responsibility. When she took the keys, the cold metal touch brought her back to reality.

Terry knew how hard Ava had worked over the past three years. Before Ava, she had been responsible for these tasks but was not good at them. She had left most of the work to the housekeeper, unaware of the embezzlement below, and only needed to enjoy her afternoon tea and snacks.

Even though the numbers on the accounts were dismal, her husband James had assured her that Ethan, as a hero of the empire, would receive generous rewards from the king, preventing the Martinez Family from falling into a difficult situation. When Ava married into the family, Terry saw it as an opportunity. Although noble families usually passed on the family business to the eldest son, James had no ambition, especially after his remarkable knight brother emerged. He had tacitly agreed to let Ethan take on all the responsibilities. So Terry pretended to be seriously ill and handed over the family affairs to Ava.

'Clearly, she can handle it, so why give it to me!' Terry thought gloomily.

Ava, however, didn't give her a chance to say more and turned to leave.

This demeanor was nothing like the gentle and beautiful lady she used to be!

Terry held the keys and returned to her room to find James, but he was unconcerned and said, "Ethan has returned with military honors. What are you worried about? We'll simply await the rewards."

Terry was about to be happy when she remembered hearing from a servant last night that Ethan had claimed to have exchanged all his military honors for the king's permission to marry Sophia. She doubted if there would really be any rewards."