Chapter 23

"Just keep the bankbook for yourself. After all, it's your hard-earned money from these past years. I've got enough for the shop, so you don't need to worry about it," Melanie said firmly, refusing to take the bankbook. Edward looked surprised. Typically, when a woman saw her man hand over his paycheck, she would be over the moon. So why was Melanie different? "Are you sure you don't want it?" he asked again, unable to hide his curiosity. "I don't need it. I haven't even touched the wedding gift you gave me. If I need money down the road, I'll let you know," she replied, calculating her expenses. With rent and inventory, she figured 2,000 dollars would cover it. She was only planning to open a small shop, so it wouldn't break the bank. Since she insisted, Edward didn't press the issue any further. He tucked the bankbook into a drawer, leaving it out of sight but not out of mind. "Tomorrow, I'll take you somewhere fun. I'm heading back to work the day after, and I won't have much