The Paper Wife’s Empire novel Chapter 16

With just a few pointed words, Ramona managed to make Eulalia’s face flush, then pale.

That woman was mocking her—right out in the open, but with the subtlety of a knife slipped between the ribs. She was throwing shade at her family, at Flynn’s lack of loyalty!

“Eulalia, I know it’s tough for you right now, but I really have to finalize this business deal today... If it goes through, your husband’s numbers might actually pick up. Who knows, he could keep his job, maybe even get promoted.”

Ramona’s voice carried a hint of a smile, but to Eulalia, every word sounded icy and sharp. She was warning her—making it clear who held the power.

Eulalia’s lips trembled. She wanted to yell, to curse Ramona out, but the truth was, Ramona’s words hit too close to home. The retort died in her throat.

Whatever else Ramona said after that, Eulalia didn’t hear. She hung up and stormed straight to Flynn’s room.

Flynn, finally on a rare day off, was unwinding with a video game when Eulalia burst in, demanding to know what he and Ramona were scheming behind her back.

It only took a few words before an argument erupted—loud enough to send vases crashing and the staff peeking nervously around the door.

“What on earth is going on in here? Have you both lost your minds?” Winnie arrived in a flurry, shooed the housekeepers away, and pulled a distraught Eulalia aside.

“You’re still recovering, Eulalia. You have to take care of yourself!”

Flynn, pale as a ghost, grabbed his jacket and fled the room.

Eulalia tried to chase after him, but Winnie held her back. “Eulalia, what happened? Tell me!”

As the door slammed shut, Eulalia broke down, burying her face in her hands. “I want a divorce! I’m done!”

Winnie never imagined that a single phone call from Ramona could throw the whole house into chaos.

It took a while to coax the story out of Eulalia, but eventually, she pieced it together: Ramona was back to her old tricks.

Just moments ago, Eulalia had confronted Flynn, who admitted without hesitation that it was Ramona who’d introduced him to the client. No one could deny Ramona’s connections—her network was impressive, and Flynn had no desire to get on her bad side.

But Eulalia’s attitude had pushed him to the edge this time. He snapped, blurting out that Ramona was amazing, and how he envied Jotham for having such a capable wife.

That was the final straw. Eulalia lost it, smashing Flynn’s game console and his prized collection of discs.

“Was that really necessary?” Winnie scolded, her brows furrowed in worry and frustration as she patted Eulalia’s trembling hand. “Men have their pride. Eulalia, there’s no need to pick a fight with Flynn over Ramona.”

Winnie’s anger simmered. Ramona had never lifted a finger for the Holt family, and now she was stirring up trouble.

But when he saw Eulalia lying safe in bed, he breathed a sigh of relief.

The family doctor had just left, explaining that Eulalia had fainted from low blood sugar compounded by stress. He’d prescribed some supplements to help her regain her strength.

Once the staff had been dismissed and the door closed, Winnie relayed the whole story to Jotham—but in her version, Ramona’s words were exaggerated into open insults and a deliberate attempt to wreck Eulalia’s marriage.

“I’m certain Ramona did this on purpose. We were generous to let her marry into our family, but she hasn’t shown an ounce of gratitude. Now she’s throwing her weight around in front of me and Eulalia.”

“See, this is what happens when you marry beneath your station. I’ve never seen anyone so eager to stir up trouble. She’s really opened my eyes!”

Jotham hesitated. “Mom, are you sure there’s not some misunderstanding? I know Ramona—she’s not like that.”

“You know her? And what, exactly, do you think you know?”

Eulalia, hearing this, stopped crying and shot back, “You think you know someone, but you never truly do. She’s a snake, pretending to be sweet around you, but rotten to the core!”

“Eulalia, please, calm down. Ramona has always treated you kindly. Maybe she was just having a bad day.”

Jotham instinctively defended his wife. Deep down, he refused to believe Ramona would ever deliberately hurt his mother or target Eulalia. In his eyes, Ramona was gentle and kind, always respectful to his family. She’d endured the Holt family’s impossible rules for his sake. If anyone had suffered, it was her.