Mr. Villain's Lovely Wife (Izzy)

Amalia sat inside her car, gripping the steering wheel tightly as sie dialed a number on her phone. Her eyes darted nervously to the rearview mirror before settling back on the phone. She pressed the device to her car and waited.

After a few rings, someone picked up. "Hello? I need to speak with Mr. Sherman," Amalia said quickly, her hand tapping anxiously on the center console.

The person on the other end didn't argue. After a brief pause, a new voice came through.

"Amalia," Mr. Shermau said, his words cutting straight to business. "When are you planning to pay your man's debt? Or should I arrange for him to lose a finger? Maybe an arm this tim?"

Amalia's knuckles whitened as she gripped the steering wheel harder. "That's illegal,” she snapped, glaring at her own reflection in the rearview mirror as if willing herself to stay composed.

Mr. Sherman laughed, the sound coming through the phone clear and very irritating. "Did you call me to tell me that?" he asked, his amusement evident.

Amalia clenched her jaw, forcing herself to breathe. "I'm ready to take the deal you offered last time," she said. She wanted to curse the man, but currently, he should be the only person capable of helping her.

There was a moment of silence before Mr. Sherman's laugh returned, louder this time. "The deal?" he said. "Oh, Amalia, that deal expired. You're too late."

"What do you mean by expired?" Amalia demanded, slamming her palm against the steering wheel in frustration. The sound reverberated through the car, matching the chaos building inside her mind.

"I mean," Sherman replied, "that someone else took it. You lost your chance."

Amalia's breathing quickened as she squeezed the steering wheel, her nails digging into the leather. "Who?" she asked. "Who took it?"

"That's not your concern anymore," Sherman said casually.

Amalia gritted her teeth, her thoughts racing. She slammed the steering wheel again, shaking her head as she tried to think of her next move. "You had no right

"Rights?" Sherman interrupted. "You don't have the luxury to talk about rights when you're drowning in debt. If you want to fix this, you'll have to work harder. Otherwise, I'll be collecting one way or another."

"Then... I'll take a new deal. Just tell me."

Mr. Sherman laughed as if he was already expecting this. "Well... fifty percent in a month."noveldrama

"You-"

"What?" Mr. Sherman snorted. "If you don't like it, we can make it sixty."

"Mr. Sherman, that's too much! Are you trying to rob me in broad daylight?"

Just as she expected, Mr. Sherman simply let out a laugh on the other line.

Amalia tightened her grip on the phone, her hand trembling slightly. "Mr. Sherman,

I can't afford those terms. Be reasonable," she said.

"Reasonable?" Sherman replied. "You're asking me for money when you're

already drowning in debt. Do you know how

much of a risk that is for me?

Analia closed her eyes briefly, trying to keep her composure. She needed cash to get those titles back. Sadly, she didn't have the amount needed to pay all of them. So, she was forced to borrow some money from a well-known loan shark in the

casino.

"Fifty percent in one month is absurd. How am I supposed to pay that back?" The deal she was talking about last time was thirty percent. Now, the man just increased it to fifty! Isn't that absurd?

Sherman's reply came without hesitation. "If you don't like it, I can make it sixty percent. But that's my final offer."

Amalia's free hand slammed against the steering wheel again, her frustration spilling over. "You're pushing me into a corner, Sherman. I'm trying to make this work, but you're asking for something impossible.”

"You called me, Amalia," Sherman said. "If you want the money, you play by my rules. Otherwise, don't waste my time." Amalia took a deep breath, her mind racing. She glanced at the dashboard, the seconds ticking away.

"Fine," she said. "But I need the full amount by tomorrow. No delays."

Sherman chuckled. "Of course. I'll send you the details. You know the drill-miss a payment, and you'll regret it."

"I won't miss it," Amalia snapped. She ended the call without waiting for a response, tossing the phone onto the passenger

seat.

She stared out of the windshield, her knuckles still white as they gripped the steering wheel. Her mind ran through the numbers, calculating what she would need to do to keep up with the crushing terms.

After a moment, she grabbed her phone again and dialed another number. "I need to meet with you," she said as soon as the line connected. "It's urgent. Tonight."

The voice on the other end said something that made her jaw tighten.

"No excuses," she said, her tone sharp. "Be there."

She hung up and started the car, the engine's hum breaking the tense silence in the small space.

"Izzy... this is your fault!" she hissed. She could, of course, move out of that house and stay in her apartment, but what would her friends say? "Six months..." She needed six months at least to find another way to convince Izzy to just let her stay in that house!

However, before she could start driving, her phone rang again. She looked at it and found one of her friend's names, Renee.

Almost immediately, the anger on her face vanished. She picked up the phone and smiled. Amalia then cleared her throat and answered the call.

"Renee, darling! What a surprise."

"Amalia, how are you? Are you feeling better now?" Renee asked.

Amalia leaned back in her seat, forcing a small smile. "Oh, much better. Thank you for asking. The flu seems to be going away. Because of the stress Izzy caused, she was forced to tell her friends that she was sick so as to avoid going out with them.

That's wonderful to hear," Renee said. "I was actually thinking of stopping by with a few things to help you recover faster. Some soup, maybe a few vitamins?"

Amalia straightened up, her fingers brushing against the steering wheel. "That's so sweet of you, but really, I'm starting

feel like myself again. No need to go through all that trouble."

"Great to hear," Renee replied. "In that case, why don't we meet up for coffee later? We can talk about the trip to Italy. I still can't get over the food and those shoes I bought the last time I visited Florence."

Amalia's grip on the wheel tightened, her jaw clenching. Just the thought of the money spent on this upcoming trip made her stomach churn. Still, she knew she couldn't let Renee suspect anything. She forced her lips into a smile.

"Of course! That sounds perfect. How about later this afternoon "Perfect!" Renee said. "Let's meet at the café by the plaza. Say around five?"

"Five it is," Amalia replied, already running the numbers in her head. Without Izzy's cards to fall back on, she had been forced to sell off many of her possessions just to maintain her lifestyle. Although her bank account still held a significant balance, most of it was already earmarked for expenses and their upcoming vacation, leaving her treading dangerously close to the edge.

"Can't wait to see you, darling," Renee said before ending the call

Amalia placed her phone down, her forced smile vanishing instantly. She exhaled sharply, her head leaning back against the

seat.

"This day just keeps getting better," she muttered sarcastically, as she started

driving.