The Deceitful Son-in-law

 It was fifteen minutes past three, Richard stood  in kitchen washing the dishes and checking the spicy chicken stew on the burner at the same time. He had to get the meal ready and the dishes cleaned before five. The Weldoms family, a lower first class family that runs the Weldoms business group had a business meeting at the place. 

 Though the Weldoms family was a first-class family in Bee City, it was still a second class family compared to the top ten families in the city, which was topped by the Armstrong family with a net worth of five trillion dollars.

 From the door, Victoria, Richard's wife came in with more dishes in her hands. "You piglet, hurry up," she ordered, dropping the dishes with the others. "it will soon be time. When you are done see me, I have some dirty clothes that need to be washed."

 "Okay love," Richard replied.

 "What?" Victoria shot a withering glance at Richard.

 "I am sorry love.. sorry, ma," Richard apologized.

 "You better be," Victoria thundered.

 As Victoria stepped past the kitchen door, Richard sighed. He has been married to Victoria for about a year now, their marriage anniversary was just a month away but they have never had any form of intimacy. 

 A drop tear escaped from his eyes and he cleaned with up almost immediately with the back of his palms. "Men aren't supposed to cry," he reminded himself. He took a plate from the set of dirty plates and the plate reflected his sleep ridden eyes and he thought about his miserable life.

At first, Victoria showed some love for him but after those few months, she turned into a torn on his flesh. But even during those periods when Victoria treated him with love, she did not allow him to come close to her sexually, it was a forbidden word in the house.

 She also noted that she regretted ever getting married to a poor jobless church rat like Richard, he was more like a burden on her, only good for house chores. But Victoria never talked about him outside their home. She detested any discussion about him.

 Her relatives were not nicer, they treated him like an outcast, especially his mother-in-law and grandmother in law. Margaret, Victoria's only relative who treated him like a human, just like anyone else was dead, she died of cancer. But Richard still loved Victoria, that pretty face and the beautiful smile that captured his heart when they first met at Felix lounge.

 Richard continued working on the dishes, lost in the realms of his thoughts that he did notice that the spicy stew was already burning.

 "Richardddddd," Victoria screamed, knocking him off his thought.  

 Immediately, Richard perceived the smell of the burning stew and he quickly took it off the burner with his bare hands. It didn't matter if his hands got burnt, he had to find a way to undo his mistake. The last time this happened, Victoria made him fill a fifty litter bucket with water, using a table spoon. And she made sure the bucket and the source of the water were fifty meters apart. It was not a pleasant experience and he did not want to go through it again.

 Victoria stormed into the kitchen, her face was flushed with anger. "What have you done again," she screamed. "The only thing you do with this your miserable life you can't still do it well huh, why did I ever get married to a piece of garbage." 

 "I am sorry ma," Richard apologized with a face smiliar to that of a child who is about to be punished.

 "Sorry? you are sorry? will that undo what you have done? will that buy you enough time to prepare another meal for my relatives, huh, answer."

 "I don't have any answer to any of the questions you just ask me." 

  Angry, Victoria gave Richard a hot slap across his face. "Do you know why you did this, because you don't know what it takes to earn money, jobless fool," she said to Richard who was now clutching his aching face with his left hand. The word Victoria just spoke spoke broke Richard's heart into a million pieces. Though it was a word he was already used to, from Victoria it was like a renewing stab.

 At a second glance, Victoria noticed the burns he got from the hot cooking pot and she smiled. "I don't think there will be any further punishment, the stew pot has taken its revenge. Thank your stars that I am in a good mood today, you know what I am capable of doing right?"

 "Yes ma," Richard replied.

 As for the meal you just destroyed with your stupidity, come to my room for some money to order a meal from the restaurant."

 "Thank you ma," Richard appreciated.

 "Not so fast mister, that will be at the expense of your meal."

 "I don't get you."

 "That's what happens when a sophisticated lady like me decides to marry a school drop out. I meant, from tomorrow, you will only be having one meal a day until I decide other wise. Is that okay by you?"

 "Yes ma," Richard said reluctantly.

 "Good," Victoria ended and stormed out of the kitchen.

 Richard bowed his head. "Why love a woman who treats you this bad, like a piece of trash," he thought. "I am her husband for God's sake," he screamed in his head. "Am I even supposed to be cooking our meal and washing the dishes?" his anger rising so bad that he had to clip his teeth to the roof of his mouth to control it.

 Angrily, he stormed out of the kitchen and journeyed to the master bedroom. Victoria was chatting with her cousin, Emmie, when Richard walked in. At the sight of her, Richard lost his courage. "What?" Victoria inquired.

 Her rude manner made Richard to get angry again. "Aren't you supposed to be washing the dishes and cooking our meals? I am your husband for God's sake, why are you treating me this way?"

 Victoria stares at him blankly in astonishment.

 "You know I lost my job because of you, just because your grand mom wanted a grand seven days wedding ceremony for her daughter, if you didn't love me then why did you accept my proposal? 

 But Victoria reminds silent. She stared blankly at the thrash she got as a husband. After almost a year of hard labor, he was still as handsome and muscular as the day she first met him. But that was then when she was blinded by love. Then, she saw a promising hard working man before her but today, she saw a worthless piece of garbage. But a part of her still loved him, but that part of her was gradually dying. She had to act strong so Richard will never be able to question her authority, that was exactly what are mum told her.

"Answer me," Richard shouted at Victoria for the first time she got married to her.

 "What job were you doing when I got married to you?" Victoria questions.

 "I was a cleaner," Richard stammered, "but it doesn't matter, I am still your husband."

 "First whatever gave you the guts to shout at me tonight should also get you ready for the punishment that follows immediately after we return from the meeting tonight. A husband who can not put food on my table, what do you call that."

 "You should count your self lucky that I have not divorced you, you won't survive a week in the street. And let me make this clear, I never got married to you because I loved you or I wanted to be the mother of your children. I got married to you because I am a business woman who has a lot on her and I needed someone to do the chores."

 Defeated, Richard turned around to leave, he had added salt to his sore. Victoria stopped him. "I am not done with you." Go to my drawer, you will find something, bring it to me. At the word, Richard matched to the drawer by the left of the bed and got the white business suit for Victoria. "It's for you," Victoria announced.

 A smile hovered on Richard's lips.

 "Don't think too much about it, I don't want you to look like a thrash before all my relatives tonight, I still have some sense of dignity if you do not. Hope the living room is in perfect order now."

 "Yes, ma."

 "Please go take your bath, you stink. I don't want you to suffocate my relatives when they come around, with your odor."

 Richard left the room and headed for the kitchen. He got the suit Victoria got him and checked it out, it wasn't his size. "I can't wear this, I will have to go by whatever I have," Richard thought. He sighed. He fell to the ground with his back resting on the kitchen wall. This time, tears flowed down freely from his eyes and he didn't restrain them. "At times, it's alright to cry," he sobbed.