Brad continued his stroll for the next fifteen minutes in peace, until his phone began to ring again.

He picked it up to check who his caller might have been, and to his utmost surprise, found it to have been his father in law, Noah Wilson. 

Noah wasn't too different from him. He came from a poor family and got married into the Wilson household, and thus, received all sorts of insults and blasphemies from his wife's people. Soon, because of his cowardly behavior, he too began to creep low and adjusted just fine to their harsh behaviors. 

Even from his wife! 

Brad picked up. "Hello sir, good evening." 

"Good evening? Hmph!" Scoffed Noah. "What exactly is good about the evening, huh? What is?" 

Brad sighed. He was already used to his father-in-law's drama, so he remained calm. "I'm sorry, sir." 

"You just will never learn, will ya?" Queried the man, while Brad remained quiet. "Listen boy, you have decided you were ready for anything the instant you agreed on marrying our daughter. Why are you trying to back out now?" 

Brad thought of a response, but nothing came to him. How else would he tell the old man to leave him the fuck alone and let him enjoy his stroll in peace! He sighed and did nothing but that. 

"We all know your mother-in-law, my sweet wife, Ava Wilson is a grumpy woman. And we all respect her for that! Why even bother trying to defy her. Just either succumb to her orders and do as she says, or divorce Emily right now. Simple!" Yelled the old man. Then there was a brief silence. 

Brad had nearly hung up when the man's voice spoke again. This frustrated him as he unintentionally let out another sigh. 

"You do know there's a reason behind your unemployment until now, right? She would never let any employer in this whole city give you a job! How can you still be so clueless about this!" 

Brad suddenly began to feel a stir of anger. How could one person be powerful enough to control his life and make him miserable like that? How! 

"Think this through, tonight." Said the old man, not in a manner that necessarily opted out much choice, rather in an authoritative manner. "Else, you'll really lose Emily. Mark my words. She's going to be married to a richer man, someone she won't love or cherish. Why don't you rethink your options, boy? Don't lose it all. Just come beg your mother-in-law and promise to become one of her personal minions, huh?" And with that, he hung up. 

Brad drew a sharp breath, and suddenly his face was a grimace of pain. He raked his fingers through his dark hair and stared high into the dim clouds for comfort. Just a tinge of it would be needed. 

His life was a mess, and the main person behind his suffering was no other than Ava Wilson and her entire household. 

✩★✩

At an exquisite building, the center of excellence in the city of New York, a big insurance firm, a group of three important people were having a meeting. 

"So what? Are we just going to give up on the firm after everything that we've been through?" Asked one of the present personnel and the only woman amongst them, Mrs Nova. 

The others were Miles Gates and a guest, Mr Harry Stewart. Miles Gates and Mrs Nova were both important members of the Stoneshell Insurance firm, while Mr Harry Stewart had been invited over to discuss the issue at hand. 

Harry was the butler to the important family that founded the company. He was a man in his late fifties, but still quite agile and active. His posture alone would match that of a bodybuilder—firm and upright. His long hair was packed into a neat ponytail. 

"No, Mrs Nova. We mustn't give up just yet." He said to the woman, who only gave him a state of partial disdain. 

Mrs Nova was somewhere between her sixties, since no one knew exactly what her age was. But it was certain she had been old enough to that age since she marked her sixtieth birthday years back. Wrinkles of stress had delineated her once-upon-a-time smooth pale skin. 

"Alright then, we shouldn't give up." Said Miles, "what else can we do then?"

Miles was the youngest amongst them, somewhere in his late thirties, and also the smartest and youngest staff to had made it to the board members. Mrs Nova was the director of the board members whilst Miles was assisting as the deputy and he had been doing his work quite alright. 

"I have ordered my men to be on the lookout for him. The successor of the Stoneshell firm will be back soon! It is only just a matter of time. So tell your people to worry not, and prepare a celebration party by Monday!" Announced Harry with ease. "There won't be any need for the shareholders to withdraw their support." 

✩★✩

As Brad walked along the quiet streets of New York, his mind played on a lot of things. He remembered his wife's advice on him meeting her mother and requesting a job, and he couldn't tell her the truth. How could he anyway? The woman had been nothing but cruel to him. Brad had indeed met with her and pleaded for a job, and the woman had the nerves to mock him and embarrass him in the midst of her extended family. 

He had waked out in shame that day, and just couldn't bear to tell his wife. He couldn't blame the poor woman because Emily knew very well what her faith might result in if she didn't find him a job soon. Ava would force her to get married to her worst nightmare, Jed Griffith, a rich old man. 

As he grew lost in his thoughts, he hadn't recognized a dark van that had been parked just around the corner, nor had he noticed the group of men that had been keeping a close watch on him. 

Immediately, one of them yelled out, "that's him, get him!" 

Soon four hefty men all rushed out from the van and hurriedly carried him into the van, blindfolding his eyes and binding his hands behind him, then the man at the front hit the ignition key, and drove off.