A Slumdog Heir

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"What do you want from me?" Colon yelled, to no one in particular. 

This was all a plan, a very good one at that to get him to divorce Marissa. 

If he agreed to the divorce, he would give them what they have always longed for: him being out of their lives. 

If he didn't, he would be risking his image and the reputation of his wife, something Marissa would not want. 

He was left in a dilemma, perhaps dilemma was an understatement for what this was. 

It wasn't always like this. No, it wasn't this way 3 years ago. 

Three years ago, Colin was someone they had wanted. 

He had gotten married to Marissa then, all thanks to the old lord of the house. 

He was a great man of honor and respect and treated him as such. 

Perhaps, they only endured so much because he was here at the time. 

Just a few months after he had died, Colin noticed a change. 

They no longer served him food, he was made to perform domestic chores. 

Hell, they became so bent on getting him to divorce Marissa. 

Only then did he understand his position and what he meant to them.

He was just a means to an end, nothing more than that. 

And since he had filled that role and his only support was dead, it was their chance to throw him out. 

In moments like this, Colin wonders if his existence was worth this after all. 

He never got anything back from any of the relationships he had tried to build with this family. 

It was a parasitic relationship: they were always taking, never giving back. 

****

Thinking hard, he decided to rush towards the family's living room, where he knew they would all be gathered to plot the next scheme.

"Have you decided yet?" Mrs. Williams, his mother-in-law had asked

"Yes" Colin answered boldly 

"Well then, let us hear it" Mrs. Williams urged 

"I will not be divorcing Marissa. I love her and she loves me too. In as much as I know this would hurt her pride and reputation, I believe she would understand and stand with me at this moment" Colin lets out, adamant on his earlier decision. 

Colin decided it was better to not give them what they want, that way, they wouldn’t humiliate him as much.  

"You must be mistaken then" one of the cousins had chipped in 

"Shush" Mrs. Williams had warned him, motioning with her hands   

"I let you marry my daughter, you took her away from me, from us, for 3 years" Mrs. Williams screamed, a look of disappointment on her face

"I feed you, you live in my house rent-free and you dare walk into my living room and say no to me?" Mrs. Williams asked, wide-eyed, almost threatening 

"It is not a dare. Look closely, I am here" Colin corrected, ready to face whatever it was. 

"I would advise you to make your decision wisely" Mrs. Williams added, standing up to face Colin. 

"I already have thought about it and I have made my choice" Colin insists, a resolute look on his face. 

****

Mutterings, and whisperings, all continued as they wondered what to do with him.

"Perhaps we should let Marissa settle this for us once and for all" Mrs. Williams finally blurted out 

"Yes, perhaps if he sees her here, he would change his mind" one cousin added 

"I hope he does, you all know Colin is way too stubborn and a hard nut to crack" another cousin chipped in

"It's Marissa, the love of his life, I am sure he would crack. I would love to see him break" another agreed smiling evilly 

****

"You think Marissa loves you, eh? You believe she would support and stand by you?" Mrs. Williams threw at Colin

"I know the woman I married, and her love has kept me going for the last 3 years" Colin answered smiling, certain that Marissa would stand by him. 

"You are so confident in your wife" Mrs. Williams noted 

"Where would you rather I placed my confidence, on the Williams?" Colin scoffed, so much for trust. 

"I wouldn't be so confident if I were you" Catherine had warned. 

These were the first words she uttered since her mother had stepped in. 

"I didn't think you to be this evil..." Colin had started but was stopped halfway by the cousins. 

They pushed him to the ground and with their hands and fist, landed hit after hit with Mrs. Williams offering verbal abuse with painful screams from Colin. 

"My body could count as evidence in court" Colin had warned and they all stopped immediately 

"You do think the court is going to favor me, eh?" Colin giggled, he knew the question had threw them off balance. 

Perhaps, they hadn’t thought about that. 

"I can see the fear in your eyes. Imagine it, just imagine it" he added 

"Imagine the judge doesn't find me guilty and Catherine was proved a liar in court" 

"Oh, what that would do to your good name and reputation. I would love to see it" Colin finished, satisfied with the effect the words had on them 

"What makes you think anyone in this city would believe you over the Williams?" Catherine had asked boldly with hands crossed 

"Because, unlike your family, some persons still have hope in the truth" Colin had answered 

"Well, sorry to disappoint you then.  None of them left in this city" Catherine jeered  

"Let him enjoy the moment" Mrs. Williams chipped in 

"He deserves it for he is nothing but a gold digger" Mrs. Williams added 

"I am no gold digger. How can you not see that?" Colin asked

"If I was as evil as any of you, I would have long made you all bankrupt and already harnessing and exploiting your family's resources" Colin continued 

"If you didn't want me from the beginning, why did you let me on then, huh?" Colin asked, knowing pretty much that they had no answer to that

"You should have vehemently refused, but no, you all let me in because you are all selfish and greedy" 

"I was available so you took the chance until I became of no use to you" Colin added 

"Besides, if you wanted me to divorce Marissa, all you had to do was just ask nicely not all of this setup and shit, it makes no sense" Colin finished, wondering what he ever did to the Williams to make them hate him so much 

"We considered it, I swear we did. But no one of us believed you would agree to that" a voice had said walking in. 

Colin knew that voice, he would recognize it in his sleep, it was his love, his Marissa. 

"Marissa?" Colin called out and turned to check, relieved that she was here finally 

It was indeed her but he saw something else. 

Standings right before him were Marissa, with another man. 

"Marissa, who is he?" Colin asked trying to remain calm, perhaps it was a friend, one who would help them out of this mess. 

Or a friend, who had come to visit. But for some strange reason, he was vaguely familiar 

"He is the man I am going to marry. He is the son and heir of the Davies family, you see" Marissa explained, smiling. 

The Davies family was the top richest family in the city at the time. 

Ah, that was why he looked familiar, he was all over the tv. 

Only then did all that happened began to make sense to Colin. 

Colin's Marissa knew about all of this from the very first day, she knew and it sat well with her. 

"Whatever happened to our love?" A heartbroken Colin had asked

"I never loved you" was her short reply

And as much as tears were about to drop from Colin's eyes, he controlled it. 

Better for him to cry when they were not all together, it would be easier to deal with it then. 

"I am not going through with the divorce. You can do your worse" Colin answered, crossing his arms in defiance. 

He was still trying to process all that was happening. 

Too many things happening all the same time. 

He couldn't tell them apart, which was real, and which was not. 

Perhaps, he was still dreaming, this might all just be a very bad dream. 

"Of course, I didn't expect you to agree all of a sudden" Marissa had said, jolting him back to now, telling him that all this was real and happening, not a dream. 

"It is why I had a backup plan ready" she answered, smiling.