AWAKENED INTO GODLIKE

Chapter 2: Tara

"Knee?"

Zane scoffed, his back straight, his eyes peering at the venomous woman in his front without blinking.

"I don't knee to anyone, woman." He said flatly. "It's an insult."

A deafening Silence settled into the dining hall following his utterance as though he'd just spoken words he wasn't supposed to utter. In the past, the zane they knew was an *sslicker, the man who bowed his head to all of their insults, but this man standing before them was different.

Margaret blinked. She stepped out behind from behind the chair, his eyes flashing with anger she could barely contain.

"Did you just refuse?" Her voice was low and dangerous.

Zane exhaled softly and simply pulled out one chair and sat uninvited to the shock of everyone.

"You're making it look awkward right now, Margaret." He said casually. "It is just a normal thing for me. Ca...Zane Mercer doesn't kneel for people." He said casually, taking a grilled chicken from the plate and biting into it.

"Hmmm...yummy." He smiled lightly, chewing lightly.

At the time, the dining had reduced into a pin drop silence.

Margaret blinked. Shock and disbelief mixing with anger inside.

"I am talking to you," her voice trembled with fury, "you had the guts to sit and eat from my plate!!"

Dora leaned over slightly, glaring dagger at him, her lips pouted disgustingly.

"He's high, mum. He definitely took a different brand of stuff wherever he was coming from." She said and slammed her palm to the table, rattling the plates. "Get up from the table now you disgusting thing under my heels!"

Zane knew from his memory this was how he was being treated in the past, he was the useless son-in-law of this family, the man who silently endured their humiliation. But not anymore.

Zane looked at the young girl.

"You're slim, yet you run your mouth like a parrot. You should keep shut and eat to grow fat." He said casually, "don't they teach you to respect people older than you. Someone like you is way below my feet. You're not even fit to be my servant. So you get up from this table and run the errand.."

A dead silence followed.

The young girl was stunned. Her fingers curled so hard her knuckles whitened, shaking with anger that flushed her face red.

"Mum, Did you just hear him," She cracked, "I won't take this disgusting act of disrespect."

Instead of even looking at them, Zane bit into the Chicken.

"You disgusting piece of rag!!"

Margaret exploded. Her palm cut through the air like a whip, aimed at Zane's face.

Zane didn't even stand. He caught her hand mid-air, wrapping her wrist in an iron grip.

Margaret gasped.

"Let go of me now! You bastard!!" She screamed, struggling to break from the grip but it was impossible and Zane wasn't even putting effort.

Mr. Sterling who had been watching the entire thing silently rattled his palm on the table.

"Are you crazy, Zane!" His roared. "Get your filthy hand away from my wife!"

Zane looked at the man with empty eyes, yet he didn't release Margaret's hand yet.

"Your wife insulted me and she attempted to slap me." He said calmly, his voice almost amused. "So you're mad now because I defended myself against her assault?'

The man blinked in shock. His finger dug into his palm, trembling on the table as anger consumed him inside. He stared into Zane's eyes into the eyes. A chilling pulse ran through his spine, his eyes held a steel that was never there.

This wasn't the man the Zane, the bucket they kicked around the house. This man was someone different, yet it was inexplicable.

Suddenly, a young woman rushed into the dining room. Her knee hit the marble with a sharp crack at Margaret's feet.

She wore a loose gown that was too big for her body. The gown had seen better days as was probably crying for retirement but the face of this young woman was nothing like it. Zane was momentarily captured by her beauty. Delicate features, perfectly sculpted jawline, high cheekbone, her hair was scattered, neat but unkempt. Zane caught the unfamiliar smell of smoke and bleach from her.

This woman was beautiful, yet she was dressed up wrongly.

She clung to Margaret's feet. She looked up with tears glazed in her eyes.

"Please.. please.. forgive him."

This woman was a stammerer too.

Margaret kicked her off her feet like a ball. She stumbled and fell back. Tears spilled down to her check.

"You disgusting shit. So you ganged up with your pathetic husband to beat me up? You're an insolent daughter."

Zane looked at the woman shedding tears on the floor. Memories flashed in his head. It was different this time. It wasn't the usual insult and abuse from the family. It was acceptance and love from the woman shedding tears on the floor for him.

This woman was his wife. The step-daughter of this family, the only person good to him, who defended him against their weapon and she was being treated like trash, like a gutter water in their expensive bucket.

Zane's heart ached seeing her condition.

He stood up from the table and walked up to her.

He crouched before her and stretched out a hand. The woman flinched. Her arms were inflicted with scars by Zane in the past.

"He's such a bastard for laying a finger to hurt her." He cursed.

In his world, Calestra, Caeleon was the kindest to women. He knew how to treat women and care for them with the vulnerability of an egg and not some disposable object.

Tara looked at him in surprise. She took his hand slowly. Zane felt her hand trembling. Her hands were rough and calloused from years of hard work she endured

His heart softened

He pulled her up from the floor.

Margaret was irritated at the sight.

"I told you they should be kicked out of this House. I can't take this insult. What is this? A Romantic performance from a gambler?" She spat.

Dora the favoured daughter was still fuming, her arms crossed over her chest.

"This is pathetic!" She sneered. 'I was insulted, Dad and you can't do anything about it!" She pushed back the chair so hard it tilted and slammed the floor. She stumbled away angrily.

Mr. Sterling exhaled deeply, but he was still very angry.

"Zane," he called, his voice tight. "What is all of these you just displayed in front of my family.

I gave you a space in this house with Tara because she's my daughter and you had the guts to insult my family under my own roof?" His voice rose angrily with every word.

Margaret clutched her wrist, whimpering and feigning hurt.

"He held me with his dirty hand. My body hurts. I can't take all of this embarrassment and assault in this house."

Zane didn't leave Tara's side.

He scoffed, his voice laced with slight amusement but his expression was cold.

"She is your daughter, yet you treat her like an outcast? Like she's a rag?" He raised a brow at the man.

Mr. Sterlings was stunned. Guilt flickered across his face but it disappeared as quickly as it came.

His jaw tightened. He clenched his fingers into a tight fist, crescent digging into his palms.

"You have no right to lecture me about how I handle things in my family!!" He hissed, his voice trembling in anger.

"Daddy...please.." Tara's voice broke. Tears clung to her eyes. Her held Zane's arm tightly.

"