From Ex-Convict To General

THAT FORD BOY, THE USELESS SON-IN-LAW

"Dorian Ford, you’re nothing but a disgrace. Sign these papers and stop pretending you’re my husband."

Olivia Steele's voice cut across the prison visiting room like a whip. Sharp, cold, and loaded with venom.

The air in the room shifted. Heads turned. Guards paused. Even other prisoners being visited stopped to watch. The words echoed against the walls, bouncing off the metal bars and concrete floor, until every ear had caught them.

Dorian Ford sat on one side of the table, his wrists cuffed to the iron loop bolted down. He lifted his eyes slowly to the woman across from him.

Olivia Steele, his wife, his betrayer, gave him a final blow.

Her black hair was tied neatly, her expensive coat rested perfectly on her shoulders, and her chin was raised with pride. Beside her, was her younger brother, Ethan Steele, grinning wickedly, and just behind, her mother, Margaret Steele, her arms crossed, eyes narrowed in pleasure.

On the table between them lay a pile of papers and a pen. Olivia pushed them forward with one red manicured finger, her lips curling into a scowl.

"Divorce papers," she said, her tone dripping with loathing. "Sign them now. End this joke."

Whispers rose among the other visitors. Some chuckled, while others whispered insults under their breath.

Even the convicts whose hands weren't clean, had something nasty to say.

"That’s the Ford boy, isn’t it? The useless son-in-law."

"Imagine ending up in jail after living off his wife’s family. Shameful." Another spat.

"No wonder she’s cutting him off. I would too."

The humiliation smashed against Dorian like a wave, but his face did not change. His eyes, were dark and steady, fixed on the papers first and then on Olivia.

For a moment, silence stretched. Then he spoke, his voice low, calm, almost too calm.

"So this is what you’ve been waiting for."

Olivia leaned forward, her expression hard. "What I've been waiting for?" she scoffed. "No, Dorian. This is what I’ve been needing. To cut you off. To free myself from you." she hissed, while taming a loose strand of hair.

"Do you think I should keep being tied to a man in chains?"

Ethan barked a laugh. Spoiled since birth and covered by his mother’s wealth, he had grown into a man who mistook cruelty for power. His eyes glowed with the smugness of someone who had never lifted a finger for his own success, yet never missed a chance to crush someone else.

"Chained in prison, chained in marriage. A dog with two collars," he sneered, loud enough for the whole room to hear.

Even the guards exchanged smirks, though they said nothing.

Dorian’s stare flicked to Ethan, then back to Olivia. His eyes stayed on her face, the same face he once held with tenderness, the same lips that once whispered promises.

Memories cut through him. The first time she smiled at him in the rain. The nights he worked endless hours to pay for her school. All those moments, fleeting, now she sat across from him, stripping away the last piece of their bond.

Olivia’s voice spat again. "Look at yourself, Dorian. In cuffs, in rags, surrounded by criminals. Do you really believe you’re still my husband? Do you really think you deserve me?"

Margaret’s voice came in, harsh and cruel like always. Ruthless and ambitious, she had built her reputation on crushing rivals and bending allies to her will. In her eyes, Dorian had always been dead weight, a stain on her family’s name. Now, her voice carried the final blow.

"He never deserved you, Olivia. Our family only took him in out of pity. Trash will always be trash."

The words felt like sharp knives. Dorian felt each one, but none pierced deep enough to break him like Olivia's words. He straightened in his chair, his expression still relaxed.

His voice, when he answered, carried a calm weight. "Cuffs don’t decide a man’s worth."

Olivia flickered, caught off guard for half a second before her lips curled. "Spare me your riddles. You’re nothing, Dorian. Nothing. And after you sign this paper, you’ll have even less."

Ethan leaned close, grinning like a hyena. "Go on, brother-in-law. Sign it. Show everyone how useless you are."

The room buzzed with mocking laughter. A few prisoners shouted jeers from their tables. The humiliation was complete.

Dorian looked down at the papers. His name was typed neatly on the line where he had to sign. His hand moved slowly, picking up the pen. For a moment, he held it in silence.

Inside, his heart twisted. He remembered every sacrifice he had made for her, every dream they once shared. But as he looked at her now, her cold eyes, her proud scowl, he knew the truth. That love was gone. Burned to ashes.

He bent his head and sighed. Stroke by stroke, his name spread across the paper.

The whispers grew louder. Some gasped, some laughed. Olivia’s smirk widened.

"Finally," she inhaled and exhaled, like a weight had been lifted off her chest. "It’s over."

Dorian set the pen down gently. He looked up, his eyes locking on hers. For the first time that day, a hint of fire flickered in his eyes.

"You’ve won your freedom," he said quietly. "I hope it gives you peace."

His words were steady, but the weight behind them made Olivia hesitate. Only for a second. Then she scoffed and stood.

"Peace comes from cutting off rot," she said coldly. She turned, her heels clicking sharply as she walked away.

Ethan followed with a loud laugh. "From son-in-law to convict. You’ll rot here, Ford. Remember this day, you’ll never rise again."

Margaret walked out last, her chin lifted high, her lips curled into a wicked smile of victory.

Their laughter echoed as the heavy door closed behind them.

Then silence followed.

Dorian sat still. His hands lay on the table, quiet and unmoving. His face was unreadable, but inside, his chest burned. The papers lay before him like a grave marker. Divorce, betrayal sealed in ink.

He took a long breath, steadying himself. Pain was real, but pain was not weakness. Not for him, not anymore.

The door creaked again. A guard entered, walking with sharp steps. His face bore none of the mockery others had shown. He stopped in front of Dorian, heels clicking together.

Then he straightened, raised his hand in salute, and his voice dropped low with respect.

"General," the guard said firmly. "Your orders?"