I WAS A USELESS SON-IN-LAW, NOW I DECIDE FATE

Humiliated

Sofia!

That voice, Edward would recognize it anywhere. The same voice that had shredded him an hour ago, leaving nothing behind.

He could swear it with his full chest, that the nasal, grating pitch belonged to his mother-in-law.

"You better come out from that hiding place," she called from the doorway, peering inside like he was a roach she had cornered.

The room tilted. Understanding crashed into Edward with physical weight.

This whole delivery. The mysterious client. The rush f*e. The address. All of it had been staged. Sofia, the mystery man, Ava, they'd orchestrated this. For what? To watch him humiliated in public?

Edward's jaw tightened.

Enough. The word burned through his chest like whiskey. Enough. He has had enough of them.

He lifted his head and stared at the delivery slip, then crumpled it in his fist. Now that everything was clear to him, He wasn't playing their game anymore. Not tonight. Not ever.

He wiped his face with the slip, the rough paper brush against his damp skin. straightened his shirt collar, and walked toward the door.

Sofia staggered backward when she saw him.

For a moment, confusion flickered across her face. She'd known Edward for two years. Knew him as a crying boy who asked a thousand questions whenever life punched him. Knew him as the man who had stood in that living room minutes ago, stammering while she carved him open.

This man walking toward her wasn't that man.

His eyes were dry. His spine was straight. He passed her without a word.

It took a few seconds before she could come to her senses again. Then her heel clicked against the marble as she scrambled after him.

By the time she caught up, Edward was pushing through the lobby doors.

Disappointment twisted her features. As it was not how the scene was supposed to play. She had imagined him crumbling here, in front of everyone, while she delivered the final blow. But the lobby still held a decent crowd as guests were checking in, businessmen nursing drinks, staff milling near reception.

Sofia's smile returned. Wider this time.

"You poor, stupid boy!" Her voice ricocheted off the marble walls. Heads turned. Conversations died as all eyes left what they were doing to look at where the voice came. "You still don't get it, do you?"

Edward stopped walking what worst could the night be he hissed. He didn't turn around because he saw those crowd when he walked passed.

Why was he just getting to know this Sofia, how has he been soooo blind as not to see all of this as surely it didn't begin today.

Sofia closed the distance, her heels striking the floor like hammer blows. "You delivered a dress to your ex-wife. Your ex-wife who is with someone else tonight. A real man you call yourself?" She gestured broadly, feeding off the growing audience. "How do you show your face here? After you couldn't take care of her? After a wealthy gentleman had to steal her away because you're nothing?"

Whispers rippled through the crowd.

"Isn't that the Gavins heir?"

"Not heir anymore. Disowned, remember?"

“Not many knew him”

"He never came to events any…..”

The words blurred into static.

Edward stood frozen, back still turned, each syllable landing like a slap.

Sofia drank it in. This was better than she had imagined. "You see what real men do for their women?" she continued, louder now, playing to her audience. "You never brought Ava anywhere this grand. You gave her nothing."

She stepped closer, dropping her voice just enough to force people to lean in. "Fifty dollars. That's what they paid you to deliver that dress. Fifty dollars that won't even buy a proper meal in this city. And you still showed up, knowing exactly who the dress was for." She paused, letting the weight settle. "How shameless can one man be?"

Edward's eyes burned.

He was broke. He wouldn't deny it. But shameless? He had dignity. If he'd known the delivery was for Ava's new man, if someone had just told him, he would have thrown the package in the gutter.

He hadn't even been able to process the night shock about Ava not wanting him, so when did the divorce happen?

He swallowed then turned slowly to face Sofia

"Mum." His voice came out quieter than he wanted. Weaker and far from the courage he mustard in that restroom. "I wasn't always like this. You know that."

The crowd pressed closer. Faces blurred together. seems they were enjoying the show.

Even the hotel staff could not pretend not to watch because the man being humiliated was a nobody.

Edward's chest tightened. This morning, he had woken up thinking about anniversary dinner. Candlelight. Ava's smile. Maybe, just maybe, renew their vow but this…

Now she was with heaven knows who probably Kissing him. Laughing with him. Doing all the things Edward had been saving for tonight.

His eyes burned hotter, not with anger this time but with tears threatening to run out his eyes.

Sofia caught the shimmer. Her smile turned razor-sharp. "You deserve this. Every bit of it. My daughter suffered with you for months. No proper home, no proper meals, nothing close to the life she was born into." She straightened her designer dress, smoothing invisible wrinkles. "You gave her nothing. Now she has everything. And you?" She laughed, a short, ugly sound. "You have a delivery job and fifty dollars."

Edward's legs wanted to move. To carry him anywhere else but here. But they wouldn't cooperate.

More people filtered into the lobby. Hotel guests returning from dinner, Staffs on break and many more that came from heaven knows where. People were now recording on their phones as flashlights glimmer the room.

Edward made himself turn away again, he has had enough and was leaving. One step, two.

Sofia's hand clamped onto his shirt, yanking him back.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Edward stumbled. The folded delivery slip slipped from his fingers and fluttered to the marble floor. He reached for it, but Sofia's heel came down first, crisp and deliberate, grinding the paper beneath her sole.

Edward bent towards Sofia, a snare at the side of his lip then whispered “I don't think you know how wicked I can be, the next time you piss me off, I will make you regret it Sofia Lorne”