RISE OF THE WORTHLESS SON-IN-LAW

CHAPTER TWO

There was nothing but silence in the dining hall of the Shaw mansion, except for the broken pieces of glass scattered across the polished floor.

Everyone stared at Ethan, their eyes wide with shock at the shattered mess before them. But soon enough, the silence cracked, giving way to murmurs and muffled laughter as one by one, the Shaw family began to react to Clara’s decision.

“Well, it’s about time,” Fiona said, “I mean, let’s be honest, this whole marriage thing with Ethan was nothing but a mistake from the start.”

“Ethan is nothing but a coward who doesn’t belong here. Look at him, shaking like a leaf and dropping things like a scared little boy. How embarrassing.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Amber added, “Honestly, Ethan, you should be grateful. If Clara marries Mr. Harlow, you’ll be free now and you can go back to whatever hole you crawled out of. Come on, did you really think you deserved her in the first place?”

Several other relatives snickered quietly, shaking their heads in mockery. Some of them didn’t even bother to hide their disgust.

Margaret, who had always hated Ethan the most, pushed her chair back. She stood up, fixing Ethan with a cold glare. “I mean, really, Ethan, did you think dropping a few plates was going to change anything? Couldn’t handle hearing that you’re nothing but a worthless leech living off our family’s kindness?” She shook her head, letting out a bitter laugh that filled the room. “Face it, you're never good for my daughter. You're a weakling. Always have been. Always will be.”

Ethan stood there, his fists clenched so tight that his nails dug painfully into his palms. For three long years, he had swallowed all their insults and slaps across his face. He had kept quiet, thinking it was better to endure it for the sake of his marriage. For the woman he loved. But tonight something inside him snapped.

His blood burned like fire through his veins.

“You all think I’m a coward?” Ethan asserted. He raised his head slowly, and for the first time in three years, he didn’t look like a beaten-down servant.

There was something in Ethan’s eyes now, something strong and powerful. “I’ve kept quiet all these years, not because I’m weak, but because I thought it was the right thing to do. I let you all treat me like garbage and endured everything simply because I loved Clara.”

The room grew silent as Ethan took a step forward, his voice filled with a strength no one had ever seen in him before. “You call me a useless son in law? Do you even know who I am?” Ethan laughed bitterly, shaking his head. “You all sit there, pretending to be better than me, acting like I’m some nonentity who was lucky to marry into your family. But the truth is;” He paused, and his eyes locked onto Clara’s cold, stern face. “The truth is, you know nothing about me.”

Clara, still sitting by the window, bit her lip and refused to meet his gaze as guilt crept up her spine.

Everyone in the family thought Ethan was some broke nobody, but the truth is he was the heir to the Cole Dynasty, the wealthiest family in this entire city. His father, Richard Cole, owns businesses so large even the rich Shaw Enterprises looks like a cheap corner store compared to them.

Ethan grew up surrounded by wealth beyond their imagination. But when he was a child, he made a big mistake by taking his privileged life for granted. So his parents sent him away to live a poor life, struggle and learn how to survive on his own.

And guess what? He survived. He worked his hands to the bone and learned what it meant to be strong.

A heavy silence fell over the room, the seriousness of Ethan’s words crashing down on every single person.

Derek’s cocky smile faltered. Fiona and Amber, who had been so quick to mock him, now looked speechless.

And even Walter, the mighty head of the Shaw family, sat frigid in his seat, his fingers shrinking around the arms of his chair.

But Walter wasn’t about to let Ethan intimidate him and his family. He had ruled over this family for decades, and no useless son-in-law or upstart husband was going to challenge his authority.

Walter slammed his hand on the table. “Enough!” he barked. “I don’t care who the hell you say you are. In this house, I make the rules. And if you ever speak to me like that again, Ethan, you’ll regret your existence.”

“You can't threaten me anymore, Walter,” Ethan said calmly, his voice carrying a deadly edge. “Because I’m done playing your servant.”

Walter felt disrespected. His face was stony, and his fingers curled tighter against the table.

Before anyone could react, Derek and his cousins, Logan and Caleb;stood up, cracking their knuckles.

“How dare you talk to Grandpa like that?” Caleb asked.

“I think you need a reminder of your place,” Logan said coldly.

Ethan’s lips curled into a faint smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “I would love to see you try.” he challenged.

Derek attacked first, swinging his fist toward Ethan’s face. But Ethan was faster, he caught Derek’s wrist, twisted it sharply, and slammed his elbow into Derek’s stomach.

Derek gasped, stumbling back, but Ethan didn’t let him recover before he grabbed Derek’s shirt and threw him across the room.

Logan and Caleb rushed him next. Ethan sidestepped Logan easily and struck Caleb in the jaw with a single, powerful punch. Caleb collapsed.

Logan swung his fist wildly, but Ethan caught his arm in mid-air and drove his knee into Logan’s chest, sending him crashing to the floor.

The room fell into a stunned silence. No one moved.

Ethan stepped over the three of them and turned to face Clara. “Clara, think carefully,” he said. “Is this what you really want? Or are you just doing what your family tells you to do? I’m giving you 48 hours to decide. When I come back, I want a real answer. And if you choose to end our marriage, I won’t stop you.”

Clara’s face was pale, her hands shaking slightly and she couldn’t look at Ethan in the face.

This wasn’t the Ethan she was used to;the quiet, obedient husband who never dared to raise his voice. This Ethan was different. He was stronger, bolder and she didn’t know how to handle it.

Ethan turned away and walked toward the door, leaving everyone in the Shaw family stunned in complete silence.