Revenge Of The Hidden Heir.

"Jonathan! Jonathan!! Jonathan!!!" Leo called out loudly. Jonathan rushed from his bedroom, where he had been lying with his wife, to answer the call.

"Get me some fries from the fridge and place them into the microwave," Leo demanded.

Jonathan hurried to the fridge, retrieved the fries, placed them in the oven, heated them, and brought them to Leo.

"Jonathan, get me some fruit juice," Mrs. Anderson shouted from the far end of the sitting room.

The sitting room exudes modern elegance, filled with chandeliers that illuminated the space. Luxury and wealth permeated every corner.

Jonathan rushed to the fridge, grabbed the fruit juice, and handed it to Mrs. Anderson.

"Is there anything else I can help you with?" Jonathan asked politely.

"You can go back to hell. When I need you, I'll send for you," Mrs. Anderson replied coldly.

"Mom, that's not fair," Leo laughed mockingly.

"Mom, Leo, you both have to stop treating my husband like he's some slave in this house. I won't tolerate this any longer," Sophia interjected.

Sophia Anderson had been married to Jonathan for a year now. Their marriage had been swift; one day, Sophia introduced Jonathan as her fiancé, and within weeks, her grandfather gave his blessing for their union.

The whole family was shocked at how quickly the patriarch accepted Jonathan, given his humble background. Every other member of the Anderson family opposed the wedding, viewing Jonathan as a pauper.

They even tried to discourage him by insisting that he abandon his family name and take theirs if he wanted to marry Sophia. Jonathan reluctantly agreed, unable to bear the thought of Sophia being disowned by her family because of him.

The only person who had made him feel like family was no longer with them.

'Hey, Jo, I know you will become a great man someday,' Mr Aaron Anderson used to say.

"Hey dummy, would you move away?" Leo's voice jolted Jonathan back to reality.

"Oh, sorry, sir Leo. I must have been lost in thoughts," Jonathan mumbled.

"Lost in thoughts, you say? How dare you be lost in thoughts? Who gave you that permission?" Leo sneered. The whole Anderson family burst into laughter.

"You guys are just so evil and wicked. How could you treat a human being this way?" Sophia protested.

"Apparently, he's not a human being. He's just a lowly church peasant who thinks he can reap where he did not sow. How dare he have the audacity to think he could be one of us? Changing his last name to Anderson doesn't make him one of us. What makes you an Anderson is the blood that flows through your veins," Mrs. Anderson spat.

"Mom!" Sophia shouted.

"Don't 'Mom' me, Sophia. You're not innocent in this crime. How could you think to bring a man like this into this honorable family? You're a disgrace to this unique bloodline," Mrs. Anderson continued.

"Mom, how could you say such things? Dad, are you just going to keep quiet and watch Mom say all this to us?" Sophia pleaded.

"Well, come to think of it, she isn't totally wrong. Everything she's said is true," Mr. Anderson finally spoke.

Jonathan's eyes widened. 'What has come over Mr. Anderson? He was always so calm before. Is it because his father died, and now he thinks he can say whatever he wants as the heir to the Anderson Empire?' he couldn't help but wonder.

"Dad, this is unbelievable. So what have you been doing, behaving like a loyal dog while Gramps was still around just so you could get the inheritance?" Sophia blurted out.

"You will not talk to your father in such a manner, Sophia," Mrs. Anderson warned.

"And you all will not talk to my husband in such a manner," Sophie replied angrily.

"Sophie, have you gone nuts? Why would you talk to Mom and Dad so rudely?" Leo raised his voice.

"No, I haven't gone nuts, Leo. You're the ones who aren't reasoning well, talking to my husband in such a manner," Sophia retorted.

"Calm down, Sophia. They're your parents, and Leo is your brother. You shouldn't be fighting them because of me. They're your family," Jonathan intervened.

"So are you, Jo. You're my husband; we're legally married. It's high time these people understand that fact," Sophia insisted.

"Sophie, that's enough," Jonathan said, gently pulling her away from the sitting room as the argument intensified.

"Run along, bitches," Leo shouted after them.

In their room, Sophia turned to Jonathan. "Come on, you have to stand up to these people. You're a legal member of this family; you can't let them treat you like trash, especially after you were forced to take our surname."

"I know, babe, but they're your family. I don't want you getting into fights with your brother. You know how bad he can be," Jonathan replied softly.

"He wouldn't dare lay a finger on me," Sophie said defiantly.

Jonathan walked closer to Sophie, placing his hands on her cheeks. He pecked her forehead, saying, "All will be fine. I just have to work harder, prove to them I'm not as useless as they think I am."

"You're just too quiet and gentle. Imagine how they'll treat you when the whole empire is in their hands. I bet they wouldn't hesitate to throw you out of this house," Sophia worried.

"We'll be fine, Sophie. As long as you stay with me, I'm okay. I don't need any of them or their properties. I only need you," Jonathan assured her.

"How can you say such a thing? As an Anderson, you have a rightful place here," Sophie said, walking out of the room.

'How will I survive staying in this family? I wish Gramps was still alive; things would have been different,' Jonathan thought to himself.

The torture and maltreatment were overwhelming, but Jonathan was too timid to speak up. He didn't even have the ability to get angry. All he could do was obey every instruction given to him by the Anderson family. He was content with just being a good son-in-law and a good husband to Sophia.

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