Ridiculed into Wealth

Chapter 5: Return of the Forsaken

The limousine pulled up in front of the Montgomery estate.

His driver opened the came out, rushed over to the owner's side and opened the door for the phantom inside.

The bodyguards got down from other choice cars that formed his entourage snd lined up on both sides, awaiting his emergence, so he could walk between the two lines they had formed at the entrance.

Flashes of camera lights bounced off its polished hood. Reporters leaned forward. A hundred eyes turned toward the door.

And when it opened, the world stilled.

Liam stepped out.

Tailored black suit. Silver cufflinks. Jawline sharper. Posture unyielding. His once-unkempt hair was now slicked back with a precision that screamed power. No tie. Just presence.

He didn’t smile. He didn’t need to.

“Who is that?” someone whispered.

“That’s Liam Carter,” another said, wide-eyed. “Wait… no. That’s Liam Hawthorne.”

"He's so hot', some ladies cooed ogling him openly but he never once looked their way.

They were the same people who ridiculed him not too long ago. How pretentious! he thought.

He recalled some ladies saying to his hearing, at some function, "They let anyone in these days." Or some such slide remarks, not hiding the fact they were referring to him. He recalled how he had smiled tightly, swallowing the insult.

"You mean that was the Montgomery's loser son in - law,?" another whispered to his companion. "How had he transformed this way?"

Natalie turned just as he entered the ballroom.

Her champagne glass nearly slipped from her hand.

It couldn’t be.

Not him.

Not like this.

He walked past her like she was air.

Straight to Harold Montgomery, who turned, confused.

Liam extended his hand. “Mr. Montgomery. Thank you for hosting tonight’s event.”

Harold blinked. “Do I… know you?”

"Harold, don't tell me you cannot recognize me", he said, for his ears only and on his face was a chilling smile, as he stared mockingly into his eyes. "You cannot have become too old and senile within the space of three months. Or was it not three months ago, you celebrated your 60th birthday?"

"Yes, it was but who are you?" Harold asked, furious at his implication that he was now too old and senile. "Your face looks familiar but it can't be the person that comes to mind. You are too refined to be him"

Liam leaned in, with a smirk.

“I’m the mistake your daughter made,” he said quietly, and then louder for the crowd: “Liam Hawthorne, majority shareholder of Hawthorne Industries. I’ve just acquired a controlling interest in MorganStone Logistics… one of Montgomery Group’s top partners.”

Gasps rippled across the room.

Harold went pale, his mouth opened in a circle of surprise.

Charles dropped his drink. The glass shattered on the floor and he wasn't even aware of it as he stared at Liam, shocked to the bones. What the fuck?

Natalie opened her mouth — but nothing came out. She just kept staring at Liam like she had never seen him before.

Liam adjusted his cufflinks and smiled coldly. “I believe you’ll be hearing from my office soon.”

After he left, the gala was thrown to confusion.

Charles could not believe what he had seen and heard.

Was that really Liam? he thought to himself, still shocked. It couldn't be, could it?

"His voice sounded so modulated and refined. His clothes, oh! Charles had to admit to himself that the clothes Liam wore had caught his attention and looked better than any he had. It stung. The loser he made fun of just the other day was showing off before him. Who knew where he had hired the cloth? Even if it was hired, it must have cost a fortune to hire it.

And the cars, the bodyguards? The transformation was too sudden that it was incredible.

He went to his father.

"Do you really believe that was really Liam?" he asked.

"You saw it for yourself and heard his claim!" Harold clutched his chest. He felt a tightening there. Could it be? he asked himself for the thousandth time. They both recalled Luam's claim:

“Liam Hawthorne, majority shareholder of Hawthorne Industries. I’ve just acquired a controlling interest in MorganStone Logistics… one of Montgomery Group’s top partners.”

"It's too sudden. I feel he is impersonating someone. How can an orphan like him be the Heir to the Hawthorne fortune?" Charles said, shaking his head. "If he were that connected, he would never have allowed us walk all over him the way that we did. He is just acting to get us to respect him!"

"I don't know" Harold Montgomery said, looking very uncertain. He could not seem to forget the chill he had felt when Liam - thee new Liam had smiled at him and reminded him the words he had always used to describe Liam. The words he had used not too long ago on fact.

“I’m the mistake your daughter made,”

If he had looked the way he did today, why would he have opposed his marriage to his daughter? Especially if he was who he claimed he now was.

"Do you know that if his claim is really true, he would take out his revenge on us?" Charles echoed what his father was already thinking but didn't want to say out loud.

Natalie gasped and they both looked at her.. They had been so engrossed in their conversation that they hadn't noticed when she had walked up to them, standing g beside them and hearing everything they said.

"Even now, you are ridiculing him, doubting him?" she asked, shaking her head in disbelief. "We should be thinking how to get on his good side and not antagonize him further. We have done him alot of injustice as it is".

"If he really is what he claims" Charles said, stubbornly. Her was not going to believe the ebisednce of his eye.. Hhe was going to believe it when there was more proof of his claim. For now, he was going to believed the new Liam was a fake.

"And if it turns out that he really is what he claims?" Natalie asked, heart pounding. "What then?".

"Then you step in", her father said.

"How?" she asked, bemused.

"He loves you and you are still married to him. So, he is still invariably our son - in - law. You will make him dance to our tunes again".