Rise Of The Discarded Husband

Chapter 7: What A Poor Scum!

Drake frowned. Bumping into his mother-in-law and her two gossipmongers was the last thing he wanted. He rubbed his forehead, wishing there was a way to completely blot them out of his sight. Already he was having a nice time with Aria, but these women decided to show up here and ruin his day?

What were they even doing here? To stir up trouble?

However, he greeted them out of curiosity and added plainly. “It's nothing, I was about leaving,”

“Leaving to where?” Kelly scoffed, blocking his path. “Stop right there. Did I say you could leave?” She snickered. “How did a thieving bastard like you even get access to a luxurious apartment like this in the first place,”

Annoyed at her commanding tone, he snapped. “I don't think you have the right to order or speak to me like that again. Didn't Lydia tell you we finished discussing divorce? I'm not a part of your family anymore, so wherever I go is none of your business and has nothing to do with you,”

Kelly snorted loudly. When did Drake get this bold and audacious? “And so what? So just because you’re divorced, you can do whatever you want? You think a divorce lets you disregard your elders? It’s only natural for someone of my age to care about the younger generation’s whereabouts. Or is there some secret you’re hiding?”

Her gaze shifted to Aria and she sneered. “So this is your mistress? You really aren’t picky about anything, are you?”

Drake stepped forward as his face turned cold. “Show some respect,”

Kelly burst into a loud laughter, so hard that she clutched her stomach in the process. What a jokester! “A vampire living off my daughter, and you still have the nerve to talk about respect?”

“Biting the hand that fed you, is this it?” Sabrina hissed, rolling her eyes in disgust. “That's why you can never help poor people, they tend to be very ungrateful!” She glared at him. “You're really shameless, aren't you?”

“What do you expect from a parasite?” Cici chuckled disdainfully. “They're only satisfied after they suck you dry,”

Sabrina's lips curled into a cold sneer. “Wait, did you perhaps come here to apply for a job? What's the least they could offer you? A cleaner? A chef? Maybe a janitor? If you had some cheap sense, you'll go on your knees right now and beg for forgiveness. Who knows, Lydia might even accept to take you back!” She said and all of them burst into mocking laughter.

“Trust me, they won't even entertain a loser like him even if he applied for a cleaning job! What certificate, achievements or results does he have? Nothing! The only things he has are the rags on his body,”

Aria felt her fist clench into a tight ball as she listened to the women mocking and cruel laughter. She scoffed. From what she could perceive, it seemed these people had been enemies with Drake for a long time, but hell, that didn't excuse the way they kept raining insults and curses on him like he wasn't a human being with feelings?

“That's enough!” The words left Aria's mouth in one breath.

At the sharp command, there was a brief silence, then Kelly lowered her brows like she hadn't heard well. She never expected Aria to interrupt them. “What did you just say?”

“I said enough of the insults,” Aria said firmly. “Drake is not the monster you've painted him to be. I've been with him just enough to know that he's a man of reputation. Whether or not he's your son-in-law, he deserves respect and—”

“Shut up! Who are you to butt in when I’m teaching a worthless junior a lesson?!” Kelly interrupted with an angry huff. Somehow, she felt threatened that Aria was more good-looking. How did Drake even catch a big fish like her right after he divorced her daughter?

“And just who exactly are you?” Cici frowned, her irritation barely concealed. She shot Aria a hostile glare. “This is a family matter and you don't know this idiot like we do. Such a useless piece of trash that spends his entire day washing his wife's foot and cleaning the house!”

Aria sighed. This was getting difficult. She hated confrontations like this and the last thing she wanted to do was butt into other people's troubles, especially when Kelly was so bitter and adamant, misunderstanding her relationship with Drake. But then she couldn't just stand still and watch them humiliate and make fun of somebody that saved her.

“Look Miss, I think this is some sort of misunderstanding amongst yourselves,” She said, keeping her voice calm. “Maybe if we calm down to—”

“Calm down? Why should we calm down?” Kelly hissed in fury. “You think this idiot has any value?” She snickered, accessing Aria up and down with a mocking glare. “Oh well, I guess, birds of the same feather flock together, so I guess you're just as useless as him!”

Her expression shifted and a calculated, playful smirk appeared on her face, her voice laced with manipulation. “Oh, I get it, so you two have slept together? What did he use to lure you, hmm?” Her cold cackle made Aria's stomach turn. “Money? You entertained this idiot like an attention seeking puppy because he gave you quite a lot of money, isn't it?”

Aria found the accusation funny. “You're getting it wrong–”

“You think you can fool me? Tell me, how much did he give you? Give it back!” Kelly said furiously, swiftly crossing the distance between them and grabbing Aria's arm, just above the red marks left by the bloodletting.

“Ouch, leave me–” Aria whimpered and just then, Kelly shoved her with a force so hard that she would've fallen if Drake hadn't caught her on quick reflex.

“You shameless slut, hand over all the money right now!” She yelped, caring less of the impact of Aria's fall. “Every cent this worthless urchin stole for you belongs to my family!” Her face turned red as she glared daggers with her eyes. “Return it, or I'll involve the police!”

“Kelly!” Drake snapped, his tone calm, but the anger undeniable. “Stop this. There's nothing sneaky going on between us,”

“Nothing sneaky, yet you brought her to a hotel?” Kelly flared, his tone dripping with venom. “Oh please, miss me on that bullshit. You must really think I'm stupid,”

“He only brought me here to look at the apartment. Nothing more. He's only helping me,” Aria interjected firmly despite the throbbing pain in her arm.

Kelly froze, lowering her brows in surprise. The initial shock faded off and she burst into a loud laughter, like Aria had just cracked the biggest joke of the century.

“Oh poor thing,” Kelly said between laughter. “You've been tricked. This idiot? He's just a kicked-out loser who couldn't even afford to buy sanitary pads for his wife. He has no power, no status and you think he can afford a place like this? You better run away before the police arrest you along with him for theft!”

Aria was surprised. “That's not—”

“Infact, I own this entire place,” Kelly bragged, dipping her hand into her purse and bringing out a diamond key card that glimmered in the sunlight. She shoved it in Aria's face. “This is how I know that you're about to fall victim to a scammer. This card right here was given to me by my new rich son-in-law to access this penthouse that he purchased for me. It's mine, and not up for charity or whatever lies this guy is feeding you with,”

“So pathetic. Barely a day after Lydia dumps him and he's already conning someone?” Sabrina clicked her tongue in fake pity. “Poverty really rots the mind,”

Aria opened her mouth, about to retort when Drake grabbed her hand gently and whispered for her to follow him to the elevator.

Seeing them leave, Kelly chuckled mockingly. “That's right, run off like the cowards you are! Little brat, you got lucky this time. Next time, I’ll tear your skin off!”