Rise of the Worthless Son in law

1

Twenty-four-year-old Damon was sitting on a bench in the park with a heavy heart. He had just visited his Father-in-law's grave to pay his last respects.

Tomorrow, he’d sign the divorce papers. Three years of his life were gone—years spent trying to earn even the smallest glimmer of respect from the Lockwoods. But he had failed. To them, he wasn’t a husband; he was a shadow.

He had married Lily from the Lockwood family, who had seen him as nothing more than a complete failure and a disgrace for the past three years. Throughout those three years of marriage he had lived with his wife's family, they had treated him as nothing more than a servant, working him mercilessly without giving him any reward for his hard work. By "hard work," Damon cooked, cleaned, mopped, vacuumed, arranged things, and did every possible chore.

He would be halfway through serving dinner, and the Lockwoods wouldn’t so much as glance at him. They would laugh and talk over the clinking of their glasses as if he were invisible.

He had wholeheartedly done these tasks, thinking that maybe, one day, she’d see the effort he put in, that she’d remember he was her husband, not just a servant. But three years passed, and that moment never came.

He chuckled as he remembered the first day they had met. They had been introduced through her father, Mr. Daniel Lockwood, a man who was deeply involved in charity work. Damon had always believed in giving back, even though he didn’t have much to spare. He would donate clothes, volunteer at local shelters, and give his time wherever he could. It was during one of these charity events—a fundraiser for a local children’s hospital—that Mr. Lockwood first noticed him.

Mr. Lockwood was impressed by Damon’s humility and generosity, especially given his limited means. He saw something in Damon that he rarely saw in the people around him—a genuine desire to make a difference, even without expecting recognition. They spoke at length that evening, and by the end, Mr. Lockwood extended a warm invitation to join the family for dinner sometime.

At that first family dinner, Damon was introduced to Lily. She was striking, with an aura that held his attention. They clicked instantly, sharing stories and laughter late into the night. Mr. Lockwood seemed delighted by the connection, and over the months, he gently encouraged their relationship, convinced Damon was the kind of person his daughter needed.

Damon believed he was gaining not just a partner but a supportive family. But after Mr. Lockwood’s unexpected passing two months after their wedding, everything changed.

His mother-in-law, Caroline, found joy in tormenting him every single day. As soon as Mr. Derek Lockwood died, she exhibited her talent to its full strength.

He became a redundant existence in the family and spent his days being treated worse than a dog.

He scoffed as he remembered what had happened earlier today. He had gone to the grocery store to shop to cook the family dinner, only to catch a glimpse of Lily with a man who looked expensive, coming out of the hotel opposite the mall. His heart sank as he could guess the probability of what was going on...

When he confronted Lily hours later, what he got was a scoff.

“Let me break something to you,” she said as she folded her arms in disgust. “That man you saw over there was Tyler, my longtime crush and lover who just returned from Paris. And you don’t even have the right to question me about it, Damon.”

Her words hurt him deeply, and he felt a mixture of despair and anger. “So, you’re just going to throw it in my face? After everything I’ve done for you and your family?” His heart ached, but he couldn’t let her see how much it hurt.

Lily rolled her eyes, a common gesture between them. “What have you done, Damon? Cooked a few meals? Cleaned up after us? You’re just a glorified housekeeper at this point. You think that makes you special?”

His heart sank in pain but he tried as much as possible to conceal it, “Special? No, I don’t, But I am your husband, Lily. I am your fucking husband." He bellowed, "Doesn't that make a bit of difference to you?”

“Please,” she scoffed again. “You’re not my husband. You haven’t been for a long time. The moment my father died, you lost any chance of being part of this family. My father would have wanted more for me than this—whatever this is. I need someone who can give me what I deserve, not someone who’s content to fade into the background, someone like you.”

The word struck Damon like a physical blow, didn't she know how much he loved her? How much he wanted to make her happy?

“Is that what you call Tyler?” Damon shot back “He just got back from Paris, and you think he can give you what you deserve?"

“Say whatever you want, I’ve suffered enough from your uselessness for the past three years, Damon Let’s get divorced tomorrow!”

lily looked at Damon with a cold, arrogant, and contemptuous expression.

Damon immediately felt as if his heart was pierced by thousands of arrows. He knew that he was not worthy of Lily, and yet he continued to work hard and endure everything for three years in the hopes of getting lily’s approval.

Little did he know that he would receive a request for divorce in exchange for all his hard work!

“You heard that correctly Damon, I want a divorce! i no longer want you tarnishing my image." She hissed

With that, she turned on her heels and walked away, leaving Damon standing in the kitchen. In that second, humiliation, anger, and a plethora of other negative emotions began to overwhelm him. He was homeless with absolutely no idea of where to stay.

He chuckled as he looked silently at the sky, remembering how Mr. Lockwood was the only person who had protected him and taken care of him during those three years. After being kicked out of the house, Damon felt compelled to pay his respects to the old man one last time.

He took out the necklace that his late father in law had passed to him and heaved a heavy sigh as he stared into the sky; he was the only one that had ever treated him right among the loockwoods.