Supreme Major General: The Forsaken Son-In-Law Is A Boss

Chapter Seven

The sleek car rolled to a stop before a sprawling mansion. It was huge and reeked of money that would make commoners marvel. But for those who have been in wealth, it looked less like old money and more like money trying too hard. Marble lions guarded the gate, glass chandeliers glittered even from outside, and every column was plated with an unnecessary sheen of gold. It was the kind of nouveau riche monstrosity that screamed power but lacked grace.

Elias stepped out, stretching his limbs as if he had all the time in the world. His gaze flicked over the garish facade once before returning to calm indifference. He had just been discharged from the hospital and was about to leave to find his way back into the Beaumonts’ lives when a driver arrived from the matriarch to drive him to the family home. This was where all the current members of the Beaumonts grew up and apparently, where they held family meetings.

It was likely that a family meeting was going to be held today, if she took the liberty to send a driver. He had expected this summon from the matriarch anyway, so he strode calmly into the mansion.

Inside the lobby, he was waiting for the elevator when he crossed paths with Theo again. The latter strode in with his eyes glued to his phone and a hand in his pocket while looking like the very definition of noveau riche. Elias calmly looked away, acting like he didn’t see him.

But when the other party looked up and saw him standing there, he immediately broke into a scowl.

“What are you doing here?” Theo was pretty miffed seeing him after the argument in the hospital. He had acted so arrogantly and still dared to show his face in front of him. More so, in the Beaumonts home which was his turf?

Elias however had no interest in arguing with a man-child. So, he simply glanced at him from the corner of his eyes and looked away.

But Theo seemed to think he was feeling guilty and his bruised ego was pacified a bit. He sneered as he strode over folding his arms, “Don’t be in such a hurry to rush to your death. I’m definitely going to tell Grandmother today. Let’s see how she deals with you.”

He laughed as he spoke, his tone brimming with mockery but Elias only looked at him calmly.

His eyes slowly chilled and his lips carried the faintest curve. “If I can’t even handle words, I shouldn’t have been allowed through those gates.”

Theo scoffed. “You talk big for someone whose only worth is being Lila’s husband. If it weren’t for that, would someone like you—”

He was still speaking excitedly when Elias cut in, “And yet you’re here arguing with a nobody like me. Do you dare to say you’re not nervous that I won’t help you solve your mess? Keep acting up and see if I don’t dare to act crazy too.”

The elevator arrived just then. Elias stepped into it as he spoke, pressing the button and glanced up at him. “Going up, or staying behind?”

Theo’s look faltered. He was so furious that he didn’t know what to say to him in response. Before he could reply, the doors slid shut in his face.

Upstairs, the Beaumonts’ living room was already brimming with chaos. Voices rose one after another, and clearly, they were a very chaotic family.

“Sebastian has grown bold these days.”

“Daring to keep a mistress when he’s nothing but the family’s janitor!”

“He’s late to a family matter called for him. Does he think he’s someone important now?”

“Grandmother, when that ungrateful bastard comes, we have to send him out of Beaumont family. What a disgrace!”

Lila sat among them, her back leaned on one of the small sofa chairs. Her parents were not in attendance today. They had wanted to come but she had managed to convince them not to, knowing how much hatred they had for Sebastian right now and were likely coming to turn everything upside down.

She didn’t want that. Both of them had lived quietly in the same house without bothering each other for three years, was there a need to cause a ruckus just to part ways? That was why she was so quiet now even though the family were discussing their matter so excitedly.

However, Beatrice who was seated across was unnerved by her silence and leaned forward with a sneer. “Lila, you’d better keep your stray husband in check. He dares sneak around with another woman behind your back. You’re usually so sharp tongued but now that a whole field of green grass is growing on your head, you have nothing to say?”[1]

Meanwhile, Elias had reached the door. He stopped when he heard those words and wasn’t in a hurry to enter. He stood there quietly—half expecting, half curious—to hear Lila seize this chance to humiliate him.

But surprisingly, she didn’t. Her voice had its usual softness but it sounded cold as it floated into his ears. “At least my husband has never been scammed by low-level voice phishers. Wasn’t he the one who helped your husband when he lost campaign funds to those scammers back then? Some people should wash their own dirty laundry before pointing fingers at others.”

The room fell silent at her words.

It took a moment later before Beatrice found her voice and she was clearly humiliated as she shrieked loudly, “What are you talking about? Who was scammed? If it weren’t for—”

Just then, the doors opened, interrupting her. Elias stepped inside quietly, his gaze sweeping over the scene.

Everyone in the room fell silent immediately and they all had a myriad of expressions on their faces.

Meanwhile, Elias’s sharp gaze also took in everyone unhurriedly. The room was scanty and it seemed most of the family members were not in attendance. After all, this was only a matter regarding an irrelevant live-in son-in-law; only busybodies had the time for it. None of the first and fourth branch were present. Only the matriarch, the third branch, some distant relatives, Beatrice, and Lila who represented the second branch were present.

Elias’s gaze lingered on her for a heartbeat longer than intended. For a woman who had threatened divorce not long ago, she was curiously steadfast today.

From what he knew, Sebastian and Lila barely had any interaction, both of them disregarding each other’s existence. In fact, from Sebastian’s perspective, she clearly looked down on him very much. They were bound by a marriage neither of them wanted, yet when given the chance to discard him, she chose instead to defend him. Why?

What was she playing at?

But he didn’t let his curiosity show and simply strode in leisurely into the room. His mannerisms were so casual that everyone who had intended to make things difficult for him had nothing to say at the moment.

They simply watched as he walked over and stopped across the room, facing the matriarch.

The matriarch was an elderly woman of about sixty years old, her silver hair pinned neatly, and her features soft and serene like a kindly elder. At first glance, she appeared gentle but Elias knew better. A woman who had held the Beaumont family together single-handedly since the patriarch’s death could not have done so with kindness alone.

He inclined his head slightly. “Grandmother.”

She didn’t speak and merely gave a firm nod in response.

Without another word, Elias turned to take a seat too. He crossed the room unhurriedly, ignoring the glares from the rest of the room, and without asking permission, lowered himself into the empty seat beside her. The scrape of the chair against the marble floor seemed to echo loudly with his movement.

Lila didn’t seem bothered by him sitting beside her on the sofa. But, it was medium sized and there was only about 2-inch space between them. She stiffened at the close proximity.

However, she didn’t speak and merely glanced his way for a second before she looked away indifferently. Then, she scooted further to the side, unwilling to sit so close.

Elias also noticed this movement but he wasn’t at all offended. He’d be on guard if she suddenly became warm toward him.

It was then that the group finally began to speak.

The first person was Beatrice who just had a spat with Lila. She sneered, wanting to score back some of the loss from him.

“Eh? You finally came. I thought you cowered and ran off.”

Elias looked up at her as she spoke. His eyes were calm and he didn’t really take her seriously. But from what he knew, Sebastian threatened this woman a day before his accident. She was the most likely suspect for his staged accident.

But, he didn’t say anything to that and merely retorted calmly, “Why would I run? I didn’t do anything to flee for.”

“…” The room fell silent at his words.

Beatrice was stumped by his direct reply and she had no idea what to say for a moment. Everyone knew all about his affair and they had even called a meeting last 2 weeks and he had groveled to the matriarch asking her to forgive him. So who was he fooling?

Even Lila turned to look at him with an inscrutable expression. She felt that Sebastian was especially stupid sometimes. At this point, shouldn’t he just apologize and they would have to let it go?

“Isn’t this rich,” someone drawled with a laugh from across the room just then. “You nearly drowned yourself over a secretary, yet you still have the guts to sit here like nothing happened.”

“Exactly. A bridge, of all places!” another chimed in. “If not for the rescue team, we’d be mourning at a funeral instead of hosting this farce of a meeting.”

“Thankfully, we managed to suppress this incident. Otherwise what do you think will happen if the media gets a hold of it?”

Actually, none of the main branch said anything yet and only distant cousins and aunties were chastising him. After all, he was only a live-in son in law, the janitor of the family. It would be strange if they didn’t step over his head at this moment.

Elias didn’t say anything and merely looked at them calmly.

Lila who was seated beside him could not help but feel offended however. After all, no matter what, this was her husband. How could people from mere subsisdiary branches intervene in their matter?

She frowned instantly. “Cousins and aunties should mind their place. This isn’t a tea parlor for idle gossip. Are my matters something for you to talk about?”

The young woman had an innately distant disposition and now she had a frown on her face making her look even colder as she glared at this nosy bunch of people. The younger cousins who had spoken earlier quickly lowered their heads, cowered by her coldness.

Lila continued, “If you have real concerns, bring them forward properly. Otherwise, don’t think you can humiliate—”

“Enough, Lila.” A deep voice cut across hers just then.

A man sat up and looked at both of them. This was Edward Beaumont; he was Theo’s father and from the third branch.

He looked straight at Lila. “You have no need to defend him. This isn’t about idle gossip. It’s about family honor. As your uncle, I think I have every right to question him directly.”

Lila’s lips parted when she heard this. Actually although the third branch was present, she had heard they were actually here to see grandmother before this so they must have just decided to wait last minute. So, she figured they had no interest in their drama. Who knew he would butt in?

She had a mind to strike him down too but decided against it. Usually, this uncle would not dare to lecture her like this but because her parents were absent today, he was being pompous. Regardless, she couldn’t openly argue with him now in front of grandmother.

So, she could only shut her mouth resentfully.

Her gaze flickered to Elias who was beside her. He was sitting there calmly like a block of wood and she almost wondered if he had gotten dumb from fear. Otherwise, why was he not saying anything?

‘Idiot!’ She thought. ‘He dared to do it but not clean up the mess.’

Meanwhile, Edward turned his eyes on Elias, his voice filled with disdain. “Since you claim you have nothing to flee for, then answer this: what kind of man disgraces his wife and nearly drags the Beaumont name through the mud, then dares sit here as if nothing happened?”

The hall stirred again at his words, the sneers from the side branches finding new courage under Edward’s lead.

“Shameless.”

“He’s only here because of Lila. Without her, he’s nothing.”

“Does he even understand what kind of family he’s sitting in?”

Beatrice smirked coldly, finally recovering her voice. “Uncle Edward is right. If it were me, I’d already have signed the divorce papers and spared myself the embarrassment. Why should we, the Beaumonts, be dragged into his pathetic scandals?”

“That secretary should count herself lucky,” another voice joined, dripping with mockery. “She’ll never see the inside of a respectable company again—not in this city. Grandmother made sure of that. Even if he wanted to throw himself into the sea again, it’d be for nothing. What can a ruined woman offer him now?”

Laughter rippled in the room after those words. The looks they shot him were also not short of obvious disdain.

But, Elias did not speak, still.

Just then, before the sneers could build further, Theo’s voice suddenly sounded, “Not only is he humiliating our family, he’s also disrespectful!”

It was unknown when he arrived.

Grandmother,” he began, his tone steeped in self-importance as he stepped forward, “since we’re on the subject of disgrace, I have something to report. When Sebastian was in the hospital, he told me straight to my face that he wouldn’t help me resolve my scandal and worse, that even you couldn’t do anything to him. He’s grown far too arrogant for a man who owes everything to this family.”

The room stirred instantly.

“What?”

“Such insolence!”

“He dares speak that way of Grandmother?”

The matriarch who had been quiet all this while finally seemed to stir. She raised her hand and the noise died at once. Then her gaze shot to Elias.

“You,” she said slowly, her voice carrying the weight of judgment, “agreed to cut ties with that woman. Yet you nearly ended your life for her. Tell me, Sebastian, are your wings so high now that our Beaumont family cannot contain you?”

Her words hung heavy in the air.

Elias’s eyes flickered, a faint curve tugging at his lips. This woman… she wasn’t simply scolding him. She was reframing the narrative, and turning it from a scandal into a matter of loyalty and defiance. If this was the medieval era, he’s have been beheaded for treason with her goading.

He leaned back slightly, meeting her gaze without flinching.

The matriarch was taken aback by his look. Sebastian had always been short of groveling in her presence; since when did he dare to look her in the eyes?

But, she didn’t let her surprise show and she spoke again, each word deliberate.

“Since you all find this marriage so amusing,” she said, sweeping her eyes across the room before settling on the couple beside her, “let us resolve it tonight. Sebastian. Lila. Do you wish to part ways?”

The room went quiet with that. Every head turned toward the couple, anticipation thick as smoke.

Lila was the first to break the silence. Her voice was soft, but the firmness beneath it carried through the room.

“Yes,” she said. “I wish to part ways.”

It was expected, yet, it still caused a stir. There was hardly anyone present that wasn’t pleased. Even Beatrice’s lips curved into the faintest of satisfied sneers.

But before the whispers could rise into a swell, Elias’s voice followed, calm and steady.

“No. I don’t want a divorce.”