THE DISGUSTING SON-IN-LAW WON'T TOLERATE INSULT ANYMORE

And you are?

The silence stretched like a taut wire about to snap.

 Everyone stared at Sebastian Morrison bowing to Karvel, their minds struggling to process what they were seeing.

Sarah was the first to break the stunned quiet, her voice shrill with disbelief.

"Wait, wait, wait!" She jumped up from her chair like a startled rabbit.

 "There has to be some mistake! Why would someone like Mr. Morrison invite... him?" She pointed at Karvel with disgust. "He's just a mangy street dog!"

"Exactly!" Margaret found her voice, stepping forward with desperate authority. 

"Mr. Morrison, surely you mean to invite me? I'm the matriarch of this family, the one celebrating my birthday tonight!"

Sebastian's eyes turned cold as winter steel.

 "And you are?"

"Margaret Howard, honored sir! The head of the Howard family business empire!" She puffed up like a peacock displaying its feathers. "If anyone deserves the honor of dining on the top floor, it should be me!"

"The top floor invitation is for the Young Master and his wife only," Sebastian replied icily. "No one else."

Sarah scoffed, her voice dripping with venom.

 "Young Master? Him? You must be joking! He's nothing but a parasitic flea who married into our family for money!"

"Sarah!" Patricia hissed, but her daughter was too worked up to stop.

"I mean, look at him!" Sarah gestured wildly at Karvel's torn clothes. 

"He looks like a rabid raccoon that lost a fight with a garbage truck! How could someone so pathetic be a 'Young Master' of anything?"

Sebastian's face darkened like a thundercloud. Without warning, his hand shot out.

SLAP!

The sound echoed through the banquet hall like a gunshot. 

Sarah spun around from the force of the blow and crashed into a nearby chair, blood trickling from her split lip.

"You will apologize to the Young Master and his wife immediately," Sebastian commanded, his voice sharp enough to cut glass.

Sarah touched her bleeding mouth, her eyes wide with shock. 

"You... you hit me! Grandmother, do something!"

Margaret rushed forward, her face flushed with indignation.

 "Mr. Morrison, surely we can discuss this civilly! Our family group has had business dealings with your company for years—"

"Had," Sebastian interrupted coldly.

 "Past tense. As of this moment, all business relationships between Morrison Industries and the Howard family are permanently terminated."

The blood drained from Margaret's face.

 "But... but we have contracts worth millions—"

"Void. All of them." Sebastian's voice was final as a judge's gavel.

 "Your family's disrespect toward the Young Master has cost you everything."

"This is insane!" Richard jumped up, his face red with panic.

 "We can't lose those contracts! They're the backbone of our business!"

"Then you should have taught your daughter some manners," Sebastian replied without a trace of sympathy.

Patricia grabbed Sarah's arm, shaking her like a rag doll. 

"Apologize! Right now! Do you realize what you've done?"

"I won't apologize to that flea-bitten mongrel!" Sarah spat, blood still dripping from her lip. 

"And if you don't stop protecting them, I'll report Elena to the police for embezzling millions from the company!"

Elena's face went pale, but before she could respond, Sebastian snapped his fingers.

"Bring me ten million in cash," he ordered his assistant. 

"Now."

Within minutes, several men in black suits entered carrying briefcases. They opened them to reveal stacks of crisp hundred-dollar bills.

"This covers whatever debt you claim Elena owes," Sebastian announced. "The matter is now settled."

Margaret stared at the money with bulging eyes. 

Ten million in cash, just like that?

"Sarah," Margaret's voice turned deadly, "apologize. Now."

"But Grandmother—"

"NOW!" Margaret's hand cracked across Sarah's other cheek.

"Get on your knees and beg for forgiveness!"

Sarah looked around desperately for support, but found only cold, calculating stares from her own family.

"I... I'm sorry," she mumbled, her voice barely audible.

"Louder!" Richard barked. "And bow properly, you stupid cow!"

"I'm sorry!" Sarah's voice cracked as she dropped to her knees.

Karvel looked down at her with calm indifference. "I'm not satisfied."

"What?" Sarah's eyes went wide with terror.

"Slap yourself," Karvel said quietly. 

"Ten times. While apologizing for each insult you've thrown at my wife and me over the years."

"I... I can't—"

"Do it!" Margaret screamed. 

"Do it or I'll disown you completely!"

Sarah raised her trembling hand and slapped herself across the face. "I'm sorry for calling you a street dog!"

SLAP!

"I'm sorry for calling you a parasitic flea!"

SLAP!

"I'm sorry for calling you a mangy mongrel!"

Each slap echoed through the silent banquet hall as Sarah degraded herself before the man she'd spent years mocking.

"Please," she sobbed after the tenth slap, her face swollen and red.

 "Please forgive me! I was wrong! I was so wrong!"