THE SON-IN-LAW THEY LEFT TO DIE

CHAPTER 4

The entire hall remained silent as Johnson stood frozen near the entrance, staring at the stage with shattered eyes.

On the stage, Bethany Clifford slowly pulled away from the kiss.

For a brief second, Johnson expected shock on her face. Maybe guilt. Maybe panic. 

But instead, she frowned slightly and asked coldly.

“What are you doing here?”

Johnson’s lips parted slowly.

His throat tightened painfully. He tried to speak, but no words came out.

The guests around them had already begun whispering among themselves.

But Johnson did not even care to hear what they were saying. His eyes remained fixed on Bethany.

Finally, his trembling lips moved.

“Tell me…” he whispered painfully. “Tell me I am dreaming.”

Bethany’s expression remained cold.

Before she could reply, the groom beside her suddenly became irritated.

George Anderson narrowed his eyes at Johnson.

“Bethany,” he said with annoyance, “who is this bastard interrupting our wedding?”

Johnson slowly turned his eyes toward him. Pain and anger mixed together inside his chest.

His fists clenched tightly.

“I am the husband of the woman you just kissed.”

Whispers spread through the hall again.

George raised an eyebrow before suddenly chuckling lightly.

“Oh! I see…” he said mockingly. “So you are the loser she told me about.”

Johnson’s eyes widened.

His face slowly turned pale. “You… already know she is married?” he asked in disbelief.

George smirked carelessly.

“Of course I know.”

Johnson felt like his entire world was collapsing around him.

Bethany immediately touched George’s arm gently.

“Don’t worry, George” she said calmly. “I will handle this.”

Then she slowly stepped down from the stage and walked toward Johnson. When she finally stopped before him, her eyes became colder.

“Why are you acting so barbaric?” she asked angrily in a low voice. “Do you want to embarrass me on my special day in front of all these prestigious guests?”

Johnson stared at her like he no longer recognized the woman standing before him.

“Special day?” he repeated weakly.

He pointed shakily toward the wedding stage. “Bethany… you are already married to me. You are my wife.”

Bethany’s face instantly hardened.

“Do not call me that,” she snapped angrily.

Then she suddenly raised her left hand proudly.

A massive diamond ring on her finger glittered brightly under the golden lights.

“I am now Mrs. George Anderson.”

Johnson’s heart almost dropped to his stomach. His body swayed slightly.

At that moment, a deep authoritative voice suddenly echoed across the hall.

“What exactly is going on here?”

Everyone immediately turned.

An older man dressed in an expensive black suit slowly rose from his seat among the front row guests.

His sharp eyes landed directly on Johnson with disgust.

“Who is this beggar disrupting the wedding?”

The man was George’s father, Mr. Anderson. One of the most powerful businessmen in the city.

Mrs. Clifford who was seated not too far from him immediately stood up nervously.

“Mr. Anderson, please calm down,” she said quickly with a forced smile. “I will handle this nonsense immediately.”

Without wasting another second, she hurried toward Johnson furiously.

The moment she reached him—

SLAP!

Her palm landed heavily across Johnson’s face. The loud sound echoed across the silent hall.

Johnson staggered backward in shock. His cheek burned painfully.

Mrs. Clifford pointed angrily at him.

“How dare you walk in here and cause trouble!” she shouted furiously. “Do you hate my daughter so much that you do not even want to see her happy?”

Johnson slowly lifted his head. His eyes were already red.

Mrs. Clifford continued mercilessly.

“Why didn’t you just die quietly in the hospital instead of coming here to say rubbish in front of all these important people?”

Johnson clenched his fists tightly.

“It is not rubbish,” he said defiantly.

His voice shook with pain. “I am legally married to Bethany. How do you expect me to stand here and watch my wife marry another man?”

Mrs. Clifford laughed mockingly.

“Oh, so now you remember you are her husband?” she sneered loudly.

Mrs. Clifford pointed at him accusingly.

“For three years, my daughter has been the one paying all the bills like she was the man in the marriage!”

Her voice grew louder. “You have been nothing but a burden to her all these years! But now suddenly you want to claim rights as a husband?”

Johnson ignored her completely.

Instead, he suddenly grabbed Bethany’s hand desperately.

“Bethany please,” he begged emotionally. “I know you were forced into this marriage. I know your family pressured you into this.”

Bethany brows furrowed.

Johnson held her hand tighter.

“I am willing to fight for our marriage,” he continued desperately. “We can fix this together. All I need is your trust.”

“Enough!”

Bethany suddenly yanked her hand away violently. 

Her expression filled with irritation and complete disdain.

She looked at Johnson like he disgusted her.

“Do you know how long I have waited for this moment?” she asked coldly.

Johnson froze.

Bethany laughed bitterly. “To finally get rid of you for someone that actually matters?”

Johnson’s face turned pale.

“Bethany…”

“Did you seriously think I was going to spend the rest of my life with a cockroach like you?” she spat harshly.

The words pierced directly into Johnson’s chest.

He stood there silently while the wealthy guests watched him like a pathetic joke. Some were murmuring while others were visibly giggling.

Bethany stepped closer and looked him up and down disdainfully. Taking in the ragged features of his clothes.

“Take a good look at yourself,” she continued coldly. “You have nothing. No money. No status. No future.”

Johnson’s breathing became heavier.

Tears slowly gathered in his eyes. But he quickly blinked it away.

Bethany pointed proudly toward the stage where George stood confidently.

“I have dreams,” she declared boldly. “I want to make my company one of the biggest companies in this city. I want to make my family proud and raise our status”

Then she laughed coldly.

“And how exactly am I supposed to achieve those dreams while being married to someone like you?”

Bethany’s eyes softened slightly as she looked toward George.

“But with someone like George…” she said proudly, “I can achieve everything I want.”

George smirked arrogantly from the stage.

Johnson looked crushed. He felt like his heart was being ripped apart piece by piece.

He was already in pain from the surgery, but what Bethany just said hurt him more. 

But despite the pain, he still shook his head stubbornly.

“What you are doing is wrong,” he said weakly. “This marriage does not count. We are still legally married.”

Bethany suddenly grinned coldly. “But not for long.”

Then she turned slightly toward the guests and called.

“Lawyer!”

Immediately, a middle-aged man dressed in a gray suit stood up from among the guests and quickly approached her with a black document folder in his hands.

Johnson frowned in confusion.

The lawyer respectfully handed the documents over to Bethany.

Bethany slowly collected them before looking directly into Johnson’s eyes.

“To be honest,” she said calmly, “I did not think I would need these. I thought you were simply going to die in that hospital.”

Johnson felt his blood run cold.

“But now that you are here…”

She suddenly raised the documents before him. 

“Sign these divorce papers and end this so called marriage now!”