THE UNDERESTIMATED HEIR

A FATHER'S WORST NIGHTMARE

Marvin shot up from his seat, his legs turned shaky beneath him, but his heart raced with burning anger.

His breath hitched, and his thoughts tumbled over each other like a dam ready to burst.

He forced a strained smile, trying to make sense of the situation. "Honey, welcome... how—"

"Hey, my little angels!" Martha’s voice cut through his greeting like a knife, her tone was unnervingly sweet, but it wasn’t for him.

She breezed past Marvin as though he didn’t exist, swooping down to embrace their children.

“Mommy, you’re late!” Bryan said, as his arms were wrapped tightly around her. His voice carried that mix of worry and joy, clearly happy to see her after what felt like an eternity.

Martha tousled his hair. “I know, baby. I’m here now.”

Marvin’s pulse quickened. He couldn’t believe it. Martha had never ignored him before—not once in their years together.

She was always affectionate, always pulling him into her world. And now? Now, it was as if he was invisible.

What was going on?

But before he could even voice his confusion, his attention shifted.

Daniel! The man who stood there, calm and composed, was the same person who had turned Marvin’s life upside down just days ago.

The sight of Daniel rekindled the fire in his chest. It wasn’t just anger—it was hatred. Pure, unfiltered hatred.

Marvin clenched his fists. He couldn’t let this slide. Not after everything Daniel had done.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Marvin’s voice came out in a low growl, his eyes were dark with rage.

He took a step forward, his entire body was tense, the bandage around his head was suddenly forgotten. "If I recall correctly, I didn’t invite you to my wife’s birthday celebration."

Daniel merely smiled. That infuriating, smug smile. It was as if Marvin’s anger didn’t even register to him.

“Relax, man,” Daniel said, his voice was maddeningly calm. “I came to see the kids and celebrate with Martha. No trouble... at least not yet.” He paused, his smile deepened as he glanced at the bandage on Marvin’s head. “Seems like you’re still not fully recovered from our... last encounter.”

The mockery in Daniel’s words hit like a slap. Marvin’s blood boiled. He wanted nothing more than to tear him apart right there. But something held him back.

The room spun with confusion, anger, and fear. Martha... his wife... was standing right there, letting this happen. And he still didn’t understand why.

Marvin’s fists clenched so tightly that his nails bit into his palms, but before he could say more, Martha abruptly stepped forward. She shoved him aside with a force that nearly made him stumble.

“Hey! Watch who you’re talking to,” she snapped, her voice was sharp and cutting, unlike anything he had ever heard from her before. “You don’t get to be rude to anyone just because you feel like it.”

Marvin’s world spun. His mouth went dry. "Martha... was speaking to me?" No, not just speaking—"scolding" me. Publicly. And with Daniel standing smugly behind her.

He stared at her in shock, trying to process what was happening. This wasn’t the woman he married.

The woman who was once so warm, so full of love. This... this was someone else entirely.

“Martha,” he stammered, disbelief dripped from his words. “Are you really talking to me like this?”

“Who else would I be talking to?” she snapped again, this time with narrowing eyes. “You need to show some respect or you’ll see a side of me that you won’t like.”

Marvin couldn’t believe it. Every word cut deeper than the last. The murmur of the restaurant’s patrons barely registered in his ears, though he caught fragments of their whispers.

“Hoo boy, looks like this is about to get interesting,” someone murmured from a nearby table.

“She’s got guts,” said another voice.

And then Daniel made his move.

“Come on, baby,” Daniel said casually, wrapping an arm around Martha’s waist. Marvin’s stomach lurched as he watched. “Take it easy. You don’t want to scare the kids, do you?”

Marvin’s throat constricted, his mind was screaming to intervene. He wanted to yank Daniel’s arm off his wife, he wanted to tear him away from her. But before he could, Daniel leaned in and kissed her.

A cold wave of shock crashed over Marvin. For a split second, he expected Martha to push Daniel away, to slap him across the face, to show some shred of loyalty. But she didn’t.

Instead, she leaned into the kiss.

"No... no, this can’t be happening."

“That’s my wife!” Marvin’s voice cracked with desperation as he tried to lunge forward, but Martha was faster.

She stepped between him and Daniel, blocking Marvin from getting any closer. The distance between them was only a few feet, but it felt like miles.

“Martha, what are you doing?” Marvin’s voice trembled, breaking under the weight of disbelief. He searched her eyes for some kind of answer, some flicker of remorse or guilt.

But all he found was indifference.

“Marvin,” she said, with a voice that was disturbingly calm, “I think it’s time I told you the truth.”

His heart sank. Something in her tone made the floor feel like it was crumbling beneath him.

“What truth?” Marvin whispered, as dread curled in his chest like a storm ready to break.

She didn’t hesitate. Didn’t blink. “You’re not the father of these children.”

The words struck him like a physical blow. His hands trembled, his vision blurred.

He felt like the ground was tilting beneath him, like the world was coming apart at the seams.

"Martha... stop this. This... this isn’t funny,” he pleaded, looking around the restaurant in desperation, hoping someone would tell him this was some cruel joke. A prank. A setup.

But no one said a word.

With a smirk on her lips, Martha reached into her handbag and pulled out a crisp envelope. “Here,” she said, shoving it into his hand. “The DNA test results. Take a look for yourself.”

His fingers fumbled as he opened the envelope. His eyes skimmed the page, but the words blurred. "No... this can’t be real." His mind refused to process what was right in front of him.

He looked up, his breath turned ragged, but Martha didn’t care. Her face was cold, distant—like a stranger.

And Daniel? Daniel’s smirk widened.

“Let me break it down for you, Marvin,” Martha said, with a voice that was filled with a strange satisfaction.

“Your father never intended for you to be the heir. Daniel, the real heir of Richmond Tech, was meant to take over. And thanks to my father, we figured that out. I’ve been with Daniel for years. We’ve had a wonderful secret relationship.” She leaned into Daniel’s embrace with a proud smile.

Daniel looked down at her, a glint of victory was in his eyes. “It’s true, Marvin. Martha and I... we’re the real power couple here.”

As the weight of betrayal crushed him, Marvin felt his rage boil over. His body acted before his mind could catch up, his fists clenched like iron. With a guttural roar, he lunged at Daniel, ready to tear him apart.