The Adopted Heir

Alex just got back after running all the errands issued to him by his wife. He was exhausted from all the day's work. He entered into the mansion owned by his wife's family where he also lives. 

The house of Kingston occupied about 20,000 square meters and it was the most luxurious villa in all of Manhattan. It had everything ranging from a garden, a swimming pool, a golf course, and a spa.

The Kingston family was one of the mighty five, the top five most reputable families in Manhattan! Their financial power and influence were unrivaled in Manhattan.

On his way to his room, he heard clanking of cups and chatters coming from the sitting room. He decided to say hello to his wife and let her know that he was back.

"Hello babe," Alex said immediately after he entered the room."Good evening all" He added after noticing the guests in the room.

"Who is your babe, you nitwit?" Cassandra sneered.

Cassandra is the supposed wife of Alexander who turned him into a slave just because his family owes her family a huge amount of money. Ever since Alex's parents died leaving him in debt it's been from one chore to the other. It was a dreary situation that he had no control over.

He knew that Cassandra never liked him but only married him to exert her power. She just wanted to own him. She never lets out on any opportunity to degrade him. Somewhere in his mind, he thought that maybe she would at some point accord him a little bit of respect. But it had been three years already and nothing had changed.

He was practically worthless. Which man would take up the name of his wife's family? That was a shameful thing to do but he had no other choice since he couldn't afford the $200,000 his family owed.

"I'm sorry Cas, I didn't know you had visitors" Alex replied feeling embarrassed for the way she spoke to him in front of her friends. It wasn't like this was the first time but he did nothing wrong for her to use such a tone on him.

Cassandra laughed maniacally, she was enjoying this a little too much. She liked the obvious embarrassment on his face "I don't need you to be sorry, I need competence" She glared at him venomously.

At this point, her two friends, Clare and Victor's attention was already bought. "How do you expect someone as worthless as this to be competent? He doesn't know what that means" Clare said in her usual annoying squeaky voice.

Alex just stood there and absorbed every hateful speech they threw at him. He wanted the ground to open up and swallow him whole. Unfortunately, that didn't happen.

"There's no need for all these insults, I already apologized," Alex said in a meek voice.

As if something funny had been said, Cassandra and Clare burst into laughter. And this was when Victor decided to speak up "Guys that's not cool at all, why are you talking down on him?"

"What are you now? A hero?" Cassandra snapped, not having it at all. "Look here defender of the universe, this is my house, and standing right there is my husband, I can do or say whatever I wish, and you…" she points at Victor "don't have the right to tell me how to behave"

Clare started clapping and cheering for her friend "Baby girl I love the way you put these men in their place. It's a woman's world after all."

"You, don't just stand there like a brainless statue, get to work" Cassandra directed at Alex who had been observing the whole exchange.

Alex was a bit confused because he was quite sure that he was done working for the day. "I'm done with my itinerary for the day Cas"

This made Cassandra snort, "You wish. Get your lazy self to the kitchen and make us something to eat" Then, she directed at her friends "What would you guys like to have?"

Momentarily, Alex froze. The Kingston family has so many servants at their beck and call, chefs included. So, he doesn't know why she wanted him to do the cooking personally. Or was this another way of humiliating him?... Alex thought.

Alex couldn't tell exactly why it was so, but it already seemed that his wife had an automatic hatred towards him. Always wants to exploit his efforts to do more and still bash him for making the slightest mistake.

"We would have lasagna with ricotta cheese and a spicy chicken sandwich" Clare's obnoxious voice filled the room.

"Get going already, make it snappy please, we're famished" Clare shooed him away.

*****

In the kitchen, Alex was seen trying to put together the food when Cassandra barged in. "What were you trying to prove out there?" She asked incredulously.

"How dare you talk back at me in front of my friends?" She added without waiting for a response. She was angry but the reason for this outburst was a mystery to Alex. He was lost. He had no idea what she was on about.

"What exactly are you on about Cas?" Alex narrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"Why did you question me in front of my friends?" She pointed her index finger at him, "I asked you to get to work and you had the temerity to tell me that you were done with your job for the day…" She poked his chest, " What exactly were you trying to prove?"

Alex sighed. To be honest he didn't know what to say to all she had said. So, he simply decided to ignore her and turned back to what he was doing.

In a millimetre of seconds, a hard slap landed on his cheek, "You dare ignore me you a*shole" She kept hitting his chest continuously, "Have you forgotten who I am? Do I need to remind you of your place in this house?"

As if that wasn't enough she carried the mixed corn flour on the kitchen counter and emptied everything on Alex.

At this point, Alex's ego was bruised. His chest was heaving in profound anger that was begging to be let out, but he dared not lay a finger on the only daughter of Marcus Kingston, the multimillionaire business tycoon or he would spend his whole life behind bars. So, he did the only rational thing at that time. He stormed out of the kitchen without a backward glance.

"Do not walk out on me you nincompoop. Come back here right now" Cassandra yelled after him but he left without heeding any of her words.

She angrily marched to the sitting room where her friends were, "Did you guys see what just happened?" She pointed towards the door. "That son of a nobody walked out on me" 

Cassandra was fuming at this point. She was already imagining a thousand and one way to make Alex pay for disrespecting her.

Clare cleared her throat, "This is all your fault, you gave him so much liberty" she fuelled the anger already boiling inside Cassandra. "Make sure to not let him off the hook so easily."

"I won't let him go scot-free" She fished out her phone from her Fendi bag and dialled her father's number. "Dad…" She bursts into crocodile tears.

"Calm down and talk to me princess," Marcus said on the other side of the call, already on edge. Marcus hated it when his daughter was sad. He was ready to take down any person who hurt his daughter, be it tom dick or harry.

"It's Alex, Dad," she sniffed. "He put his filthy hands on me" Cassandra lied diligently without remorse.

Her father cussed out, obviously enraged at what he just heard. "He'll pay" With that Marcus hung up.