Chapter 1

"You! Son of bitch!" 

A sharp, crisp slap sound echoed around the kitchen as Gaberial was slapped by his mother-in-law, who is his foster mother as well.

"What a useless man are you!" She yelled with outrage at him, "Do you know how costly the dinner set you just broke?"  

With deep anxiety, Gaberial stared at his mother-in-law, Elisa Gil, "I-I'm so sorry. I just…."

"Oh, shut up! You shit!" Elisa Gil furtively scolded and interrupted his words while he, who was slapped across the face by her, lowered his gaze with embarrassment. 

He looked at the messing floor, covered with broken plate pieces everywhere. He gazed at them with dread and stressful eyes, ignoring the hurting, burning sensation from his bruised cheek. 

"You are not good at anything! I don't know what my daughter sees in you!" She gives him a disgusted look.

However, Gaberial was used to being humiliated by her, so he still tried to ask for an apology, as it was his fault.

"I'm sorry, Mother." His breath hitched, "I was just holding the plates, but I don't know how they slipped while washing."

"Don't dare to call me that!" Her expression screwed, "From your mouth, that word only feels like slang to me!" She pointed her index finger at him.

Gaberial felt humiliated but helplessly left to listen to her silently, bowing his head like a criminal. He knew she hated him, and this was not the first time he had heard something this cruel.

"Always remember. You are just useless ass! I'll throw you out of my daughter's life if you repeat this mistake!" Her eyes filled with despise for him. She hates to see him in front of her. If it's not for her daughter to marry him, she will make him run for his life in this city so long ago. 

Hearing her statement, he felt the most profound regret to call her 'Mother' and tried to rectify his mistake instantly, "I apologised, Ma'am. It will never happen again. Please forgive me this time." He bowed his head in front of her. 

Elisa Gil looked at him from top to toe with a taunting gaze when a familiar voice entered the kitchen to get their attention.

"What's happening here?" 

Sara glared at her mother and husband Gaberial, with a muddled expression. 

"Honey." Gaberial thought she was still sleeping as it was early morning, but seeing her coming here, he knew the matter would not be solved soon. 

Sara entered the kitchen, "What is going on here? I just heard Mom shouting." 

"It's nothing; you should go back and sleep, Honey." Gaberial tried to get her return with a big fake smile.

However, his wife already knew whom her mother scolded, so she did not move, "Wait a second, Gaberial." 

"I need the answer to my question." Her eyes turned determined. 

Gaberial's eyes pleaded for her to go, but her mother interrupted them and told her daughter, "Yes, you should stop and know what your so-called unemployed husband did!"

Hearing the 'Unemployed' word, Sara frowned and stared at her mom, "What are you talking about, Mom? What Gaberial do?"

"Just looked at on the floor." she pointed to the shattered plate pieces. 

Sara finally paid attention to the floor where plates were broken. She gets closer to it and finds it's a favourite dinner set's plate, brought from Italy by her mother last New Year as a gift for her. She took out this plate last night and invited her mother for dinner at their house.

Her brows twisted together, and lines formed on her forehead. She glanced at her husband, "How this happened, Gabby." 

Gaberial apologetically looked at his wife's side and explained, "I'm sorry, honey; it just slipped when I was washing the dishes." 

"It's okay. It's just a plate." She sighed and stared at her mother, "Mom, Gabby is your son-in-law. You can't treat him rude." 

"I don't need your lecture on how to treat him." Elisa Gil's face was stern.

"Mom…." Sara felt annoyed to hear that, but Gaberial held her hand to stop her talking.

"Don't show anger at your mother for your unemployed husband, who doesn't even earn a single penny by himself and lives on his wife's money!" she angrily mocked.

"Ma'am, I'll find a job soon." Gaberial talks in the middle. 

"In your dream, I guess." She rolled her eyes in disguise.

Sara couldn't take her mother's behaviour and spoke, "Mom, I know you hate him because I married him against your will, but please stop overpowering him every time. I can't take this. You can't just insult him when he is all to be humble."

"So, are you going to fight with your own mother for this so-called poor son of bitch! What's so good about him being poor and a loser? He can't even find a single job by himself." 

"Mom!" Sara's eyes sharpened. 

Gaberial could not see his wife arguing with her mother for him. It would only be hell for him in future, so he tried to stop the argument, "Sara, please don't talk like that to your Mom." He almost pleaded. 

"Shut up! You son of bitch!" Elisa Gil yelled at him.

"You are the sole reason for our argument. It's all happening because of you!" Elisa Gil spits in rage, "If you dare to talk one more time in the middle of us, I'll slap you again."

"What?" Sara's eyes winded, "Did you slap him?" 

"So, what if I?" She argued with her daughter in an arrogant tone. 

Sara looked at Gaberial's cheeks and found a red mark with a slight bruise. Her eyes filled with sadness, "Honey, are you alright?" She tried to touch his cheek lightly.

Gaberial saw her upset and gave a light nod with a gentle smile, "I'm fine. Don't be worried."

Disappointed, Sara glanced at her mother, "Mom, I hope you never use physical violence against my husband." 

"So, now you are warning your mother?" Her brows arched in disbelief.

"If you think that, then Yes." Sara did not budge.

"That's enough of you!" Her mother stammered, "I can't take this anymore!"

"Listen, Sara, I can't see this filthy, useless man anymore with you. It only disgraces our family reputation, and now it's enough for me! So, you should leave this man to save your face for Gil's reputation."

"What if I disagree?" Sara's brows arched.

"If you don't leave this man soon, I'll make you do that and throw him out of our life just like garbage!" 

She pointed her finger at Gaberial at the end. He felt messed up hearing his mother-in-law's ill words, and it caused him to feel like a loser who didn't deserve to be there.

"Mom, It's never going to happen. I love him, and I…" Sara frowned with rage. 

"You will leave him. I made him do that!" Her mother cut the words in the middle. 

Gaberial looked at his mother-in-law with a deep, dejected expression. His hand clenched with frustration.

"It's enough for me! I can't hear you any longer, Mom. You should leave now."

"What did you say?" hearing her daughter asking her leaving, her eyes winded. 

"It's my fault. I requested you to rest in our home last night." 

"Do you think I want to stay in this filthy place!" She looked at the poor, established kitchen, which only had a small window without any furnishing with annoyance. 

"I know; it's not your standard. You can leave. We need space." Saying that Sara walks out with Gaberial, leaving her mother with a dark expression, who yells out in anger at the end, "What do you mean your place? Don't forget it was also purchased by our money!" 

Sara and Gaberial return to their room. Soon, they heard a door slam sound from outside. Elisa Gil left the house with boiling anger.

"Are you okay, honey?" Gaberial concertedly asked; he had never seen his wife so angry like this before.

"I'm fine," Sara responded and asked him to sit on the bed while she got back with the medicine box and gently applied the cream on his bruised cheek.

Gaberial forgets his pain to see her concerned expression.

"I'm sorry, Gabby. Mom should not slap you."

"Honey, It's not your fault." Gaberial weakly smiled.

"Why did not you speak for yourself and let her humiliate you?" She sighed.

"Because Gil's family was my saviour. They adopted me as a young boy when no one was there for me." He calmly answered.

"Still, you can't just hear them like this." She argued, which made him smile, "I know and thank you for taking my side today."

"You are my husband." She smiled.

"I know, but I still felt ashamed that you needed to hear your mother's cruel words just because of me."

"Gabby…" She concerdely hugged.

Gaberial thinks about the day he entered the Gil house with Gil's couple and fell in love with their daughter Sara, who was the only person who accepted him as a real family: the most beautiful and wealthy family woman, just his opposite in every aspect of lifestyle, still kind enough to take his love and soon got married behind Gil's back. 

Gil's family never accepted him as their family member, but they gave him a small house because of their daughter.

However, staying in another house did not get him peace. In contrast, his life turned hell after this; his in-laws humiliated him and bullied him day and night, coming there or calling him and Sara to break up. His brother-in-law constantly abused him in his wife's absence coming there. 

When he tried to find a job, he failed virtually every single time. Even after three years of marriage, he couldn't find a simple single job, all expenses paid by Sara. He started to self-doubt that he couldn't do anything for himself or his wife to live a better life. 

"Gabby, you need to find a job as soon as possible." Hearing her sudden words, he let go of her and met her eyes, "What happened?" 

"Don't you hear Mom's words?" Her face frowned, "If you don't get a job. Mom would surely pressure me to divorce you. And you know how stubborn she is." 

Gaberial expression firmed, "Honey…It is just a word. She was angry." 

"Gabby, my mother all care about money and power. She hates poor; you know that more than I." 

He turned silent. How could he not know after being all bullied?

"Once she finds a wealthy person, she will not care if the man is old or young; she will surely make me divorce you and marry him."

Gaberial can't reject his wife's statement. He knew deeply in his heart she was telling the truth, and now it was creating fear inside not only on him but on her also. If that day comes, he truly can't protect her. 

"This now getting serious, Gabby." 

He held her hand and explained with an assured face, hiding his stress, "Sara, I promise I'll get a job, and it will never going to happen."

"Most importantly, I need to share news related to the same thing."

"You mean job?" Her brows arched in surprise.

"Yes, I had an interview today. If everything goes right. You don't need to wait until tomorrow." 

"That's good." She smiled lightly, "I hope this time it works." 

Gaberial could sense this news did not give her so much hope, as it was his 35th job interview. He can't hope she shows excitement any longer to this news. But at least she did not hate him for not getting a simple job. 

"Gabby, If this does not work. Can I suggest you something?" She humbly raised her eyes.

"Yes, Honey. Say, what do you suggest?" He smiled.

"If this job does not go as you wish. Please talk to Mom." 

"Means?" He asked.

"I know, she's angry with you. But I also know that once you wish to work with her, she will surely try to give you a job." Her expression filled with hope when she said that.

However, hearing her reminded him when he went to the office to talk about the job to Gil couple.

"Do you think? Is it an NGO for poor people? Don't even dare to come here again or disgust yourself!' Elisa Gil made him out with the security. 

After that humiliation, he never asks again for help from his in-laws. 

However, he never shared that incident with his wife, so he just nodded in her words to make her feel peace a little, "Okay, I'll do that." 

"Thank you, Gabby!" Her smile widened, "I know; if you talk to Mom about the job, she will surely be happy to hear that." 

Gaberial awkwardly smiled. 

"Gabby…" 

"I have one more thing. I need to share with you." Her expression changed with a blush.

Seeing her like that, he smiled warmly, "Yes, sweetheart, I'm all ears…."

“Gabby, Actually, I….”

His phone's ringtone interrupted their conversation.

"Excuse me, Honey." Gaberial picked up the phone and saw the number with the misshaping look.

"Honey, can we talk later? It's an important call from a job. I guess I need to go." 

She smiled, "Okay, All the best."

"Thank you." He returns the smile before leaving the room

Interview Place

“Sorry, Mr. Gaberial. But your C.V. got rejected." The Interviewer explained.

 "Sir, I can do any job. Please give me a chance. I need this job." He pleaded, thinking about Sara and her words.

However, the Interviewer felt annoyed at his request and warned.

"Mr. Gaberial, stop doing that. It's not a charity place. Now you can leave, or I need to call security." 

"Sir, I can do any work. Pleas….I need this job." He was almost ready to kneel when the Interviewer called out security in anger, and two men soon grabbed him from both sid by arms.

"I can go! Leave me!" He angrily tried to remove their arms from him, but they dragged him out of the company and pushed him harder to hit the floor, and a phone from his pocket fell, too.

"Ah!" He cried out with pain in his arm. 

"Don't ever come here!" One of the guards warned and left him there. 

He stood back with an injured arm and saw his phone screen was a little broken. 

He bent to pick up the phone when the sudden ring got his attention. He did not check the number before attending it. 

"Hello" 

"Hey Gaberial, it's Jone." The call belongs to his friend.

"Hey, Jone," He said laboriously core, responding, ignoring his arm's ache.

"Dude. I need my money, 25000 amount back. It has been over 3 months since I lent you that money, and you still have not returned it." 

Gaberial felt hesitant to hear about money and requested time, "Jone, I'm sorry, man, but I need more time. I don't have that much amount right now." 

"What do you mean? You don't have? Aren't your in-laws rich?"

"Jone, I need time.." He tried to explain with a dejected sigh.

"Gaberial, that's enough! I can't wait any longer." 

"I want you to return my money tomorrow, or I need to file a complaint against you and your in-laws!" Jone angrily warned.

"Listen, John, I…"

His friend hangs up the call without listening to him.

"God! Now where do I get 10000 dollars?" He felt devastated when his phone rang again; he checked the number this time. It was unknown, so, without thinking, he left the phone unattended with fury.