The Deceitful Son-in-law

Chapter 2

 The dinner hall meant for the meeting was filled with Victoria's relatives They were already seated, waiting for lady Tashia, the overall leader of the family's business group and her only surviving daughter, Mrs. Lucis. She took over the business group after the death of her husband and the empire met a great turn around but she was just as mean and cruel as her first granddaughter, she hated Richard with passion. 

 "This place doesn't seem right, isn't there supposed to be a servant here, or are you going to attend to all of us," Rachael, Victoria's junior sister inquired.

 "She already got one, her garbage of a husband has nothing doing, he will take care of that," Charles noted.

 "Where is he, I didn't see him anywhere around when I came in," Rachael said.

 "I think Victoria locked him up for breaking a dish or doing something bad," Francisca joins the discussion.

 "Guys, don't you have any other thing to discuss apart from Richard, we came here to discuss something very important," Victoria said coldly.

 "Why does it hurt you so much when we talk about him, what even made you get married to such a liability," Rachael noted.

 "My thoughts exactly," Charles said.

 "How do you even cope with him, I heard he stinks," Francisca said.

 "Not heard, I have experienced it myself. The last time I stood close to him, I almost passed out."

 She said this calmly but the hall echoed the sound and the Weldoms roared with laughter.

 "He is a disgrace to be part of this family," someone noted from the other end of the table.

"Why he can’t just go out and find a job, like my loving Kennedy?"Rachel said proudly.

Kennedy was the guy who stood near her, he didn’t talk anything while they’re mocking Richard.

“Okay...we all know Kennedy is a good guy, he could help our family to be the richest one in the City, so don’t compare him to Richard, it’s a shame.”Said Charles.

 "That should be my problem, not yours. We should be worried more about the fact that mum and grandma are yet to arrive," Victoria said trying to change the subject of the discussion.

 "Don't worry, she will soon be here," Rachael said.

 As they chatted, Mrs. Luci came into the hall. She wore a light brown hair and a red silk gown worth about half a million dollars. 

"Good day mum," Victoria greeted.

 "Good day Mrs. Luci," Everyone greeted.

 "What about Grandma," Charles inquired.

Grandma won't be coming, she has gone to see her doctor," Mrs. Victoria announced.

 "Hope she is okay," Rachael inquired.

 "Yes, just a little tooth ache, she will be alright. Is every one around now?" she inquired.

 "Yes," Victoria said.

 "Expect you are gracious enough to count Victoria's husband among the living," Rachael mocked.

 "Victoria.. where is that garbage you call a husband."

 "He will soon be here, I instructed him to wash a few of my clothes before coming down."

 "I am sure Victoria is just making up for way for the love of her life not to join this meeting." A female voice noted.

 "Can't we go on without him," Charles inquired irritated?

 "We can, but who will go on errands for us since Victoria has refused to get a maid."

 "She doesn't need one mum, she already got one," Charles said.

 "But I think Victoria made a great choice, a servant and a husband in one, just like using one stone to kill two birds," Rachael chuckled and the crowd burst into laughter.

 "Isn't this Richard in quote a human being, then why treat him this way," a manly voice said. It was Kennedy, Rachael's fiancee, he had a net worth of one billion dollars.

 "Jobless fools like him should not be counted as human beings. You have not seen him yet that is why you are you are sympathizing with him. Just a look at and you will hate everything about him," Mrs. Victoria said.

 "Hatred at first sight," Charles added.

 " I wonder why it was love at first sight in your case Vicky, I warned you not to marry that caveman but you did not listen, now look at what you have done to yourself," Mrs. Luci lamented.

 The crowd burst into another round of laughter at the mention of the word caveman.

 "Cave man indeed, I heard he never knew his parents, he must be another 'Tanzan'. "He talks like them, behaves like them..."

 "And dress just like them," Francisca added.

 "I am teaching him to act more civilized," Victoria said proudly.

 "Civilized?" Mrs. Luci roared with laughter. "How on earth, in the name of ten devils do you teach a cave man to be civilized."

 "You will see it in him when he comes down, he will look different."

 "I can't wait," Francisca said in between a Laugh.

 Meanwhile, Richard had just finished taking his bath and he stood before the dresser contemplating what to put on for the occasion. All his clothes cost less than 50 dollars and most of them had faded out. Victoria stopped giving him his monthly allowance after he accidentally called her love in the presence of lady Tashia. He knew the family hated and despised him but that did not matter, he was not married to the family, he was married to Victoria. Though she treated him like thrash, he still had this strong faith that she still love her and that has been keeping him going.

 Quickly, he got a business suit from the dresser and got dressed. Though it was worn out, It was the best he could get, as least it was not tattered. Slowly, Richard descended from the stairs just in time to catch the family's gossip about him. As he decended from the stairs, his heart skipped a beat and he shivered Violently. He was afraid of  the Weldoms. As came closer, he swallowed a large lump.

 "Here comes our civilized son in law," somebody announced from the crowd, making the crowd roar with laughter. Victoria only stared in amazement.

 "I am sorry Victoria, the..."

 "Please don't," Victoria fired.

 "You aren't doing bad Victoria, just keeping trying," Charles said in between a laugh.

 "Yes, he is really getting Civilized, he does not stink with death today," someone roared in the crowd.

 Richard stood before them watching them rain insults on him, he was visibly angry and he tightened his fist to control his anger. Mrs. Lucis noticed that her son in law was angry. Even though he was poor, he was still human and no human being should be treated this way. He was tired of being oppressed and so submissive. The love that brought him into the Weldoms family and made him submissive was gradually turning into hatred.

 "What gives you the guts to be angry at my children and nieces who make millions of dollars monthly when you can not boast of fifty dollars a month. You don't even have a job, you just patch around my daughter to survive while you feeds on her. I don't blame you anyway, I blame my daughter who refused to listen to my motherly advice and went ahead to get married to a wrench like you."

 "I am sorry ma," Richard apologized but only with his lips.

 "You better be."

  Richard returned his gaze to Victoria, her fist was tightly fastened around her waist, and she was trying fruitlessly to hide the anger rising in her.

 "Can I have a little of your time?" Kennedy said gesturing to Richard to come with him upstairs.

  "What do you want to do with him, talk sense into him?" Mrs. Luci inquired.

 "Yes, if that will help him," Kennedy replied.

 "Love, please don't have anything to do with him, I heard his wretched status is contagious," Rachael said.

 "Just forget it ken, don't waste your time on a worthless young man like Richard. You can not talk sense into a fool, the percentage that he will listen to whatever you tell him is 0.1 percent." Charles advised.

 "As long as there is a perfect, it's worth trying," Kennedy replied.

 "Go ahead if you insist. Go see for yourself the type of fellow he truly is," Mrs. Lucis said.

 Kennedy journeyed to an empty room upstairs while Richard followed him closely from behind. However, he is interrupted by one of Victoria's niece, a handsome nine years old boy. "Hi garbage," the young boy greeted.

 "Hi," Richard replied.

 "How come you don't smell like junk today or did Aunty Vicky bath you herself?"

 The crowd burst into a long round of laughter.

 "Get off my way son, someone is waiting for me upstairs," Richard said angrily, " such a mannerless thing," he thought.

 Immediately, the young boy burst into tears and ran to Mrs. Victoria. "Aunty, you heard what he said, he told me to get off his way."

 "Richard, see what you have done, you made the poor boy cry, now apologize to him."

 "I am sorry," Richard spat out the word.

 As he turned to leave, Mrs. Victoria stopped him. "That won't do, go down on your knees and apologize to him."

  "What?" Richard exclaimed. "But I just said am sorry,"

 "And mum just said that won't do," Charles fired.

 "I won't bend a knee for a mannerless brat," Richard spat out growing really angry. 

  "Victoria?" Mrs. Lucis yelled.

 "Mum don't worry, I will make him do it," Charles said. He rose up from his seat and went to Richard. With the back of his palms, he gave Richard a thunderous slap on his face and he fell to the ground . And blood gushed out from his bruised lips.

 "I am sorry, he spat out. There was nothing he could do, he was outnumbered.

 "Whatever," the young boy replied.

 "Can I go, mother?"

 "I am not your mother, I can never give birth to a wrench like you," Mrs. Victoria rebuked. "Now crawl on your knees to my worthy son in-law."

 "What," Richard exclaimed out loud.

 "You heard me right or is that too little?"

 Richard stared at each member of the Weldoms. He wanted a fight, he wanted to disobey the order but he knew that would not be possible. His hands were tied and he just had to obey. Besides, his face still ache from the slap Charles gave him.

  Richard glanced briefly at Victoria's family as they made ridicule of him. He turned his gaze to Victoria for some objection but she only bowed her head. For the first time, Richard felt really ashamed for making her go through all this.

 "That is what you get for getting married to a man like him," Richard heard someone saying into Victoria's ears.

 "Now get going before I change my mind."