The Hunchback Son-in-law

Everyone sneered and wrinkled their noses in disgust as Logan walked passed them.

"Ew, he smells," a blondie snapped. "Does he even bath?"

"He reeks of dog shit, that's for sure," another person jeered. "I wouldn't want to get near him."

"Can't believe I'm breathing the same air as him. He might be contagious. Cover your nose when he coughs"

"Look at that awful coat. Ugh!"

Logan limped his way out of the tram train, looking like a dejected wet hen.

He couldn't even look up straight.

Everywhere he went, he was easily recognised by his infamous hunchback and oversized trench coat.

Logan arrived at the Iron Resident, a luxurious estate owned by the Iron family.

He unlocked the door and entered inside.

"You bastard!" An angry woman's voice shrilled.

Logan ducked in time as she hurled a bottle at him.

The bottle smash against the wall, spilling it's content all over Logan's body.

"Emily, dear," Logan whipped his face with his hand. "What's the problem?"

Emily stood at the head of the stairs, breathing heavily like an enraged bull.

Her eyes burned with hate. "Problem? I'll tell you what's the problem. Where the hell have you been?!"

Logan showed her the grocery bags he was carrying. "I went shopping."

Emily climbed down the stairs, her face scrunched up in disgust. "How long does it take to do a simple shopping, huh?"

Logan could smell the strong stench of alcohol oozing from her mouth.

"Dear, have you been drinking?" Logan asked. "I told you, you need to watch your liquor."

Emily slapped him across the cheeks. "Shut up. You don't get to tell me what to do, you horror."

Logan bite his lips. She was drunk, all right. When Emily's like this, she could be dangerous.

"I'm sorry, dear," Logan hung his head in submission.

"All you do is stress me," she wailed, raising her voice. "You only have to do one job and that's housekeeping, yet you suck at it so bad. How useless can you be?"

Logan didn't say anything.

"My family are coming over for dinner," Emily nagged, dragging his ears. "It's almost nightfall. Ensure you hurry to the kitchen and prepare dinner."

"Yes, dear," Logan replied weakly, feeling the stabbing pains of his wife's nails digging in his ear.

Emily let go of his ears and left, "Seriously, how did I end up with a horror like you?"

Logan stared after her, his ugly face gloomy.

* * * *

"Wash my feet thoroughly," Morrison Iron, barked at Logan.

Logan winced at his sharp voice. Morrison had the harshest voice.

"I'm sorry, father-in-law," Logan said, washing his feet all over again.

"Get some fresh water and make it snappy," Morrison kicked the bowel, spilling the water on the floor. "And dry this mess up."

While Logan limped away to fetch fresh water, Morrison turned to his daughter.

"How long are you going to keep this rat around you?" He asked, irritated. "I can't face my business associates because my daughter is married to a monster."

"To be honest, your father strikes a good point," Sophia Iron, Morrison's wife commented. "Don't you think it's about time to divorce him, Emily?"

Emily laughed. "Soon, father. Soon. I have a target. The Midnight Quarry."

Morrison sat down on the dinning table.

"You've been married to this freak for the past five years. The Midnight Quarry hasn't mined a single diamond all these years. It's about time you call it quit."

Emily toyed with her drink, watching her father closely.

Emily was 24 years old. When she was 16, she had joined an idol band and was considered the most beautiful idol at her prime.

However, alcohol and drugs ruined her. She still had her looks but her personality was horrible.

"Should I?" Emily's asked. "Then maybe I shouldn't tell you about the diamonds discovered last week at the quarry."

Sophia snorted. "You found diamonds?"

Emily made a face. "I thought you both wanted me to quit my marriage?"

"Unless you're hiding something from us," Morrison leaned forward, his fists clenched. "Come on, spill it."

Emily sighed then glanced over her shoulder to be sure Logan wasn't listening.

"The Midnight Quarry had been empty for five years now with no hopes of mining anymore Diamonds. Logan shut down the mine years ago but I secretly hired a team of miners to continue operation. Last week, we strike a jackpot."

To pique her parents interest, she revealed a diamond ring.

The diamond glittered in their faces.

"That's the most beautiful diamond I've ever seen," Sophia admitted. "You're saying there's more of this?"

Emily nodded. "Yes. That's why I hadn't divorce that horror yet. He doesn't know there are still diamonds at the mine. I want that mine and I'm going to own it."

"Brilliant idea," Morrison said, his eyes filled with greed. "You've made me proud."

"Shush," Sophia whispered. "Logan is back."

Logan returned with a mop and some fresh water.

He rewashed Morrison's feet then dried it with a clean white towel and finally mopped the wet floor.

Thereafter, he served his in-laws their dinner.

"You know for an ugly horror, you sure can cook," Morrison jeered, admiring the delicious meal on the table.

"That's the only useful thing about him, father," Emily said, then barked at Logan. "And what are you waiting for? Go feed the chickens and the pigs. And don't forget to locked them up."

"Yes dear," Logan said, limping on one foot out of the dinning room.

"I hate him," Sophia gritted her teeth. "I can't bear the sight of him. I wished he'd just die already."

"I hope so," Morrison said, cutting into his steak. "The world would be better off without him. Mmm...this steak is so good."

* * * *

Two balls of tears dropped to the ground as Logan fed the chickens.

He couldn't control himself as his emotions got the best of him.

"Life is so unfair," he spoke to no one in particular. "My wife hates me, my in-laws despises me and the people on the streets avoid me."

"I wasn't asked to be born this way," Logan rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. "If only I hadn't been born with a hunchback, maybe my wife would've loved me a little. She's the only woman who'd dared marry a horror like me."

He limped to the pigsty and fed the pigs as well.

"She wouldn't even let me kiss her," Logan lamented, more to the pigs than to himself. "I wish I could change for her."

By the time Logan locked the chickens and returned to the dinning room, his in-laws and Emily were gone.

They left the dining table in a mess.

Logan cleaned up and washed the dishes. "This is my life. A miserable househusband."

After putting away the plates, he limped to his small room and sat down on his futon bed.

He dialled up his company manager. "Hello, John? It's me, Logan."

John hissed. "I should never have picked your call. How many times do I have to tell you, your family's mine is as gone as last year's snow. No investors want to put their money there."

Logan coughed. "I'm sorry for troubling you, John. But could you put the Midnight Quarry up for an auction. I need to raise enough money."

"What do you need money for? Your wife's family are literally rich," John hissed.

Actually, the Iron family were wealthy because of Logan.

Before he married Emily, he ran a diamond consortium worth $270 million dollars.

After marrying Emily, he lent the Iron family $60 million to support their business.

Soon after, Logan suffered a massive financial backlash.

The Midnight Quarry, his family's diamond mine suddenly ran out of Diamonds.

But the Iron family business prospered, with a net worth of $500 million.

Logan hesitated then told John, "Actually, I was wondering about going for a surgery. I think it's about time I do something about my hunchback."

"You're delusional to think anything can be done about your birth defect, Logan," John scoffed. "Here's a piece of advise, boy. Give up and die. Don't call me again."

Before Logan could utter a word, John hung up.