The Legendary War God Returns

“Lydia, can you tell us where that wretched husband of yours has been for five years now?”

Inside the luxurious dining room of the Whitmore family, Damien's mocking voice erupted out of the blue, attracting everyone’s gaze to a lady in her late-twenties seated at the end of the massive table. 

With every family member present, Damien, her cousin saw it as a perfect opportunity to remind the family how much of an eyesore Lydia was.

Lydia, compared to other family members around the table, was clad in cheap and used clothes irrespective of the fact that she was a member of the Whitmore family. Usually, she was treated more like an embarrassment than an important family member.

 It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she was being punished for refusing to divorce her husband, who had vanished for five years and showed no sign of returning.

As a prestigious family in Crestwood, the Whitmore family cared more about their social status and public relations than anything.

Today was the sixtieth birthday of Victor Whitmore, the current head of the family, as well as Lydia's father.

“Come on, Lydia, do you not have anything to say? Or have you given up hope already?” Damien pressed on further when he saw Lydia didn’t spare him a glance and was instead staring at the meal in front of her.

Meanwhile, under the table, she was busy clenching her fingers tightly, trying to stifle her emotions. Perhaps, if he was being ignored, he would stop pestering her; however, the worst happened.

Other family members joined in. 

“That’s right. How long has it been since that bastard disappeared? Who knows? He must have died or something, and she is still clinging to him. Isn’t that so foolish?”

“She used to be known as a top beauty in the city. Why would she waste her time waiting for a man who probably has gotten married to someone else and is living his life in another place?”

“Is this how she will keep disgracing our family? This is just so embarrassing.”

Enjoying how the whole thing had blown up. Damein continued.

“If she had gotten married to a scion of a top family, we could have secured more deals and climbed the social ladder. Yet she’s waiting for a penniless bastard. A man who can give her nothing but suffering!”

In the head seat, Victor's fingers were clenching his thighs tightly. Today was supposed to be an important day for him and should be celebrated without any sadness, yet things were going in another direction.

He could have blamed Damien for his words, but what he said wasn’t wrong either. The weight of everything was pressing on his chest tightly. Lydia was his daughter, yet she had brought disgrace to the family.

Unable to hold it in anymore, he looked at her and sneered.

“Why don’t you just divorce him and marry someone else? Do you want to foolishly keep waiting for eternity or what?” 

She had been constantly treated badly, which should have propelled her back to the path they wanted for her, but that seemed to fail to work. 

“Dad, Orion promised me. He is definitely going to come back. I know he will.” Lydia managed to say even though she knew it wouldn't be enough to make them understand.

As someone who knew Orion Ashford so well, she was confident he wasn’t the type to make a promise and not keep to it. 

Hearing this, everyone exchanged glances with each other, disgusted at how hilarious her words sounded to their ears. 

“Aren’t you just a dumb foolish woman? Tell me, what did that bastard promise you that’s making you disgrace your family so much for him?” Victor was slowly losing himself to anger.

“Dad, Orion didn’t abandon me willingly. He promised he would return, and I am sure he will.” 

Lydia tried her best to explain, hoping her words would get through to him and the others, even though she was trying her best to stifle her emotions.

“Hmp!” Damien snorted. “Perhaps you're waiting for him to come back in a Lamborghini and a million-dollar company in his pocket, or what?” He added mockingly. 

Immediately a rain of chuckles filled the room.

“Hahahaha, if that broke kid can come back even in a shari, then pigs might be able to fly by then.”

“Hahahahaha, I bet he’s somewhere hawking in the street to feed himself, yet someone is busy waiting and being so hopeful? So funny!”

Lydia tried her best to contain their insults but said nothing else. Her fingers were tightly clenched under the table as she began recounting five years ago- their wedding day. After they had taken their vows, Orion had left for a military assignment. 

He promised her he would be back and would never abandon her. She had clung to that promise even with how she had been humiliated, looked down upon, and trashed away by the family.

No one wanted to believe her; however, she would never stop believing that one day he wouldn't come back.

“Lydia, will you not divorce that man?” Victor’s voice thundered impatiently. He was already at his limit. 

The impact of the voice caused her to shiver in fear, but that was all. Her resolve remained and was never shattered.

“Dad, I can’t. I believe he will return.” She stood her ground amid the disdainful looks directed at her. 

Smack!

Victor smacked the table in a fit of anger. 

“Leave! Get out! This family will no longer assist you financially or otherwise. Leave now!”

He ordered, seeing her more like an eyesore than his daughter. The same went for the others. No one held a sense of remorse for her. Instead, they felt it was the best punishment she deserved

At least everyone expected her to go on her knees, plead for forgiveness, and agree to divorce Orion, but Lydia did the opposite. 

With tears threatening to stream down her cheeks, she stood up and took heavy steps, walking towards the door.

She had made a promise and wasn’t going to break it. Her family had begun treating her trashily already, and she had grown accustomed to it. 

More importantly, her feelings for Orion were still intact and would never break.

Everyone watched her departing figure with scorn on their faces. Since this was the part she had chosen, she wasn’t expected to return either.

Meanwhile, just as Lydia got to the door to exit the mansion, she heard the hum of a car. She hurriedly pulled the door to take a look, and to her surprise, she saw a familiar figure hop out of the cab.