Chapter 1: Insults

Chapter 1: Insults

“Steve, do you still have the courage to come to my sister’s engagement party?”

The man in shabby clothes who was taking drinks from the buffet table stopped what he was doing. His head turned towards the source of the voice, precisely towards the person who had just asked him.

His brown eyes caught the silhouette of a man wearing an expensive black suit with a light blue tie. The man’s hair was silver and neatly styled. He had deep black eyes like soot with a sharp and intimidating gaze.

The man in shabby clothes turned around so that he could face the silver-haired man. His body seemed to stiffen for just a moment, but he managed to control himself.

“Oh, sorry. Are you talking to me, Daniel?” asked the man in shabby clothes, pointing at himself while asking the other person, who was already showing an annoyed look.

“Of course I’m talking to you!” The silver-haired man called Daniel replied in an annoyed tone. He had an unfriendly look on his face. His eyebrows dipped sharply, and his forehead was deeply furrowed. “Is there anyone else with the name Steve in this place?” He asked again with a lazy eye roll.

Steve scratched the back of his head, which was not itchy. He smiled awkwardly, not knowing what to say back. “Oh, sorry. I thought you weren’t talking to me.” He said it in as calm a tone as possible.

Daniel rolled his eyes lazily, then walked closer to Steve. As soon as the distance between them was two meters, Daniel stopped his steps. He scanned the man’s body from top to bottom intensely, without exception.

Steve was wearing a faded blue shirt that looked shabby. There were several stitch marks that were quite noticeable on the arms and back. On top of that, he was wearing black trousers that looked very shabby and slightly torn.

The shoes Steve wore were just as bad as the clothes he wore. Daniel’s black eyes could see that the shoes looked old and dull.

This, of course, contrasts with the atmosphere of the party, which looks so luxurious and classy. Steve looks like the wrong person for the party.

Feeling noticed, Steve raised his voice. “Why are you looking at me like that?” asked Steve, frowning. He kept his tone as low as possible, being polite to the elder Griffin. “Is there something wrong with my appearance?”

Daniel pulled the corner of his lips upward. A small grin was printed on his lips. He shook his head slowly, feeling strange about the question his brother-in-law was asking. His hands, clad in an expensive suit, were crossed in front of his chest, giving the impression of being both haughty and dominant.

“You’re asking me, What’s wrong with your appearance?” Daniel asked back in a sarcastic tone.

Steve tilted his head, not understanding what Daniel was trying to tell him. His brow furrowed with narrowed eyes. “Can you just say it directly? I don’t want to be complicated by your rambling words, Daniel.”

Daniel laughed loudly at the answer Steve gave him. Daniel’s very loud laughter certainly attracted the attention of the guests who were chatting in the party hall.

They focused their attention on Daniel and also on the Griffin family’s son-in-law. Everyone drew closer to form a circle, with Daniel and Steve at the center.

“Don’t you have a mirror in your house to wear such ugly clothes to my sister’s engagement party?” Daniel pointed roughly at Steve’s chest with his index finger.

“You want to embarrass the Griffin family with your shabby appearance? Where do you put your brains?” Daniel added in an emotional tone. His breathing seemed to rise and fall rapidly with his hands clenched tightly.

Steve fell silent at the diatribe. This was his daily bread in the Griffin family. Just because he came from a poor family, he was always the subject of ridicule in this family, especially by Daniel.

Steve’s hands were clenched so tightly that his knuckles looked white. His jaw tightened with a noticeable intake of breath. His cheeks were red from being humiliated in front of so many people. Steve’s pride was certainly hurt.

“I don’t want to embarrass the Griffin family. It’s just that—”

“You don’t have any better clothes you could wear, do you?” Daniel interrupted Steve’s equipment quickly before the man could finish his sentence. That sentence really hit the nail on the head. Could Daniel read his mind?

“Daniel, I—“

“What does Minji see in you?” The topic changed even though they were still related to each other.

“You are not rich, not handsome, and most importantly, useless. You are a disgrace to the Griffin family. Steve. Do you realize that?”

Like a thunderbolt in broad daylight, those words struck Steve’s heart. His pride was shattered. His ego was put to the test. His body stiffened with a sudden, rapid heartbeat, as if he had been running for miles.

Steve’s mind could no longer cooperate. Emotion had overtaken him. Those words hurt him so deeply. He couldn’t bear to be humiliated again by the eldest Griffin, who was still standing proudly in front of him.

“I’m sorry, Daniel. But Minji chose to marry me because— “

“Because she intends to hire you for free,” Daniel cut in again.

“What do you mean?”

Daniel’s lips lifted in a cruel grin. He glanced at the women who were gossiping behind him, talking about the little fight he had with his brother-in-law.

His soot-black eyes searched for the person being talked about. Due to the large number of people present at this event, Daniel could not find his favorite sister.

Daniel did not despair. Since his eyes could not reach Minji’s whereabouts, he finally chose to do something crazy to achieve his goal.

“Minji, come here!” Daniel shouted loudly.

The atmosphere that had been bustling was suddenly silent. Everyone looked at each other with shocked faces when they heard Daniel’s booming voice.

“Minji!” He called out again in a louder voice than before.

From behind the crowd, a woman wearing a light blue dress, complete with matching colored high heels, approached Daniel. Her steps were graceful. Her black hair, which was pulled back, moved freely with her footsteps.

Once in front of the two men who were arguing, she immediately opened the fan she was holding, covering her face until only her eyes were visible.

“What’s wrong with calling me?”

Daniel immediately wrapped his arms around her narrow shoulders. He smiled sarcastically at Steve, who did not show much expression. “Minji, tell me. What are your intentions for marrying Steve?”

The woman in the blue dress gasped in surprise. Her eyes rounded comically. She glanced at Daniel and her husband in turn. Her tongue was suddenly too stiff to make a sound. “It’s ....”

“Just answer, Minji.” Daniel coaxed his little sister to speak. “You shouldn’t be afraid to speak up. The whole world should know Steve’s status in this family.”

Minji let out a long breath. She lowered the fan. Those tiny lips seemed hesitant to reply to Daniel’s words.

Seeing Minji, who did not speak, made Daniel anxious. He immediately pressed Minji’s tiny shoulder with his hand. “Answer my question now, Minji Griffin!”

Minji closed her eyes. She felt her shoulder hurt from being pressed by her eldest brother. After gathering all her courage, Minji raised her voice. “I married Steve because I needed him.”

Steve was touched by his wife’s words. He approached Minji, intending to hug her. “Did you hear? Minji chose me because she needed me. That means she loves me.”

However, Daniel stopped her by pulling Minji’s body backwards until the girl almost fell down. “Minji, can you explain what you meant by that?” Daniel asked in a sharp tone.

Minji shuddered in horror at the sound of her brother’s voice, which sounded even more frightening. “I married Steve because I needed him to clean the house and do the laundry for free without having to spend money on a maid.”

Steve’s smile faded away. The wife, who was supposed to defend him, was now humiliating him. Everyone was surprised to hear that excuse. They whispered to each other, talking about Minji’s cruel words.

Steve convinced himself that Minji was only threatened by Daniel, who was currently gripping her shoulder. “Minji, you’re joking, right?”

Minji shook her head. “No, I’m not. I’m talking seriously.”

Minji paused her words for a moment to dismiss Daniel’s hand on her shoulder. “I do want to utilize your energy, Steve. You have to realize that you don’t belong in the Griffin family.”

“Minji, you—“

“And one thing you should know,” Minji interrupted Steve. Her hand reached out to take a piece of paper from the hand of someone behind her. “I want us to get a divorce, Steve. I love another man.”

“What do you mean?”