The Rise of Ethan Ryder: The Despised Husband & CEO

Chapter 9: Confrontation with the Brother-in-Law

Ethan knew his wife’s family didn’t think highly of him, but Caleb—Jasmine’s younger brother—was a constant thorn. Caleb’s arrogance knew no bounds; he took every opportunity to belittle Ethan, boasting about his own “accomplishments” and never missing a chance to remind Ethan of his “lowly” status. Caleb’s disdain ran even deeper since the family’s business had recently been saved by the mysterious CEO, whom Caleb idolized, never suspecting the man he looked down on was the one responsible.

One evening, the family gathered for another of Marjorie’s infamous dinners. Caleb, having had one too many drinks, was in rare form, mocking Ethan at every turn, snickering at his simple attire and making backhanded comments about his lack of career success.

“I honestly don’t understand why my sister hasn’t thrown you out yet,” Caleb sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. “You’re useless, Ethan. A dead weight. It’s pathetic how you just cling to us like a parasite.”

Ethan clenched his fists beneath the table, a wave of anger rising within him, but he forced himself to remain calm. The time to reveal his true identity was not yet here. But tonight, Caleb was testing his patience.

“Oh, don’t worry,” Ethan replied with a smirk, “I don’t plan to stay here forever. Things will change sooner than you think.”

Caleb’s face twisted in irritation. “Change? You mean you’ll finally leave and stop embarrassing my family? Do you even realize how much Jasmine could accomplish if she wasn’t shackled to you?”

Ethan didn’t respond, but the subtle calm in his gaze only seemed to fuel Caleb’s rage. Emboldened by the alcohol, Caleb shoved his chair back, storming toward Ethan with a smug expression. “Stand up,” he demanded, his voice filled with menace.

Ethan regarded him silently, his calm unnerving Caleb. After a moment, Ethan rose from his seat, towering over Caleb with a calm intensity that caught him off guard.

“What, are you going to hit me now?” Ethan asked, his voice low but laced with warning.

Caleb chuckled, scoffing. “It would be doing you a favor. You’ve made a fool of this family for too long.”

Before he could react, Caleb swung his fist toward Ethan, aiming for his face. But Ethan’s hand shot up, catching Caleb’s wrist mid-air with a grip like iron. Caleb’s eyes widened, surprised by Ethan’s strength and quick reflexes.

“Let go of me, you freak!” Caleb struggled, but Ethan’s grip only tightened, his face set in an expression Caleb had never seen before—one of silent authority and calm dominance.

“You have no idea who you’re dealing with,” Ethan murmured, his voice soft but carrying an edge that made Caleb pause. For a brief moment, Caleb could feel a sense of raw power emanating from Ethan, a strength far beyond his comprehension.

“Y-you’re just a useless bum! You’ve been taking advantage of my sister, of my family. You—”

Ethan released Caleb’s wrist with a shove, causing him to stumble back. “You’re lucky I haven’t dealt with you sooner, Caleb,” he said coldly. “If you think you can keep pushing me, keep disrespecting me, you’re gravely mistaken.”

At that moment, Jasmine, who had witnessed the exchange, entered the room, her gaze moving from her brother’s stunned expression to Ethan’s unruffled demeanor.

“What’s going on here?” she demanded, looking between them.

Caleb immediately launched into his usual accusations, trying to paint Ethan as the aggressor, but Jasmine’s gaze lingered on Ethan, noticing the quiet strength in his posture. It was something she’d never truly recognized before, but there it was—a confidence that went beyond any facade.

Jasmine’s eyes narrowed, suspicion flickering as she took in Ethan’s calm, almost unnervingly composed face. “Ethan, what happened?”

Ethan shrugged. “Your brother seems to have some pent-up frustrations he wanted to work out.” He looked Caleb directly in the eyes. “We’re all family here, after all.”

Caleb, red-faced and embarrassed, pulled himself together, muttering insults under his breath as he slunk away. Jasmine looked after him, confused but too proud to question him further in front of Ethan.

Once they were alone, Jasmine turned to Ethan, frustration flashing in her eyes. “Why can’t you just stay out of trouble? You’re always dragging my family into chaos.”

Ethan looked at her, his gaze steady and unyielding. “Maybe someday, Jasmine, you’ll realize it isn’t me causing the chaos. I’m just tired of standing aside while everyone treats me like I’m beneath them.”

She scoffed, still holding on to her perception of him. “So what? Are you suddenly too proud to take a little criticism?”

He gave her a measured look, a slight smile tugging at his lips. “You’ll understand someday.”

As he walked away, Jasmine couldn’t shake the feeling that something had shifted. She brushed it off, dismissing it as just another irritating side to the man she thought she knew. But the seed of doubt was planted.

Caleb, nursing his bruised ego, watched Ethan leave with a scowl, but a new thought began to fester in his mind: maybe he didn’t know his brother-in-law as well as he’d assumed.