The Son-in-Law They Threw Away

Chapter 2: Forced

“Okay then,” Killian said.

Not long after, the two of them sat inside House of Asia. The place was quiet that afternoon. A few bamboo plants stood near a small fish pond, and a little fountain made soft water sounds. They chose a table under a small open roof near the water.

For a while neither of them spoke. The silence felt heavy and strange. Elizabeth finally broke it when she saw a waitress walking over.

“Let’s order some food first,” she said.

Killian looked at the menu but his eyes didn’t really see the words. When the waitress left, the quiet came back again. This time Killian spoke first. The words just pushed out of him.

“You order whatever you want. I’m a useless man. I never hold my own money. The work I do at my wife’s family house is never appreciated.”

He kept his eyes on the table. “Every day I cook, sweep the floors, mop, and go to the market. I barely have time to look for real work.”

Elizabeth leaned forward a little. “Are you crying?”

“No. Just sweat,” Killian answered quickly, wiping his face with the back of his hand.

The waitress returned with drinks and food. After she walked away, Elizabeth spoke in a calm voice.

“Don’t worry about the bill. I’m paying today. Just talk if you need to. I’m ready to listen.”

Killian let out a long breath that sounded tired. “For more than a year I’ve been like a servant in that house. I stayed because of a promise. Years ago some young men sent by a rich family in Birmingham tried to kill me with poison. Grandpa Smith found me and saved my life. After I got better, he told me I had to marry his granddaughter. He said I was not as simple as I looked. He kept staring at this necklace I always wear.”

Killian touched the chain at his neck. Elizabeth glanced at it but didn’t reach out.

“I’ve tried to find other jobs,” Killian went on. “Most places only wanted me for cleaning. Big companies rejected me without even asking questions. I applied to Spencer Group once. The managers looked at me like I was nothing. So I stayed and did every chore they gave me. Grandpa Smith was the only kind one. The rest of them — my mother-in-law, Julietta’s sister, her cousins — they all hate me. Every single day they tell me to leave. Sometimes they just shout. Sometimes they hit me.”

His voice dropped lower. “Today was the worst. I saw my own wife with another man. She slapped me in front of him. She pushed me. She spat on my face. As a man I can’t keep pretending. Love made me blind. Love made me weak. I kept hoping that if I stayed and worked hard she would start to care. I was wrong. They only used me for free work. I’m finished with it. I’ll give them the divorce they want. I already kept my promise to Grandpa Smith.”

He looked at Elizabeth. “Please just help me a little. Pray for me or tell me I can get through this. I don’t want to fall apart.”

Elizabeth’s eyes stayed steady on his. “Killian, I’ve known you a long time. You never give up easily. Don’t sink into this. If you want to leave that marriage, then leave. Be strong. You can do it.”

“Thank you,” Killian said. His voice was quiet. “If my life ever gets better, you’ll be the first person I come looking for.”

They ate without talking much after that. The food tasted like nothing to Killian, but he forced it down. When they finished, Elizabeth paid the bill and they walked out into the afternoon light.

“I’m going to visit a few more companies,” she said. “Maybe someone is still hiring.”

Killian nodded. “I have to go back to the house.”

They separated on the street. Killian walked the rest of the way with his head down. The wine stains on his shirt had dried into dark, ugly patches. His cheek still felt tight where Julietta had hit him. Every step felt heavier than the last.

When he reached the Smith family house and pushed the front door open, he stopped cold.

The whole family was waiting in the living room.

Granny Smith sat in the big chair in the middle. Julietta stood near her with arms crossed. Emma, Julietta’s mother, had a hard face. Christine, the sister, sat with her arms folded. Julius and two other cousins stood by the wall. Every single face looked angry.

Julius spoke first, loud and sharp. “There he is. The loser.”

Julietta’s voice cut through the room. “How dare you come back here after what you did to Robert!”

Emma pointed a finger straight at Killian. “You useless piece of rubbish! Because of you the deal with Spencer Group is gone. Robert cancelled the contract with our company. All of it is your fault!”

Julius stepped forward. “Robert also wants to take you to court for attacking him. He was serious.”

Christine’s voice was colder and lighter. “Grandmother stopped him for now. But only if you sign the divorce papers today.”

One of the other cousins muttered, “Look at him standing there like a stupid animal. Is he deaf?”

Granny Smith raised one thin hand. The room went silent at once.

She looked straight at Killian with hard old eyes. “Everyone stop talking. I will decide what happens to this useless son-in-law.”

Her voice was slow but sharp. “From this moment you are no longer allowed to live in this house. You are expelled. We do not need you here anymore. Sign the divorce agreement with Julietta right now. If you refuse, I will let Robert take you to court and you will go to jail.”

The silence that followed felt thick and heavy. No one moved. No one spoke. Every pair of eyes in the room locked onto Killian.

The divorce papers already lay on the low table in front of Granny Smith. A black pen rested on top of them.

Killian stood by the door with dried wine on his clothes, the mark of the slap still on his face, and the whole weight of the day pressing down on him. The family waited. The papers waited.

He had to answer.