The Son-in-law they never wanted

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It was just like a miracle to everyone seated. Grandma, whose pulse had weakened significantly and her skin had already begun to become pale, was now breathing steadily and healthily even though she hasn't regained her consciousness yet. Her skin even became brighter than before and she looked more peaceful and without pain.

"Wow......" the doctor trailed off, amazed at the incredible healing speed that was taking place right in front of him. In all his years and experience, he has never seen anyone heal as fast as this or even perform the treatment as well as this. It was an amazing sight to behold.

"I knew you could do it!" Alex praised him, grinning from ear to ear. "I knew you were just putting on a show. You didn't have to scare us like that."

"Yeah, that was too extreme. You might be confident enough to bring her back but you almost gave us a heart attack," Susan chimed in and soon the rest of the family joined in praising the doctor for his good work and rebuking him for playing a prank.

"I think you all are making a mistake here," the doctor said, confused at their reaction and remarks. "I didn't save her, Ryan did."

"Oh, you're too modest. Trying to help the poor guy, huh?" Alex laughed as he placed his hand around the doctor's shoulder and moved him away from the family. Once they were a little isolated, he gripped tight and hard on the doctor's shoulder with his hand as he whispered to him through gritted teeth. "If you want anything good for yourself and your career, you better keep your mouth shut and accept the glory. Have some dignity for fvck's sake."

He quickly switched into a smile and released his grip, patting the doctor on his back. "Understand?"

"Yes," the doctor groaned as he weaved away from his hand and joined the family. They kept heaping praise upon praise on him but he was too scared to refute them anymore. All he could manage was a sympathetic look at Ryan who shrugged, indicating that he wasn't bothered in the slightest. Of course, he saw Alex's actions with the doctor and he didn't want the doctor getting in any danger because of this. Especially since he truly doesn't care about their praises.

"Umm...... I think I should be going now," Ryan said to Alina as he made his way to the door without waiting for her reply.

A resounding slap echoed through the room, silencing and shocking everyone including Ryan as it took him a few seconds to process that he was the one who was just slapped.

"Mom!" Alina yelled. "What did you do that for?!"

Mrs Bruce ignored her daughter as she glared at him with a look of anger a d disgust in her eyes. "What is wrong with you?" she hissed. "Why don't you know your place?"

"What?" Ryan couldn't help but ask. He knew it was better to just ignore her and he had been slapped by her several times before but this took him by surprise and he couldn't think of a reason why he deserved it. Even if they decide to heap the praises for his work on another, he at least thought that they knew in their hearts that he was the one who just saved Grandma's life. 

"You made the doctor look bad by talking without knowing your place," she glared at him. "Do you crave attention so much? Isn't stealing my daughter away from me enough already for an attention seeker like you?"

"Ma'am, I think you are making a mistake...," the doctor started.

"Shut up, doctor!" she glared at him. "One more word from you and I will forget that you just saved Grandma's life!"

One look at Alex and the doctor immediately kept his mouth shut, intent on saving his career but at the same time, amazed that a family could hate a member of the family so much. 

"I hate you," she glared at Ryan. "I hate a piece of shit like you. You had better divorce my daughter yourself or else I'll make your life even more hellish than it already is, you fraud!!"

"Mom!" Alina yelled, standing in between them. "I've had enough! I would not tolerate you talking to my husband like that!"

"Oh, stop this nonsense," she rolled her eyes. "We both know you don't love this bum. Take a good look at yourself and then look at him. He doesn't even deserve to be one of our workers. If it wasn't for Grandpa's stubbornness, none of this would have happened."

"He's still my husband," Alina replied. "You don't insult my husband in front of me."

"Let it go," Ryan mumbled, just loud enough so only Alina heard him. "It's not like you care anyway, and neither do I."

He walked out of the ward with that and thus time made his way outside with a purpose, to get as far away as possible from this hospital.

Once he made his way out of the exit, he chose a random direction and continued walking in that direction without looking back. He didn't have his card with him so he couldn't withdraw any money which meant he could only walk for now.

He was already a block away from the hospital when he heard his name being called.

"Ryan?" the person called but he made no effort to answer or confirm who the person was as he focused only on the direction he was going.

"Ryan!" the person called again and this time he felt a hand touch him. He immediately grabbed the hand with one hand and the person's neck with the other, slamming the person into the closest wall to him.

By the time he got a view of the person, he discovered that it was a female and she seems to be badly hurt by his actions as she was gasping for air.

"Who are you?" he asked, letting go of her immediately. "What do you want from me?"

"It's me," the girl said. "The girl from this morning."

"What girl from what morning?" he asked angrily.

"Eleanor, from this morning," she said. "You saved my father from a heart attack in the graveyard where you went to visit your family."

He stared at her puzzled for a few seconds before it clicked. His frown only deepened as he remembered. "What are you doing here?"

"I came here to say, thank you," she smiled. "The doctors barely had to do anything after you helped him."

"Well, I don't care," he said as he started walking away. "Get out of my sight."

"I would like to compensate you for what you did," she said as she followed after him.

"I don't want anything," he said. "Get out."

"I insist," she argued. "Just tell me anything."

"Okay then," he said and stopped to look directly into her eyes. "I want you to get out of my sight. That's the only compensation I want."

He walked away the second he said that as he turned the corner, eager to get away from her sight. 

"Wait!" he heard her call but decided to ignore it. The next second, he moved his hand out of the way without looking at her just as she was about to touch him, causing her to stumble towards the group but he caught her by the scruff of her shirt and pulled her up.

"Look," he said, getting even angrier at the sight of her. "Don't ever try to touch me again. I hate it when strangers touch me."

"Of course," Eleanor said as she caught her breath. Pulling her up by her shirt choked her a little bit. "I just have one favour to ask. I'll leave your sight after that."

He eyed her for a bit before replying. "What do you want?" 

"Come and see my grandfather," she said immediately. "Ever since he woke up, he has been asking to see you."

"How did you find me?" he asked.

"That's unimportant," she replied quickly. "Please come see my grandfather."

He sighed after a while and followed her as she led him to her car. It was a white Chevrolet and it had her name inscribed on the side.

"My first car and my favourite," she smiled but he gave no reaction as he waited for her to open the door. She got the hint and opened the door, letting him in. 

He got in and sat like a statue, looking in one direction and ignoring her existence. She stared at him for a while before giving up turning the key in the ignition. 

The drive to her house was long and quiet as no one said a thing to each other, which was Ryan's fault entirely. 

Once they got to her house, she led him inside the mansion which would have been an impressive sight if Ryan had even bothered to look. 

"Grandpa, I'm home," Eleanor announced as she got into the living room, hugging her grandfather. " See who I found. The man who saved you."

Her grandfather's eyes widened as he saw Ryan, and tears began to flow from his eyes. "My son."