The Unexpected Son-in-law

7

With the type of person Kyle is, he doesn’t go out without a fight.

''This shit place will burn. You hear that, poor man! And you are nothing, nothing but a poor man still!'' He flips a chair in the waiting area before hitting a few magazines on a glass table.

Venus and Mrs Grayson walk behind him, acting oblivious to his behavior.

''How dare a poor man like him to shame us?'' Kyle yells.

It takes three security to pull him down to the main lobby, where he yells at all those who are staring at him.

‘’Don’t you touch me! This place will burn! The Wellington Group will fail and I will be here to laugh at that poor man who was married to my sister.’’

Mrs Grayson and Venus hold their heads down in shame, both still nothing believing the outcome of their meeting.

Mrs Grayson had high hopes of signing papers today, even having one of her nieces date someone on the board so that her family could buy out more from the Wellington or even threatening them with what secrets they learn.

But she never saw this coming.

The man she had chased out of her home might just be their downfall, but she knows just what to do. She just hopes everyone will be on board with her plan, and that they can execute it well.

‘’Come along, children, and Kyle. Stop acting like a jackass and save us from any more embarrassment,’’ Mrs Grayson tells her son and daughter.

''No mother, because who is he to speak to us like that?'' Kyle hisses.

''A very rich man with power,'' Venus tells her brother.

The valet opens the car door, but Kyle pushes him away.

''All of you that work for this trash will feel my wrath.'' Kyle hiss at him.

Kyle drives like a madman, running the traffic light and almost even hitting someone. He causes his mother to grip her seat for her life, but he doesn't care because Liam's words shamed him.

When the trio arrives home, Mr Grayson is there waiting for them. ‘’So, how did it go?’’

Kyle turns away from his father as he says, ‘’we didn’t get the deal.’’

Mr Grayson becomes aggressive after hearing this. ‘’What? How is that possible? We had a solid plan, and this deal was in the bag.’’ He then gives Kyle a hard look. ‘’What did you do?’’

‘’Why do you think I have something to do with this?’’ Kyle shoots back.

“Because you are always the one to mess up things.’’

Kyle sneers at his father. “Dad, I didn’t do anything this time and since you want to go pointing fingers, then all of us should be blamed for this. Including you.’’

‘’Everyone? That is just madness. I can’t blame the entire family for this failure.’’ Mr Grayson shakes his head. ‘’There must be an explanation. We were depending on that deal because our shares have dropped drastically overnight.’’

‘’We all have to be blamed, dad,’’ Venus says. ‘’The owner of the company refused the deal because he is the ex-husband of our sister Nova.’’

Mr Grayson gets a faraway look upon hearing that. ‘’But… w- he is nothing but a poor man. How could this be?’’

‘’That’s what I’m trying to figure out.’’ Kyle drops down in the brown leather chair with a heavy sigh.

‘’This can’t be,’’ Mr Grayson repeats.

‘’Someone go get Nova, she must have answers to this,’’ he adds after a pause.

Not long after, Nova enters her father’s study, with her head high and looking more like her mother now, with her black hair in ringlets falling to her armpits. The only thing missing are pearl earrings and a necklace.

Venus gives her a look, then rolls her eyes. ‘’Must you look so much like mom?’’

‘’What are you talking about?’’ Nova leans her head to the side.

Venus removes the white headband from Nova's hair, then runs her fingers through it. ‘’There, you are too young to be looking so old. All you need is the wrinkles and you will be a sixty-year-old woman.’’ Venus looks at her mother. ‘’No offense.’’

But Venus is right. Nova has the same hazel eyes as their mother does, the same nose, and the same thin pink lips. She has no looks for her father, unlike her siblings.

‘’Why did you summon me, daddy?’’

‘’Does your ex-husband truly have any connections with the Wellington Group?’’ Mr Grayson asks.

Kyle scoffs from his seat. ‘’He owns the place, father.’’

Nova feels her body quacking at those words. ‘’He what?’’

‘’Are you deaf, little sister? Or maybe you want me to drill a second pair of holes in your head?’’

‘’Kyle!” Mr Grayson yells. ‘’Now is not the time for this.’’

‘’No, but this is just a waste of time,’’ Kyle mumbles.

‘’Now, about that trash you brought home.’’ Mr Grayson turns to look at Nova. But is once again cut off.

‘’He obviously isn’t trash if he has such a company under his belt and is about to lead us to ruin.’’ Venus lets out.

Nova shakes her head. “Wait, so he was telling the truth yesterday?''

Mrs Grayson sighs. ''So it seems. That man came here, and we laughed at him. Now it has cost us greatly.''

''What do you mean?'' Nova looks at her mother.

''He refused our deal. He hardly even listened to what I had to say.'' Mrs Grayson frowns.

''Liam, but how can he just become the owner of the Wellington Group overnight? He is just a premed student.’’

“That’s what I thought.” Mr Grayson nods. ‘’We should get someone to investigate this.’ There is no way a man like him can now be the owner of the Wellington Group.’

Mrs Grayson shakes her head. ‘’We just need to get back in his good grace.’’

‘’And how do you expect us to do that? He came here looking for the same thing from us. Do you really think he will just forgive us?’’ Venus asks.

Mrs Grayson looks at Nova. ‘’No, but he will forgive Nova. Darling, you have to be the one to do this. You have to pretend to love him again just long enough for us to gain some control in that company.’’

‘’Mother, that is nonsense and will never work. We shamed that man. He hates us. You heard his words.’’ Venus says.

‘’No, it will work. I am positive about this. Liam loves me and I know he will take me back. I can make things right. Think of it as my apology for bringing him home in the first place,’’ Nova tells them.

Venus groans. ''This is just bullshit. That man was mocked and I know that none of you will see him as nothing but a poor man.''

Kyle gets up. "Venus is right. I can not look at that trash for anything more than just that.''

''What do you suggest then?'' Mr Grayson asks.

When they don't answer, he moves closer to Nova, where he places a hand on her shoulder.

‘’If you think this will work, then do what you must. You have to get him to sign the deal or it is the end of us. We are already struggling and can’t let this one slip through our fingers.’’

Nova nods. ‘’I won’t disappoint you anymore, father.’’