The Useless Son In-law Is A Legend

Chapter 25

Clara paced around the sitting room like a restless cat. Her heels clicked loudly on the tiles as she muttered under her breath. Ava sat on the couch, watching her cousin with raised brows.

“Why are you walking up and down? What exactly is bothering you?” Ava finally asked.

Clara stopped, spun around, and threw her hands in the air. “It’s Ryan! That useless boy. I don’t know why he annoys me these days. The way he walks, the way he breathes... everything!”

Ava laughed softly. “Because you're always looking at him. That’s why he annoys you.”

Clara’s eyes widened. “Look at who? Please don’t insult me. Look at Ryan? For what? He is not even a man. He has nothing, he does nothing, he contributes nothing. That boy is a liability.”

“But his presence is bothering you,” Ava said calmly.

Clara hissed and folded her arms. “It’s because he acts like he doesn’t see me. He minds his business too much. It irritates me.”

Before Ava could reply, Clara’s mother walked in. Her face looked stressed, and she carried a folded letter in her hand.

“What happened again?” Ava asked.

Clara’s mother sighed and sat down. “The hospital called me this morning. They said the bill for my treatment has been fully paid.”

Clara gasped. “Paid? By who?! We don’t have that kind of money.”

Ava also sat up straight. “Are you serious? Someone cleared it?”

“Yes,” Clara’s mother whispered. “And the strange thing is… they refused to give me the name of the person. They only said the payment was made anonymously very early today.”

Clara frowned deeply. “That is suspicious. Who would do that for us?”

Ava shrugged slowly. “Maybe a helper from church? Or a distant relative?”

“No,” Clara’s mother said. “No relative of ours would spend that amount. And no one even knew the exact bill except the hospital… and us.”

Clara paced again, thinking hard. “This is strange. Very strange.”

Then her mother added another line that made Clara stop moving.

“And the payment came through in cash.”

Ava’s mouth fell open. “Cash? That rules out charity organizations. Could it be someone close?”

Clara thought for a moment. A face flashed in her mind, but she shook it away immediately.

“No,” she whispered to herself. “It can’t be him. He doesn’t have money.”

Her mother looked at her. “Who are you thinking about?”

Clara snapped out of her thoughts. “Nobody! I’m just confused, that’s all.”

Ava stood and stretched. “Whoever paid it… may God bless them. This is a huge burden lifted.”

Clara nodded slowly, but she didn’t look relieved. Something bothered her, something she didn’t want to admit.

Because earlier that morning, when she came out to the backyard, she saw Ryan walking out quietly with his head low, dust on his clothes, like he had been outside all night.

She ignored him then. She refused to ask. She didn’t care.

But now the pieces were matching strangely.

No, she told herself again. Ryan has no money. Ryan is nothing. He can’t do something like this.

Still… a tiny voice inside her whispered, *What if he did?*

Later that evening, Clara saw Ryan sweeping the compound silently. His clothes were old, his slippers were worn out, and he didn’t look like someone who owned even $100

Clara scoffed at herself. “See how useless he looks. Impossible. He can never.”

But as she walked past him, she found herself glancing at him again.

Ryan didn’t look up. He didn’t ask for thanks. He didn’t say anything.

He just continued sweeping with that quiet, calm expression he always had.

Clara turned quickly so Ava wouldn't notice the confusion on her face.

“Let me not make nonsense enter my head,” she muttered and walked away.

Yet deep inside her, something had started shifting.

Something she didn’t want.

Something she couldn’t stop.

Something she couldn’t understand.

The quiet storm had begun.