The Useless Son In-law Is A Legend

Chapter 41

Clara woke up the next morning with a heavy feeling in her chest. She sat on her bed for a long time, staring at the wall. Her mind kept going back to the conversation she had with Eric the previous day. His words kept echoing in her ears, and even though she pretended to be fine, something inside her felt unsettled.

She brushed her hair slowly and tied it into a ponytail. She looked at herself in the mirror and sighed. She looked beautiful on the outside, but on the inside, she felt confused, lost, and strangely empty.

When she stepped out of the room, Ava was already in the kitchen helping their mother prepare breakfast. Clara walked in quietly and sat down on a chair. She hoped no one would notice how troubled she looked.

But Ava was watching her.

“You didn’t sleep well,” Ava said softly.

Clara forced a smile. “I’m fine.”

Ava didn’t believe her. “You look worried.”

Clara didn’t want questions. “I said I’m fine, Ava.”

Ava lifted her hands. “Okay, no problem. Just checking.”

Their mother, Mrs Harrison, turned from the stove. “Clara, you should eat something early before leaving.”

Clara nodded. “Yes, ma.”

But the food already tasted bitter in her mouth even before she touched it.

After breakfast, Clara stepped outside the house. She stood for a moment, breathing in the cold air. She wished it would clear her mind, but nothing changed. Instead, she became more aware of her guilt.

Because even though she didn’t want to admit it, her conscience kept whispering one thing:

*Ryan had never done anything wrong to her.*

He had worked. He had tried. He had cared for the family in small ways nobody ever noticed. And even when he left town, he didn’t cut them off. Someone was still checking on them. Someone was still keeping them safe.

Deep down, she knew who that person was.

Clara clenched her hands. “Why do I feel like this?” she whispered to herself.

She didn’t want to think about Ryan. She didn’t want to care. But she couldn’t stop the memories from coming — the small things he used to do, the quiet way he endured insults, the way he tried to protect the family even when they never treated him like one of them.

She shook her head. “Forget him,” she told herself.

But the guilt remained.

Later that afternoon, she went to the small boutique where she worked part-time. Her boss noticed she wasn’t her usual lively self.

“Clara, are you okay?” the woman asked.

“Yes, ma’am,” Clara replied quickly.

“Are you sure? You look distracted.”

Clara forced a smile again. “I’m fine. I just have a small headache.”

Her boss nodded but didn’t look convinced.

Throughout the day, Clara kept making mistakes. She handed the wrong clothes to customers, forgot to write down a sale, and even mixed up sizes. Her boss had to correct her several times.

“Clara, go and rest at the back for a while,” the woman finally said. “You’re not yourself today.”

Clara obeyed.

She sat on a small stool at the back of the shop and held her head in her hands.

*Why can’t I stop thinking about him?*  

*Why do I feel guilty?*  

*Why do I feel like… I owe him something?*

She remembered how sharply she used to talk to him. How she mocked him for not earning enough. How she never appreciated anything he did.

For the first time, those memories made her chest tighten.

She whispered, “Maybe I was too harsh.”

The thought shocked her. She had never admitted such a thing before.

When she finished work and returned home, she entered the house quietly. Mrs Harrison and Ava were talking in the living room.

Ava noticed her first. “Clara, you’re back.”

Clara nodded and sat down without a word.

Mrs Harrison frowned. “Are you sick?”

“No, ma.”

“Something is wrong,” Ava said. “You’ve been acting strange since morning.”

Clara pressed her lips together. She didn’t want to tell them what was troubling her. She didn’t even know how to start.

After a long silence, she finally spoke.

“Do you ever… regret how we treated Ryan?” she asked softly.

Ava froze.

Mrs Harrison turned slowly. “Clara… where is this coming from?”

Clara shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve just been thinking… maybe we were too hard on him.”

Ava looked down. Her eyes softened. “Sometimes… I think the same thing.”

Mrs Harrison sighed quietly. “He was part of this family, even if things were difficult.”

Clara looked at her mother in surprise. “You think so too?”

Mrs Harrison nodded. “I didn’t hate him. I was only stressed. Life was hard. But Ryan… he wasn’t a bad boy.”

Clara’s heart tightened again.

“Maybe…” she whispered, “…maybe we should have treated him better.”

Ava gently placed her hand on Clara’s. “Clara… it’s okay to feel sorry.”

Clara didn’t say anything else. She just stared at the floor, her guilt growing even heavier.

She didn’t know that miles away, Ryan’s men were still watching over the family… because Ryan had asked them to.

Clara wiped a small tear from her eye before anyone noticed.

For the first time in her life, she wished Ryan wasn’t gone from their everyday life.

She wished she could say one simple thing to him:

“I’m sorry.”

But he was far away now.

And she had no idea when — or if — he would ever come back.