The Worthless Son-in-law: Hidden Legend

The wind howled as snowflakes gently covered the ground.

Ethan Maverick tightened his coat and took one last look at the training ground he had come to know so well, the faces of those around him familiar yet filled with emotion. He drew in a deep breath and turned his gaze away.

"Let's go."

Ethan walked toward the private jet waiting patiently on the tarmac, stepping up the hatch door. Behind him, rows of heavily muscled soldiers in uniform stood at attention, giving him a special military salute. Some were in tears at his departure, others relieved to be free from his relentless training, but all of them would miss his extraordinary combat skills that had helped them in countless battles.

"Farewell from the Special Forces."

"Farewell from the Navy."

"Farewell from the Special Air Service."

Without a word, Ethan boarded the jet, not turning back or acknowledging their farewells. To him, farewells carried too much weight and sorrow.

The jet’s engines roared to life as Raymond closed the door, wiping away a tear.

"Ethan, can you really bear to leave? This place has been your home for the last five years!"

Ethan turned to Raymond, a faint smile on his lips.

"I’ve been here long enough. It’s time to go."

Five years ago, Ethan had arrived at "The Fierce Panther," starting as a rookie. In that time, he had risen from an ordinary soldier to the rank of general, becoming the country’s most formidable fighter.

His abilities were unmatched, and the country had never been safer from external threats with him at the helm. Despite being only twenty-six years old, Ethan had decided to retire to be with his wife, Lauren, who had been left to endure cruelty and public humiliation in his absence.

Ethan had run from home to escape the harsh reality. His family had been betrayed by their closest allies—the Stanleys, the Walkers, and the Harrys.

The Maverick family had trusted these families for years, sharing their deepest secrets, making the betrayal even more devastating.

Ethan had been spared by Katherine, his fiancée from the Stanley family, who pleaded with the other families to spare him. However, he was set up with Katherine’s stepsister, Lauren, a well-known actress.

Photos and videos of their interactions were leaked to the internet, causing Lauren’s reputation to plummet. Her career, which she had worked so hard to build since childhood, was destroyed in days.

To save face, Iago Stanley, Katherine's father and Lauren's stepfather, suggested that Ethan and Lauren marry. This wasn’t out of love, but to keep Ethan under control, ensuring that he wouldn’t retaliate and could be used as leverage against any remaining members of the Maverick family.

Ethan became the "useless son-in-law," a man stripped of his dignity, forced to live under harsh conditions with no freedom. He was abused by the Stanleys, beaten and humiliated at every turn. At twenty-one, after losing his family and facing constant torment, he couldn’t take it anymore. He pretended to faint in the hospital and escaped.

He felt a deep guilt toward Lauren, but he knew she still had her parents, even if they didn’t care for her. She wouldn't be killed. But for him, death could come at any time from the Stanleys.

As he thought about his past, a wave of guilt washed over him. He gazed at the sky, imagining Lauren’s face, her unwavering belief that they were both victims of circumstance. She had never blamed him, and she always said they had both been trapped in a situation neither of them had chosen.

A small smile tugged at his lips as he pictured her.

Meanwhile, inside a five-star hotel in the city, Lauren Damien was shocked by a disturbing sight. As she entered one of the rooms, her eyes landed on a young girl, no older than four or five, tied to a chandelier, hanging upside down. Her heart sank.

Though she was only a cleaner and technically shouldn’t be involved, she couldn’t ignore what she was seeing. The girl’s plight was too much for her to ignore, especially because the child looked strikingly similar to her own daughter, Maya.

Stepping cautiously toward the girl, Lauren realized it was indeed Maya. Her heart raced as she saw the child’s lashes and eyebrows were pinned together, preventing her from closing her eyes.

“Maya!” Lauren cried out, panic creeping into her voice.

“Mummy…” the little girl sobbed, barely able to speak. "Mummy, please help me... I want to sleep..."

"No, sweetheart, don’t sleep! Stay awake!" Lauren’s voice shook as tears filled her eyes. She looked desperately around the room for something to help free Maya but found nothing.

“Listen, Maya, you have to stay calm, okay? Mummy’s going to get help. Just hold on.”

“Don’t leave me, Mummy. Don’t leave me with that bad man,” Maya whimpered, her words barely audible.

Bad man? So it was a man.

"I won’t be long, sweetheart. I’ll be right back," Lauren promised, wiping her tears, trying to stay strong for her daughter.

She rushed to open the door, but it wouldn’t budge. She pulled and yanked at the handle, but the door remained stubbornly shut. Desperate, she kept trying, until finally, the door opened, revealing a tall man dressed in black.

“Stop jerking the door,” he ordered coldly.

As Lauren attempted to force her way out, the man shoved her back, slamming the door in her face.