The Worthless Son-in-law: Hidden Legend

Karma is Real

Lauren shouted as tears poured down her face. Ethan rushed to her, pulling her into his arms.

"I’m sorry, Lauren. Deeply sorry. I regret everything. I didn’t know you were pregnant," he said, his voice full of remorse.

"Even if I wasn’t pregnant, does that make it right to leave me alone? To endure the maltreatment, the criticism, the ridicule? Do you have any idea what I’ve been through? What we went through? We went through hell, Ethan! If it hadn’t been for Maya, I would’ve ended it all. I would have died!"

"I never meant to hurt you. I didn’t. You are important to me, and we should have faced everything together. I should have taken you with me. I’m sorry—deeply sorry."

"Take your hands off me." Lauren pushed away from him, her voice cold. "Your apologies won’t change anything, nor will they bring justice for everything we've suffered."

"I know." Ethan's tone hardened. "I promise you, those who hurt you and our daughter will not go unpunished."

Lauren raised an eyebrow, her expression skeptical. "Really? The Walkers, the Henrys, the Stanleys… even some people I don’t even remember. You want to punish them all?"

"Yes," Ethan said firmly, his fists clenched. The Walkers had hurt her, the Henrys and Stanleys had all played their parts too. He had a plan to deal with them, starting with Asper Stanley.

Lauren was shocked by his words but held her ground. Maybe he could really take them all on.

"If you can’t do it, don’t. Even if I don’t care about my life anymore, I won’t let Maya get dragged into this." After a brief silence, she added, "Promise me you won’t put her in danger."

Ethan nodded, stepping back. "I will leave you and Maya alone for now."

He turned and left the room, giving Lauren some space.

---

Meanwhile, the Stanleys were in chaos. Pa Stanley, patriarch of the Stanley family, was celebrating his birthday when a bodyguard burst into the hall. The atmosphere shifted immediately.

"Young Master Asper is in critical condition," the bodyguard announced. "He was attacked at the Lions Club by a mysterious man. The attacker killed his bodyguards and left him barely alive."

"What?!" Pa Stanley’s voice thundered as he shot to his feet, all eyes in the room turning toward him.

Guests whispered anxiously. Pa Stanley wasted no time, storming out of the celebration, followed closely by the Walkers. They couldn’t just leave in the midst of such a crisis; Asper’s fate was uncertain, and the Walkers were in-laws to the Stanleys, their son-in-law's life hanging in the balance.

Katherine Walker bit her nails, her expression a mix of surprise and curiosity. "Who would dare lay a hand on Asper Stanley? Doesn’t anyone know who he is?" she murmured, her mind already racing. If the person who did this was powerful enough, she might just shift her alliances.

Nearby, the Henry patriarch remained seated, his calm demeanor betraying no concern. "I’ll wait for the report," he said to himself. "If Asper’s injuries are serious enough to require Stanley Jos' attention, I’ll leverage that for my own benefit. The old man won’t refuse me then."

---

At the Miracle Hospital, the doctors and nurses were shocked to see the critically injured Asper Stanley. "Isn't this the same man from earlier? The one who tried to stop the little girl’s surgery?" one of the nurses whispered.

"Yes, karma is real," another nurse murmured.

Asper was quickly wheeled into the operating room.

---

Outside, Pa Stanley paced frantically in front of the surgery doors. Asper’s parents were out of town, already on a plane and not expected to arrive until the next evening.

Katherine Walker sat nearby, her eyes fixed on the door. Her parents had already left, citing the emergency, but Katherine stayed behind. If Asper recovered without complications, he might still be her future husband.

After some time, Pa Stanley’s assistant arrived, carrying urgent news. Pa Stanley led him to a private corner of the hospital.

"So, what did you find out?" Pa Stanley demanded.

The assistant spoke quickly. "The bodyguard wasn’t entirely wrong. Young Master Asper was at the Lions Club, enjoying himself with a woman. He attempted to assault her, and in the ensuing struggle, he was attacked by another man and beaten senseless."

"A woman?" Pa Stanley’s fury was evident as he pointed toward the operating room. "He gets himself into a mess like this over a woman?"

"Yes, sir," the assistant said, bowing. "It’s worse than you think. The attacker had no mercy. They left him half-dead."

Pa Stanley's face twisted in anger, his hands shaking with rage. "I’ll deal with this... but first, let’s see if my grandson lives." His mind raced, knowing that this was only the beginning of a larger storm.