The Worthless Son-in-law Is A Billionaire

Chapter 1

Ethan's POV

“Eth… come here… don't keep me waiting.” Sophia’s voice was a soft whisper as I stepped out of the bathroom, still damp from the hot shower. 

She sat on the edge of our bed in that silk slip that always drove me crazy, her long dark hair falling over one shoulder. 

The dim golden lights painted her elegant features with a warmth I hadn’t seen in months, causing me unexplained pleasurable feelings.

Five years of marriage, and tonight—on the eve of our anniversary—she was finally looking at me like I mattered again.

I crossed the room in two strides, pulling her into my arms before she could say anything else. 

“Sophi,” I murmured against her hair, breathing in her soft peony and vanilla scent. “You sure you want this?”

“Shhh...” Her fingers traced my bare chest, warm against my skin. “It’s our anniversary eve. For once, forget the company, forget my family… just be with me. The way we used to.” 

In a blur of motion, her lips found mine, tentative at first, then hungry. She pressed her body against me, guiding us back onto the mattress.

The world narrowed to the heat of her skin, the soft sounds she made as my hands roamed her curves. For the first time in what felt like forever, the walls of Cater mansion didn’t feel like a cage.

“I’ve missed this,” she breathed between kisses, her nails lightly scraping my back. “Missed you. Don’t stop, Ethan. Please.”

I kissed her deeper, pouring every ounce of the quiet loyalty I’d guarded for months into that moment. She was my reason for enduring all of it—the insults from her family, the sneers, the endless humiliation. 

If tonight was the start of something real again, I could keep pretending a little longer.

The door slammed open with a bang that shattered everything.

“What in God’s name is going on here?” Victoria Carter’s voice sliced through the room like a blade. 

She stood in the doorway in her designer robe, cold commanding eyes blazing with fury as they locked onto me.

Sophia gasped and pulled away, yanking the strap of her slip back up.

“Mother! You can’t just barge in like this… this is our bedroom!”

“I can do whatever I damn well please in my own house,” Victoria snapped, storming forward. 

Her expensive perfume filled the air, clashing with the intimacy we’d just shared. She jabbed a manicured finger at me. “Get up, you worthless parasite. Out! Now!!.”

I rose slowly from the bed, keeping my expression calm even as rage simmered inside me. “Mrs. Carter, it’s late. This is our private time. Tomorrow is our fifth—”

“Anniversary?” She let out a sharp, cruel laugh. “Five years of you leeching off my daughter’s success, embarrassing the Carter name at every turn. You’re a janitor, Ethan Black. A nobody.” 

She rolled her eyes repeatedly… “Well, I was also going to tell you how my staff laughs behind your back. Executives place bets on when Sophia will finally divorce your sorry ass. And you think you deserve to sleep in the master suite like you belong here?”

“Mother, stop it!” Sophia stood up beside me, her cheeks flushed with a mix of embarrassment and defiance. 

She reached for her mother’s arm. “He’s my husband. Can you just stop now.”

Victoria’s eyes flashed dangerously. She grabbed my arm with a grip like iron, her nails digging into my skin.

“No right? I have every right, and you’re sleeping in the guest room tonight, where you belong. Remember your place tomorrow at the party, or I’ll make sure everyone sees exactly what a failure you are.”

I met her gaze steadily, my voice low and even. “I’ve remembered my place for five years. But this is between me and Sophia.”

Sophia stepped between us, her hand gently but firmly wrapping around her mother’s wrist. “Let him go, please. We were trying to have a moment—”

Slap!

The sound cracked through the air as Victoria struck Sophia’s hand away. 

My wife recoiled, eyes wide with shock and pain, cradling her wrist.

“Don’t you dare challenge me, girl,” Victoria hissed. “You’ve coddled this loser long enough. He brings nothing but shame. Now get out, Ethan. Guest room. That’s an order.”

The humiliation burned, but I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of seeing it break me. Moreover, I'm used to it.

I looked at Sophia one last time, searching for the woman who had once chosen me over all this. She dropped her gaze, lips trembling, saying nothing.

I gently slipped my hand free from Victoria’s grasp and moved toward the door. I paused with my hand on the frame, then said softly, without turning back, “Goodnight, Sophia.”

The guest room was cold and plain—a narrow bed, simple sheets that smelled of bleach, and no pictures or anything that made it feel warm.

I lay down on the bed, my towel still tied loosely around my waist, my manhood rock-hard. I stared up at the ceiling as the full weight of what Victoria had just done settled over me.

I tried as hard as I could to calm my racing emotions.

Tomorrow’s anniversary party felt like a storm coming closer. I closed my eyes and tried to steady myself, holding on to the same resolve I always came back to.

Sleep came in uneasy fragments.

……..

A shock of ice-cold water exploded across my face.

I bolted upright, gasping and choking, water streaming down my neck and soaking the thin blanket.

My heart hammered against my ribs as I wiped my eyes.

Jason Carter stood over the bed, an empty glass dangling loosely from his fingers. His flashy designer clothes were rumpled and a smug, vicious grin splitting his face.

“Wake up, loser!” he crowed, laughing loudly. “Big day today, bro-in-law. Can’t have the family’s favorite janitor oversleeping for his own public humiliation, can we? Victoria’s got the cake ready… extra frosting for that ugly mug of yours.”

I swung my legs off the bed slowly, water pooling at my feet. 

My dark eyes locked onto his as the cold shock sharpened everything—the anger, the patience I’d clung to for years, the power I kept hidden beneath this unremarkable skin.

“Jason,” I said quietly, my voice steady despite the dripping mess. “You really shouldn’t have done that.”

He leaned in closer, eyes gleaming with arrogance. “Why not? Sophia’s too busy getting dolled up to care about you. Tonight, Victoria’s finally kicking your ass to the curb in front of everyone. Try not to cry when she smashes that cake in your face, yeah? The press is coming. It’ll be hilarious.”

I stood up, towering over him just enough to make the smirk falter for a split second. 

I wiped the last drops of water from my face and met his gaze with a faint, unreadable smile.

“Tonight,” I told him calmly, “everything changes.”

Jason snorted “Looser..,” and turned to leave, but I caught the flicker of unease in his eyes before he slammed the door behind him.