The Worthless Son-in-law Is A Billionaire

Chapter 4

Ethan's POV 

Shock rippled through the room.

Victoria's wine glass slipped from her fingers and crashed onto the marble floor, shattering into pieces as red wine spread across the polished surface. 

Jason staggered backward, nearly collapsing into a chair, his face drained of all color. 

Sophia could only stare at me, frozen in disbelief, her lips parted but unable to form a single word.

In that one breathtaking moment, everything changed—the worthless son-in-law they had ridiculed, mocked, and looked down on for years was suddenly revealed to be the most powerful man any of them had ever encountered.

Whispers exploded across the ballroom and outside. 

“Is this real?” “Alexander Black... the Alexander Black?” “That janitor is his son?”

“I'm as confused as you are." Another said, voice low.

Victoria was the first to recover. She rushed forward, forcing out a shaky laugh that fooled no one.

“What kind of ridiculous stunt is this?” she demanded. “Some sort of act? A prank to ruin our anniversary party?”

She pointed at me with trembling fingers. “Ethan, tell them the truth! You're just a janitor. A nobody. Stop this nonsense right now!”

The crowd erupted into whispers.

“No way...”

“This can't be real.”

“Have we been looking at the wrong man all these years?”

An older businessman standing near the front shook his head.

“Mrs. Carter, you should know better than that. That's Alexander Black, founder of Blackstone Global. I've seen him at international business summits. There is no possibility of mistaken identity.”

A woman in an elegant black dress covered her mouth.

“Oh my God. Does that mean Ethan is actually connected to the Black family?”

“Connected?” another guest said. “Did you not just see Alexander Black hug him? That wasn't the greeting of an acquaintance. That was family.”

Someone else laughed in disbelief.

“And all this time people have been calling him a useless son-in-law.”

“Jason poured wine on him last year at a company dinner,” a man recalled. “If I were him, I'd be terrified right now.”

Several heads immediately turned toward Jason.

Jason's face turned even paler.

A younger businessman swallowed hard.

“Wait... are we talking about the same Blackstone Global that's worth billions?”

“Yes,” another guest replied. “The same company with investments across multiple countries.”

“Then why was he living with the Carters?”

“Maybe he was hiding his identity.”

“Or maybe he was testing them.”

The whispers grew louder.

“Imagine insulting a man like that for years.”

“They treated him like a servant.”

“I can't believe this.”

“Neither can I.”

Then a middle-aged woman suddenly gasped.

“Wait. If Ethan is who they say he is, doesn't that make him one of the most powerful people in the country?”

The ballroom fell silent. The expressions on the faces around the room said everything.

Alexander stood beside me, his silver hair gleaming beneath the crystal chandeliers. Every eye fixed on his commanding presence.

He rested a firm hand on my shoulder and looked directly at Victoria.

"Well, Mrs. Carter," he said calmly, though his voice carried effortlessly across the silent ballroom, "this is no drama, and it is certainly no joke. Ethan is my son."

A collective gasp swept through the room. 

Alexander's expression remained unreadable.

"My only son. The heir, and future owner of Blackstone Global."

The silence that followed was deafening.

"Years ago, after the tragic loss of his mother, Ethan chose to walk away from the life he was born into. He wanted to experience the world as an ordinary man. He wanted to find people who valued his character rather than his wealth."

His gaze hardened.

"He took a job as a janitor in your company. Not because he needed the money, but because he wanted a normal life. More importantly, he wanted to know whether Sophia would love him for who he truly was… not for the fortune attached to his name."

Whispers exploded throughout the ballroom.

"My God..."

"So it's all true."

"The heir to Blackstone Global was working as a janitor?"

"We treated him like trash..."

Victoria swayed where she stood as color drained from her face before rushing back so quickly that her cheeks turned bright red. Her eyes darted around the room, noticing the judgment and disbelief on every face.

Then, almost instantly, her expression changed. The arrogance vanished, replaced by a wide smile.

"Ethan!" she exclaimed, hurrying toward me with outstretched arms. "My dear boy!"

Her voice dripped with forced affection.

"Why didn't you tell us? We had no idea. Not the slightest idea!"

She reached for my arm, her fingers trembling slightly.

"All those things I said before..." she continued with an awkward laugh. "Surely you didn't take them seriously. I was only teasing you. That's what mothers do, isn't it?"

Her smile widened. "You know how much I've always cared about you."

Around the room, several guests exchanged skeptical looks. Victoria ignored them.

"Look at you," she said, brushing bits of frosting from my jacket with trembling fingers. "Standing here covered in cake and frosting. This simply won't do.”

She turned and snapped her fingers at a nearby waiter.

"Bring fresh towels immediately!"

Then she looked back at me, her eyes practically glowing with greed hidden behind fake warmth.

"Come, Ethan. Let's get you cleaned up. Whatever happened tonight is in the past." She squeezed my arm and laughed nervously. "We're family, after all.”

Jason hurried over, almost falling as he pushed past a waiter. “Ethan! Bro! I’m so sorry about this morning. The water thing was just a silly prank. You’re my brother, man. We’ve always had each other’s backs, right?” 

He tried to hug me, but I stepped aside. His hands dropped awkwardly. 

“Please, let’s talk inside. I’ll get you anything you need. New clothes, a car... whatever!”

The crowd watched in stunned silence. Some guests pulled out phones, recording everything. 

Reporters pushed forward, cameras flashing nonstop. “Mr. Black, is this your lost heir?” one shouted. “How does it feel to be revealed like this?”

I stayed quiet, my face calm even with cake still stuck to my suit. Inside, the pain from the humiliation still burned. 

Sophia stood a few feet away, looking scared. She took one small step toward me, then stopped. Her hands twisted together. “Ethan... I... I don’t know what to say. This is too much.”

Victoria noticed and quickly moved behind her daughter. She placed both hands on Sophia’s back and pushed her forward hard. “Go to him, Sophia! Your husband needs you. Show him your support!”

Sophia stumbled toward me. She raised her hand to touch my arm, her eyes full of tears and confusion. “Ethan, please... we can fix this. I’m sorry for everything.”

I gently but firmly pushed her hand away. Her touch felt heavy now, after all the silence when I needed her most. “Not tonight, Sophia.”

I turned to Alexander. “Father, I'm done here… can we leave now?.”

He nodded and led me toward the lead limousine.

The armed security personnel moved into position immediately, forming a protective escort around us as they opened the rear door.

Without a word, I stepped inside and sank into the cool leather seat. Alexander followed, settling beside me.

The door closed with a soft thud.

A moment later, the engine purred to life. As the car began to pull away from the curb, I lowered the window and looked back.

Victoria and Sophia stood rooted to the spot.

Neither moved.

Neither spoke.

Around them, hundreds of guests watched in stunned silence.

I held Sophia's gaze for a long moment. "Get the divorce papers ready by Monday, I will sign them." 

Victoria’s eyes widened in shock. Sophia’s face crumpled, fresh tears falling down her cheeks. Jason stood behind them, mouth open like a fish. 

The limousine pulled away smoothly down the driveway.