The Worthless Son-in-law Is A Billionaire

Chapter 8

Ethan's POV 

Victoria’s sharp accusation cut through the cool atmosphere of La Belle Étoile like a knife. 

“Hello! I'm talking to you, young lady. Do you realize he’s a married man!”

The words echoed across the restaurant. 

Heads turned from every table. Elegant couples paused with forks halfway to their mouths. Phones came out instantly. 

Obviously, this was going to be all over social media by morning.

Susan stood up slowly from her chair, her deep blue dress catching the soft light. She looked Victoria straight in the eyes, calm but clearly annoyed. 

“Excuse me? I’m Susan Megan, Ethan’s childhood friend. We were simply catching up after many years apart. Who exactly are you to storm over here and cause a public scene like this?”

Victoria’s face twisted with fury. She jabbed a manicured finger toward Susan. “Childhood friend? Don’t make me laugh! Newsflash, I’m Victoria Carter, his mother-in-law. And I won’t let some desperate woman swoop in and destroy my daughter’s marriage just two days after the truth came out!”

Some people whispered loudly. 

“That’s the Carter family who humiliated the Blackstone heir.” “They smashed cake on his face at their own anniversary.” “Now, this drama in public?”

Sophia stood a few steps behind Victoria, her face pale and eyes already filled with fresh tears. 

Her voice broke as she clutched her purse tighter. “Mother, please stop this right now… you’re making everything worse. You are causing a scene.” 

She turned to me. " Ethan… is this really happening? You told me you weren’t divorcing me, but now you’re here having dinner with another woman? Smiling and laughing like nothing ever happened between us?”

Victoria’s face tightened, but before she could fire back, I pushed my chair back slightly, just enough to interrupt the rising storm, and rose from my seat, keeping my expression calm even though anger was building inside me. 

The entire restaurant was watching us like we were the evening’s entertainment. “Victoria, that’s enough,” I said firmly, my voice low but carrying across the tables. “Susan is an old friend… nothing more. You’re embarrassing yourself, Sophia, and everyone else with this outburst.”

Victoria completely ignored me and turned back to Susan, her voice rising even higher. 

“You have no shame at all! He is a married man! Married! And here you are, drinking wine and chatting like his wife doesn’t even exist. After everything my daughter has been through!”

Susan crossed her arms, her eyes flashing with quiet strength. “I don’t appreciate being insulted by someone who publicly humiliated Ethan on his anniversary night. Maybe you should look at your own behavior before pointing fingers at others. I came here as a friend. Nothing else.”

Sophia wiped tears from her cheeks and stepped closer to our table. Her hands trembled. “Ethan, please. Say something. Tell her this isn’t what it looks like. I’ve been messaging you all night and day. I love you. We can still fix this if you give us a chance. Please don’t shut me out completely.”

The tension in the air was thick. I could feel every eye in the restaurant on us. Before I could respond, I noticed two people approaching from another table across the room. 

Mr. Lang stopped right at our table, his face cold and professional. 

“Victoria, after witnessing this embarrassing public display, we’ve decided we’re no longer interested in any partnership with Carter Technologies. The instability, family drama, and clear unprofessionalism make it impossible for us to proceed.”

Mrs. Hale nodded firmly beside him. “We came here tonight to discuss a serious business collaboration. Instead, we got this circus. This kind of scene shows poor judgment and lack of control. We won’t risk our reputation by associating with your family right now.”

Victoria’s face went pale instantly. She looked like she might faint. She spun toward me desperately, her voice cracking. “Ethan, please! Say something to them. Tell them this is all a misunderstanding. We need this deal so badly. Titan Dynamics is already launching their hostile takeover. If we lose this investor, Carter Technologies will collapse!”

Sophia’s voice trembled as she reached out and gently touched my arm, tears streaming openly down her face now. 

“Ethan, please help us. Don’t let them walk away like this. We’re begging you. For the sake of everything we built together over five years. I know I failed you at the party, but please don’t punish all of us.”

Mr. Lang turned to me with respect, completely ignoring Victoria’s pleas. 

“Mr. Black, it's my pleasure meeting you… What is your position on this matter? Should we cut all ties completely? We can discuss compensation for the time we’ve wasted here tonight because of this chaos.”

Victoria grabbed my sleeve with both hands, her grip tight and pleading. All her arrogance from the past five years was gone. “Ethan, my dear son-in-law… please. For Sophia’s sake. Don’t let our company fall apart because of one terrible night. We can change. I can change. Just say something to save this deal.”

Sophia stood right beside her mother, looking completely broken. 

“Please, Ethan,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “I can’t lose you and the company in the same week. I’m sorry for staying silent. I’m sorry for not defending you. I love you. Please…”

The restaurant had gone almost completely silent. Waiters stood frozen. Guests recorded videos openly. Susan watched everything quietly from her seat, her presence a calm contrast to the storm around us.

I gently but firmly removed Victoria’s hands from my sleeve. “You created this situation yourself, Victoria. The constant insults, the public humiliation at the anniversary party, and now this scene in front of everyone. Actions have consequences. You can’t treat someone like trash for five years and expect everything to be fixed with a few tears and pleas.”

I turned to Mr. Lang and Mrs. Hale. “You are free to make your own business decisions. Blackstone Global has no current interest in supporting unstable or dramatic partnerships at this time.”

Victoria gasped loudly. “Ethan! How can you say that?”

Sophia covered her mouth with her hand, fresh pain flashing across her face as more tears fell. She looked at me like I had just shattered her heart all over again.

Mr. Lang and Mrs. Hale nodded politely to me. “Thank you for your clarity, Mr. Black. We’ll proceed accordingly.” They turned and walked back to their table, already signaling for the check.

Victoria sank into the nearest empty chair as though her legs had finally given up on holding her dignity together. 

For a moment, she didn’t speak… just stared ahead at nothing, her perfectly styled composure unraveling in real time. 

I spotted Jason, hovering near the entrance for a second longer, frozen like he wasn’t sure whether he had the right to step into the wreckage.

Then he rushed forward finally. “Mom… Sophia…” His voice cracked as he looked between them. “What are we going to do now?”

No one answered him.

Sophia stood a few steps behind them, pale and rigid, her fingers curled tightly around the strap of her handbag as if it was the only thing keeping her grounded. Her eyes kept drifting back to me, like she wanted to speak but couldn’t find words strong enough to survive what had just happened.

Susan’s hand brushed my arm gently, pulling me back into the present. Her voice was low, careful. “Ethan, we should go. Somewhere quieter. This place… it’s done enough damage for one night.”

I didn’t argue. I simply nodded.

The room around us was no longer just a restaurant—it felt like a stage after the final act, where everyone stayed too long after the applause had died. 

Whispers rippled between tables. Phones were subtly lifted. Everyone had witnessed enough to retell it a hundred different ways tomorrow.

I signaled the waiter. “The check.”

As we waited, I glanced once more across the room. Sophia was still watching me. There was something in her expression now that wasn’t just regret—it was realization. Like she was finally understanding that some doors don’t slam shut in anger… they close quietly, permanently, while you’re still standing in them.

And despite everything, it hit me harder than I expected. Not forgiveness. Not a weakness. Just history refusing to die cleanly.

My phone buzzed in my pocket.

I pulled it out.

Alexander.

“Richard Kane called an emergency board meeting for tomorrow morning. He’s rallying members to question your fitness to lead after your absence. They’re coming for your position. Be careful, son.”

I exhaled slowly.

So it had already started.

I slipped the phone back into my pocket just as the bill arrived.

Susan noticed the change in my expression while settling the bill. “Bad news?”

“Expected news,” I replied.

As we turned toward the exit, I felt it again—that pull. Sophia had taken a step forward without realizing it. Her eyes locked on mine, trembling now, not with pride or anger, but something closer to desperation.

“Ethan…” she yelled, very audible over the restaurant’s fading noise. “Please don’t let it end like this.”

I stopped.