The lugards

The Hearty laughter and boisterous cheer from the Lugard's living room woke Tony Eduardo out of a restless slumber. As he dragged himself from his bed, the events of the previous day swirled through his mind. He had labored tirelessly in his menial job, only to earn barely enough to keep himself and his ailing grandmother afloat. He had always depended on his wife Helen's support which made her family regard him as weak and inadequate. Helen often belittled him, and he felt trapped in the marriage. While Helen had never sought a divorce, Tony wondered if she was merely keeping him around out of pity or convenience. He felt like a burden, a failure, and a disappointment, trapped in the Lugard mansion with no clear path to independence.

As the realization hit him, Tony jolted up from his bed,

"Oh my gosh, how could I forget? It's our second anniversary," He exclaimed to himself. Suddenly, it all made sense, the noise from the living room must have been a surprise anniversary party that Helen was throwing for them since he wasn't aware. He couldn't believe he had forgotten such an important date, and he began to feel guilty and ashamed of himself.

It was a curious thought, that the Lugards would celebrate his and Helen's anniversary with so much joy given how much they hated him. But perhaps, he reasoned, they had changed their view and decided to show him some kindness. Whatever the reason, he rushed to get freshened up, excited at the thought of joining the party downstairs. He wondered what Helen had planned, and whether this would be a turning point in their relationship.

"I knew you would eventually get the recognition you deserve if you just kept working hard, my dear and I'm proud you did," Lady Lugard, Helen's mother, said in a mocking tone as soon as she saw Tony coming downstairs.

"The Lugards are not like the commoners and losers who keep failing little tasks, you know. We're better than that." She added and Tony clenched his jaw, he needed no one to tell him who she was referring to. He knew she would never truly accept him, no matter what he did.

"Congratulations, my love," Tony said to Helen with a smile while Lady Lugard scoffed. Her face was creased with disapproval, and her eyes were filled with scorn that he had deliberately ignored her words.

"Please Silas could you fill everyone's glasses with wine so we could raise a toast to my sister's in-law success," Maxwell said in his most patronizing tone. Maxwell, the favored son-in-law of the Lugards, always took pleasure in putting Tony down, and this was no exception. He considered Tony to be beneath him, and unworthy of Helen's hand in marriage.

As Silas, the butler, moved around the room pouring wine for everyone, Tony noticed that he was purposefully avoiding him. When Silas had finished, every glass was full except for Tony's. It was obvious that he had been instructed not to serve a man like Tony something as valuable as the wine. But this was nothing new to Tony. He had become accustomed to the Lugards' ill-treatment and it no longer bothered him the way it once had.

"What did you expect?" Lady Lugard said mockingly, noting Tony's gaze on his empty wine glass. "Do you think I would allow such an expensive wine to be wasted on someone like you? You're a fool to think otherwise." Her words were cruel, intended to hurt and humiliate. But Tony did not rise to the bait. He simply stood there, his expression neutral, refusing to let her words affect him.

"I didn't actually want a drink, you know," Tony said with a nervous laugh, attempting to make a joke of the situation. But his words only served to anger the others around him, who fixed him with dark looks. His attempt at humor had backfired, and he felt the tension in the room grow even thicker but he cared less.

"Our mother is right, you know," Cecilia, Helen's younger sister, chimed in with a mocking tone, "You've never contributed anything of value to this family, so of course you wouldn't be offered a glass of wine. You know your place, and it's certainly not here."

"Please, can we just enjoy the celebration and not ruin the mood by focusing on Tony?" Helen said, brushing off any concerns about her husband's feelings, "We're all here for me, not to scold some lowly person who doesn't deserve our attention."

"I am delighted to announce to everyone here that my daughter Helen has been promoted to the second-in-command position at her company," Lady Lugard said, her voice dripping with pride, "It is a role that she has earned through hard work and dedication. She has truly proven herself to be a valuable asset, even if her choice of a husband is questionable." Her words were met with laughter from the others in the room, but Tony could only feel a twinge of hurt and resentment.

"I'm nearly finished with my wine, It's time to toast to my daughter's success," Lady Lugard said, But as she raised her glass, she realized that Silas was nowhere to be found. Tony, noticing her predicament, stepped forward to offer his assistance.

"I'll help you," he said, reaching for the bottle of wine. But as soon as his fingers touched the glass, Lady Lugard erupted in fury as she attempted to slap him but Tony held her hands.

"How dare you hold my hand, you filthy miscreant!" she screamed, her face red with rage.

"You don't slap a man like he is a child," Tony said calmly.

"Who made you a man? You bastard," Lady Lugard yelled.

The room fell silent, and all eyes were on Tony, who stood there, frozen in shock. The silence was broken only by the sound of Lady Lugard's heavy breathing as she glared at him with pure hatred in her eyes and smashed the glass on the floor.

"I'm sorry. I just thought you needed a hand and..." His words were cut off by another angry outburst from Lady Lugard.

"The only one who needs a hand here is you!" she shouted,

"What more evidence does Helen need before she sees that you are worthless and discards you like the trash you are?" she continued, facing Helen who cared less about what had just happened.

"She could easily divorce you and move on with her life. It wouldn't cost her a thing." She grunted.

"Mother-in-law, please, let's not allow this unfortunate incident to mar the celebration of Helen's promotion," Maxwell interjected, trying to soothe the situation. He refilled Lady Lugard's wine glass, hoping to distract her from her anger.

"This is no mere unfortunate incident'," she snapped, her voice trembling with rage, "This man is an embarrassment and a disgrace to our family!"

"Keep your hands to yourself next time," Helen said to Tony, The humiliation of the situation was written all over his face.

"Helen, just because we're going through a tough time doesn't mean you can talk to me like that," Tony said, his voice betraying a hint of hurt. "I'm still your husband, and I deserve to be treated with respect."

Lady Lugard laughed, a bitter, mocking sound. "For a man who can't even feed himself, you're awfully proud," she said, her eyes glinting with contempt.

"You're not half the man you think you are."

Tony struggled to keep his emotions in check. he wished he had remained in bed rather than come down to face this humiliation and embarrassment. It was clear that Helen did not care about their anniversary, and that the celebration was only about her promotion. He felt like a fool for thinking that this day would be any different, that it would be a celebration of their love. The best course of action, Tony thought, was to quietly leave the room and save what little dignity he had left.

As Tony turned to leave, his mind turned to Lady Lugard's promise of financial support for his grandmother's medical treatment. In the past, he had worked for her in the family firm, and now she had promised to pay him for that work to help with his grandmother's medical bills. But at that moment, he knew that any hope of her following through on that promise had been shattered by what had just happened. He doubted she would spare him a second thought, let alone a moment of her time, after the way he had been treated.

Even though the woman he called grandmother was not biologically related to him. she had been the only family he had. When his parents had abandoned him, it was she who had taken him in and provided for him. If it meant facing the humiliation of the Lugards once more, he would do it for her sake. For the woman who had given him so much and asked for nothing in return.

Tony walked slowly as he made his way back to the table. they were oblivious to his earlier departure. He felt like a ghost, invisible to them as they carried on with their celebrations.

"Mother-in-law, when should I expect the money you promised me for my grandmother's treatment," Tony said as politely as he could manage, despite the despair and humiliation he felt at that moment. A low murmur rippled through the room, filled with disapproval and annoyance.

"You are nothing but a repulsive burden," Lady Lugard spat, "But I will honor my promise to you once you are out of my daughter's life for good, file for a divorce,"

Tony turned to look at Helen's face but she kept a blank expression.

"I'll only do that if my wife agrees to such," Tony said, his voice steady and calm despite the turmoil within him. He still loved his wife, and he believed that her hostility was a result of her family's influence.

"I think my mother is right. You can't keep depending on me. It's best you choose the money and start a new life. Maybe something good might still happen in your life," Helen said mockingly. Her words were like a knife to Tony's heart. He had never imagined she would be so cruel as to suggest that he should give up on their marriage and choose the money instead. He was speechless for a few seconds unable to form a response.

"I'll need some time to consider that, and quite frankly, I'd rather keep my dignity than take your charity," Tony said, his voice heavy with disdain. He turned to leave, his sense of self-respect bruised. He couldn't believe that Helen thought so little of him, that she would offer to pay him off. It was an insult, and he wouldn't stand for it. He had given everything to this relationship, and now it seemed like it was all for nothing. He wondered if Helen had ever loved him at all.

As he walked away, he felt a mixture of emotions swirling inside him. He was hurt, angry, and determined to prove that he was more than what they thought of him. He knew the lugard hated the fact that he wasn't so easy to control even when he was the least important.