War God: Revenge of Trash Ex-Son-in-Law

CHAPTER 2

The steady beeping of the heart monitor filled the silence of the hospital ward. Raymond lay flat on his back, staring blankly at the white ceiling. At the corner of his eyes, the golden glow of translucent text still flickered faintly.

[ Synchronization of the God of War Soul Core: 7% ]

[ Warning: Mortal body suffering from chronic malnutrition. Recovery process slowed. ]

Raymond let out a long breath. The ancient memories awakened last night had only surfaced by a fraction, yet the pain caused by betrayal in this mortal world felt far more real than the thousands of years of his past history. Just as he lowered both feet from the edge of the bed, the ward door slid open without a knock.

Chloe Miller walked in. A neatly tailored maroon blazer wrapped around her body. Her expression looked exhausted, but her eyes immediately sharpened the moment she saw Raymond already sitting upright.

“Incredible. The doctor said you were hit by a sports car, yet not a single bone in your body was broken,” Chloe said coldly as she placed her handbag on the bedside table.

Raymond merely stared at her indifferently. For some reason, that silence made Chloe uncomfortable. The Raymond standing before her now no longer lowered his head in obedient submission.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Chloe crossed her arms over her chest, trying to maintain her arrogance. “I didn’t come here to visit you. I only came to make sure you weren’t dead and dragging the Miller family’s name into a police investigation.”

Raymond curled the corner of his lips into a faint smile filled with irony. “An investigation? Wasn’t the car that hit me last night owned by Julian Vance? Your family’s golden future partner?”

Chloe’s expression stiffened slightly, but she quickly regained her composure. She turned her face away, unwilling to meet her ex-husband’s eyes.

“Julian didn’t do it on purpose. The roads were dark and slippery because of the storm last night,” Chloe argued, her voice lowering before sharpening again. “Besides, none of this would have happened if you hadn’t been wandering around the roadside like a homeless man. And... this is also your fault for forcing me to divorce you.”

“My fault?” Raymond chuckled softly. “Wasn’t it you who begged your mother three years ago to let you marry me?”

That sentence struck Chloe’s sensitive nerve. She turned around sharply, glaring at Raymond with obvious irritation.

“Yes! And that was the biggest mistake of my life!” Chloe’s voice rose an octave. “Do you want to know why I married you three years ago, Raymond? I’ll tell you the truth so you can stop deluding yourself.”

Raymond remained silent, listening carefully while piecing together fragments of the past.

“Three years ago, my late grandfather left behind a will. He demanded that I get married immediately, or all of my inheritance rights to Miller Group shares would be transferred to my cousin,” Chloe took a deep breath, her eyes flashing with anger. “At that time, I found you collapsed near the docks with amnesia. You had no identity, no past, and most importantly... you were extremely obedient.”

Chloe leaned forward with a bitter sneer. “I married you only because you were easy to control! You were the perfect shield to secure my shares, and you would never be able to demand anything because you had nothing. I used you, Raymond!”

Raymond stared into Chloe’s widened eyes. Within his faint memories, he remembered how grateful he had been three years ago when Chloe gave him a place to stay. He thought it was love and sincerity. In reality, it had only been a cold business transaction.

“So, for these past three years, I was nothing more than a shield for your shares,” Raymond said calmly, almost without emotion.

“That’s right! And now, Miller Group is already in a secure position. We’re about to complete a massive merger with Vance Corporation,” Chloe straightened her posture again with an arrogant gesture. “Julian Vance is far more useful than you. He has the wealth and power that can bring my family to the top. As for you? Your role as a shield is over.”

Chloe reached into her bag, pulled out a bank check, and dropped it onto Raymond’s blanket.

“This is ten thousand dollars. Consider it compensation for all your hard work as a servant in my house for the past three years, as well as your medical expenses,” Chloe said dismissively. “Sign the waiver releasing Julian Vance from all liability, take the money, and disappear as far away as possible.”

Raymond glanced at the check. In the eyes of a God of War, that amount was worth less than a speck of dust.

“Ten thousand dollars for three years of humiliation,” Raymond muttered, his index finger lightly tapping the surface of the check.

“Don’t be greedy, Raymond. That money is already far too much for an unemployed man like you,” Chloe turned toward the door. “I’ll give you until two this afternoon. The Miller family lawyer will come with the statement papers. Make sure you sign them unless you want to end up in prison for extortion.”

Click.

The ward door closed once more, leaving Raymond alone in silence.

Raymond raised his right hand, observing the lines on his palm now flowing with thin yet dense spiritual energy. A cold smile slowly formed on his face.

“You married me because I was easy to control?” Raymond whispered into the darkness of the room. “Chloe Miller... you just removed the leash from the neck of a dragon capable of swallowing your entire family in a single breath.”