Ashes to Acclaim: Revenge Of The Forgotten Heir

Two

“Sky?”

Jake stood still, shell shocked, not believing the sight before him.

The two people on the bed stopped and turned towards the door. The young man, Vincent stared at him the way one would stare at a fly that fell into his food. 

“Shut the door behind you,” Sky said and focused on the man on the bed. She pressed her body closer to Vincent and continued to go intimate. His presence didn't bother her one bit. Vincent pulled her closer, plunging his tongue into her mouth. Jake felt his heart wrenching out when they shared a kiss. He had been married to Sky for two years but the most he did was stand a few paces and at a safe distance from her. He had never hugged her or held her hands. Kissing her was a far cry and something that would never happen. 

“Stop!” he yelled when he couldn't take it any longer. Sky adjusted her clothes and when she was decent, she turned to him and said,

“Are you dumb? Why do you have to disrupt us? Can't you know your place even if it's for half a day? Why will I be with a loser? I've done you a great favor for these two years. Go and sign the divorce papers and get out of this house. Who knows, if I'm pleased, I might give you a few bucks to survive on.” Her voice was flat and emotionless. The words slid out of her mouth as if it meant nothing. 

Jake loved her dearly and couldn't bear to part with her. 

“Sky, how can you do this? I've tried my best to please you for many years and this is what I get? I even got you this!” He showed her the flowers he had spent all his wages on. Vincent burst into laughter.

“What's this in your hands? Leave here this minute,” he finished and wrapped his arms around Sky's waist. Jake fumed and charged at him, giving him a terrible blow. Vincent was the only son of Jacob Winter, a very powerful, wealthy and popular man in the business world. As an offspring of a noble origin, he was well groomed in martial arts and he was no coward. He returned the blow but Jake was stronger. He had been through tough times and days and that had helped to toughen him. Their mother in law heard the commotion and hurried upstairs only to meet Sky halfway down the stairs. 

“Mum! That useless fellow is causing trouble!”

“What?” Amelia didn't waste time to call the police.

“Will you stop this madness, Jake?” 

Both of them stopped upon hearing the older woman's voice. This was the first time Amelia was addressing Jake by his name. It was always loser or good for nothing fellow or something even worse. 

“Get the police. This bloody bastard must be dealt with accordingly. He dared to raise his filthy hands on me,” Vincent fumed. 

“Oh my dear! Look at your face. The police will be here in no time.”

And turning to Jake, she shouted,

“You idiot!” and threw her slippers at him. No one cared that he was bleeding.

“Mummy! Look at my vase!” Sky cried. 

“He'll pay for it.”

Jake wanted to explain but no one granted him audience. The truth was that he didn't touch the vase, rather, the vase was broken on his own head. And it was Vincent who hit him with the vase. 

Vincent paced up and down, threatening fire and brimstone as he dabbed his blood stained face with a cotton wool. 

“Sky love, tell the servants to direct the police up here.” He gave Jake a rough kick which the latter couldn't return because of Amelia's presence. 

“They are here?” 

“Good day officers. Take him away,” Amelia pointed at Jake and her orders were obeyed immediately.

“Not so easily. He should be beaten for daring to cause trouble!”

“Yes sir!”

In bid to obey and impress Vincent, they hit Jake mercilessly and dragged him away.

“If only you had quietly signed those papers and gotten your bloody self out of here, this wouldn't happen!” Sky said to him in disdain and hit him on his head. 

“Look at other son in laws. They are CEOs of big companies while you are here enjoying our family benevolence. Yet, you have refused to stay put and know your place. You will pay dearly for this.”

“Young man, you are to pay seven thousand dollars for damages or we will lock you up,” the police man said to him. 

Seven thousand dollars? He has never held even one tenth of that money in his hands. Even if he worked day and night and sold all his clothes, he would never get that amount. When he couldn't come up with the money, he was locked up as they had threatened. No one cared about his wounds and he had no hope of leaving the cell anytime soon. He accepted fate and closed his eyes, he was exhausted and in pains. This was the first time he was less busy at that hour. He was either at one of his part time jobs or doing house chores. Today that he was doing neither of them, he was in pains and in prison.

“Why do I have to live a difficult life?” he muttered. 

He didn't know how long he slept but when he opened his eyes, he saw two men in front of his cell. One of them was making a phone call, his voice was probably what woke Jake. 

“How can you be so careless? You should have made your plans well. How do you intend to find a replacement in half an hour? You know we need a hardworking man in that farm. That farm has to be worked on today and the house cleaned as well. In fact, triple the amount. I'll pay ten thousand dollars.”

Jake's eyes widened. 

$10,000? It was a mind blowing offer. 

“I'll take the job, sir” he blurted out before he could stop himself. He quickly covered his mouth with his hands but the man heard him. 

“Are you sure you can do this? We need someone to finish with the farm as well as the house chores today,” he emphasized.

“Yes sir. I can.”

The strange man turned to the officer beside him and asked,

“What did he do?”

“He couldn't pay $7000 for damages as requested by the Kent family, sir.”

The man nooded. 

“If you disappoint me, I'll make sure you rot in jail!” he thundered, making Jake flinch. Seconds later, Jake was released and his clothes and cell phone was handed to him. He noticed he had so many calls. Just then, his phone rang again. He was a nobody and he seldom received calls. Who could be calling persistently?