Chapter 2

At Steve's Villa in Nova City. It was beaming with lights. That night was Susie's engagement dinner party and the dining table was filled with few guests.

“How long will it take that fool to serve the food?” Susie snared through gritted teeth. 

“I think you should give him a little time”. Ava broke in with a distasteful stare.

Susie let out a sigh and looked at her mum. She was disappointed at mother's neutral attitude towards the situation. She didn't hide her disappointment.

“Honey, just give him a few minutes”.A calm voice beside her said, it was the first time he spoke since they got here.

Susie turned to face her fiancé, Lucas Fred. He is the CEO of Ember Tech. She was happy she's finally marrying someone richer than her father. 

“I swear, I would crush this good- for- nothing man with my fist”. Mrs Kate's face was red and flushed. She couldn't bear it again.

“Mum, I’m sure he will be out soon. He is cooking without extra helping hands”. Ava tried to plead on her husband's behalf.

“ Will you keep your mouth shut? I wonder why you are making excuses for that dirty loser” Mrs Kate fumed, darting a dark glance towards Ava.

Just as Mrs Kate was flaring up, Ethan scampered out of the kitchen, holding a big food warmer, with an apron tied around his neck, “ I'm sorry”, he muttered as he dropped the food warmer and started serving the food to everyone seated.

“Finally, I'm starving”, James dragged the bowl of rice closer to himself, “ I hope this food is healthy for human consumption”.

“Hey bingo, you want someone to choke while eating? You're so stupid” Susie shot.

Ethan stood still, unable to figure out what she was saying,”Get us water, you fool!” She shouted.

Ethan was startled at how harsh her voice was, before racing to the kitchen like he was suddenly freed by his captors

“He's so lazy and incompetent,” James said, putting a napkin on his neck.

Mrs Kate affirmed his statement with a nod, while Ava bent her head in disgust. She's disgusted at how her husband was disrespected and maltreated by her family.

“No wonder, he can barely get a job,” Susie added, scornfully leaning forward,” when do you intend to leave that useless man?” 

“Susie, stop!” Ava exclaimed. She banged her hand on the table. “One day, he'll be wealthy, more than dad and your fiancé put together”. A frown clung to Ava's face. She broke eye contact and glanced into space.

Ethan's footsteps broke the awkward silence. He strode in with a jug of water and placed it on the table. James scoffed when he sighted Ethan.

“Get a bottle of wine from the alley! You're so stupid to give us water without glasses. Were you expecting us to pour the water into our hands, huh?” Kate shouted.

“Please mum, the alley is dark. Can I get the wine in the kitchen instead?” Ethan took a step back and hemmed his hand behind his back, as a grin lingered on his lips.

James looked at his mum and then he turned to face his friend, Brandon. He scoffed. He stared across the table and the sinister giggle on his face faded. Ethan knew something was wrong. He sped back to the kitchen.

“Mrs Kate, you’ve really tried to put up with that fool, don't you think it's time to send him back to the gutters?” One of the guests said as she watched everything in utter disgust.

“Ava darling, you're such a beautiful young lady. It's time for you to come back to your senses” another guest added.

“Ava, I have a cousin, who is interested in you. I can arrange a date for both of you” Lucas added, he has been waiting for the perfect time to say this.

Ethan scurried out with a bottle of wine and glasses. He tripped. The wine and glasses fell off the tray and shattered into tiny pieces. The wine spilled most of its content on Lucas.

“What the hell!  Susie exclaimed.

“Are you blind or what?” Mrs Kate's cold voice echoed through the room as she stood from her seat and loomed towards Ethan.

“Mum, I'm sorry”

SLAP!

“How dare you splash wine on him, you good for nothing fool!” Mrs Kate screamed at him angrily.

“I'll clean it up,” Ethan whimpered.

Ava's heart seethed with rage. Her mother had made it her habit to slap Ethan at any slight provocation right in front of her. This humiliating attempt struck a painful sting in her heart.

“You bastard! How dare you ruin my engagement dinner? Did you plan this with your wife?” Susie spoke out scornfully.

“I'm sorry mum, it wasn't intenti…”

Before Ethan could complete his apology, he was met with a resounding slap that echoed throughout the villa.

Taa! Taa!!

“Don't ever in your miserable life call her that again, she's not your mum and she would never be”. James found an opportunity to hit Ethan for refusing to take the fall for him during the rape case.

“I'm sorry”

“ You still have the guts to defend yourself?” Lucas barked, snapping his fingers angrily.

“I'm just trying to…..”

SLAP

The slap came with so much force that Lucas's expensive wristwatch fell off his wrist, breaking into pieces.

“Ha!” Susie growled, “just take a look at the mess you've done. His outfit and the wristwatch you just destroyed cost more than 15 million dollars. It is a hundred times the amount you have made in your entire miserable life”.

“I'm sorry and I understand everything but you didn't have to overreact by hitting me. I obviously didn't pour wine on you deliberately, or break your watch”.

“What?” Mrs Kate was dumbfounded. How could he still have the guts to talk?

Lucas was shocked as well. How surprising? Did the good-for-nothing pauper know how incredibly furious he was?

“You're going to pay for my outfit and my watch. I don't care how you intend to pay for it”. Lucas's anger heightened as he grabbed Ethan by the collar of his shirt.

Ava's face was filled with worry and pity for Ethan, “please Lucas, just leave my husband alone. I will pay for everything if that is what it takes. Please, let go of his collar”.

“Unbelievable” what voodoo has this fool used on you that makes you support him blindly” James cut in, “ Lucas, don't worry about Ava. I am sure when we are done with this bastard, she won't even recognize him. How can she shamelessly love and support this fool?”

Lucas let go of Ethan's shirt collar, as he and James burst out laughing mockingly.

Ethan hurried back to the kitchen. He came out with a broom. Everyone had some sort of contemptuous look on their faces as they watched Ethan clean up the broken glasses. He gathered everything and sauntered away.

“Mum, that whole drama was not necessary” Ava fumed, “You could have….”

“She could have kissed and thanked him for ruining my day?” Susie impeded Ava. “ I don't blame you, you're obviously jealous”.

A dark stormy cloud instantly hovered beneath Mrs Kate's eyes. She shouted angrily, “ you ungrateful thing! What good is that fool? Why do you want to waste your time on him? Kick him out of my house”.