Poor Son-in-law

7

Marcus adjusted the cuffs of his tailored suit as he stepped into the large conference room. The air was crisp with the faint smell of coffee and fresh paper, and the hum of muffled conversations filled the space. He scanned the room with calm precision, his eyes landing on her. Evelyn.

She was seated near the far end of the long mahogany table, her posture as poised as ever, one manicured hand resting on the armrest of her chair. Her expression was unreadable, but Marcus caught the slightest twitch of her lips when their eyes met. She didn’t smile. Neither did he.

Instead, he moved with deliberate steps toward his seat, directly across from her. His confidence wasn’t forced anymore—it came naturally now, as if he had been born for moments like this. Evelyn could feel it. The Marcus she had once known—the quiet, soft-spoken man who avoided confrontation—was gone. Replaced by someone sharper. Someone unpredictable.

“Morning,” Marcus said casually as he pulled out his chair, his voice smooth but distant.

Evelyn blinked, startled slightly by the ease in his tone. “Good morning,” she replied, her words clipped. She looked away quickly, pretending to study the stack of papers in front of her, but her fingers fidgeted with the edge of the table—a habit Marcus noticed immediately.

He smirked faintly to himself. This is going to be interesting.

The meeting began, and as the director of the company outlined the agenda, Marcus listened intently, though his thoughts wandered. He glanced at Evelyn occasionally, watching her reactions to every word. She was good at masking her emotions, but he could see the cracks forming. The way her brow furrowed ever so slightly when the director mentioned the upcoming project. The way her lips pressed together when her name was called.

“Evelyn, you’ll oversee the initial stages of the merger,” the director said, nodding in her direction. “Your experience with the previous acquisition makes you the most qualified.”

“Yes, of course,” Evelyn replied smoothly, her voice steady. But Marcus caught the flicker of unease in her eyes. She was trying too hard to appear unaffected.

“And Marcus,” the director continued, turning to him with a smile, “I’d like you to shadow Evelyn on this. Bring your analytical expertise to the table. I think the two of you could make a strong team.”

The room went silent for a moment. Evelyn’s head snapped up, her eyes locking with Marcus’s. He held her gaze, his expression unreadable, but there was a glint of amusement in his eyes that only she could see.

“Of course,” Marcus said, his tone calm and agreeable. “It would be my pleasure to work alongside Evelyn.”

Evelyn’s jaw tightened, but she forced a polite smile. “That sounds… productive,” she said, though her voice lacked enthusiasm.

Marcus leaned back in his chair, satisfied. Let the games begin.

The meeting ended an hour later, and as the attendees filtered out of the room, Marcus deliberately took his time gathering his papers. He knew Evelyn would linger. She always did when something didn’t sit right with her.

Sure enough, as the last person left, she stood by the window, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. Her back was to him, but he could sense her tension from across the room.

“You’ve changed,” Evelyn said suddenly, her voice cutting through the silence. She didn’t turn around.

Marcus raised an eyebrow as he closed his folder. “Have I?”

She let out a dry laugh, finally turning to face him. “Don’t play coy, Marcus. You know exactly what I mean.”

He tilted his head, studying her. “And is that a bad thing?”

Evelyn hesitated, her lips parting as if to speak, but no words came out. She looked at him—really looked at him—as if trying to piece together the man standing before her. Gone was the timid husband who once bent over backward to please her. This Marcus was composed, self-assured, and entirely unreadable. It unsettled her more than she cared to admit.

“I don’t know,” she said finally, her voice softer now. “You’re… different.”

Marcus took a step closer, closing the distance between them. He wasn’t trying to intimidate her—he didn’t need to. His presence alone was enough.

“People change, Evelyn,” he said, his tone low but firm. “Especially when they’ve been given a reason to.”

Her eyes narrowed slightly. “And what’s your reason?”

He smiled faintly, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Let’s just say I’ve learned a lot in the past few years. About people. About myself.”

Evelyn felt a pang of guilt, though she wasn’t entirely sure why. She hated how he could make her feel this way, as though the weight of her choices was pressing down on her chest. She wanted to say something—anything—to regain the upper hand, but Marcus spoke first.

“I should thank you, actually,” he said, his voice laced with a subtle edge. “You taught me more than I ever realized.”

Evelyn’s heart sank, though she kept her expression neutral. “I don’t know what you mean.”

Marcus chuckled softly, shaking his head. “Of course you don’t.”

Before she could respond, the door opened, and the director stepped in, interrupting the charged moment. “Marcus, Evelyn, could I have a word?”

They both turned to him, their expressions immediately shifting to professional masks. Marcus gestured for Evelyn to go ahead, his politeness almost mocking. She shot him a quick glare before following the director out of the room.

Later that afternoon, Marcus found himself in the director’s office, seated across from the older man who had built the company from the ground up. The room was decorated with sleek, modern furniture, but the walls were lined with plaques and awards—a testament to the director’s success.

“I’ve been watching you, Marcus,” the director began, leaning back in his chair. “You’ve got talent. Real talent.”

“Thank you, sir,” Marcus replied, his tone humble but confident.

The director smiled. “I mean it. You’ve got the potential to go far here. And I want to give you an opportunity.”

Marcus’s interest piqued, though he kept his expression calm. “What kind of opportunity?”

The director leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. “I’m putting together a new division—one that will oversee some of our most critical projects moving forward. I want you to lead it.”

Marcus’s chest tightened, though he remained composed. This was it—the chance he had been waiting for. A way to not only prove himself but to surpass Evelyn entirely.

“That’s an incredible offer,” he said carefully. “I’m honored.”

The director nodded. “I thought you would be. Of course, there’s a lot to discuss—budgets, timelines, the team you’d need to build—but I’m confident you’re the right man for the job.”

Marcus smiled, his mind already racing with possibilities. “Thank you, sir. I won’t let you down.”

“I know you won’t,” the director said, standing up to shake his hand. “We’ll finalize the details soon.”

As Marcus left the office, his steps were steady, but his mind was anything but. This was more than an opportunity—it was leverage. Power. And he intended to use it wisely.

Evelyn sat alone in her office, staring blankly at the spreadsheet on her computer screen. She couldn’t focus. Her thoughts kept drifting back to Marcus—to the way he had looked at her, the things he had said. It was like he was playing a game, one she didn’t know the rules to.

She hated it. Hated how he could still get under her skin after all this time.

Her phone buzzed, pulling her from her thoughts. It was a message from Daniel.

Daniel: Dinner tonight?

She sighed, running a hand through her hair. Daniel was supposed to be the distraction—the one who made her forget about everything else. But lately, even he didn’t seem enough.

Evelyn: I’ll think about it.

She put the phone down and leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes. For the first time in a long time, she felt like she was losing control. And she didn’t know how to stop it.

Marcus stood by the large office window, the city skyline stretching out before him. His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he pulled it out to see a message from the director.

Director: Let’s meet tomorrow to finalize your new role. I’ll make the announcement after.

Marcus’s lips curved into a small, satisfied smile. He could already picture Evelyn’s reaction when she found out. The thought of being one step ahead of her—of finally being in control—was intoxicating.

But this was only the beginning.

As he slipped his phone back into his pocket, he glanced at his reflection in the window. His eyes were sharp, his expression calm. He had played the long game, and now it was paying off.

Soon, he thought. Very soon.