BREAKING THE RULES

Seth knew in his mind his reason for boasting but arguing with his wife and her friends wouldn't prove anything.

No matter how many times he tried to make them understand he was capable enough, they just wouldn't see it because his words were as nothing to them.

So, he would let his actions speak for him when he gave them the ten million dollars.

He retreated to the kitchen and started preparing dinner for his wife.

Phoebe chatted with her friends all through the time he prepared dinner and finally sent them home as he began to set the table.

After seeing them off, she returned to join Seth at the dining table. The only thing he was permitted to do with her was to eat at the same table.

After eating together in silence, Phoebe went up to her room and laid for the night while Seth cleaned up the place.

He took to doing the dishes and storing the leftovers and when he was finally done with every chore, he retreated to the study room to spend his night like he always did.

He asked himself a question. If he gave his wife the money she was in need of, would she let him finally sleep in the bedroom?

As he laid on a black sofa with a book I'm his hands, he found himself reading the same line over and over again.

“I wonder how much I actually have…” he muttered to himself.

That happened to be the same reason he couldn't bring himself to read past one line! The book was something that always helped him fall asleep at night after a long and tiring day of running errands and doing the chores.

Ironically enough, the book was about a young man going through a hard time but his life took a drastic turn when he found out about the amount that was breathing in his account.

Seth had never expected such life to turn to a reality for him. Perhaps reading the book every night had made it come true.

He kept telling himself to fall asleep because he planned on waking up very early to go to the bank and check out his offshore account but excitement made it impossible.

He slammed the book in his hand shut and placed it on the wooden brown stool that was at the side of the chair. “Okay, let's fall asleep now.” He told himself.

His eyelids fell shut and he laid on his back while trying to think of things to put him to sleep.

Everything he tried was impossible and alas, morning came. He could tell from the sun that reflected through the window blinds.

He hadn't gotten a wink of sleep yet he felt so energetic and awake.

He rushed to the guest bathroom– now his own bathroom– and freshened up as quickly as he could.

He wore a bathrobe around his body as he prepared breakfast for anyone who was home at the moment.

It was always like that in the Patterson's home. Whenever Seth woke up, he was to prepare breakfast whether they were around or not.

The rule stated they would have it later in the day when they returned or maybe for lunch if they felt like it.

Most days, they never ate it, not even for lunch or dinner. At first, he always threw the food away, the quantity made it hard for him to believe he was doing away with so much food.

As his conscience couldn't handle it anymore, he gave the one he could to street beggars and ate the amount he could.

He would stop cooking if he could but it would mean great trouble if he were to go against their order.

After cooking, he went into his room to get dressed. Finally, he could go to the bank to find out his account balance.

He threw on a white T-shirt and a black jeans trouser and complimented his look with one of his three white sneakers. The only shoes he had.

He combed his hair and tried to look as presentable as he could before stepping out of the house. His usual allowance had been given to him by his wife indirectly as she dropped it on the table in the study room before he woke up.

With that, he could manage to transport himself to and back from his destination.

He was surprised as he stumbled upon a new bike at the entrance of the house. No one else drove a bike except for him amongst the entire Patterson family he lived with so was this probably a gift?

Gloria could never show him such kindness and neither could his mother in-law.

So he concluded it was his wife's doing. Perhaps she wanted his errands to go as easily as they did before his bike got stolen.

His lips curved into a smile as he took the key and started the bike. Before he could drive out, he heard someone call out to him.

Not his name, but he knew it was him the person was referring to.

“Hey! You filth! Can't you hear me?” Gloria exclaimed in a slightly pissed tone.

The young girl was still putting on her pink night dress even though she had school that morning.

“Good morning sister.” Seth greeted her with a smile.

“Are you crazy? Huh? Didn't I tell you never to refer to me as your sister again? Do you need someone to give you a smack at the back of your head to reset your brain? That is if you even have any.” She rained on him with her insults.

Seth only remained on his bike while listening attentively to her. He never let it bother him that she was so young, younger than him by far. Yet he never let it get to him that she spoke so lowly to him.

“I'm sorry.” He plainly apologized.

“Yeah you better be!” She spat out at his face. She handed him the brown envelope she was holding in her hand. “Take it.”

“What is it for?” Seth asked confusedly as he accepted the papers.

“It's the deed of the house,” she said mockingly. “You fool, would you at least let me finish?”

Seth heaved a slightly silent sigh. “Please, go ahead, I won't be so inpatient next time.”

Gloria held back the urge to actually give him a mean slap at the back of the head. Even though he apologized for interrupting her, she couldn't help but to feel like his apology was in a form of mockery.

But even her sister hadn't laid a hand on hik before so she saw no need to cross the line. Or at least not at that moment.

“That is a very important file to Phoebe and she forgot it this morning while she was heading out to work. I want you to go and give it to her and I repeat, her and no one else! This file is worth more than your life you see.” She ordered him.

“But…” Seth said while looking at the file.

Phoebe had told him to never visit her company because he looked like filth and he had kept to her order.

If she were to find him in her office premises, she would have his head. The last thing he wanted was to go against her words, he always tried to remain on his lane so as to avoid any form of trouble with her. “Phoebe said–”

“Do I look like I care about what you are about to say? I gave you an order and you dare not to question me! Take it to her! Don't you dare rough handle that document or you're dead meat!” She glared viciously at him.

“Can't you take it to her instead?” He arched his brow as he asked.

Stepping his foot in her company would be him breaking the rules of peace she had set out for him.

Gloria let out a chuckle. “You really are something aren't you? Well I have plans and I will not be skipping when we have you to run the errands for us. Now leave you idiot!” She growled at him.

Seth held back on any words he had left to say at the command barked out by his sister in-law.

He swallowed his words and silently started the engine to drive away. After putting on his crash helmet, he started towards the main gate.

Gloria had always felt disgusted by Seth's presence every time she saw him in her house. Well her family's house, she had never liked him one single bit and now she hated him even more.

She was so close to having a wealthy and well known man as her brother-in-law just the night before but he ruined it all by refusing to divorce her sister.

Marlin Murray would have been the perfect brother in law for her, a man who could actually buy her gifts and take her out on trips.

Just the fact that she could brag about her brother in law being a project manager at chroma creative was good enough for her. But now it was all just a good dream she would never wake up to see as her reality.

All of her friends had rich and influential people as their in-laws but she was stuck with him and all the jest her friends made of her because of him.

There was even a group chat dedicated to students with rich and powerful in-laws but she couldn't make it to the group.

What a greedy fellow, she thought of him. How dare he say no even when he was offered millions?

Her eyes bore into his back as she watched him drive away on his bike. If only she possessed lasers in her eyes…

Seth, though, felt nervous to his spine as he drove away with the document. Would he really go against her word and visit her workplace?

She ought to be understanding that he came with an important file in hand and if she wanted to be angry at anyone then it should be her sister for refusing to bring the document herself.

But he still felt nervous to even be driving. How would she react when she saw him?