Secretive Son-in-law

The Unexpected Turn

Everything happens so quickly for Andrew. 

He didn’t have a second to process what’s happening.

First, he got disowned from his family, got engaged to a stranger and that stranger’s grandfather just died.

After the fall of the Wilson great figure, the Wilson family held a big meeting to discuss their future.

The Wilson's is well known and considered wealthy among the family in Calnia Region. There's a total of 21 families in their household.

There was a huge debate of who should actually hold the Head of the family title. 

The debate went on for hours and ended up with Laura, Edward’s wife. 

They could give the title to Edward’s younger brother or one of their family members but they were too dominant and can’t be trusted with such responsibility. Even though Laura shares such characteristics, she’s more reliable and trustworthy than the others.

Andrew was also present at the meeting which caused another 2 long hours of debate about his engagement with Cecilia. 

They were denying and very dissatisfied about the sudden announcement. 

They start to quiet down when Calvin says that it was Edward who brought them together. 

“He’s gone. We must continue the name of our family. For that to happen, our family members should marry someone with high social status!”

Laura said. 

It was disrespectful towards her husband but she said nothing but the truth thus making others agree with her. In the first place, no one can deny her with the head title in her possession.

Andrew keeps silent as they badmouth him. The debate continues with them spitting curses at his face. 

Well, Andrew can’t blame them. Their relatives suddenly get engaged without anyone knowing so of course they would be mad. Not to mention that she marries a nobody like Andrew.

'I'm glad I'm not the Fullen anymore' He thought gratefully.

He stood motionless as he accepted all the harsh insults from them.

After another 3 minutes of debate, the meeting was about to end with Andrew divorced with Cecilia but a person opened the door causing Laura unable to hand her verdict.

“You are…”

Andrew looked at him questioningly. 

“Why are you here?”

He was an agent present during the marriage interview. 

“Sorry for barging in but there’s something that all of you need to see”

The man quickly took a USB drive from his pocket and plugged it into his laptop. He shows everyone in the room the content of his drives.

“This is–!!”

Everyone in the room was bewildered, Andrew included.

There was no doubt that it was a marriage contract between Andrew and Cecilia. The same contract that his father told him. 

Though, there were a few written rules that Andrew was unaware of.

Rules #1 Andrew will not get anything from the family. He will only become a son in law until he is divorced.

Rules #2 Andrew wasn’t allowed to live in any of the Wilson Houses.

Rules #3 Every belongings owned by Andrew belongs to both him and Cecilia only. Cecilia’s belongings only belong to her.

Rules #4 After the marriage, Andrew wasn’t allowed to divorce for a year. Think of it as a trial marriage.

“This is a contract signed by Sir Edward a day before the marriage interview”

The agent stated.

“Why you–! Why didn’t I hear any of this!!”

Laura told him of as she slammed the table.

“Sir Edward instructed me to show this document during the family meeting.”

The room was filled with whispers the moment the truth was revealed.

‘He did?’ 

Even Andrew was baffled by this news.

Did he foresee this event?

Or did he plan this from the start?

Andrew tried to call his father but he refrained from doing so. His father could answer all of his questions but it will also reveal that he was from that family. He doesn’t want to stand out more than necessary.

“So? Anything else he said?”

“Yes, he told me to give this to you and this drives to Andrew”

“Me?”

The man hands over something that appears to be a letter.

“That is a personal letter given to you by Sir Edward. It’s up to you when to opened it”

“I see…I will open it later then”

Andrew put the letter into his pocket and joined the meeting again.

“Sorry for the delay, please continue”

Calvin nodded his head and looked at everyone in the room.

“Father planned this huh?” Kevin, Edward’s oldest son said with a smile on his face. 

“That old man is cunning as ever”

“Haaaaaah, we could only follow it now. Is that fine, Uncle Ellis?”

All of the attendees look at the man sitting across the other side of the table.

Andrew looked at him and a frown shaped on his forehead.

He is Ellis Wilson, Edward’s younger brother. He is the right heir to Edward’s title but Edward didn’t appoint anyone as his next heir causing the closest to him, namely Laura, to inherit his title.

He sighed and started speaking.

“That title should be mine but well, there’s nothing I could do about it now. About...this guy however… I would like to get rid of him if possible”

Everyone looks at Andrew and starts nodding their head to themselves.

‘They really hate me huh?’

He thought.

Andrew takes a deep breath and starts making a way for himself. He can just give up there but with how Cecilia has stolen his heart, there's no way he can back down now.

“Please listen, everyone. As someone who was as confused as everyone present, I would like to propose something”

Every eye in the room turns to him instantly. 

They stare at him while talking to themselves.

How could a nobody like him talk during their family meeting?

They must have thought so. Andrew let his imaginative mind wanders away as he stand awaiting for response.

Everyone looks at Ellisand Calvin before looking at the Family Head who's been silent the entire time.

Ellisnodded his head on which Calvin nodded as well. Both of them look at Laura and she also agrees.

“We were listening” She said, allowing Andrew to speak.

Andrew nodded.

“As stated in rule number four, I was not allowed to leave the family for a year. Then why don’t we just do that?” Andrew voiced his thoughts.

“Do what?” Ellis frowned.

Andrew smiles and answers him.

“A year-long marriage trial,” He said confidently.

“I will be the son in law of Calvin’s family for a year. After that, I will leave myself” 

As a matter of fact, he has no intention in leaving the family. He will try his best to stay and help Cecilia as much as he can

He explained himself but Ellis come up with something that easily countered him.

“Why don’t you just go now?”

Laura snorted. He nodded acknowledging.

Everyone in the meeting started nodding their heads as well. It would be easy if Andrew just walked out but he refuses to give up. Before he could explain himself, the agent opened his mouth first.

“As for that, let me explain… Sir Edward wants nothing but the best for his precious granddaughter, Cecilia. He even told all of his company and all of the contributors about her marriage”

His words shocked everyone present.

Even Andrew was speechless. It was way too unrealistic for everything to be just a mere coincidence.

“To simplify, Cecilia’s engagement spread alongside the news of Sir Edward’s death” The agent continued.

Everyone was silent by his words. 

“Meaning that…”

“Yes, he used this as an opportunity. If Andrew were to left the family, all of the contributors will stop contributing to Wilson company”

Everyone in the room was confused but not Andrew.

He knew for a fact what he had done even though it took quite a while for him to realize.

In other words, Edward made a bet. Edward wants them to invest in Andrew, the soon heir of the family. 

If he could last and make the family even better, then they could make a huge profit by contributing with them. 

If Andrew were divorce, then the family is done for, in various ways possible.

Edward did say something about leaving the family to him after all. If he interpreted it right, the title should be passed down to him instead.

Ellis slammed the table, clearly irritated. “Grrr…that sly fox…”. He said.

Andrew nodded his head.

‘Exactly my thoughts’

Laura rubs the middle of her forehead.

She then sighed, “Haaah, fine.” 

She stands from her chair and throws her hand forward.

“I retract my verdict!!… Andrew Robinson will be Wilson or Calvin family member until this one year trial ends! I don’t want to hear any complaints, understand!!”

All the attendees stand up and bow their heads. 

They then yelled in unison.

“Yes Patriarch!!” 

***

“waah! Finally finished!!”

Andrew threw himself on the sofa after finishing the meeting.

“What a turn of event…I can’t believe all of this were planned from the start…Sir Edward really is a fox”

He said when he remembered all the events during the meeting. 

“ah, that’s right”

He also recalled the letter that the agent gave him.

He took the letter out of his pocket and opened it carefully.

[Dear Andrew, by the time you read this, I’m sure that I was no longer in that world. I did tell you to take care of Cecilia right?]

Andrew giggled. 

Death or alive, he knew that Edward loves his granddaughter so much. 

‘Well, maybe too much.’

He thought before continuing reading.

[So here’s the thing. I heard from your father that you were disowned by the Fullen family. By the time you open this letter, I assume that the Wilson family meeting has ended, am I right?]

“You…”

His smile turned to frown.

It’s as if he had foreseen all of the events.

[Then there is no need for me to write further. Become the head of the family and lead them to a better future, a future that I didn’t give them.]

Andrew sighed knowing that this would be the outcome. 

He took the letter and dropped the empty envelope on the table. The moment it hits the table, some sort of hard plastic sounds come from the envelope.

“This envelope is paper though…”

He put the letter aside and looked in the envelope.

There seems to be a card and another letter in a small folded piece of paper.

[P.S I opened a new company a few days before I was hospitalized. It was a market research service. I open it to help research anything that could help Cecilia’s company. Please use it. I left a bank card in this letter. Go meet Harley. She will be your assistant. Just follow the map I provided at the back of this paper]

Andrew scratched his head after finished reading the letter.

He was indecisive. 

In the first place, the reason why he wanted to be a live-in is so that he could lie around lazily. In fact, he hates working the most.

After looking at all the failures of the company he looked into, he’s afraid to take any risk. 

'What if I failed?'

He always thought of that.

He just wants to relax and enjoy his time quietly without doing anything.

Yet this time, the marriage between him and Cecilia might have lit the fire in him. Edward might have sparked something he shouldn’t have but Andrew didn’t hate it though. 

He couldn't be more than grateful towards him for giving him a chance to be with his granddaughter.

He feels like there’s finally something he could look forward to.

“Well…let give this a try”