THE DESPISED SON-IN-LAW { RISE TO POWER}

chapter eight

The Tension Builds

Sarah stood shocked at Daniel’s door, the sharp bang of it shutting behind her made her shriek. She has never expected Daniel to react harshly toward her like that.

Daniel's gaze met hers, his facial expression impossible to read. She had believed she caught a glimpse of the man she used to know - gentle, understanding, and ready to help her in any way.

However, the air around them now was more suffocating and tense.

“You’ve said what you came to say,” Daniel said, his tone calm but cold. “You can leave now.”

Sarah hesitated. “Daniel, wait. I just... I want to fix things.”

Daniel let out a soft laughter. “Fix things? Now you want to fix things? After you left me for Andrew?”

Her face turned red. “I made a mistake. I see that now. You’ve changed, Daniel. You’re not the same man anymore. I—”

“You’re right,” Daniel stopped her from speaking any further. “I’m not the same man. The man you left behind is gone, Sarah. And I’m not interested in going back to being that pathetic loser. I am way past that now.”

His last statement left Sarah speechless. Daniel walked away, gesturing the conversation was over. She stayed a bit longer, waiting for him to speak again, but he didn't say anything. With regret and a heavy heart, she slowly walked away

The following day, Daniel got to work earlier than he usually does. He needed to get his mind off things and the best way was to get to work. His focus was sharp, his mind filled with strategies the system had provided overnight.

“Take the initiative,” the system advised. “Seize opportunities others ignore. Use their hesitation to your advantage.”

Daniel wasted no time. At the weekly team meeting, Andrew introduced a new project - a high-stakes account with the potential for great rewards that everyone appeared reluctant to accept.

"I've got this," Daniel said with confidence, his voice echoing through the room. Andrew’s eyes darted towards him. “You do realize this project could sink your career if it goes wrong?” he asked with a smile praying silently Daniel take his offer

Daniel nodded. “I understand the risks. I also understand the rewards.”

The room fell silent as Andrew stared at him, weighing his options. If things go south then it would affect him but not as much as it would affect Daniel. Finally, he nodded. “Fine. It’s yours.”

As the meeting ended, Daniel noticed several colleagues looking at him with a mix of awe and suspicion. No one had ever dared challenge Andrew, let alone volunteer for such a risky task.

That evening, Daniel’s phone buzzed with a text from Sarah.

“Can we talk? Please. Just for a moment.”

He stared at the message for a moment before replying. “There’s nothing left to talk about, Sarah. Just forget about it.”

But Sarah didn’t let it go. The next day, she showed up at his office during lunch, her face showing how remorseful she was.

“Daniel, I know I hurt you,” she began, standing in front of his desk. “But I’m trying to make amends. Can’t we at least have dinner and talk like adults?”

Daniel leaned back in his chair, his expression neutral. “And what exactly do you want to talk about, Sarah? How you left me for Andrew? Or how you only seem interested now that I’m doing well?”

Her face gave her out, but she quickly recovered. “It’s not like that. I just... I miss you, Daniel. I miss us.”

He smirked, but there was no warmth in it. “You miss the version of me you thought you could control. That man doesn’t exist anymore.”

Sarah’s mask slipped for a moment, revealing frustration. “So that’s it? You’re just going to throw everything we had away?”

“You threw it away first,” Daniel replied, his voice cold with any sign of emotion. “And now, you’ll have to live with that decision.”

Meanwhile, Andrew was pacing in his office, his mind racing with ways to sabotage Daniel’s growing influence.

“How is he doing this?” Andrew muttered to himself. “He was nothing just a few months ago. Now he’s taking over everything.”

He picked up his phone and dialed a trusted friend at the company’s HR department.

“I need you to dig into Daniel’s past,” Andrew said, his voice low and urgent. “Find something—anything—we can use against him.”

Over the following week, whispers about Daniel began circulating around the office. Someone claimed he had lied on his resume; another suggested he was secretly working for a rival company.

Daniel could feel the shift in the air but kept his focus on what he was trying to achieve and anything the system was passing across to him.

“System voice : Do not react impulsively,” the system advised. “Let them outdone themselves. Then strike.”

At a meeting that involved the whole company, Andrew got up and issued a declaration.

He mentioned that he had noticed discrepancies in the backgrounds of some employees, giving Daniel a quick look. "We will be conducting a comprehensive review to make sure that all individuals here are acting with integrity.”

Daniel didn’t flinch. Instead, he met Andrew’s gaze head-on, a small smile playing on his lips.

That evening, Daniel stayed late at the office, reviewing files and documents with the system’s help.

“Andrew’s desperation is his weakness,” the system said. “Use it.”

By the end of the night, Daniel had compiled a lot of his own—evidence of Andrew’s underhanded dealings, including favoritism, embezzlement, and falsified reports. He didn’t plan to use it yet, but knowing he had it gave him an edge.

The next day, Andrew’s attempts to sabotage Daniel continued. Emails went missing, files were altered, and deadlines were mysteriously moved up. But Daniel handled it all with ease, he was well prepared for whatever was coming his way.

During another meeting, Andrew tried to disregard him publicly.

“Daniel, your department’s numbers seem... off. Care to explain?”

Daniel stood, holding a pile of neatly arranged files. “Actually, Andrew, I knew you were going to ask so I brought the updated reports. They show a 15% increase in efficiency compared to last quarter.”

The room murmured in approval as Daniel handed out the reports. Andrew’s face reddened with anger, but he couldn’t argue.

As Daniel’s star continued to rise, Sarah’s frustration boiled over. She couldn’t understand how he had become so untouchable, so confident. She had expected him to crumble without her, not tryband survive.

One evening, she called him again, her voice trembling.

“Daniel, I need to see you,It’s important.” she said slowly over the phone.

He sighed over the phone. “What do you want, Sarah?”

“I just... I need closure,” she said, her tone pleading.

When they saw each other, Sarah had her facade of regret firmly established. She thought about the happy moments they had shared together, her tone laced with sorrow. But Daniel saw through her act.

“You’re not here for closure,” he said bluntly. “You’re here because you can’t stand seeing me succeed without you.”

Sarah’s face hardened, the mask slipping once again. “You’re wrong,” she snapped. “I care about you, Daniel.”

He stood up, casually throwing some money onto the table. "If you truly cared, you wouldn't have deceived me." Good-bye, Sarah.

While leaving, Daniel experienced a sense of lightness, as if a burden he hadn't noticed was gone.